We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Mufasa: The Lion King: Disney’s love of motion capture spinoffs of beloved classics continues with this prequel to ‘The Lion King’—30 years after the original film’s release. Voiced by John Kani of MCU fame, Rafiki narrates the origin story of the OG king of the jungle—Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) in this Barry Jenkins-directed prequel. The surprise bit: it’s a musical! If you enjoyed the 2019 remake of ‘The Lion King’, get excited for the return of Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner as Timon and Pumbaa—Kelvin Harrison Jr., Mads Mikkelsen and Tiffany Boone make up the rest of the main cast for the origin story. FYI: In the Hindu dub, Shah Rukh Khan voices Mufasa and his sons—Aryan and AbRam Simba and young Mufasa, respectively.
Sadly, the reviews aren’t that great. New York Times puts it mildly: “The overall results are generally pretty, mildly diverting, at times dull and often familiar”. BBC Culture is sorely disappointed and says: “This contrived cash-in may be worth sitting through on Disney+ if you're a Lion King superfan.” Yikes. Our take: Disney’s trend of CGI fests typically embodies the term ‘cashgrab’, but we’re pretty interested in the musical aspect. The film releases in theatres today.
Girls Will Be Girls: Set at a boarding school in the Himalayas, this Sundance award-winning coming-of-age dramedy is full of debutants—Shuchi Talati in the director’s chair, and Preeti Panigrahi as the main star. Panigrahi plays Mira, a straight-A student seeking sexual awakening and navigating the school’s patriarchal practices in her final year. The ever-prolific Kani Kasruti plays Mira’s mother Anila—the two share a strained relationship, at times. Kesav Binoy Kiron and Kajol Chugh complete the main cast as new student Sri and Mira’s bestie Priya respectively.
Reviews have been great across the festival circuit. The Observer found it an “impressive” debut that “burrows burrows into the skin of its high-achieving, ambitious central character”. Variety concurs: “Both Panigrahi and Kusruti deliver immensely lived-in performances that write sonnets through silent stares, as a mother and daughter who aren’t accustomed to truly connecting, or communicating beyond customary debriefs.” Our take: Delicately nuanced and defiantly feminist, this is our second-most hyped ‘Watch’ pick of 2024—after ‘All We Imagine As Light’ ofc:) Watch it on Amazon Prime now!
The Secret Lives of Animals: This 10-part nature docu-series is narrated by SAG Award winner Hugh Bonneville. The episodes feature never-before-seen footage of rare and remarkable animal behaviors—from fish that can fly, lizards that can walk on water, an orb-weaving spider constructing a deceptive puppet to a wood mouse that creates its own signposts.
Reviews are good. The Guardian calls it a “sort of animal kingdom fairytale” which the kids will love. Wall Street Journal is full of praise and uses phrases like “extraordinary cinematography, anxious situations and resourceful beasts.” Our take: ‘There are simply too many docu-series’—said no one ever! Stream it on Apple TV+.
The Six Triple Eight: Follows the true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the first all-black, all-female unit to serve overseas in World War 2. Led by major Charity Adams (Kerry Washington), the battalion overcomes discrimination and limited resources to complete the daunting task of sorting through a massive backlog of 17 million letters meant for American soldiers in Europe, vital for boosting the morale of the troops. The film highlights their resilience and overlooked contributions, while weaving in personal stories like Lena Derriecott’s (Ebony Obsidian) journey after losing her beloved in the war.
Reviews are mixed. The Guardian criticises it as an “awkward attempt at prestige” where Tyler Perry’s heavy-handed direction and Kerry Washington’s over-the-top performance overshadow its inspiring real-life story, noting that “these women deserve better.” OTOH, Variety praises the film as Perry’s “best and most substantial feature to date,” celebrating the compelling story of the battalion and Washington’s “forceful turn” while acknowledging the movie’s “on-the-nose dialogue” and occasional amateurish execution. Our take: ‘The Six Triple Eight’ sheds light on an inspiring untold story and so definitely deserves a watch. Catch it on Netflix.
Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous: Documentary that explores the life and journey of Indian rapper and music icon, Honey Singh. Directed by Mozez Singh and produced by Sikhya Entertainment, the film charts his rise from a humble Punjabi background to becoming a pioneer of desi hip-hop and pop music. Through personal accounts from family, friends and collaborators, it delves into the highs of his fame, the struggles that led to his hiatus and his fight to reclaim his place in the music industry.
The reviews weren’t out at the time of publishing. Our take: We love insights into the highs and lows of cultural icons. Stream it on Netflix now!
Fresh off the big screen…
Twisters: This remake of Hollywood’s classic disaster movie from the ‘90s—headlined by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell is finally available to watch on our small screen. The plot: She plays a scientist who wants a close look at the tornado and he’s a YouTuber who just wants to chase the thrill. You can stream it on JioCinema.
Splainer team’s big holiday watch
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night: This black and white film helmed by Ana Lily Amirpour is as campy and cool as it gets. Aarthi watched it in her film class and completely fell in love with it. The plot centres on a girl who is a vampire—who walks alone at night and keeps vigil of the bad men. One fine day, she meets the sweetest boy and plans to run away with him. You can watch it on Amazon Prime.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo: A K-drama fan or not, Aarthi urges everyone to watch this brilliant show which chronicles the life of Woo Young-woo—a girl on the autism spectrum. She is raised by her father and becomes an attorney for one of the biggest law firms in the city. Aarthi loves the gaze of the show—where it neither pities the characters nor sensationalises the struggles. The 16-part series is on Netflix.
Sister Act: The 1992 classic—starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith—may not be a Christmas special but it has everything you need for the holidays—snow, church and redemption. It also has everything you need for a fun movie night with fam and friends—action, music and comedy. Aarthi cannot even count how many times she’s done a sing-along. You can watch it on Disney+ Hotstar.
Trying: Prachi recommends this one, especially for lovers of Apple TV’s hit series ‘Ted Lasso’. It has the same sweet, uplifting qualities, without the preaching. A couple in London, Nikki and Jason, want to adopt a child and are navigating the complexities that come with it. They are building a family while living modern lives, and surrounded by dysfunctional family members and friends. This is comfort watching at its best with easy humour and some great writing. You may want to keep that box of tissues handy, there are going to be some waterworks too! Watch it on Apple TV+.
Kaaka Muttai: Prachi loves this endearing Tamil film set in the slums of Chennai about two young boys and their aspirations. Their father is in prison, and their mother and grandmother try hard to keep up with the boys’ needs. A TV comes home as an election freebie and the boys — who devour crows’ eggs — see a pizza for the first time and can’t stop dreaming about it. Most of M Manikandan’s masterpiece is about the boys’ elusive search for a pizza. It has some great performances and heart-wrenching moments that will live with you for long after. The film is available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar.
Psych: This buddy comedy-mystery series stars James Roday Rodriguez as Shawn Spencer—an observant manchild with a photographic memory who has convinced his local police department that he’s psychic (note the wordplay in the show’s title). Dulé Hill co-stars as Shawn’s bestie Burton Guster, who oscillates between being the reluctant voice of reason and joining in on Shawn’s shenanigans.
With 120 episodes across eight seasons to get lost in, it’s a light and consistently fun watch that has just enough improvised zaniness and ‘80s pop culture references to attract a niche but highly devoted fanbase. Raghav has been a ‘Psych-O’ since 2014, when he first came across the show during the final season of its original run—all it took to convince him was an episode parodying Guy Ritchie’s films. You can binge the series on either Netflix or Jiocinema.
Girls: This HBO series was recently recommended to Yash by someone close. Created by and starring Lena Dunham (best known for ‘Tiny Furniture’) ‘Girls’ is a refreshingly, unflinching raw take on life, friendships and the chaos of your twenties in The Big Apple. It follows four women—Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, and Shoshanna—as they stumble through relationships, careers, and self-discovery with all the awkwardness, humour, and vulnerability that comes with it. Yash appreciates the show for its sharp writing and naturalistic portrayal of messy adulthood. The series spans six seasons however, so be sure to strap yourself down for a bumpy ride. You can catch it on JioCinema.
Assassination Classroom: If you are looking for an anime that combines humour, heart, and a lot of action, Yash suggests this show for your next binge. The story kicks off with a bizarre premise—students are tasked with assassinating their teacher, Koro-sensei, before graduation, or the world ends. But here’s the twist: this alien octopus with god-like powers isn’t just some monster; he’s a fantastic teacher who actually cares about his students, even as they try (and fail) to kill him.
This series is full of laugh-out-loud moments, epic battles, and heartfelt lessons that make you grow attached to the quirky and loveable characters. By the end, you will be wiping away tears as you bid farewell to Class 3-E and their tentacled teacher. Koro-sensei is truly one-of-a-kind, and his journey with his students will leave you thinking long after the credits roll. Watch it on JioCinema!