We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Kaalidhar Laapata: A Hindi remake of the Tamil film ‘K.D.’, Abhishek Bachchan stars in it as Kaalidhar, a lonely, middle-aged man with fading memory who walks away from home after overhearing his family’s plan to abandon him. On the road, he meets Ballu, a sharp and spirited eight-year-old orphan. Together, they set off on a cross-country journey to tick off Kaalidhar’s bucket list—discovering friendship, freedom, and a second shot at life along the way.
No reviews are out as of yet. Our take: A tender road trip with Abhishek Bachchan and a wisecracking kid makes this one to catch on ZEE5.
Shark Whisperer: From the Oscar-winning director behind ‘My Octopus Teacher’—James Reed—this documentary is all about sharks. And perfect timing as ‘Jaws’ celebrated its 50th anniversary last month. The docu focuses on Ocean Ramsey, who is a free-diver and a shark conservationist. Point to note: The movie is controversial as many scientists and conservationists do not agree with her approach to activism and argue “she is putting herself, other humans, and the sharks at risk by seeking media attention.”
No reviews are out for this one. Our take: We are fascinated by sharks and Ramsey’s work, and trust in James Reed to give us all sides to the story. You can watch the docu on Netflix.
Heads of State: This is not your usual ‘save the President’ spoof action-comedy. John Cena plays the President of the United States and Idris Elba is the British Prime Minister. A terrorist attack forces them to join hands and take out the threat themselves. Also starring: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who is back in her Quantico avatar—except she works for MI6.
Reviews are decent. Variety was pretty impressed: “The surprising thing here isn’t the casting or the conception of these characters — all of which is done in the spirit of don’t-think-too-hard escapist fun — but the fact that Amazon succeeded in making such a big-screen-worthy popcorn movie.” According to The Guardian: “Fun, fiery and totally frivolous, Heads of State is a perfect summer movie with great potential for future sequels.” Our take: We are intrigued by the reviews, though we don’t hope for much. You can stream it on Amazon Prime.
The Old Guard 2: Charlize Theron’s Andy reunites with her team of immortal warriors as they face a new threat from Discord, the first immortal, played by Uma Thurman. While Nile adjusts to her powers and Booker deals with past betrayals, Andy struggles with the loss of her immortality and the return of Quynh, a former ally left behind for centuries. As tensions rise and loyalties are tested, the group is drawn into a global conflict that could change the fate of immortals forever.
Reviews are not great for this one. Associated Press says the film feels like “a step down from the first movie.” Indiewire concurs, noting that the film "excels in the rare moments when its action stems from the loaded question of what its characters are really fighting for." Our take: Despite all this, Theron and a crew of immortals crashing through car chases and centuries sounds like a wild ride. Catch it on Netflix.
Also in theatres…
Jurassic World Rebirth: The deadly dinosaurs are back for a seventh film in the franchise. This one takes place five years after the events of ‘Jurassic World Dominion’, with Earth proving largely inhospitable to the dinos and other prehistoric creatures—except for remote tropical locations. Scarlett Johansson stars as Zora Bennett, a spy hired by big pharma to team up with paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) on a dino fact-finding mission led by Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali). The original ‘Jurassic Park’ film’s screenwriter, David Koepp, returns to pen this one, while Gareth Edwards of ‘Godzilla’ and ‘Rogue One’ fame is in the director’s chair.
Reviews are mediocre. AV Club says, “This movie may have breathed life back where once it was thought lost, but this life is not pure or sustainable.” IndieWire is more critical: “The “Jurassic” sequels were bad enough when they made an effort to evolve — they’re even less worth seeing now that they already come pre-fossilized.” Our take: We all know what’s in these movies by now—big action, big effects, light on story and characterisation. If all this is up your alley, you’ll have a blast.
Here’s a new chapter…
The Sandman Season 2: This is the TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sandman’ starring Tom Sturridge as Morpheus or The Sandman, who is the Lord of Dreams, captured by occultists for over a century, and he tries to rebuild his realm, the Dreaming, to its former glory. The second season will conclude the story. Volume 1 has six episodes and dropped on Thursday, while Volume 2 will be released on July 24.
Fresh off the big screen…
Thug Life: This Mani Ratnam film starring Kamal Haasan may not have done the best at the box office, but we think it makes for the perfect weekend watch at home. It is a revenge thriller centred on mafia leader Rangaraaya Sakthivel. When an assassination attempt is carried out on Sakthivel, he goes into hiding in the hope of catching the betrayer. The (un)usual suspect: his adopted kid named Amaran. Now streaming on Netflix.
Companion: This sci-fi horror-thriller stars Sophia Thatcher and Jack Quaid of ‘Yellowjackets’ and ‘The Boys’ fame, respectively, and is directed by debutant Drew Hancock. The premise: A group of friends congregate at a remote cabin for a weekend vacation, but chaos ensues when it turns out one of them (Thatcher) is actually an AI sex robot with an axe to grind. Watch the movie on JioHotstar.
