What's on DocPlay in January

Here's everything streaming on DocPlay in January.

In the new year, discover remarkable stories from across the globe, streaming exclusively on DocPlay. From award-winning director Elizabeth Lo (Stray), Mistress Dispeller is an intimate and suprising portrait of a relationship under strain - and the lengths one woman will go to to save her marriage. Liverpool FC’s beloved coach Jürgen Klopp comes into focus in the four-part series; while local filmmaker Danny Ben-Moshe tells a personal story of Holocaust revenge. Two more exclusive titles premiere on the platform: the UK box office hit Wilding, which offers a look at an inspiring rewilding experiment; and I Am Martin Parr, a charming portrait of the influential British photographer which comes direct from British Film Festival screenings.

5 Jan

Doubters to Believers: Liverpool FC - Klopp’s Era (Exclusive)

Midway through the 23/24 season, Jürgen Klopp stuns Liverpool fans by announcing his departure. This series charts his final season and nine year tenure, showing how he turned doubters into believers, and led the club to Premier and Champions League glory. With exclusive interviews, we explore his coaching evolution, trust in young talent, and the reasons behind his emotional farewell.

8 Jan

Revenge - Our Dad the Nazi Killer

Three Australian brothers investigate whether their father and uncle, both Holocaust survivors, may have been involved in the deaths of former Nazis after the war. 

12 Jan

Wilding (Exclusive)

Based on Isabella Tree’s best-selling book by the same title and a box office smash hit in the UK, Wilding tells the story of a young couple that bets on nature for the future of their failing, four-hundred-year-old estate. 

19 Jan

I Am Martin Parr (Exclusive)

Known for his sharp wit, playful irony, and unflinching eye, Martin Parr has spent decades capturing the humour, absurdity, and humanity of everyday life. This documentary takes viewers beyond the iconic images, revealing the man behind the camera, his inspirations, quirks, and relentless curiosity about the modern world.

26 Jan

Mistress Dispeller (Exclusive)

Desperate to save her marriage, a woman in China hires a professional to go undercover and break up her husband’s affair. With strikingly intimate access, Mistress Dispeller follows this unfolding family drama from all corners of a love triangle. 

Garbage: Live Review 

Shirley Manson has a lot on her mind.

Yet it's when the Garbage frontwoman reveals that this could be the last time they ever venture down here that the audience fully focuses.

Photo: Mike Kilpatrick

It's a bitter body blow to fans of the group which formed in 1993 and is part of the current wave of heritage bands touring New Zealand (Metallica, Pixies, Tool and Lenny Kravitz have all recently rocked the country), but the reality of the financial aspect of touring Down Under and the futility of trying to keep costs under control is brought sharply into focus in one of Manson's moments on stage.

She may spend much of a stormy night in Auckland wondering if she's talking too much, but the passion and power that tumbles from her mouth between songs and exhortations for a packed-out Town Hall crowd to join in is nothing that can be denied.

Photo: Mike Kilpatrick

Five songs in, after Run Baby Run, a platinum pony-tailed Manson finally addresses the crowd, asking for forgiveness if they "sound cliched" in their fulsome praise of New Zealand and expressing undying gratitude for the way fans have embraced their music over the years.

And as the set progresses, any transgressions are easily forgiven in this compelling mix of past and present. In truth, it's an absolutely ferocious Garbage that takes the stage, delivering hits from their 1995 debut ("Let's take a Dr Who's Tardis to the time before modern monsters", Manson teases before a hypnotic Not My Idea is unleashed) and songs from their latest, Let All That We Imagine Be The Light, via hits from their plethora of albums.

Prowling the stage and circling like a caged tiger, Manson's both playful and seductive as she parades between guitarists Duke Erikson and Steve Marker. As their industrial-tinged music fills the Town Hall with its howling melody, the crowd builds to an almost frenetic and frenzied edge in parts, all controlled by Manson's messianic motions and playful grins.

The group's never sounded better, never sounded tighter and never sounded so sure about what they're delivering. It's just a shame that this really could be their last visit to these shores, given how fresh they still sound, how urgent their music still lingers 30 years on and how rational Manson's political exhortations and ideas are.

Photo: Mike Kilpatrick

Before launching into Bleed Like Me, she provides context of how Interscope records lost faith in them and how their own single-minded ethos propelled them on; before a slinky and hypnotic Queer she delivers an impassioned speech urging kindness as she watches on as the US tramples over trans rights; and before Chinese Fire Horses, she tells how two journalists asked when she was retiring as she did press for an album launch. None of these moments topple over into preaching and even within the church-like surroundings of the Town Hall, the religious devotion she inspires by just simply delivering sense is a thing to behold.

The crowd laps it all up, but what becomes clear in this is just how much Garbage has had to fight for their own survival throughout their life and how with every obstacle in their way, they've continued to deliver and pushed back at every possible opportunity.

32 years on, it seems Garbage has lost none of their fire - or their urgency and catharsis.

The triumvirate of When I Grow Up, Push It and Cherry Lips in the final stretch of their 2-hour performance shows them completely in command of their audience and with material that still sparkles with urgency three decades on. It may be that the older tracks deliver the biggest cheers tonight, and an encore of Stupid Girl and Only Happy When It Rains sees the audience collectively lose their mind, but the band is revelling in being at the height of their powers.

Photo: Mike Kilpatrick

From Butch Vig's punishing rhythms on the drums to Steve and Duke's guitars-led melodies, every note is pitch perfect, every lick a perfect explanation of intention and every moment an unmissable one. 

"Let's pretend tonight is our last night together" Manson says early on after bemoaning touring costs and promising they never want the fans to have bear that cost, before she then goes to shepherd her band to something unforgettable that reaches a ferocious bliss. 

If it's their last time here, Garbage's single New Zealand date truly was special, a reminder of a band still overdelivering years after they even began and one that shows time does nothing to quell the absolute revolution they have nurtured within themselves for decades and within their devotees.

Five Nights at Freddys 2: Movie Review

Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, and Teo Briones
Director: Emma Tammi

It's back to the vicious world of Freddy Fazbear for the sequel.

Lewis Capaldi: Live Review

After being forced to cancel his planned 2023 dates to prioritize his mental health after being unable to finish his Glastonbury festival set, it'd be cruel to suggest there's pressure on the Scottish crooner to deliver.

In truth, it appears there's no bigger pressure than the one he places on himself, something which has won him hordes of fans because of his relatability- and more importantly, his fallibility.

Credit: Mahmoud Alhasan

Yet with the triumph of comeback single Survive delivering him the results he wants - and needs (as well as opening his 90 minute set) - it's not hard to see why his handful of dates have sold out in New Zealand.

Certainly a full crowd at Auckland's Spark Arena weren't there to deny him anything but love, something which the Scots singer wasn't about to let go without acknowledging.

Albeit after some three songs had been delivered. After the last notes, he stood in front of the crowd, which erupted in support of the songwriter everyman, allowing him to bathe in their adoration. It was only then the trademark Capaldi banter came out for an airing, taking in his mental health issues, his fears he'd never tour again and his desire to have a good night. From complaining about the fans blowing through his hair "like Celine Dion" to accepting someone's cock on stage, there were flashes of the humour and vulnerability that's endeared him to so many, has ensured endless radio airplay and guarantees you'll know at least one of his songs and join in the singalong. 

Credit: Mahmoud Alhasan

And while the crowd hung on his every word, every moment that gave them a chance to scream they loved him, Capaldi was wise enough to acknowledge he only dished out ballads. And he was smart enough to acknowledge his own journey and that he was now in the best firm he's ever been in, delivering gutsy ballads with fine voice, mostly solo and in some of the gigs best moments, just with a guitar, mic stand and his own voice.

That he did all of this in a technically adept show that showcased his heartfelt earnestness and his powerful vocal range. All the ballads were there, complete with phone lights glittering around the arena. The likes of Before You Go, Something in the heavens and How I'm feeling all resonated when they should and the audience lapped up every second.

And yet, it felt a little hollow and safe, dadrock with your mates writ large for his target audience. With too many songs ending in blackouts and pauses on stage with gaps, the show's feel was disjointed, a staccato affair that left the audience to pick up the slack and some members to feel disconnected from what was on stage.

Credit: Mahmoud Alhasan

It's an interesting conundrum for Capaldi and where he goes next. Nobody would begrudge him his health and he was wise to take those years off, because he's returned an impressive performer who declared himself happier than he's ever been.

But the songs bled into each other, with only the more upbeat edges of Forget You one hour into the set left you feeling like some life had been kicked into proceedings. But it does feel like he's at a crossroads now, a singer whose very ordinariness and foibles won him mass acclaim and yet he's had to leave some of those behind for the right reasons.

Paradigms aside, it was a solid show and there's no doubting the sincerity that he showed when he thanked Auckland for sticking with him through it all.

In truth, as one of his songs says, you wish him all the best - but what he does next will really define his future path and it'll be fascinating to see if he can embrace it for his own longevity.

Credit: Mahmoud Alhasan

Wreckreation: PS5 Review

Developed by THQ Nordic
Published by THQ Nordic
Platform: PS5

The arcade racer has become a staple of the gaming world.

With the likes of the Forza series and also need for speed, the simple idea of speeding around an open world causing carnage and essentially racing for points and car unlocks I'd really a good, honest simple one.

And so it is with Wreckreation, a title that lives to follow in the footsteps of others of its ilk. 

In fairness, it does a good solid job of achieving that - even if there's no official list of cars attached to the game.

From racing against others to rampage events where you have a time limit to crash out your opponents, wreckreation does what it needs to with a bit of flair and a truckload of playability.

While graphically there are some bugs with cars disappearing and even sections of the tunnels you're in, the game's flow is never really impeded and bizarrely, these faults play into the feel of the arcade racer.

Handling is fluid and the car response times are good too - even if you are likely to scream out when something smashes into you.

Perhaps there is a lack of innovation in progression and gameplay (an open world map with events cropping up seems mightily familiar) but for a bit of on the couch fun,Wreckreation delivers and you'll be surprised how much time you've lost to playing it without realising.

A solid experience, Wreckreation makes a good strong argument for the arcade racer and while it may not be an instant classic, it is a highly playable family-friendly title that's worth investing some father-son time in.

Bye Sweet Carole: PS5 Review 

Developed by Little Sewing Machine
Released by Maximum Entertainment
Platform: PS5

Games within the horror genre are usually confined to a series of orchestrated jump scares and also a feeling of claustrophobia.

It's a genre which has served the gaming world well for a long time, and every once in a while, a new game comes along that tries something different. That game this time is Bye Sweet Carole, a horror-fantasy 2D adventure that shows there's reason to be optimistic about the swathe of titles hitting that spot.

In this latest, players are thrust into a hauntingly beautiful realm where dark fairy tales and nightmarish realities intertwine. Following the story of Lana Benton, a courageous young girl on a desperate search for her missing friend, Carole, in the ominous Bunny Hall orphanage, the game is a beautifully hand-crafted story that looks like no other titles out currently.

There's a lot of dialogue in the game as the title plays out, and that may put players off who are looking for a quick fix and an easy story. But with themes of grief and loss, there's a sense here of something developing and bubbling away, rather than simply shifting into easy gratification. 

As a result, Bye Sweet Carole won't be for everyone, and while occasionally the controls feel a little difficult to manoeuvre Lana around, the game generally has solid gameplay and works well across its 10 chapter structure. Mixing in puzzles as it goes, Bye Sweet Carole makes a case for something completely difficult in the genre - and while some of the points of entry are locked behind cutscenes, patience does pay off here.

This is a game that rewards those willing to invest in it - that may occasionally be less than ideal, but it's worth the time to play something that looks and feels different. 

Possessor(s): PS5 Review

Developed by Heart Machine
Published by Devolver Digital
Platform: PS5

There's something about the Metroidvania platform game that keeps bringing people back.

And so it is with Possessor(s), a platform game that takes the best of the genre and twists its own spin on proceedings. Following a demon-led invasion that obliterates the city of Sanzu and leaves protagonist Luca at death's door, a demon called Rhem offers her a deal - he'll heal her if she does one thing for him.

With no legs and no option, Luca takes the deal - but of course, as with any deal with the devil, the truth isn't as simple as it seems. As they're forced to team up, the pair take on various obstacles on their quest - and Luca finds that Rhem hasn't been entirely honest with her.

It's really the banter between Luca and Rhem that makes Possessor(s) such an interesting title. Starting with an intriguing tale that mixes manga with mayhem and a side of monsters, the game really has a way of getting its hooks into you right away.

It's a simple hack and slash in many ways - a game that uses the mechanics you've played with before in many different games. From taking on kitchen knives to hack at victims or using your whip to Indiana Jones it from level to level, the game is very familiar.

So in order to keep it fresh, Heart Machine's deployed an idea that makes things more enticing - the enemies are everyday objects that demons have tried to possess and connect with and failed. It means the likes of traffic cones can menace you and provide plenty of minor laughs while beating you senseless.

From land-locked baddies to airborne ones as well as boss fights, the game offers up some chunky challenges even on easy mode. And while the world of Sanzu is well-realised, it's the interplay of the stories of Luca and Rhem which keeps Possessor(s) such an intriguing and enjoyable game.

It won't win any awards (sadly) but what Possessor(s) offers is a solid and enjoyable slice of platforming that's well worth investing time and effort in.