We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Editor’s note: A stacked weekend in the theatres and on OTT. Action buffs must, must, must not miss Sisu 2 in theatres. There's Champagne Problems on Netflix for romcom fiends. Want a heartfelt, prestige indie? Go for Train Dreams. MeToo-themed After The Hunt, with Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edibiri is a must-watch for watercooler conversation. Plus Manoj Bajpayee is back to saving the country (and his marriage) in The Family Man season 3.
New Releases
120 Bahadur (Hindi)
Farhan Akhtar, the writer-director of Dil Chahta Hai, hasn’t directed a feature film since the 2011 release Don 2. For 14 years, Akhtar has been busy with side quests: acting and rasping. His latest side quest stars him as the real-life Major who led a small regiment against a 3,000-strong Chinese contingent during the ‘62 war. Major Shaitan Singh—Akhtar’s character—was awarded a posthumous Param Vir Chakra.
The film is narrated by the character of that war’s sole Indian survivor, a radio operator. Taking note of this, critic Rahul Desai pointed out:
The metaphor of communication — or the lack of it that leads to wars — is nice in theory, as is the film's decision to make him the only custodian of the truth of that day. It’s his word against all of China’s; he is the link between history being remembered and erased. In this age of revisionism and hidden agendas, the concept of a storyteller whose story is scrutinised is timely.
Where to watch: Theatres
Sisu: Road to Revenge (Finnish, English)
If you want to watch an extremely violent action film with no unnecessary fretting over contrived drama, cutting straight to the point of bang-bang-and-then-some, book a ticket for this one right now. This is the sequel to 2022’s Sisu, a strange sleeper hit, which followed a Finnish ex-commando fighting Nazis to protect his gold; stripped-down Mad Max at one-hundredth the budget.
Like the first film, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive for this one. Laura Stott of The Sun (UK) found more multi-dimensionality in the film than this entry might suggest: “There are moments of pure comedy and stunt genius – and even slapstick, echoing classic silent movies, amid all the bloodshed. For an ambush extravaganza, there’s some surprisingly emotional moments too.”
Where to watch: Theatres
Champagne Problems (English)
In this romcom, an American woman, Sydney (Minka Kelly), travels to France on business. She falls for a handsome French man, Henri (Tom Wozniczka). But her plans go awry when she finds out that Henri is the son of the founder of the perfume brand she’s come to France to acquire.
Critic Isabella Soares of Collider wrote, "As Hallmark-esque as this Netflix rom-com might be, it offers the perfect combo for what you anticipate from a seasonal title."
Where to watch: Netflix
Train Dreams (English)
A 2025 Sundance film fest hit, this much-awaited indie is set in the early 20th century United States and follows a railroad labourer (Joel Edgerton) toiling with his colleagues at work, away from his wife and daughter.
Based on the 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist novel, Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams, the film is both a character study of a man contemplating his place in a rapidly changing world (deforestation, industrialisation, all over), and an intimate look at a specific historical time that has echoes in the present.
Critic Alan Zilberman of Washington City Reporter wrote, "Joel Edgerton’s performance is a moving blend of character and performer, giving his performance a powerful quality because we can see how much is held back."
Where to watch: Netflix
The Death of Bunny Munro (English)
This British black comedy series starring Matt Smith and Sarah Greene is an adaptation of the 2009 novel by Nick Cave. Yes, Nick Cave the sad sack musician, who has also scored this production.
The series sees Bunny (Smith) take off on a road trip with his son, Bunny Jr, following the death of his wife, Libby (Greene). Bunny, a travelling salesman, sells cosmetics as a front to live a life of promiscuity and chaos. He hits on every woman he can set his eyes on, all while balancing the responsibilities of fatherhood and connecting with his young son.
Oh, and there’s a serial killer somewhere in the mix too. Empire calls it a “Faustian descent into the cyclical horrors of broken fatherhood that’s as mesmerising and unpredictable to watch as it is hard to bear.”
Where to watch: JioHotstar
The Carman Family Deaths (English)
Oven-fresh true crime from Netflix, again! Picture this: in the centre is a young man who may have killed his millionaire grandfather, as well as mother, to inherit their wealth. Complicating this is his autism diagnosis. He was the last person to see both alive, and it is difficult to be sure of his account. This man, Nathan Carman, was indicted for his mother's death in 2022. The next, year he died by suicide in jail. He was 29.
Was the crime rightly solved? If not, this was a terrible tragedy. You decide.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Family Plan 2 (English)
Mark Wahlberg used to be a secret assassin working for the government—now he is a family man. Yawn. But hold up. It's Mark Wahlberg! Michelle Monaghan plays his wife. The villain is Kit Harrington, still around since Game of Thrones. Comedy crisscrossed with action and some family drama. Perfect second-screen viewing.
Where to watch: Apple TV
Fresh off the big screen…
The Roses (English)
Warren Adler’s famous novel The War of the Roses, already immortalised in film via the memorable 1989 black comedy of the same name starring Michael Doughlas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito, gets another do-over in this Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman starrer, directed by Jay Roach.
The film tackles the disintegration of a marriage between the two leads; he a fancy architect, she a top chef. It’s set over a 15-year period across California and parts of England, digging deep into the fractured relationship between the pair.
The reviews are mixed; while the two leads are lauded for their performances, it’s clear the film lacks much of the sting and caustic disrepair that its source material thrives in. This one, as NPR writes, is about “a marriage that is loving underneath it all, even as it grows combative. And that change, while it perhaps makes the story more pleasing and human, saps it of its bite.”
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Homebound (Hindi)
Based on an op-ed essay in The New York Times by Basharat Peer, the Neeraj Ghaywan (Masaan) film has drawn praises since its festival debut at Cannes. The film follows two childhood friends, Chandan Kumar (Vishal Jethwa) and Mohammed Shoaib Ali (Ishaan Khatter) as they chase their dream of becoming police officers amidst a changing world and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Where to watch: Netflix
After The Hunt (English)
This film follows philosophy professor Alma (Julia Roberts) as she navigates a sexual assault accusation made against her colleague (Andrew Garfield) by a student (Ayo Edebiri) at Yale. Star-studded, and directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Challengers), the psychological thriller is an attempt to question the basis of MeToo, which prioritises rage over due process, and explore sundry politicking within a campus environment.
The press tour for this film recently garnered attention because of an interview where a journalist directed a question about MeToo and BlackLivesMatter at Andrew Garfield and Julia Roberts, leaving out Ayo Edibiri from the conversation.
The BBC suggests that this movie may as well lead to an Oscar nom for Roberts, while arguing that the rest of the film seemed a little too much, including Garfield’s acting, Guadagnino’s direction and Nora Garrett’s dialogue.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Bison Kaalamaadan (Tamil)
Mari Selvaraj's film follows a young low-caste kabaddi player from rural Tamil Nadu, fighting his way up the ladder. Inspired by the story of the real-life kabaddi player Manathi Ganesan. Mari Selvaraj, Pa Ranjith's protege, is best-known for his series of films exploring caste oppression. His first, Pariyerum Perumal, was recently remade into Hindi as Dhadak 2.
Where to watch: Netflix
Night Swim (English)
Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon star as the Wallers in this supernatural horror from 2024. The couple move into a suburban home along with their kids after Ray (Russell), diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, is forced to retire from playing baseball. They pick the house specifically for its backyard pool; of course, that same pool turns out to cause all manner of mischief, as bad things keep happening to the Wallers.
The film, based on a short by the director Bryce McGuire, overstays its welcome by a fair bit; The Hollywood Reporter, praising the actors and director, writes: “McGuire […] proves more than adept at adhering to the Blumhouse low-budget horror film playbook. But for all their efforts, Night Swim won’t make you think twice about jumping into a pool on a hot summer night.”
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Here’s a new chapter…
Landman season 2 (English)
This returning neo-Western boasts an all-star cast; Billy Bob Thornton plays Tommy Norris, the titular Landman and a corporate oil exec, while Demi Moore is Cami Miller, wife of Monty (played by Jon Hamm in the first season) and owner of the oil company where Norris has just been named president.
Andy Garcia and Sam Elliot are in the cast as well. The series, created by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone) and Christian Wallace, is about the oil business in West Texas and a quest for money and fortune. The season 2 premiere set a new record for Paramount+, with 9.2 million views worldwide in its first few days, and Esquire feels that this oil drama is inching “closer to greatness”, as long as it can stay out of its own way.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
A Man on the Inside S02 (English)
The ever-charismatic Ted Danson returns as the lonely widower turned private eye for the second season of Netflix’s A Man on the Inside, with his real-life spouse, Mary Steenburgen, joining the cast this time. The first season saw Charles (Danson) using his spook skills to solve petty crime at a retirement home, building new bonds and relationships in the process.
As with all shows created by Michael Schur (Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place), this one too comes with a saccharine heart that may not be to everyone’s taste; a breeze to watch, with lots of feel-good moments of catharsis and family bonding in between the hijinks. But not much else.
The Guardian is not a fan of this “wisecrack-stuffed American comedy way”. They write: “…it’s exactly that inoffensiveness that makes this strain of television so insidious.” Oof. Rogerebert.com is kinder, calling it “cozy, smart, empathetic television”.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
The Family Man S03 (Hindi)
Manoj Bajpayee is back as the middle-class spy fighting India’s enemies while fretting over loans and EMIs, attending parent-teacher conferences for his children, and looking apologetic in front of his wife. The new season introduces new characters played by Jaideep Ahlawat and Nimrat Kaur.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
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