The best books, films and TV of 2021

The best films and TV shows

Thanks to near-zero interest rates, technological optimism and a bottomless pit of venture capital and private equity money, there’s been a huge boom in “unicorns” – technology companies valued at $1bn or more. No business has epitomised this more than WeWork, which rose to a valuation of $47bn at one point, before collapsing into near-bankruptcy. WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (available from Amazon), tells the story, focusing on the controversial founder, Adam Neumann.

There are parts of the story that could have benefited from more detail, especially the boom in venture capital, and the fact that Neumann managed to walk away with a fortune is relegated to a footnote. But the documentary does an excellent job of telling this modern-day morality tale with pace, giving a sense of the optimism, energy and ultimately desperation that surrounded the company.

Just months before the uprising that removed him from power and resulted in his death, the Libyan despot Muammar Gaddafi sent billions in cash to South Africa for safekeeping. (available via BBC iPlayer) looks at the global treasure hunt for the missing cash. However, the real story isn’t the money, but the divisions that remain in modern Libya after a decade of civil war, as well as the relationship between Gaddafi and South Africa’s elite. Elections are due shortly, but this film makes it clear why many Libyans remain sceptical about hopes for a lasting peace.