LIFE AFTER LIFE, TVNZ+, from July 8
It’s a screen trope: the character who constantly dies and “wakes” to relive the same life over and over. But in such stories, the character is usually aware of the loop and is attempting to exit it. In Life After Life, Ursula Todd (played by our own Thomasin McKenzie) is not, initially at least, aware that she has been living a succession of do-overs – iterations of the possible life that began with her own stillbirth in 1910. It’s complicated.
Complicated enough that previous attempts to adapt Kate Atkinson’s 2013 novel of the same name for the screen have foundered. Which, says series writer Bash Doran (The Looming Tower), was motivation to actually get it done.
“I had been told it was unadaptable by other people, and that got me intrigued. I really love a structural puzzle.
“Also, I loved the book and I couldn’t put it down. I just thought that if you can’t put this story down, this is a story that everybody’s going to want to watch.
This story is from the July 2 - 8, 2022 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2 - 8, 2022 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
