We recommend: The best new movies and TV series

Zero Day: Robert de Niro makes his small-screen starring debut (!!!!) in this political thriller miniseries about former US president George Mullen—who is called out of retirement to uncover the source of a deadly cyberattack. Also starring: Joan Allen as his wife Sheila, Lizzy Caplan as his daughter—Congresswoman Alexandra—and Jesse Plemons as George’s shady confidante, Roger Carlson. 

Reviews are mixed. According to The Guardian: “It remains first and foremost an astonishing amount of fun – firmly grounded by De Niro.” But AV Club isn’t as high on it: “Despite all of the high, of-the-moment political stakes and cliffhanger twists, ‘Zero Day’ feels more like a slog than a gripping thriller that reflects these crazy times.” Our take: Cybersecurity meets de Niro with dozens of twists and turns…this is gonna be entertaining! You can catch the miniseries on Netflix.

Office: As evident from the name of the series this is a workplace comedy show—in Tamil. It is actually a reboot of a popular 2013 workplace rom-com of the same name—but the location has been changed from an IT office setup to a District Governor office. Just like the popular workplace comedy shows, you can expect colourful cases, bureaucracy and paperwork and tales of office romance and friendships.

We found just one review for the show. Times Now writes: “Despite it being predictable, the show's ability to help the viewers follow the funny mix-up events works positively.” Our take: That sounds promising. Workplace comedies can never go wrong. No matter how regional they are, they have a touch of universality. We’d definitely watch this! The first four episodes are out on JioHotstar.

Oops! Ab Kya?: This desi adaptation of ‘Jane the Virgin’ blends comedy, drama, and social commentary. Shweta Basu Prasad plays Roohi, a 27-year-old hotel manager whose life is upended when a medical error results in her pregnancy with her employer Samar’s sperm. Torn between her steadfast boyfriend Omkar and the wealthy, conflicted Samar, Roohi also grapples with her mother Paakhi’s sacrifices and her grandmother Subhadra’s rigid values. Meanwhile, Samar’s failing marriage and Omkar’s pursuit of a drug smuggler add layers to the chaos.

Reviews are good! Scroll says the series delivers "an engaging account of people trying to do the right thing for themselves and others" with sharp situational comedy and strong performances. Free Press Journal thinks this official ‘Jane the Virgin’ adaptation is an “eight-episode joyride” packed with “comedy, chaos, and contemplation.” Our take: While the OG ‘Jane the Virgin’ stands apart, this remake, with some Indian masala and melodrama make it an entertaining watch. Out now on JioHotstar!

Grand Theft Hamlet: Two out-of-work actors. One of the world’s most chaotic video games. And Shakespeare. What could possibly go wrong? During the pandemic, Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen found themselves jobless and killing time in Grand Theft Auto Online when they stumbled upon the Vinewood Bowl amphitheater. Their idea? Stage a full-blown production of ‘Hamlet’—inside GTA. What follows is a bizarre adventure as they dodge rocket launchers, wrangle a cast of unhinged players (some more interested in drive-by shootings than monologues), and attempt to bring Shakespeare to Los Santos.

Reviews are great for this one. The Guardian says the documentary is “Shakespeare on a billion dollar budget, or Shakespeare as Elon Musk could afford to produce it”—blending the game's bleak violence with Hamlet’s melancholy while capturing the absurdity and poignancy of creativity in isolation. New York Times calls it “pretty funny” and “surprisingly moving”. Our take: Unexpected poetry, especially for the GTA fans: a clever and chaotic take on ‘Hamlet.’ The film can be streamed on MUBI now.

Also in theatres…

Babygirl: The erotic thriller stars Nicole Kidman as Romy, a CEO—and the titular babygirl—while Harris Dickinson plays the newest intern at her company—the dom in the relationship outside of the office. It all starts when she sees him calm down a dog on the street, and it awakes—ahem ahem—something in her. She gives into the sex fantasies and the two have a torrid affair—but at the cost of her debilitating relationships with her family. 

Reviews are middling. The Guardian somewhat disappointedly writes: “They have straight sex. But really … that’s it. We don’t get into BDSM, we get nowhere near to needing a safe word. Babygirl is simply about age-gap and the reversal of gender power-relations.” New York Times says: “It’s an enjoyable liberation story of a kind, even if Romy’s search for existential freedom proves disappointingly limited.” Our take: We’re too curious to check this out—even if it means hate-watching it with friends. You can see the movie in the theatre.

Kuch Sapney Apne: Veteran filmmaker and LGBTQ+ activist Sridhar Rangayan is back with his latest offering focused on queer lives and relationships—teaming up with screenwriter and lyricist Saagar Gupta. This romantic drama centres on Kartik (Satvik Bhatia) and Aman (Arpit Chaudhary), whose relationship is on the rocks due to cheating. Meanwhile, Kartik also has to navigate a challenging home life after his parents (played by Shishir Sharma and Mona Ambegaonkar) have an ugly spat. 

There are only two reviews for this film so far. Times of India says, “While these themes could feel weighty, director Sridhar Rangayan approaches them with sensitivity and a light touch, making them accessible and engaging.” OTOH, Hollywood Reporter India is more critical: “All the courage and personality of ‘Kuch Sapney Apne’ is undone by fundamental filmmaking flaws.” Our take: In an industry that for years failed to do queer stories justice, Sridhar’s work stands out as consistently heartwarming. It’s now out in cinemas.

Here’s a new chapter…

Surface Season 2: Sophie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is back, this time in London, determined to uncover the secrets of her past after losing her memory to a traumatic injury. As secrets unravel, a journalist unknowingly aids her, the estranged husband seeks revenge, and deception runs deep. You can catch the first episode of the series on Apple TV+, with subsequent episodes dropping every Friday.