We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
The Buckingham Murders: A much-awaited crime thriller almost in the style of ‘Mare of Easttown’ starring Kate Winslet, Hansal Mehta’s ‘The Buckingham Murders’ is about a British-Indian detective called Jasmeet Bhambra who relocates to a new town, only to find that she has a child’s murder to solve, while she’s also dealing with the trauma of her own child’s death. Kareena Kapoor Khan plays the sombre but tough detective, with Ranveer Brar, Ash Tandon, and others in the cast. The film did the festival rounds internationally before locking a theatrical release date in India.
The reviews are mixed for this one. While The Hindu calls it “an intriguing murder mystery” with “compelling performances”, Scroll thinks the film has “unfussy storytelling” but wasn’t fully sold on the lead performance. Our take: We are quite pumped to see Kareena Kapoor Khan in a radically different avatar from her usual fare, and will be trooping to the theatre for this one. ‘The Buckingham Murders’ was released in theatres yesterday.
Berlin: This espionage thriller is set in New Delhi in 1993 and is written and directed by Atul Sabharwal of ‘Jubilee’ and ‘Powder’ fame. Aparshakti Khurana stars as Pushkin, a sign language teacher who is brought in by Indian intelligence to aid in their investigation of a deaf-mute waiter—played by Ishwak Singh—who is accused of being a spy for Pakistan. However, Pushkin soon realises how deep the web of lies goes as he gets caught between conflicting intelligence agencies within the national capital.
Reviews are good. Scroll says, “‘Berlin’ is gripping in its own fashion, skillfully deploying deafness as both metaphor and weapon.” According to Mint: “A deception that elevates us is dearer than a host of low truths, wrote the other Pushkin. ‘Berlin’ achieves this without sacrificing any of its cynicism.” Our take: Aparshakti and Ishwak, shades of John le Carré, New Delhi as a supporting character…sign us up! You can catch it on ZEE5.
A.R.M : Helmed by Jithin Lal in his directorial debut, this Malayalam action adventure period piece stars Tovino Thomas in a triple role across three different time periods as a dynasty of warriors protecting treasure. Expect elaborate set pieces and swashbuckling sequences as the film bets big on spectacle. Krithi Shetty, Aishwarya Rajesh, Surabhi Lakshmi and Basil Joseph round out the cast
Reviews are good, with critics praising lead actor Tovino Thomas’ performance. The News Minute says the film has a “visceral intensity” that compensates for its flaws, Indian Express feels the makers “never miss an opportunity to deliver impactful moments” . Our take: It’s a formidable ensemble that should add memorable performances alongside the grand action. Watch it in theatres now!
Sector 36: Based on shockingly true events about a serial killer who targeted children, a case better known to us as the Nithari killings, the film is a face-off between the killer played by Vikrant Massey and the cop on his tail, played by Deepak Dobriyal. The film unravels the details of the chilling case, and explores what happens when justice becomes a personal endeavour for the cop.
Reviews are mixed for this film. NDTV writes that it “lacks the requisite sting” needed for a chilling story. India Today finds the film hard to watch, thanks to the “relentless sequence of gore” but credits the performances for helping stay the course. Our take: The acting chops of the two leads are a huge draw for us, and we’ll be streaming this one over the weekend for sure. You can watch the film on Netflix.
How to Die Alone: This new comedy series is co-created by and stars Natasha Rothwell—of ‘Insecure’ and ‘The White Lotus’ fame—as an unhappy airport worker who tries to live a fuller life after a brush with death. Conrad Ricamore and Jocko Sims—best known for their roles in ‘How To Get Away with Murder’ and ‘The Last Ship’—round out the cast.
Reviews are mostly on the good side. The Hollywood Reporter calls it “warm, funny and occasionally even life-affirming”, and Collider says it is “as hilarious as you’d anticipate from someone who wrote on Saturday Night Live — and perhaps deeper and more touching than you’d expect.” And critics are all praise for Rothwell as a writer and an actor. Our take: We could use a hopeful and cheerful rom-com to binge through this weekend. The first season is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Khalbali Records: Step into the world of indie music in India with the new series ‘Khalbali Records’. It follows a young and passionate scion of a massive music label tycoon, who’s trying to make a name for himself, and the musicians he believes in, in an otherwise cutthroat industry. The series stars Ram Kapoor and Skand Thakur as father and son, and also marks the acting debut of Punjabi hip-hop artist Prabh Deep.
The reviews are middling. Times of India says: “While it stumbles in storytelling, its music and performances make it worth a watch.” Firstpost praises the performances by Ram Kapoor and Saloni Batra, but feels it “succumbs to clichés”. Our take: Amit Trivedi and Azadi Records’ music to go along with a compelling storyline? Sign us up! You can stream the show on JioCinema.
Officer Black Belt: Here’s an fun action-comedy K-drama release. Kim Woo-bin—who has a serious fan following both in South Korea and internationally—dons the hat of a martial arts expert who gets recruited by the Police department to bring probation violators back to custody. The cases start with small fish and work their way up to more dangerous chases.
Reviews are good. South China Morning Post says that the role is “tailor-made” for Woo-bin who gets to showcase his “impressive physicality and affable charm” and the series “strikes an assured balance between action and comedy that consistently hits the mark.” Our take: We love a good cop chase. You can catch it on Netflix.
Here’s a new chapter…
Emily in Paris season 4 part 2: Just a month after part one’s release, we get the reminder of the season. For recap, in the last season, Alfie was ghosting Emily and Gabriel is having a baby with Camille. Now, Alfie and Emily have broken up and there’s a new man in her life—Marcello. And so the drama continues. Watch the new episodes on Netflix.
The Grand Tour: One For The Road: A sixth instalment in the series that follows the former ‘Top Gear’ trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, ‘The Grand Tour: One for the Road’ is their last outing together in a road-based show about taking their favourite cars around the world. This time, the trio will be seen in Zimbabwe, as they officially say goodbye to their screen time together, and go their separate ways. The show is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
