So you wanna watch something…

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Not content with ‘House of the Dragon’? No worries, fantasy nerds can now bliss out on this prequel to Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. Set thousands of years in the past, the series is about the origin story of the evil Sauron—and how he forged the rings that controlled them all. Fan-favourite characters from the movies include Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo). FYI: at $460 million, it is the costliest show ever made. 

So was all that money well spent? The Guardian thinks so, saying: “It is so cinematic and grand that it makes House of the Dragon look as if it has been cobbled together on Minecraft.” BBC News has mixed feelings: “It is undeniable, however, that in purely aesthetic terms, this is the closest a TV show has come to blurring the lines between television and cinema—even if, narratively, it is a rather ponderous version of the former so far.” CNN plain hates the “uninspired storytelling, deficient in narrative urgency.” The series dropped on Amazon Prime today.

Natchathiram Nagargiradhu: Tamil film director Pa Ranjith is well-known for his unflinching treatment of the thorniest of issues—be it sexuality or caste. This film is a bit meta, focusing on a theatre group that sets out to make a play about contemporary love. Yes, the group itself is diverse—even as its members explore issues of caste, class, gender, sexuality and the politics of love. The movie is experimental, bold and unabashedly ideological. 

As for the reviews, The Hindu says, “This is Ranjith’s finest and purest film, till date. Not just in terms of what it stands for but also the form with which it presents.” The News Minute says it “rips open trite definitions of romance, laying bare the darkness and absurdities that lie beneath.” In other words, this is not the film to pick if you’re in the mood for a romcom. It released in cinemas on Wednesday.

Love in the Villa: If you want a straightforward romcom, this may be your better bet—though the plot is as clichéd as it gets. Julie (Kat Graham) is a schoolteacher obsessed with the Shakespearean play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and has planned the perfect trip to Verona when… shock/horror, her boyfriend dumps her. Yes, she goes anyway and meets a hunky man—in this case, Tom Hopper—who’s booked the exact same villa as her. No, we’re not going to tell you how this ends… because there would be exactly zero spoilers involved:)

The Guardian calls it  “feel-good, not try-hard. Nothing ever rises to the level of unwatchable, but nothing has any distinctive staying power, either.” OTOH, Variety is more charitable: “‘Love in the Villa’s’ building blocks may be as phony and manufactured as that balcony, but romantics will assuredly see and feel that the sentimental thematic resonance surrounding love and destiny comes from a genuine place.” See? Perfect if you’re in the mood for reliable sap. It released Thursday on Netflix.

A list of good reads

• The Hindu has an important read on how careless relocation of wild animals like sloth bears and leopards to minimise conflict with humans, is endangering their lives.
• New York Times (splainer gift link) has a very interesting report on how Mideast nations are in the midst of a unique kind of water war. They are fighting over clouds—the kind you seed to get rainfall.
• Another offbeat weather-related story: BBC News on how climate change is altering the taste of whiskey—and in some cases, for the better.
• Also in BBC News: the new phenomenon of ‘quiet quitting’—where you do the minimum required at your job.
• Founding member Basreena Basheer sent along this excellent essay by Uday Bhatia on how Hindi films framed liberalisation.
• The Atlantic is always good on relationships. This is a take on traits that ‘super friends’ share.
• Mashable explains the hot new trend in beauty called ‘skin cycling’. This is actually based on dermatologists’ advice.
• Vice has a fun piece on one of Hollywood’s most prolific directors—a guy called Alan Smithee who doesn’t actually exist!
• Wall Street Journal (splainer gift link) confirms what we already know—LinkedIn is a nightmare. Why is everyone over-sharing on a professional platform?
• Thomasina Miers in The Guardian makes a case for meat-eating—arguing it isn’t bad for the planet if you do it right.
• An Australian former teacher was recently found guilty of the 1982 killing of his wife—thanks to a wildly popular podcast. You can read about the case here or listen to the podcast here.