We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Eric: Benedict Cumberbatch returns to TV with this new mystery thriller where he plays a puppeteer named Vincent—whose 9-year-old kid, Edgar, goes missing on his way to school. The six-part series explores Vincent’s descent to madness as he teams up with a giant monster Eric—the puppet drawn by his son—to find Edgar, running around 1980s New York. Meanwhile, the media puts pressure on the police.
Reviews are good. Collider is of the opinion that “the series is a bit of a mess as a whole” but Cumberbatch's performance “is never not fascinating to watch.” OTOH, Independent UK cryptically says: “It is a mystery with a twist, where the twist is more interesting than the mystery.” Our take: Benedict Cumberbatch in a mystery thriller? Yes, please. The series dropped on Netflix on Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Mahi: This is the big Bollywood release for this week. Starring Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor, the movie follows Mahendra and Mahima who get married. They are both nicknamed Mahi—and love cricket. Mahendra was never able to fulfil his dream of becoming a cricketer but he makes sure his wife does. And of course, expect lots of drama, heartbreak and redemption.
Reviews are mid. Indian Express puts it without mincing words, “In trying to please everyone, ‘Mr and Mrs Mahi’ stops short of being a six itself.” The Quint offers a similar view saying it “isn’t a ‘bad film’ — it is rather enjoyable in bits despite its predictability.” Our take: We think this will be best enjoyed with family. You can watch it in your nearest theatres.
Bionic: We have seen many dystopian sci-fi but never a Brazilian one. This cyberpunk movie is set in 2035—and deals with robot prosthetics in sports. The story follows two sisters who are long jump athletes. One of them is approached by people who make illegal prosthetics which could change her career path.
Reviews are meh. Collider says Our take: We find the premise very intriguing and will certainly add this to our watchlist. The movie is available on Netflix.
Die Hart 2: Die Harter: The sequel to comedian Kevin Hart’s series where he plays a fictional version of himself and goes to an action hero school so he can act in a big action project. The sequel continues with Hart, now the world’s biggest action star, and his attempt to survive an evil revenge plot against him.
There were no reviews for the movie. Our take: If you’re a die heart fans of Kevin Hart (see what we did there), we suspect this will be a good weekend watch. You can stream it on Amazon Prime.
Geek Girl: Based on a young adult novel of the same name, ‘Geek Girl’ follows the life of a neurodivergent high school student Harriet Manners—armoured with dinosaur facts—who gets scouted to be a model. Like any other coming of age trope, she is a bullied and awkward teenager who starts fancying a boy and has to find herself as she navigates school, career and boys.
Reviews are decent. The Guardian says, “It is fresh, lively and funny and should bring much relief and happiness to all Geek Girl’s fans.” Hollywood Reporter calls it a “likably wholesome, generally low-stakes YA fairy tale.” Our take: We love that the show doesn’t use neurodivergence as a tokenism. You can see the episodes on Netflix.
Jim Henson Idea Man: Speaking of puppeteers, if you prefer the non-fiction kind, here’s a feel-good documentary on Jim Henson—the creator of ‘The Muppets’—which shows him as the visionary who changed local television for kids forever. It is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard—yup, the one behind ‘The Da Vinci Code’, ‘A Beautiful Mind’ and many more.
Reviews are good. Deadline calls it “a moving portrait” and “the most visually inventive documentary Howard has made.” Variety calls it “sweet, heartwarming and rather unadventurous.” Our take: Though Henson and his work has been a subject of many documentaries, we are excited to learn more about the man through his personal archives. The film is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult: Do you remember when TikTok dance trends were huge? Turns out hundreds of the young dancers were admitted into a cult run by a so-called talent management company 7M—run by a pastor named Robert Shinn. He had an invite-only church which he used as a means to exploit the youngsters and cut them off from family and money. The three-part documentary series from director Derek Doneen is an exposé.
Reviews are okay. The Guardian calls it “a traditional cult documentary” and “horribly mesmerising.” OTOH DailyBeast says it “occasionally comes across as sketchy.” Our take: True crime and exposé enthusiasts should give it a try. You can watch it on Netflix.
Here’s a new chapter…
Panchayat Season 3: Talk about perfect timing! The Indian comedy series on the workings of the Gram Panchayat system is releasing its third season just four days before election results come out. In the new season, protagonist Abhishek Tripathi (Jitendra Kumar) prepares for the village elections. You can catch the new episodes on Amazon Prime.
Fresh off the big screen…
The First Omen: Are you looking for some bone-chilling horror this weekend? Here’s the prequel to the 1976 movie ‘The Omen’—which starred Gregory Peck, no less, as the American diplomat who adopted the devil’s child Damien. This movie takes place in 1971 Rome where an American nun Margaret uncovers how Damien was born. ‘The First Omen’ released in theatres last month. You can now stream it on Disney+ Hotstar.
