A look at Stranger Things is enough to see how successful harking back to eras gone by has become. And there’s no shortage of shows also trying to cash in on the bitter-sweet memories of generations past, writes streaming columnist NICK OVERALL.

While Netflix’s sci-fi hit Stranger Things has become an absolute pop culture powerhouse of all things ’80s, a new series streaming on Max winds the clock one more decade, hoping to lure audiences with a stylish 1970s aesthetic.

It’s called Duster, a new dark comedy crime show that fuses buddy-cop drama with Tarantino-inspired madness to create a pulpy throwback to old detective shows.

The story focuses on two very different law enforcers brought together to infiltrate a crime syndicate in the American southwest.

There’s Nina (Rachel Hilson), an ambitious officer determined to prove herself in the male-dominated police force around her. Her rigid rule-following clashes hard with Jim (Josh Holloway), a rebellious getaway driver whose skills behind the wheel are matched only by his recklessness.

Duster seems to have flown under the radar in the last few weeks but there’s a lot of fun to be had here. The show’s vivid style executively produced by JJ Abrams makes it an eye-catching and entertaining eight-episode romp. 

Whether the show’s gimmick will justify a second season is yet to be seen, but there’s definitely enough juice in the tank here to keep it kicking on, should audiences embrace it.

THIS month Netflix has brought in viewers with a new documentary on a modern tragedy that captured the world’s attention.

It centres on the Grenfell disaster which rocked the UK in 2017.

Those who don’t know the name are likely to recognise the remarkable footage that emerged from the heartbreaking event in which a skyscraper in London went up in flames.

Dramatic video caught on mobile phones from angles across the city showed how the 24-storey inferno lit up the night, tragically resulting in the death of 72 people. Another 70 were injured.

Grenfell: Uncovered tells the story of the catastrophe in new, confronting detail, from the perspectives of the survivors who escaped the flames to the firefighters who had to battle them.

One first responder’s haunting interview in the documentary describes it “like I was stepping inside a disaster movie. Like nothing I’d ever seen”.

The investigative documentary also dives into the aftermath of the disaster, examining the negligence and building faults that caused the fire to spread as fast as it did. Some of those investigations are still ongoing and this is perhaps the most authoritative public account of the disaster to date.

AMAZON Prime Video subscribers can now catch Hugh Grant’s latest box office hit on screens at home.

It’s called Heretic and it’s certainly a change of pace for the star of Four Weddings and a Funeral to say the least.

The story follows two young Mormon missionaries whose lives are turned upside down when they knock on the door of Mr Reed (Grant), a charming old man who at first glance seems interested only in making them a cup of tea and learning more about their religion.

But Reed’s endearing allure is soon revealed to be a deadly front when he traps the pair in a cat and mouse game filled with physical and psychological traps that push their faith to the brink.

On paper the premise may sound a little contrived, but Heretic pleasantly surprises with more to say about its core themes than first appears.

With a little faith themselves, viewers may be rewarded by the twists and turns of this thriller, held together by the macabre secrets belonging to its central villain.

The last few years have been quite the 180 for Grant, the now 64-year-old actor playing both a murder suspect in The Undoing and a creepy psychopath in this latest horror flick. Not quite Bridget Jones’ first choice any more, one might say.