We recommend: The best new movies and TV
Renfield: Fans of gothic horror and vampires, rise! Here comes a modern tale of a young man named Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) whose job involves taking care of… Dracula (Nicolas Cage). The plot focuses on their master-servant relationship and Renfield’s attempt to break free from his master’s influence. The director is Chris McKay of ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ and the hilarious and talented Awkwafina will be seen in a prominent role.
The reviews are mixed but mostly positive for Nic Cage. Variety finds that the movie is “a scattershot lark jam-packed with ‘ideas’, none of which really take hold” but Cage’s Dracula is “a witty and luscious performance, unhinged but never out of control, and it deserved a movie that could serve as a pedestal for the actor’s seasoned flamboyance.” Collider is in praise of the “special balance between terror and camp, and it’s that which makes Renfield,... such a delight to watch.” Our Take: A Nicolas Cage comeback? Yes, please. The movie hit the theatres yesterday.
Rennervations: ‘Hawkeye’ actor Jeremy Renner makes a comeback to showbiz after a horrific snowplow accident with this docu-series. The four-part series follows Renner as he travels around the world helping communities by "reimagining unique purpose-built vehicles.” The actor takes help of local volunteers, experts and charities to “renovate, repurpose and reimagine” decommissioned vehicles that serve kids in communities in USA, India, and Mexico. The India episode shot in Rajasthan stars our very own Anil Kapoor, who brings a quintessentially Indian-uncle warmth to the docuseries.
Variety writes that the series “takes an innocuous hobby and spins it into an active good.” Hindustan Times says the series does well in terms of how it “puts the spotlight on the craftsmanship of the team of designers, fabricators, engineers and volunteers as they come together to take charge.” Both reviews concur that the Rajasthan episode is the highlight of the show. Our take: If you are a construction aficionado who appreciates a crew hard at work, this is a good show to watch. The series streams on Disney+ on April 12.
Florida Man: This mini series is from the creators and showrunners of the popular drama ‘This is Us’, but it is definitely more on the upbeat side. The story is based on the Florida Man meme—an internet meme popularised on Twitter in 2013 with various posts saying “Florida man…” doing something insane and illogical. Just like the meme, the plot has many twists—an ex-cop (Edgar Ramirez) finds himself in Florida looking for a mobster’s runaway girl (Abbey Lee) before his search turns into a heist.
Collider writes: “Absurd yet entertaining at times, Florida Man tries its best to blend mystery with comedy but ultimately falls short of delivering at a steady pace with its last two episodes being, arguably, its best.” Our Take: If the show is anywhere close to absurd comedies like ‘Hangover’ and ‘Tag’, count us in for the ride! The series released on Netflix on Friday.
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing: This three-part documentary series looks back on the tragic attack that happened during Boston city’s annual event and its aftermath ten years later. The series offers a thorough play-by-play of the 101-hour search for the Tsarnaev brothers—who were identified and convicted for bombing the finish line—killing three and injuring 200 others. It also features interviews of the cops and journalists involved with the investigation.
Boston says, “‘American Manhunt’ is both thorough and unsparing” and gives a “comprehensive look at a very complex situation.” OTOH, Decider says ‘skip it’ for those who are familiar with the incident as it “doesn’t quite go far enough in telling us things we didn’t already know”. Our Take: On the 10th year anniversary of the event, the tragedy still shakes the city and for that reason alone, perhaps a reminder about life’s occasionally dark and fleeting nature is necessary. The docu-series is streaming on Netflix.
Here’s a new chapter…
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel: Fans of the show, brace yourself for the fifth and final season of the hilarious (Mrs) Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) and her incredible turn as a female stand up comedian in the 1960s. The plot for this season charts her fame—which she knows she deserves, but still finds unsatisfactory. The first two episodes dropped on Amazon Prime yesterday.
A Man Called Otto: This is a feel good story about overcoming grief. A grumpy old widower who despises everyone and everything ends up befriending his neighbours and starts enjoying his life a little. This Tom Hanks flick from 2022 is now available to stream on Netflix.
