We recommend: The best new movies and TV
Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One: The seventh instalment of the action franchise is back and promises to top up the comedy and spy-thriller elements. The Tom Cruise starrer deals with the horrors of sentient AI and their ability to start off another world war. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) must track down the terrifying weapon with the fate of the world on his shoulders.
The Verge calls it “the mother of all self-aware AI panic flicks.” Tom Cruise delivers “a seasoned, charismatic, and more-than-put-upon performance.” The Guardian gave it a five star rating and praised the face of the franchise: “Tom Cruise has single-handedly persuaded us that the action genre has a new respectability and purpose: the box-office saviour of the live cinema experience.” Our take: Mission Impossible is one such franchise that keeps on getting bigger and better with every instalment. We have already booked our tickets, have you? The movie can be enjoyed in theatres and was released across cinemas in India July 12th.
The Trial: Pyaar Kaanoon Dhokha: The Suparn Verma directed-web-series follows a gritty courtroom drama about lawyer Noyonika—played by Kajol—and her journey to take charge of her family and her independence after she is betrayed by her husband. The series also features Jisshu and Kubra and is an adaptation of the American courtroom drama ‘The Good Wife’.
The reviews are mixed. The Indian Express points out that it takes a while for the show to find its footing, but “lacks the inherent drama expected from such a show”. Film Companion is more critical and finds the series extremely “shallow” and lazy. Our take: As fans of the ‘The Good Wife’, we are excited to see how Kajol portrays the role of a lawyer in this drama.
The series was released on Friday on Hotstar.
Kohrra: This crime procedural series is created by Sudip Sharma (who also help make ‘Paatal Lok), and directed by Randeep Jha. It follows two Punjab cops as they try to investigate the death of a young NRI in the countryside and explore the world of drugs, consumerism, skirmishes and migration within the state.
Film Companion says the “brilliance of Kohrra is in the worldbuilding” and praises the elegant visuals and haunting background score of the series. Our take: We were big fans of ‘Paatal Lok’, and want to watch how Punjab and crime is portrayed in this series. It is out today on Netflix.
Unknown: Killer Robots: A Netflix original from the ‘Unknown’ documentary series, this instalment follows soldiers and scientists building AI-powered robots. A cautionary tale straight out of a dystopian sci-fi film, the documentary details the dangers of AI potential, especially in the military-industrial complex.
Reviews are as expected. The Guardian watches out for the film’s jingoistic leanings. It might make a terrifying watch for most of us not acclimated to cutting-edge technology and AI. “Ultimately, the latest instalment in Netflix’s Unknown documentary strand leaves me knowing a lot more about something I feel I was better off not knowing at all”, the Guardian concludes. Decider has a more balanced opinion: “To their credit, director Jesse Sweet doesn’t engage in the type of wild, fear mongering speculation that might accompany this conversation.” Our take: Watch it for the in-depth commentary on the fascinating topic about technology as a force for both good and evil. The documentary is now streaming on Netflix.
Here’s a new chapter…
The Afterparty Season 2: Apple TV+’s hit murder mystery series is back with its second season. Created and directed by Christopher Miller, ‘The Afterparty’ is designed as an anthology series—so each season explores a different murder at a party setting, with a detective solving the case. In the new season, recurring characters—Aniq and Zoe—find themselves in the middle of another murder investigation. Mashable reviews this season as a “total delight”. The first two episodes premiered on Wednesday on Apple TV+.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2: This series based on Jenny Han’s book—who is also the creator and executive producer of the shows—is every girl’s love triangle teenage dream. The second season explores lead Belly’s tumultuous misunderstandings and relationships with brothers Conrad and Jeremiah, more deeply and with nuanced complexity. Taylor Swift background scores, delicious oceanside scenes, more relationship drama—season 2 looks just as good as its precursor and is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
