Release Radar: Our pick of the week's best TV, movies, and games (October 7-13)

1. John Wick Hex is a lethal take on time management that’ll make you feel like Keanu 

Obviously trying to be John Wick in real life is a terrible idea what with all the getting shot, puppy death and pencils. There’s very few ways to combine those in any shape or form that’s fun for anyone, except possible the pencil. Which is why John Wick Hex is our recommendation for a little mental Keanu Reeves roleplay. Because trying to make a shooter that would make you look as good as Wick himself is impossible, Hex is a time-based strategy game where yours, and your opponents’ moves stack up on a timeline, executing in order when the game ‘moves’. It means that winning isn’t about shooting everyone as fast as possible. Instead it’s more about position and space - avoiding the line of fire, moving to avoid threats, and firing in the gaps in between. That might not sound like the film’s punchy, choreographed guns fights but it sure feels like it. Winning at Hex means thinking like Wick: managing your time and movement ruthlessly to get your shot in and avoid everything else. It’s a satisfying twist on the usual turn based or real time strategy, although it does feel better suited to a mobile game in terms of scale. Leon Hurley

What: John Wick Hex
Where: PC
When: October 9 

2. Concrete Genie uses creativity, imagination, and paint to overcome the darkness  

In the seaside town of Denska that has been polluted by darkness, you play as an artistic teenager called Ash who's bullied by his peers. Ash tries to escape his troubles by bringing his creative imaginings to life in his trusty sketchbook. After the bullies tear his sketchbook apart, Ash sets out to recover the pages and finds himself in the town's lighthouse where he stumbles upon a paintbrush… but it's not just any old ordinary brush. It's infused with living paint that has the power to bring Ash's designs to life. By using the Dualshock 4's motion controls to paint, you use these creative powers to help Ash overcome his troubles and rid the once vibrant town of its darkness by purifying its walls. Heather Wald

What: Concrete Genie
Where: PS4
When: October 8

3.  El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie takes us back to Albuquerque for one last ride with Jesse Pinkman 

At this point, you're either completely disengaged from Vince Gilligan's ever expanding Breaking Bad universe, or actively counting down the days till the release of El Camino. The self-described "Netflix Event" takes place moments after the season 5 finale of AMC's award-winning drama, in which returning deuteragonist Jesse Pinkman finds himself liberated from neo-nazi drug dealers thanks to the sacrificial efforts of Heisenberg, a.k.a. Walter White. What follows is being kept tightly under wraps for now, but the full trailer promises returning faces, stark violence, and the kind of transcendent cinematography that only Breaking Bad could extract from otherwise inane scenarios. Whether the one who knocks could make a miraculous resurrection… we'll have to wait and see. Alex Avard

What: El Camino: A Breaking Bad movie
Where: Netflix
When: October 11

4.  Little Monsters brings kids, chaos, and comedy to the zombie genre 

Something always goes wrong on a school trip. Someone gets lost, someone pees their pants, that weird boy once licked that pig. In Hulu's new movie, Little Monsters, a kindergarten trip to a farm goes awry when it finds itself in the middle of a zombie invasion. Luckily Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong'o - who has already proved she can survive a terrifying attack by monsters in Us, is on hand to fight off the undead hordes. The trailer also promises zombies being attacked with spades, the funny guy that does the voice for Olaf in Frozen, and a kid in a Darth Vader costume. What else could you ask for? Rachel Weber

What: Little Monsters
Where: Netflix
When: October 11

5. It’s famous Youtuber Will Smith verses Fresh Prince Will Smith in Gemini Man 

Ever wanted to watch Will Smith fight a younger Will Smith at 120 frames-per-second? Because now you can! Gemini Man, from director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, The Hulk), sees older Smith play a famous assassin being hunted by someone who foresees his every move. To his shock, that person is younger Smith, named Junior. Why exactly Smith is hunting Smith, and who created young Smith, remains a mystery. Whatever the case, Gemini Man promises to be a thrill ride filled with de-aging goodness. The movie’s also being sold as being screened in 3D+. In other words, it’s playing in 120 frames per second. Catch this on IMAX for the full effect. Jack Shepherd

What: Gemini Man
Where: Cinemas
When: October 11

Release Radar picks the best games, movies, and shows of the next seven days every Monday at 11am GMT.

Rachel Weber
Contributor

Rachel Weber is the former US Managing Editor of 12DOVE and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She joined 12DOVE in 2017, revitalizing the news coverage and building new processes and strategies for the US team.