We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Kung Fu Panda 4: The Dragon Warrior is back! But this time he will be the one doing the teaching! The main cast returns i.e. Jack Black as Po and Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu—but sadly without the Furious Five. Joining Po on the mentorship journey is a new character—a fox named Zhen (Awkwafina) who has to master Kung Fu and discover the secret ingredient to defeat the new villain Chameleon (Viola Davis).
Reviews are quite lukewarm. Hollywood Reporter says “Its appeal still lies largely in Black’s hilarious vocal performance which has lost none of its charm.” OTOH Variety wishes the movie had “better jokes” and felt that “the kick is gone.” Our take: We just cannot stop rooting for the underdog Po who is now unlocking a new journey for himself. ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ is out in theatres now.
Yodha: This is an action-thriller starring Sidharth Malhotra, Raashi Khanna and Disha Patani. The movie follows an off-duty soldier who is caught in the middle of a hijack attempt while travelling in a passenger airplane. He needs to figure out how to get everyone to safety, but also protect himself from the hijacker.
Reviews are as expected. The Hindu thought the “stunts are impressive” but felt that “physical punches land well but the emotional ones don’t.” Scroll gushes over the lead actor saying: “Yodha sees Malhotra turning up the heat as an action hero.” Our take: Sidharth Malhotra has been giving good performances in action movies, and this one promises to be entertaining at the very least. You can watch this in theatres now.
Murder Mubarak: Another ‘Knives Out’ style whodunnit but make it Bollywood! This film has a star studded ensemble—with Pankaj Tripathi playing the detective casting doubt on eccentric characters played by Karisma Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Sanjay Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Tisca Chopra, Suhail Nayyar and Aashim Gulati. The plot: a murder at the most fancy royal club in Delhi.
Reviews are surprisingly good. Quint writes: “Murder Mubarak might not be the best whodunnit out there (this is a Knives Out plug again) but it keeps you on your toes enough to be engaging.” Film Companion says: "Regardless of formula, the climactic twist (or revelation) plays a key role in rationalising the treatment and flaws of the film.” Our take: TBH, we want to watch this just for the cast. The movie is streaming on Netflix.
Manhunt: One of the most talked about political conspiracies and assassinations is that of the American President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 while watching a special performance of the comedy ‘Our American Cousin’ at the Petersen House. This historical drama is a thrilling retelling of the event and the aftermath through the eyes of the assassin John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle from ‘Masters of the Air’)—who was a well known actor on the stage that day.
Reviews are good! The Guardian says: “The performances lift and save it at every turn.” Financial Times finds the series to be “competently executed and compelling.” Our take: We are intrigued by the trailer and will definitely add it to our watchlist. The series dropped on Apple TV+ yesterday.
Big Girls Don’t Cry: This is a series follows a group of 15-17 year-old girls in an all-girls boarding school. It starts off with Kavya Yadav, a new scholarship student entering the elite Vandana Valley Girls School, and soon she enters the BGDC (Big Girls Don’t Cry) gang. The episodes then follow the lives of all the different girls in this group and school dynamics with themes of friendship, drama, heartbreak, sexuality etc.
The reviews aren’t impressed with the series. Film Companion notes that the show feels distant and “inexplicably repetitive”. For Scroll this series is like “scrolling through Instagram” to pass time. Our take: We enjoy young-adult dramas, and this one is focused on an all girls-boarding school. We’re going to enjoy a brief dosage of nostalgia with this one. The series is out on Prime Video
Frida: Many a documentary and dramas have been made on the feminist icon Frida. But this one narrates the journey and life of the Mexican artist in her own words for the very first time—drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews. The movie uses lyrical animation and her remarkable artworks. The film is a debut documentary by editor Carla Gutiérrez—who has previously worked on films like ‘RBG’ and ‘La Corona’.
Reviews are mixed. Associated Press says in plain words: “Some love it. Some don’t.” Hollywood Reporter concludes: “It was an exceptional life, and here at last is a film that not only honors her without resorting to sensationalism but that also lets her speak.” Our take: We are interested to see how Frida looked at the world, in her own words and on her own terms. You can watch it on Prime Video.
Irish Wish: Lindsay Lohan is back with her second rom-com, following 2022’s ‘Falling for Christmas’ since her comeback to movies. The plot is a callback to the early 2000s meet-cutes and wedding movies and Lindsay’s very own ‘Freaky Friday’. Her character Maddie is seen ruminating over feelings for her best friend who is to get married, and magically switches with the bride-to-be.
NGL the reviews are really bad. The Guardian says this film is “even blander and more boring than the last.” TIME is sympathetic to the yesteryear star and concludes: “She plays Maddie as someone for whom you want the best. And sometimes that’s all you need a romantic-comedy heroine to be.” Our take: Yeah it is all kinds of cliché but the perfect movie to hate-watch with your best friends! The movie is streaming on Netflix.
Chicken Nugget: Here’s something for the fans of absurdist comedy! The protagonist of this Korean series is a… chicken nugget?! Well, she starts off as a human. Min-ah (Kim You-jung recently seen in ‘My Demon’) steps into a mysterious purple time machine and comes out as a chicken nugget. Her father and his employee—who has a crush on her—are set on a journey to restore her state.
There are no reviews. Our take: We find the plot hilarious and are expected to be entertained. You can watch the first two episodes on Netflix.
Here’s a new chapter…
Young Royals Season 3: The Swedish queer romcom with royal twist is back for a third and final season. The plot is pretty predictable. Prince Wilhelm and his love interest Simon go to Hillerska boarding school. At the end of season 2, Wihelm addresses his scandal and gay relationship. Season 3 explores the aftermath of that. The show is streaming on Netflix.
Fresh off the big screen…
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: Indian swifties rejoice! You can now sing along and dance your heart out to Taylor’s biggest concert till date, right in your living room. The movie focuses on the artist herself, her fans and the mega production of the concert. You can stream it on Disney+ Hotstar.
