The stranger-than-fiction story of the Costa Concordia, a luxury cruise ship that was shipwrecked 14 years ago, is still making waves, writes streaming columnist NICK OVERALL.

A new documentary, Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea, on Netflix has steamed its way straight to the number one most watched show this month.

The Costa Concordia, a luxury cruise ship, made global headlines when it struck rocks off the coast of the Italian island of Giglio in 2012.

Carrying more than 4200 passengers and crew, the ship lost all power before eventually capsizing, tragically killing 32 people and injuring 150 more.

But what caused the catastrophe?

Not a wild storm, mechanical failure or rogue iceberg but a decision from the ship’s strange captain.

Francesco Schettino deliberately steered the ship off its course in order to carry out a planned “salute” as the vessel passed the Italian island.

Why? And how did it lead to such disastrous consequences in an era where safety at sea is so controlled?

Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea pulls together a mass of footage, interviews and audio recordings from the investigation to create the most authoritative documentary about the disaster yet.

What adds to the huge intrigue already surrounding the story though is the string of peculiar facts that led up to the sinking.

When the ship first launched in 2005, a customary champagne bottle was swung against the hull but failed to break, which is regarded as a notorious omen for travel at sea.

Also of bizarre note was how a former captain of the ship was watching from the shore nearby where the Concordia sank. 

These oddities are only scratching the surface of one of the most fascinating maritime disasters since Titanic.

Clocking in at 89 minutes, this is definitely the best way to learn about all the crazy facts lying beneath the surface of this story if you haven’t before. 

ALSO hitting Netflix this month is the latest big project to star Will Ferrell.

The Hawk is a sports comedy which follows Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins, a once champion golfer who is now well past his prime.

Desperate to recapture his magic with the club, Hawkins tries to swoop on one last grand slam, dragging his exhausted family into all the chaos while he’s at it.

Ah yes, another strong addition to the 2000s-comedian-stars-as-down-and-out-golfer-vying-for-glory-and-wants-to-be-Ted-Lasso television canon.

It was only last year Amazon Prime Video subscribers got Stick, a series about a former pro golfer desperately trying to reignite his fading career, starring Owen Wilson.

A little familiar to say the least.

Look, The Hawk is certainly no Ted Lasso but it’s perfectly fine for a bit of light entertainment and Ferrell fans might find enough here for a good time. 

The formulaic approach and dry script certainly handicaps this one though. 

KEANU Reeves is also showing off his comedy chops this month on HBO Max.

The internet’s pin-up boy stars in the newly streaming film Good Fortune.

This one follows a well-meaning, but somewhat incompetent angel named Gabriel on a quest to prove his holy wisdom to the upper echelons of heaven.

His grand plan? 

Swap the lives of two mere mortals in a bid to unlock a grand parable.

The first is Arj, a gig worker falling behind in rent and struggling to make ends meet.

The second: Jeff, an ultra wealthy investor who doesn’t give a second thought to his bank balance.

Does the magical interchange between their two lives unlock a sweeping, wholesome revelation? Not quite.

Instead of Arj realising money isn’t everything, it turns out he actually quite enjoys being a millionaire. Go figure.

A crazy spending spree begins to wreak havoc with Gabriel’s plan, not just threatening the reality this angle has tinkered with but his very own place in heaven.

It’s a fun premise, if not quite executed as well as it could have been.

Good Fortune is no miracle but it does sit perfectly in that low-effort, weekend watch threshold.

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