We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
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Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank: The sequel to the 2018 hit horror-comedy sees Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor return in their starring roles—as do Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurana and Pankaj Tripathi. Director Amar Kaushik is back on board too. While the original film was about an unknown figure abducting men in the town of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, the central mystery of this instalment is about Sarkate—a living severed head that targets women. Both films form part of a broader horror-comedy cinematic universe under the production company, Maddock Films.
Reviews are mixed to decent. Hindustan Times says the sequel surpasses the original, and India Today praises the cast’s efforts. OTOH: For Indian Express, Shubhra Gupta says the film is guilty of “dumbing down a sharp premise”. Our take: ‘Stree’ was well-acted, consistently funny and offered a biting critique of patriarchy—this sequel gets two out of three right. Watch it in theatres now!
Manorathangal: This is an anthology series in Malayalam, with each episode based on a different short story by celebrated author MT Vasudevan Nair, who wrote books, screenplays, and more, winning a Sahitya Akademi Award for his works. The nine episodes feature a stellar lineup of actors like Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, Fahadh Faasil, and Parvathy Thiruvothu, among others, with each story exploring a different facet of the human condition.
The reviews are mixed, with critics agreeing that not all films in the anthology are strong adaptations of the written works. According to Scroll: “the star performer is the litterateur, whose ideas provide a steadying force to the uneven quality of adaptation on display.” Our take: It’s been a while since we’ve seen an Indian anthology series, and this stunning cast of actors is a huge draw. You can stream all the episodes on Zee5.
Bad Monkey: Vince Vaughn made his name in Hollywood as a star of silly comedy films. Now, he has entered the streaming space with a black comedy series in ‘Bad Monkey’ for Apple TV+. The premise: A former Miami cop—who now works as a restaurant health inspector—is roped in to investigate the case of a severed arm fished out of the ocean by tourists. Adapted from the 2013 Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name, the series is developed by Bill Lawrence—of ‘Scrubs’, ‘Shrinking’ ,and ‘Ted Lasso’ fame.
Reviews are great. Daily Beast says the leading role is “tailor-made” for Vaughn and the show is one of 2024’s “sunniest surprises”. Hollywood Reporter believes: “It’s all surface, but when the surface is this pretty… you may very well be happy to spend some time on it.” Our take: Vince Vaughn’s track record is mixed at best, but Bill Lawrence is on a brilliant streak. You can stream the first two episodes on Apple TV+ now.
Shekhar Home: India officially has a ‘Sherlock Holmes’ adaptation! He’s called Shekhar Home, and this Hindi-language show imagines Holmes as a Bengali detective in a fictional town, trying to set up an operation investigating minor crimes. The cast is led by Kay Kay Menon as Shekhar Home, along with Ranvir Shorey, Rasika Dugal, and Shernaz Patel, among others. The show has been put together by directors Srijit Mukherji and Rohan Sippy—the latter being the director behind the slick comedy ‘Bluffmaster’.
The series has mixed reviews, oscillating between entertaining and excruciating. While Moneycontrol calls it a “simple yet effective whodunit”, Shubhra Gupta in Indian Express says: “except for a few stray moments which make you pay attention, this BBC Studio Productions show plods along, throwing out feeble stabs at danger and intrigue.” However, the critics are all praise for Menon as the titular Shekhar Home. Our take: We’re quite intrigued by how Arthur Conan Doyle’s world is adapted into an Indian setting, which still makes it its own. You can stream the show on JioCinema.
Love Next Door: Finally! A new K-drama recommendation. The lead cast of this rom-com are Jung Hae-in (best known for ‘Something In The Rain’) and Jung So-min (best known for ‘Because This Is My First Life’). The Jung-Jung couple play high sweethearts who meet again at the lowest points of their life and rekindle their love for each other.
There are no reviews for this show. Our take: In the mood for love? We love the cosy vibes this K-drama has to offer. The first two episodes drop on Netflix today.
Daughters: Filmed over years, this documentary focuses on the bond between fathers and their daughters. The catch: These men are serving their time at the Washington DC jail. The film captures an experiment wherein four girls—aged between 5 to 15—prepare a father-dance with their incarcerated fathers as a means to strengthen their relationship and spend quality time with each other. This dance took place at the jail in 2019. FYI: The film won at the Sundance Film Festival this year.
Reviews are good. Associated Press writes: “As much as ‘Daughters’ can be an emotional rollercoaster, there’s no preparing for the film’s painful years-later epilogue.” The Guardian calls it “a tender, painful, intimate film”. Our take: Brb, sobbing in our pillows. You can catch this documentary on Netflix.
Here’s a new chapter…
Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 1: Our guilty-pleasure American fashionista is back! Season 3 had left us at a cliff-hanger which put both of Emily’s love interests in complicated positions. Alfie is effectively ghosting Emily because of jealousy and Gabriel is having a kid with Camille. In this season, Emily is more confused than ever. Watch the new episodes on Netflix.
Industry Season 3: The BBC-HBO drama is back for a third season about the fictional London investment bank Pierpoint. Kit Harington—who played Jon Snow in ‘Game of Thrones’—and Sarah Goldberg of ‘Barry’ fame are among several new additions to the revolving door of this show’s cast. You can watch the season premiere on Jio Cinema.
Yeh Meri Family Season 4: The feel-good family comedy, featuring the adorable Awasthi family, is back for a fourth instalment. This season of the show has all the everyday drama between the parents and kids, all set in the monsoon of 1995, and will go deeper as it explores the relationship between the two siblings, Rishi (Anngad Raaj) and Ritika (Hetal Gada).
