Saturday: Whiplash (2014) BBC2, 11.20pm - Nineteen-year-old drummer Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is determined to excel at his Manhattan music conservatory, so he practises night and day and catches the eye of the school s most revered teacher, Terence Fletcher (JK Simmons).
The hard work pays off and Andrew transfers to Fletcher s class, but the game of one-upmanship between teacher and pupil spirals out of control as Andrew sweats blood and tears to meet the lofty expectations of his maniacal mentor.
Inspired by writer-director Damien Chazelle s experiences in a fiercely competitive high-school jazz band, Whiplash is an electrifying thriller that delivers one emotional wallop after another. Teller delivers a bravura performance complemented by Simmons jaw-dropping, Oscar-winning portrayal of the foul-mouthed, bullying conductor.