We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
The Bikeriders: In the 1960s and 1970s America, motorcycle clubs became synonymous with dangerous gangs and organised crime. This movie, helmed by Jeff Nicholas, is set in those times and looks at the beginnings of Chicago’s The Vandals in 1968—led by Tom Hardy and Austin Butler. The film is inspired by the black and white photos of bike riders clicked by a photojournalist Danny Lyon—who is played by Mike Faust in the movie. He interviews Butler’s love interest Kathy, played by Jodie Comer.
The movie already got glowing reviews from its rounds at film festivals. The Guardian was floored by the performances of the main cast and calls them “magnetic in this power struggle-cum-love triangle.” Empire says it is “more of a slow burn than a thrill ride.” Our take: Fans of slow-burn mob dramas like ‘Godfather’ and ‘Taxi Driver’ will really like this one. You can watch it in theatres on Friday.
The Exorcism: This American supernatural horror film—starring Russell Crowe—follows Anthony Miller, who is a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film—making people wonder if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play.
Our take: We love the classic thrills and chills of an exorcism story—and this one seems to be up our alley. The movie releases in theatres on Friday.
Robot Dreams: Based on a short graphic novel of the same name by Sara Varon, and directed by Pablo Berger, this animated film has hardly any dialogue in it but was nominated for the Oscars this year. It looks at loneliness through an anthropomorphised dog living in 1980s New York City. Dog builds a robot for companionship. They become best friends. But the robot suffers a short circuit at the beach and the dog spends the rest of the movie figuring out how to repair him.
Reviews are great as expected! New York Times deems it to be “a silent wonder that says everything about love.” The Guardian says that the film “is not just one of the finest animations of recent years; it’s also one of the most persuasive love letters to the city of New York.” Our take: The reviews speak for themselves. The movie will hit the theatres on Friday.
Trigger Warning: This action thriller film follows a skilled Special Forces officer—played by Jessica Alba—who takes ownership of her father's bar shortly after he suddenly dies, and soon finds herself in the middle of rampant gang violence in her hometown.
Our take: We can’t wait to see Alba in this action-packed storyline. The movie will begin streaming on Netflix on Friday.
Black Barbie: After all the craze has died down from the Mattel produced, Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking ‘Barbie’, we are getting a documentary on the phenomenon of the black barbie doll. The movie looks at the idea and conceptualisation as well as the product and its reception through the eyes of the people involved in making the Black Barbie.
Our take: We think this is a more fascinating story than the Barbie doll itself. You can stream it on Netflix starting Friday.
Here’s a new chapter…
House of Dragon Season 2: This is the prequel series to HBO’s famed ‘Game of Thrones’ and is based on George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire and Blood’ and ‘Song of Ice and Fire’. The succession plot thickens as Luke Velaryon—son of Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) dies. The two sects within the Targaryens prepare for the civil war. The new episode dropped on JioCinema on Monday.
Kota Factory Season 3: This is the concluding season of the hit show about the Kota schools and tuition centres which offer sharp commentary on the dying educational institutions of India. The series follows a group of high schoolers who are IIT aspirants and teachers who mould their futures. Jitendra Kumar returns as Jeetu Bhaiyya while veteran actress Tillotama Shome joins the cast. It will be released on Netflix tomorrow.
