We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Editor’s note: Much in store this week. Do not miss the poetic documentary Come See Me in the Good Light on Apple TV; the film follows poet-couple Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley staying strong through a cancer diagnosis. Anurag Kashyap’s two-part Nishaanchi is finally streaming. Claire Danes (Homeland) is in a striking new psychological thriller series on Netflix. Meanwhile, at the theatres are two tall, dark, and handsome men in the same film: Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati.
New releases
Kaantha (Tamil)
Ego battles between star-actor and filmmaker, man and father-figure, and man and woman in this 1950s Chennai-set Tamil drama. The cast is loaded: Dulquer Salmaan, Samuthirakani, and Bhagyashri Borse. Rana Daggubati also has a part. Co-written by acclaimed novelist Tamizh Prabha.
The Hindu notes, “Kaantha builds its world and its characters without hurry, allowing the central trio to take shape. Dulquer Salmaan moves between a more theatrical, lyrical performance on the film set and the controlled charm of a star who knows how to tilt a narrative in his favour with tact.”
Where to watch: Theatres
De De Pyaar De 2 (Hindi)
A comedy about age-gap romance, the second part has the 56-year-old Ajay Devgn attempting to woo the parents of his much younger girlfriend (Rakul Preet) so that they can marry. The cast includes Madhavan and Javed Jaaferi.
Scroll found the film fun but overstretched, reserving praise for the female lead: “The sequel belongs to Rakul Preet Singh, who is in sparkling form as the feisty, outspoken heroine.”
Where to watch: Theatres
The Crystal Cuckoo (Spanish)
Adapted from the novel by the same name by Javier Castillo, the thriller miniseries follows a young medical student in Madrid who receives a heart transplant. Filled with gratitude and a new perspective, Clara (Catalina Sopelana) visits the donor’s village to pay her respects to the young man who died and meet his family. Soon enough, the village is rocked by yet another mysterious disappearance, adding one more to a long list of unsolved incidents. Will Clara be able to get to the bottom of things?
Where to watch: Netflix
Being Eddie (English)
Comedy legend Eddie Murphy gets the Netflix treatment on Being Eddie, a new documentary directed by Angus Wall (owner of back-to-back Oscars for his editing: The Social Network [2010] and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [2011]). Murphy’s career in Hollywood—with dozens of beloved superhit comedies under his belt across decades—speaks for itself.
And this new documentary acts as a sort of bow on top of those accomplishments, with a star-studded guest list including Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock talking about Murphy’s formidable legacy. The New York Times calls it a “great time” and Murphy “hilarious as ever”. That said, such documentaries do have a tendency of spilling over into hagiography and testimonial territory, as the review points out:
“Much of Murphy’s often tumultuous personal life is skated over. The ugly homophobia of some of his old stand-up warrants no consideration. He tells an offscreen interlocutor that ‘nobody had as much fun in the ’80s’ as he did, without going into much detail.”
Where to watch: Netflix
Delhi Crime season 3 (Hindi)
This gritty police procedural, starring Shefali Shah, made waves with its first season (2019) about the infamous and horrific 2012 Delhi gang rape case. The third season, out now, sees Shah reprise her role as the no-BS top-cop, and this time she locks horns with Badi Didi, a badass human trafficker played by Huma Qureishi.
The Hindu feels the show does just enough in its third season to keep audiences on board, praising Qureishi’s turn as Badi Didi: “As a towering figure, Huma shines as the ruthless trafficker who is both impulsive, vindictive, and calculating. Although her regional accent is somewhat erratic, her contest with Shefali creates an interesting contrast and gives the series new wings to fly.”
Where to watch: Netflix
The Beast in Me (English)
Claire Danes (Homeland) plays Aggie Wiggs, a famous author who, upon the tragic death of her son to a drunk driver, is unable to really get going with her next book. Nile Jarvis (played by Matthew Rhys of The Americans fame), a multimillionaire real estate hotshot who’s the prime accused in his wife’s suspected murder after her mysterious disappearance, moves into the same neighbourhood as Wiggs. The two leads play off each other as their complex dynamics direct the narrative of this psychological thriller series.
The Guardian is in love: “…it is, simply put, so very, very good. Even without two astonishing performances from the lead actors – Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys – the script, the sheer style and confidence of it all, would be things of beauty.”
Where to watch: Netflix
Malice (English)
David Duchovny (X-Files, Californication) stars alongside British actor Jack Whitehall (Fresh Meat) in this British psychological thriller. Whitehall plays a male nanny who makes his way into the private affairs of venture capitalist Jammie Tanner (Duchovny), before proceeding to terrorise him and his family.
It’s a bingeable show that, per reviews, lacks nuance or subtlety. The Independent writes: “…this kind of preposterous, sun-drenched escapism could be catnip for certain audiences. Just don’t expect Malice’s version of wealth porn to have the same allure as the shows it aspires to be.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Come See Me In The Good Light (English)
Winner of the Festival Favourite Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Ryan White's moving documentary follows celebrated spoken-word poet Andrea Gibson and their partner, poet Megan Falley, after Gibson is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. As their days start to begin and end at hospitals, treatment decisions and the ticking clock of mortality constantly on their mind, the couple shift from despair to a fierce celebration of love, life, and poetry.
Where to watch: Apple TV
Fresh off the big screen…
Jolly LLB 3 (Hindi)
Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, and Saurabh Shukla reprise their popular roles from the past two Jolly LLB films. Kumar and Warsi are two lawyers at loggerheads. Shukla, the harried judge. Gajraj Rao, the big bad, wants to usurp farmers’ land for profits. Pandemonium ensues.
Where to watch: Netflix
Jurassic World: Rebirth (English)
More of the same but new-new in the seventh instalment of this critic-proof franchise. Headlined by Scarlett Johansson, Rebirth has two brand new monsters: the juicily named Distortus Rex, an oversized, malformed predator with extra limbs, and the Mutadons, vicious raptor-pterosaur hybrids. Lots of expensive CGI utilised to shock and awe, with some rudimentary messaging about the perils of too much science. Grab your popcorn.
Where to watch: Theatres
Nishaanchi (Hindi)
Anurag Kashyap’s two-part hinterland crime saga, that’s not Wasseypur, and he can’t help himself making more of these, is now streaming. Story: twin brothers, with contrasting personalities, caught up in crime, with a feisty heroine in the middle.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
souk picks