We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Civil War: This wartime A24 movie—of ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ fame—explores the perilous journey of wartime journalists who need to reach Washington DC amid a civil war boiling across the nation. Directed by Alex Garland, it involves a star-studded cast including the likes of Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny—the movie captures a vivid picture of a future dystopian America shattered by conflict and also subtly points out true events as well.
The reviews are mostly good. The Guardian calls it an “impressive technical feat yet an emotionally cold drama” and Scroll says the flick “unfolds as a sensory-heavy, nail-biting experience”. Our take: We are intrigued to see a depiction of a futuristic Civil War-like situation in the US. This movie was released in theatres earlier this week.
Do Aur Do Pyaar: This is a modern rom-com set after the couple gets married. It features a packed cast starring Vidya Balan, Ileana D’Cruz, Pratik Gandhi and Sendhil Ramamurthy. The film follows a married couple (Vidya Balan & Pratik Gandhi) struggling in their relationship.They are now in extra-marital relationships of their own but soon, they find themselves in a position to fix their marriage but will they?
The reviews love this movie and the performances of Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi. The Hindu has high praise, calling it a “perceptive yet light-hearted take” on marriage. Film Companion says the movie hits the sweet spot between a “feel-good tragedy and a feel-bad comedy”. Our take: We are most excited to see Vidya Balan back on the screen after so long and curious about the premise.
Our Living World: All nature documentary lovers can unite for this one. This one’s going to be looking at the many ways our world is interconnected. Cate Blanchett is going to be the one who will guide us through this journey with stunning footage from our planet, and deep scientific research about earth’s natural networks.
The reviews are mixed on this one. The Guardian calls it “valuable television” while the Decider says that the filmmakers were “stretching to make a connection” and making it difficult to follow at times. Our take: We love nature documentaries, and of course who doesn’t like Cate Blanchett’s silky voice. The series is out on Netflix.
See You in Another Life: This Spanish crime mini series follows the story of Gabriel Montoya Vidal alias "Baby", who at the age of 16 was the first convicted of the terrorist attacks of March 11, 2004 for transporting explosives. These attacks occurred in Spain on four trains on the Madrid Cercanías network during which 192 people died and around 2000 were injured. The series adapts the novel of the same name by journalist Manuel Jabois, in which he transcribes an interview with one of those involved in 11M.
No reviews are out for this one yet. Our take: We think Spanish crime shows have just the right amount of thrill and suspense, so we will be checking this out. The series dropped on Wednesday on Disney+ Hotstar.
The Sympathizer: This limited series is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen which follows a half-French half-Vietnamese man serving as a double spy during the Vietnam War. It is helmed by the famous Korean director Park Chan-wook—best known for ‘Old Boy’ and ‘The Handmaiden’. In front of the camera, we have the Oscar-winning actor Robert Downey Jr playing at least four roles!
The reviews are mixed. Rolling Stones is of the view that “The Sympathizer itself lives up to that idea, offering the full complexity of life, and the hidden truth of all sides, in a way that The Hamlet tries and so comically fails to do.” OTOH CNN concludes that “the series doesn’t match the promise its high-profile elements would suggest, sympathy isn’t one of them.” Our take: We weren’t expecting to see bad reviews but we still are very intrigued to check it out. The first of the seven episodes dropped on JioCinema yesterday.
The Grimm Variations: We’ve seen Disney sell magic and hope with adaptations of fairy tales. Here comes an anime series that animates the dark and twisted reality of the original fairy tale stories by the Grimm brothers. There are six episodes that cover the iconic ‘Cinderella’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’ among others. For hardcore anime fans: The project is handled by WIT studios—best known for adapting the first three seasons of ‘Attack on Titan’.
There aren’t many reviews for the anime though Decider says “stream it” for the Cinderella adaptation as it is “so much more interesting than what so many other adaptations have attempted.” Our take: Happily ever afters doesn’t always have to be about Prince Charmings. We are intrigued to see how the classic stories are adapted in their dark twisted glory! The anime is streaming on Netflix.
Rebel Moon–Part Two: Scargiver: Filmmaker Zack Snyder’s magnum opus—which is a cross between Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Seven Samurai’ and George Lucas’ ‘Star Wars’—returns with its part two. After the fight against the soldiers of the evil empire Mothership, Kora (Sofia Boutella) or Scargiver—and the surviving warriors take shelter in a once peaceful village among the Veldt people. But Mothership is on the move and attacks the village. Kora and others have to defend their abode and attempt to end the reign of the empire.
The reviews are fairly meh. Variety says the movie is a “storytelling mediocrity, but as spectacle it has tumult and rhythm”. Our take: The first part was rather dreary and boring. But we’re hoping it comes together in part two. The movie also dropped on Netflix.
