We recommend: The best new movies and TV
Oppenheimer: The much anticipated Christopher Nolan’s next is based on the real J Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant scientist who made the first atomic bombs that destroyed Japan and ended World War 2. Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy dons the hat of Oppenheimer (quite literally) and shares the screen with an incredibly talented cast—Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, and Robert Downey Jr. Fair warning: the run time is 3 hours.
The movie has mostly good reviews. The Verge praises the sound design calling it “arguably the most interesting aspect of the film” and the actors for delivering “truly fantastic, studied performances” but overall says: “Oppenheimer always feels like an assortment of great filmmaking ideas being hamstrung by their haphazard execution.” While The Guardian, noting the many misses in the movie, writes, “Oppenheimer is simultaneously fascinating and beside the larger historical point.” Our take: We have been waiting to watch it on the big screens for the Nolan effect. The movie released yesterday in theatres.
Barbie: Considered to be THE movie of this summer, the star-studded Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig follows actual Barbies and Kens as they navigate their seemingly perfect lives in the quintessentially hot pink world of Barbie Land. Margot Robbie plays the main ‘Barbie’ with Ryan Gosling headlining as Ken.
The reviews look good. TIME Magazine describes Robbie’s performance as “buoyant and charming” and gives the “gorgeous and inventive” production design, a special mention. Despite being excessively charming and mostly funny, there have been some loopholes and incomplete plotlines. Our take: We have fallen for the extensive and grand press that the Barbie team has engaged in, so we will be checking out this playful and allegedly feminist flick. The movie released yesterday in theatres.
Bawaal: The Jahnvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan starrer is a love story of how Ajay (Varun Dhawan) does everything to improve his social position and image in his small town, even marriage. He is a history teacher who chases after the most beautiful girl in town—Nisha (Janhvi Kapoor)—not for love, but to improve his image and climb up the local social hierarchy. The movie follows the lead pair to Europe and takes an eerie and ill-chosen turn with imagery and comparisons to the Second World War and Hitler’s moves in the same.
Our take: Reviews are terrible. We do not recommend watching it but are inclined to hate-watch it with friends. The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
They Cloned Tyrone: This satirical mystery-comedy film looks at an unlikely trio of people—a sex worker, a pimp and a drug dealer—as they get caught up in a government conspiracy. They explore secret facilities hidden underground in the neighbourhood and are trying to solve a murder.
The reviews are good! The Hollywood Reporter has high praise and calls the movie “a compelling ride overall”. The Guardian praises the performances of Jamie Foxx, John Boyega and Teyonah Parris in the film and notes that it’s a film “with its own peculiarly unexpected innocence and charm”. Our take: We love a good mind-bending government conspiracy plot and will be watching this one in our comfiest pyjamas and big bucket of popcorn! The movie is streaming on Netflix.
Stephen Curry: Underrated: Stephen Curry is one of the best basketball players of this generation. People tune into basketball to watch him play and he has an incredible story. ‘Stephen Curry: Underrated’ is a documentary that traces his journey from being a young kid to becoming a 4-time NBA champion. The focus is on some pivotal moments off the court, and how Stephen Curry went from being considered a terrible player, to one of the greatest.
The reviews are great. Associated Press calls the film “easily one of the most inspirational movies of the year”. The New York Times points out that there’s little that feels fresh in the documentary but it is an “earnest portrait” of Stephen Curry. Our take: We are big fans of Stephen Curry and can’t wait to watch his story of becoming one of the greatest basketball players. The film came out yesterday on Apple TV+.
Supa Team 4: This is an unusual pick, and while it is primarily targeted at children we wanted to highlight Netflix’s first foray into African animated stories. Supa Team 4 is a series that follows four teenage girls in the neo-futuristic African city of Lusaka, Zambia. They are recruited by an old secret agent to go undercover and fight off supervillians.
Decider reviews this watch pick as “bright, lively, colorful” and describes the premise to be rooted in a “real-life socio-political setting.” Our take: This is giving us Power Rangers energy, and we are looking forward to seeing some fun battles and stories from a region never seen before. It was released on July 20 on Netflix.
