We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Deadpool & Wolverine: The wait is over. MCU’s latest instalment brings two fan favourites together—Ryan Renold’s Deadpool and Hugh Jackson’s Wolverine. But—wait—didn’t Wolverine die in the 2017 film ‘Logan’? Yup, this is Logan from a different universe—here to save Deadpool and his family. Directed by Shawn Levy, the film also ropes in Mr Darcy Matthew MacFayden and Princess Diana Emma Corrin as villains. Watch out for the special appearance by Peggy the pugese—Britain's ugliest dog.
Reviews are a mixed bag. The Verge writes: “Very few of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’s’ small gags are funny enough to elicit laughter, but the movie feels like it’s onto something promising.” Entertainment Weekly is much harsher: “The movie is two hours of cheap jokes, culminating in the world’s biggest ‘Family Guy’ episode. It tries so hard to be clever, it just ends up being cringe.” Our take: If you want to watch a self-aware superhero movie, this is it! You can watch it in the theatres.
Raayan: Easily one of the most anticipated Kollywood movies this week, ‘Raayan’ is written, directed and starring Dhanush! The plot is a predictable revenge drama, where a set of siblings are caught up in gangs and violence as they defend their baby sister. From the looks of the trailer, this is an action-packed, fast-paced, gritty movie—elevated with music by AR Rahman. FYI: This is Dhanush’s 50th film!
Not many reviews are out, but according to Times of India, “It is a credit to the strength of Dhanush's command over storytelling and the performances that ‘Raayan’ manage to overcome its weakest aspect — predictability.” Our take: We think this is strictly for Dhanush fans! You can watch it in theatres.
Time Bandits: This time travel sci-fi series is based on the 1981 kids movie of the same name—by Monty Python comedy troupe’s Terry Gilliam. The reboot is directed by Taika Waititi—who also stars in it—and has Lisa Kudrow (who plays Phoebe in ‘Friends’) and Jemaine Clement in a prominent role. The story follows an 11-year-old history nerd Kevin (played by Kal-El Tuck) who discovers a time portal in his wardrobe.
Reviews aren’t too great. USA Today finds that, “‘Bandits’ is all muddy and messy and not entirely coherent, and that has nothing to do with the whole sci-fi time travel part.” Hollywood Reporter is more forgiving and says: “Between episodes six and nine, ‘Time Bandits’ hits a fine gear in which it’s actively funny and clever and just a little bit emotional.” Our take: A mix of Monty Python comedy and Taika Waititi weirdness? We’d like to try some! The episodes have dropped on Apple TV+.
The Decameron: Here’s an interesting one. In 1348, Italian poet Giovanni Boccaccio published a collection of short stories about a plague outbreak in Florence. This book—called ‘The Decameron’—contained 100 anecdotes from 10 wealthy Florentines who fled the city for a retreat in the countryside. The eight-episode limited series is based on this book and explores human desires and greeds in times of desperation and devastation. The cast includes Tanya Reynolds from ‘Sex Education’, Saoirse-Monica Jackson from ‘Derry Girls’, and our very own Karan Gill!
Reviews are actually quite good. The Guardian calls it “non-stop fun” and Variety says “the series is a tartly funny showcase for a uniformly excellent ensemble.” Our take: We are intrigued by the modern reality show treatment of historical literature and will definitely binge watch it this weekend. You can catch it on Netflix.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: Directed by Guy Ritchie, this is an action-comedy film based on a true story during the Second World War, when British PM Winston Churchill sanctioned a secret mission—Operation Postmaster—to take out the German fleet. Henry Cavill plays Gus March-Phillipps—the leader of the ruthless set of spies which include Eiza González Reyna from ‘3 Body Problem’ and Henry Golding from ‘Crazy Rich Asians’.
Reviews are so-so. Empire deems it “a perfectly undemanding watch.” Similarly, New York Times says “as background noise, it’s diverting and intermittently amusing.” Our take: We quite like the cast and crew and wouldn’t want to miss it. The movie is streaming on Amazon Prime.
Tokyo Swindlers: Are you a fan of crime-thrillers which involve scamming the rich? This one’s for you. Based on the eponymous Japanese novel by Ko Shinjo, the series follows a group of real estate scammers who plan a 10-billion-yen scam. The series is helmed by Hitoshi One—an experienced TV and film director who has adapted many mangas into films—his best being ‘Bakuman’.
There are no reviews yet for this series. Our take: Scamming the rich always makes a compelling watch. The series was released on Netflix on Wednesday.
Which Brings Me to You: Are you in a rom-com mood this weekend? With Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff in the lead, the movie starts off in the most predictable way—a meet-cute at a wedding. But, but, but, instead of getting right into it, they take their time to tell each other their relationship fails, red flags, and expectations. Sweet! FYI, this is a book adaptation of the novel of the same name by Steve Almond.
Catherine Bray in The Guardian writes: “Points in its favour include the relative humanity of the leads, who are both shockingly easy on the eye, and the characters they play are still recognisably rounded, flawed and mostly charming human beings.” Our take: What more do you need? You can stream it on JioCinema.
Sambar Chutney: Here’s another Tamil release. Directed by veteran director Radha Mohan—best known for ‘Mozhi’ and ‘Abhiyum Naanum’—this is a comedy series set in Ooty. The premise: Upon his father’s death, Karthik (Nizhalgal Ravi) becomes the owner of the family restaurant Amudha Café in Ooty—which is famous for its lip-smacking sambar. He is tasked to reunite with his half brother Sachin (comedian Yogi Babu) who owns a food stall that makes lip-smacking chutney.
Our take: There are no reviews for the show, but we are intrigued by the plot. The first two episodes have dropped on Disney+ Hotstar.
Here’s a new chapter…
Kleo Season 2: This German comedy series is set after the fall of Berlin Wall. Kleo (played by Jella Haase) is an East German assassin on a revenge journey to find those who betrayed her and had her arrested. You can catch the new season on Netflix.
