‘Tis the season for gallery days, knitwear, and pubs with open fires. Or, intense movies and sweaty gigs. Whatever floats your boat.

All’s fair in love and war
Lynne Ramsay is back on our screens with another psychological drama, adding to her repertoire of acclaimed features, We Need to Talk About Kevin and You Were Never Really Here. In Die My Love, Ramsay’s black-comedy thriller tells the story of Grace and Jackson, a couple whose life dramatically changes after the birth of their child. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, both deliver career-defining performances in Ramsay’s world of heightened reality and killer emotions.

Die My Love is out in cinemas now. 

These Are Levels
Founded by Benji B and Judah Afriyie in 2007, Deviation has gone on to become one of the UK’s most respected club nights. Born in the era of experimental dubstep nights and Shoreditch’s Plastic People club, the inaugural string of lowkey nights quickly grew in popularity, resulting in appearances from the likes of Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky and DJ EZ. Now celebrating its 18th birthday, Deviation is releasing a monograph of over 300 photographs documenting the glory days of UK club culture titled These Are Levels, on display as an exhibition on Caledonian Road this weekend.

Deviation – These Are Levels is on display at 9 Caledonian Road, N1 9DX until Sunday 16th November, more info here. 

Julia Ducournau returns
For her last film, Titane, Julia Ducournau won the Palme d’Or. Now she returns with Alpha, which follows a teenage girl (played by newcomer Mélissa Boros) coming of age in a world gripped by a mysterious disease that slowly turns people into marble. It’s provocative, daring, and bold. In other words, exactly what you’d expect from the director of Titane. Featuring Tahar Rahim and Golshifteh Farahani, Alpha has sparked deeply divided reactions since its premiere at Cannes over the summer. Now it’s your turn to make up your mind about it – read our interview with Ducournau and Rahim here.

Alpha is out in cinemas now. 

Gig option no.1
Australian duo Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scot, aka HighSchool, touch down in London this weekend, playing at Rough Trade East in celebration of their self-titled debut album. The twelve-track record is a coming-of-age soundtrack inspired by fictional high school films and infused with 80s post-punk references and alternative revivalism, cementing their signature sound following the release of several acclaimed EPs.

HighSchool play Rough Trade East on 14th November.

Gig option no.2:
Over from Vancouver, Sophia Stel headlines Chats Palace this Friday. A musician we’ve been hyping for a while – her sound mixes dreamy ambient hooks with visuals inspired by grainy skate videos. Her latest EP, How to Win at Solitaire, captures it all perfectly: late-night highs, hazy moods, and lo-fi feels.

Sophia Stel plays at Chats Palace on Friday 14th November.

Let them eat cake!
One of the 20th century’s most overlooked artists, Wayne Thiebaud, has a major exhibition currently on display at the Courtauld Gallery. Known for his pastel-toned paintings of cakes, gumball machines, deli counters, and cups of coffee, Thiebaud was a pioneer, and precursor, to the pop art movement of the 1950s and 1960s. His works directly mimic the aesthetic of advertising and were popular before the likes of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein made the style internationally known. Thiebaud was also one of the very last links we had to that golden era of art. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 101.

Wayne Thiebaud: American Still Life runs at the Courtauld Gallery until 18th January, more info here. 

Porn Play
Opening at the Royal Court this week is the strikingly titled Porn Play, a new work by emerging playwright Sophia Chetin-Leuner. Starring Ambika Mod, the play confronts a rarely discussed subject: porn addiction in women. Mod plays a young academic who, when not poring over the verses of Paradise Lost, is grappling with her own compulsive consumption of porn. In recent interviews, Chetin-Leuner has noted how depictions of porn addiction have overwhelmingly centred on men. With Porn Play, she aims to challenge that imbalance and bring visibility to an issue too often left in the shadows.

Porn Play runs at the Royal Court until 13 December, more info here. 

Detroit deep-dish
Ria’s in Notting Hill has quickly become the go-to spot for Detroit-style pizza in the capital, and now they’ve opened a second outpost in Soho. This new venue builds on Ria’s signature flavours and effortless interiors, designed with an open kitchen, seating across two floors and an intimate ‘wine cave’ specialising in natural offerings.  Favourites from Notting Hill’s menu have been carried over, joined by a new Soho-only slice: the ‘Chilli Crisp’ with nduja, crispy chilli oil, pickled shallots, spring onions, and heaps of parmesan.

Ria’s Soho is located at 29 Fouberts Place, Soho, W1F 7QF, more info here. 

Hong Kong-style noodles
Just last week in London Fields, a new Hong Kong-style wonton noodle soup bar opened its doors. Wonton Charlie’s is an eighteen-seat, walk-in-only eatery that has perfected the art of Cantonese wonton noodle soup. Created by the team behind Mr Bao, Daddy Bao, Good Measure, and Master Bao (so you know it’s good), the menu features a selection of hand-wrapped wontons, house-made noodles, and slow-cooked broths prepared fresh daily.

Wonton Charlie’s is located at 392-393 Mentmore Terrace, London Fields, E8 3PH, more info here.