The Decameron; Hell Jumper

“From the very first episode, Netflix’s historical romp The Decameron is a solid gold comedy banger. None of this ‘give it three episodes to get going’ nonsense; Kathleen Jordan’s highly entertaining, luxuriously produced comedy might be ‘loosely based’ on Giovanni Boccaccio’s hefty 14th century book, but with some superlative writing she has made it entirely her own. The Decameron is the stand-out comedy hit of the year so far and without a doubt the most fun I’ve had watching TV in a long, long time.”
Julia Raeside, The i

“The Decameron is based on a collection of short stories by the 14th-century author Giovanni Boccaccio, which may not instantly strike you as hilarious source material. But thanks to writer Kathleen Jordan and a talented cast, it’s a hoot. Think of it as The White Lotus meets the Black Death, with really silly medieval headwear instead of luxury swimwear.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“The Decameron falls between too many stools to be a triumph. But it is full of nice performances and lovely gowns (jewel-toned medieval drapery always beats 18th-century pastel puffery for me) and is good enough to mark out a place for itself even in the middle of the current glut of similar offerings.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“Paddy Wivell’s Hell Jumper was a masterclass in storytelling, a superbly edited film that pieced together the story of a war and an intimate portrait of a man of many gifts and much potential who achieved so much in his short span on earth.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

“The film-maker, Paddy Wivell, spoke to Chris Parry’s family and friends, who remembered him as a relentlessly energetic character with a strong moral code. His bravery is not in doubt, and his parents are rightly proud of him. But the film, while paying tribute to Chris and treading softly around the subject, was not a hagiography. With intelligence and tact, it explored the psychological factors at play.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“Hell Jumper is a new kind of documentary, in the sense that it draws on a substantial quantity of Chris’s self-filmed material, plus a tranche of text and voice messages, and social media posts (especially Instagram). These are brilliantly blended with the more traditional testimonies from friends and families, plus the news archive. We don’t hear from generals or politicians; just from carpenters or shop workers who come from all over the world to do their bit for humanity.”
Sean O’Grady, The Independent