So you wanna watch something...

Together Together: Nicole Beckwith’s film explores the many stages of a strange but heart-warming friendship between two very lonely people. A 45-year-old man (Ed Helms) longs to be a father, and a 26-year-old (Patti Harrison) agrees to be the surrogate—so she can go back to school. The New York Times says the movie is “disarmingly poignant” and “unusually attuned to the isolation of single fathers.” Rolling Stone calls it a “soothing scalp-massage of a film” for your pandemic-rattled brain. We thought the trailer was sweet, smart and funny—finally a rom-com to look forward to! Catch it on Netflix today.

Encounter: This one is about an ex-marine (Riz Ahmed) who is trying to save his two sons from alien microbial parasites. The apocalyptic plot—a mix of sci-fi conspiracy and family road-trip drama—might feel done-to-death, but the trailer has an encouraging edge-of-your-seat feel. Hollywood Reporter commends Ahmed for his “immaculate, immensely moving performance,” and The Guardian gives the film four stars out of five. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Voir: Produced by David Fincher and David Prior, this is a meta-series about film-making. Each of the six episodes is a video essay narrated by film blogger Sasha Stone—and entwines her experience of watching a movie with those who created it. Think ‘Jaws’, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘48 Hours’. The twist here: Stone turned to these movies to escape an abusive childhood. While we are intrigued by this celebration of our love for movies, Hollywood Reporter says the episodes are “all over the place in terms of focus, form and quality.” We’ll let you decide for yourself. Streaming on Netflix.

A list of good reads

• What does science have to say about friendships? BBC News looks at how children choose a best friend and what the bond means to them.
• The Week offers a lovely profile of India’s legendary soldier—Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw—that’s filled with funny, sweet anecdotes. 
• Atlas Obscura offers a delightful history of fartists—performance artists who expelled gas for a living. 
• The Guardian wants you to pay closer attention to the oil company ads sandwiched amidst your favourite, very progressive podcasts. 
• Slate makes a case for the new fantasy series ‘The Wheel of Time’—and explains why it’s far better than ‘Game of Thrones’.
• The Morning Context offers a rare free read (login required) by Prem Panicker who takes excellent aim at the BCCI, and the men who control it. 
• Bloomberg News reports on how the global chip shortage is destroying the lives of ordinary workers in factories around the world. 
• Film Companion has an excellent profile of Ilaiyaraaja—the musician whose  electro-synth pop revolutionized Tamil film music. 
• Scroll offers a deep dive into the hidden scars of breast cancer in India—where little attention is paid to breast conservation and reconstruction. 
• New Yorker offers an intriguing look at the cutting edge science of mind reading. 
• Popular Science explains the new trend in ethical eating—‘invasivorism’ which turns invasive species into tasty meals. 
• The News Minute has an excerpt of Rejimon Kuttapan’s book ‘Undocumented: Stories of Indian Migrants in the Arab Gulf’ that details the horrors faced by undocumented workers in Oman. 
• Entrackr has a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of why Uber and Ola drivers frequently ask passengers to cancel rides.