So you wanna watch something…
Worn Stories: We can’t wait to watch this unique documentary about a person’s relationship with their clothes. What we wear is often how we signal who we are—and a shirt or dress often carries memories of where we have been. Each half-hour episode tells the story of one item—be it a work shirt a man was wearing when he first met the woman he would end up living with in a nudist community, or the first item of masculine clothing bought by a non-binary teenager. The Guardian gives it four stars in this rave review. Streaming now on Netflix.
The Serpent: This eight-part series is based on the real-life story of serial killer Charles Sobhraj in the 1970s. He attained great notoriety in India when he was arrested and held in Tihar jail—from where he staged a successful escape. This fictional account follows Sobhraj as he preys on Western tourists doing their ‘eat, pray, love’ thing on the “hippy trail” of the ’70s in Thailand, Nepal, and India. Vogue warns you don’t watch it “if you don’t have a strong stomach”—but feel free to add it to your watchlist if ghoulish serial killer movies are your thing. It drops today on Netflix.
Irul: If chilling murder mysteries—with a stellar cast—is more your thing, we highly recommend this Malayalam thriller starring acting powerhouses Fahadh Faasil, Soubin Shahir and Darshana Rajendran. It’s a three-character plot set in a mansion—with a dead body in the basement. Initial reviews are not encouraging—indicating a strong start but a weak finish. But given the acting talent on display, you may want to make up your own mind on this one.
A list of good reads
- Daisy Buchanan in The Guardian celebrates the return of the ‘bonkbuster’—sizzling novels featuring horny heroines.
- Also in The Guardian: Why is everyone—including the makers of the upcoming series ‘Leonardo’—uncomfortable with Leonardo da Vinci’s homosexuality?
- The Atlantic takes a thoughtful look at our inability to agree on the meaning of common words like ‘racism’.
- Why are humans hardwired to feel disgust? National Geographic offers a deep dive into an evolutionary answer.
- Ever wondered whose poop would be bigger: King Kong’s or Godzilla’s? No? Well, Mental Floss offers a detailed and meticulous answer just in case…
- BBC News offers an enlightening look at minimalism—the wildly popular lifestyle trend in our over-consuming world—and traces it back to a Greek philosopher named Diogenes.
- Also in BBC News: An excellent read on extortionware—where hackers basically embarrass their victims into paying ransom for, say, their porn collection.
- Asia Times has a brilliant read on how the Myanmar coup has revealed the weakness of America as a global superpower.
- This New Yorker review of Lisa Genova’s book ‘Remember’ has been going viral for the eloquence with which it explains how the brain remembers—and forgets.
- Jacqui Palumbo in CNN writes about the evolving art of tattoos since the 18th century and their significance as a “passport into different cultures”.
- Better India charts the history of ‘Atlas Cycles’—which became the first cycle company to target women. The old ads are delightful.
