So you wanna watch something...
Shining Girls: Kirby Mazrachi (Elisabeth Moss) is a newspaper archivist whose life is shattered by a traumatic assault. Years later, Kirby is still struggling with the effects—which involve inexplicable shifts in her reality—like coming home to a man she doesn’t recollect having married. Life turns even darker with the murder of a woman—attacked in exactly the same way as her. Adapted from Lauren Beuke’s 2013 novel of the same name, this is a mind-bending thriller with a time-travelling serial killer to boot.
Variety says the series is overly long—and “full of such temporal games, audience members may find that their interest has already faded, even as the ending has not yet arrived.” OTOH, IndieWire absolutely loves the “rewarding twists and turns,” calling it “the dead girl mystery to end all dead girl mysteries.” The first three episodes drop today on Apple TV+
Runway 34: Captain Vikrant Khanna (Ajay Devgn) is a confident, borderline-arrogant airline pilot, who is paired with an enthusiastic First Officer Tanya Albuquerque (Rakul Preet Singh) on what seems to be a routine flight from Dubai to Cochin—until they get stuck in stormy weather.
The movie is inspired by the real-life events of August 2015—when a Jet Airways flight from Doha to Kochi narrowly made it to safety. The film is structured around the investigation into the actions of the two pilots. Also in the film: Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani. There are no reviews as yet, but Bollywood stars seem to love it. While the plot seems like a rip-off of Tom Hanks-starrer ‘Sully,’ it may be interesting to check out a B’wood version of it. Releases in theatres today.
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes: Do you really need yet another documentary about the blonde Hollywood goddess? What makes this one different is that it focuses specifically on the circumstances surrounding her death—which has been fodder for colourful conspiracy theories. And the source material is rare, recorded interviews—conducted in the 1980s—with those who knew her best. Also novel: the use of lip-synching actors to recreate those interviews.
CNN says the reenactments are “an indulgence that's far too cute for its own good”—and makes the documentary feel like yet another attempt to exploit the allure of Monroe. Hollywood Reporter also detects “a whiff of sleazy sensationalism”—but appreciates the “wealth of fabulous archival material.” This may be a film to check out if you’re a Marilyn fan—and/or have not seen any other doc on her life. It’s out now on Netflix.
A list of good reads
- Scroll dramatically calls out the rise of “Disc Jockey Hindutva”—where angry men in saffron dance to electronic music that amps up the hatred.
- Defector has an excellent history of the sports bra—and how it conquered the world.
- Daily Beast looks at the unholy matrimonial trend of metaverse weddings—which aren’t legal but becoming wildly popular.
- Sriram Veera in Indian Express makes a case for pulling the plug on Virat Kohli’s T20 career.
- Town & Country reports on the College Admissions Horror Show—where the merely rich and only sort of powerful attempt to secure Ivy League spots without the old bag of advantages like legacy admissions.
- Think your facial expressions reveal your emotions? Scientific American explains why you’re wrong.
- Gizmodo looks at the latest in the world of sensory tech—which now includes simulating the sensation of kissing.
- Visa Kannan in Medium has an interesting take on Netflix’s woes—tying it to the rising costs of customer acquisition that will soon affect all industries.
- The Wire offers something a little different: A tribute to the humble fly, a classic book—titled ‘To Know a Fly’—and the man who wrote it, Vincent Dethier.
- The News Minute argues that Vijay Babu naming his alleged victim is not the same as her naming him.
- This investigative report by the Reporters Collective for The Wire on ‘dal auctions’ is a bit complex—but an important exposé of a giant scam that cheats the poor of food.
