THE DIG (Cert 12, 111 mins, streaming from January 29 exclusively on Netflix, Drama/Romance/War)
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Johnny Flynn, Lily James, Ben Chaplin, Monica Dolan, Ken Stott.
TERMINALLY-ill widow Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) is convinced that treasures lie beneath the surface of the grassy burial mounds on her estate in Suffolk.
With the Second World War beckoning, she hires pipe-smoking archaeologist Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to excavate the site.
"I've been on digs since I was old enough to hold a trowel," he confides warmly.
Tirelessly working the land, Basil makes a historic discovery: an Anglo-Saxon ship burial.
British Museum archaeologist Charles Phillips (Ken Stott) and various members of the London establishment descend on Sutton Hoo to stake their claim to a site of national interest.
As a tug of war ensues between Basil and well-to-do academics, passions stir between Edith's cousin Rory (Johnny Flynn) and the unhappily married wife (Lily James) of one of the visiting scholars (Ben Chaplin).
Based on John Preston's novel and written for the screen by Moira Buffini, The Dig is a handsomely crafted drama about the precious things that lurk beneath the surface of emotionally scarred people and the undulations of our green and pleasant land.
The first half, which concentrates on the dynamic between Mulligan and Fiennes, is the most compelling, galvanised by understated yet winning performances from the two leads.
Once the film's canvas broadens to include a larger company of supporting characters, emotional rewards become less plentiful although Mike Eley's cinematography retains its warming glow.
Director Simon Stone evokes the period with elan and he offers constant reminders of the spectre of war that could wrench apart fragile relationships across the class divide including one tragic interlude in The Broads.
Rating: ***
POSSESSOR UNCUT (Cert 18, 103 mins, Signature Entertainment, Sci-Fi/Horror/Thriller, available now via Premium Video On Demand for 48 hours, available from February 1 on Amazon Prime Video/BT TV Store/iTunes/Sky Store/TalkTalk TV Store and other download and streaming services, available from February 8 on DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
CORPORATE assassin Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) takes control of other people's bodies using brain-implant technology to execute high-profile targets.
She successfully murders a lawyer at a drinks party in the guise of waitress Holly Bergman (Gabrielle Graham) then severs the neural connection.
"Our next contract is almost finalised and it's a big one," smiles Tasya's boss Girder (Jennifer Jason Leigh) during the debrief.
They are being hired by Reid Parse (Christopher Jacot) to seize control of technology company Zoothroo run by his father, ruthless businessman John Parse (Sean Bean).
The plan is to control the body of Colin (Christopher Abbott), who is dating John's daughter Ava (Tuppence Middleton), and kill the old man and Ava at a dinner party, clearing the path for Reid's boardroom coronation.
Unfortunately, the job spirals out of control and Tasya is trapped inside Colin's body.
Rating: 2stars
