What to watch: Disney magic, film classics and a Netflix obsession

If you need a break from the outdoor humidity, the film, streaming and TV options this weekend offer suitable – highly entertaining – respite. Jennifer McShane picks three options to start watching.

ON THE BIG SCREEN

The Lion King

Film critics and fans alike have been divided (according to the early screenings) on this much-anticipated modern reworking of a beloved classic but it’ll still be seen in droves. The original was famed for its mesmerising original score and the emotion that was paramount in all the characters’ animated expressions – something that many say is lacking in this version. However, the essence of the original score is still there (slightly reworked in places by composer Hans Zimmer) and hearing James Earl Jones voice Mufasa again is surely reason enough to take a walk down memory lane. If nothing else, it will give us a fresh appreciation for the brilliance of the original.

The Lion King is in Irish cinemas nationwide now 

ON TV

Practical Magic

They don’t make highly-watchable films like this anymore. Two sisters (played by a babyfaced Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman), descended from a long line of white witches, are determined to lift the curse that has burdened all the females of the family for generations – namely, that any man who falls in love with them will suffer an untimely death. As it was then is the same now: charming and fun to watch; a true film of the nineties.

Practical Magic airs on Saturday, July 20th at 7 pm on Comedy Central 

ON NETFLIX

Secret Obsession 

Netflix has a ‘thing’ about stalkers, don’t they? Nevertheless, their latest offering has been described by viewers as You 2.0 – the perfect “trashy binge-watch.” Secret Obsession tells the story of a newlywed with amnesia named Jennifer (Brenda Song) who wakes up after a near-fatal accident to find her doting husband Russell (Mike Vogel) ready to bring her home to their California mansion. But, naturally, things aren’t quite that simple… Saturday night viewing at its finest.

Secret Obsession is available to stream on Netflix now