We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Fantastic Four: This Marvel retro-futuristic reboot stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards and Vanessa Kirby as his wife Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. The plot, for those who are unfamiliar with the comics, is that these four astronauts are the first ones to go to space in the 1960s and get exposed to cosmic rays on a mission that gives them superpowers. Because of this, they become the Fantastic Four and protect earth from aliens and other supernatural attacks.
Reviews are good. Associated Press calls 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' “a sturdy beginning” with “impeccable production design,” where the film “is never better than when the Silver Surfer or Galactus are around.” Looper calls the film “entertaining, heartfelt, earnest, and largely unashamed of its comic book origins,” praising the cast’s “fantastic chemistry” and Vanessa Kirby’s standout performance as Sue, who “steals the show.” Our take: We have high expectations from the movie because it stars Pedro Pascal. Need we say more? You can catch it in the theatres.
Happy Gilmore 2: Adam Sandler is in full throwback mode, reviving his beloved rage-fueled golfer in this chaotic, over-the-top sequel. Now a 58-year-old alcoholic widower working in a supermarket, Happy is dragged out of retirement to win a big-money golf tournament—so he can fund his daughter’s dream of joining the Paris Opera Ballet. The game’s changed: he’s up against tech-enhanced, influencer-style pros in a flashy new league. But with help from old friends (and enemies), cameos galore, and his signature slapstick fury, Happy sets out for one last, ridiculous shot at redemption.
Reviews are positive. Variety says the film is “a happy orgy of raucously well-executed Adam Sandler fan service,” praising it as “the genuine article, a true revival of Sandler’s Jerry Lewis-meets-rock ‘n’ roll rage.” IndieWire OTOH describes 'Happy Gilmore 2' as a film that “isn’t a hole in one,” but praises its “blend of wacky gags and wistful sadness” and its “actually compelling nostalgia” that reflects on the past “with real longing.” Our take: It’s loud, dumb, and deeply nostalgic—in the best way possible—so if you’re in the mood for Sandler-style chaos and a hit of ’90s comfort, this one’s for you.
Mandala Murders: Science meets black magic in this new thriller where a detective and an ex-cop come to investigate a series of ritualistic murders. Set in the fictional town of Charandaspur in Uttar Pradesh, it has been directed by Gopi Puthran of ‘Mardaani 2’ fame. The layers are peeled away, as the mystery of these murders over decades come to light. The cast includes Vaani Kapoor, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, and Surveen Chawla.
Reviews are average. The Hindu says 'Mandala Murders' blends “mood, mystery, and message,” but takes its time to come together, with a plot that feels “dense and obtuse” at times—though things finally “crystallise” by the seventh episode. Hollywood Reporter describes 'Mandala Murders' as “original to a fault,” noting that while its “genre-bending nature” and “ambition” are undeniable, the series “gets tangled in a web of exposition dumps” and ultimately becomes “a curious case of ambition going through an existential crisis.” Our take: Aside from the fact that it’s being touted as a first-of-its-kind mythological thriller, we are going to watch it to keep up with the memes. You can watch it on Netflix.
Thalaivan Thalaivii: Rejoice, fans of Vijay Sethupathi! The actor is back with a family entertainer. He plays a parotta master with a shop. The movie heavily focuses on his love story with Arasi—played by the brilliant Nithya Menen. But with issues in their domestic life, the parotta shop also suffers.
Reviews are mixed. The Hindu calls 'Thalaivan Thalaivii' “a hilarious family entertainer” with “fantastic” performances from Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen, but notes that its “anti-divorce stance” and “reductive... moral lessons” leave the film “with middling results.” Deccan Herald says the movie is a “circus” of family dynamics and marital drama, where Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen shine as “a couple whose love for each other cannot be questioned,” even as the film questions “at what cost” love should be held together. Our take: Vijay Sethupathi is always a treat to watch! You can catch the movie at the theatres.
Our MUBI recommendations for July
Editor’s note: We have started an exciting partnership with MUBI where the splainer team will bring to you three movies streaming on the platform that are personally vetted once every month! We’re no film reviewers, but we will share our honest opinion. The good news for splainer subscribers: you get a one-month free trial for MUBI! Click on this link to avail the free trial.
About Dry Grasses: The film follows Samet (Deniz Celiloğlu), a middle-aged art teacher completing his fourth year of mandatory service in a remote village in Eastern Anatolia. He favours a 12-year-old student, Sevim (Ece Bağcı), who has an innocent crush on him, leading to an accusation of inappropriate behavior after a love letter is discovered. Though the complaint is dismissed, the incident strains Samet’s relationships and deepens his resentment. As tensions rise, he and his colleague Kenan both grow close to Nuray (Merve Dizdar), a disabled teacher from a nearby town, sparking a complex triangle marked by conflicting worldviews, emotional unrest, and existential doubt.
Reviews are good. As New York Times notes, 'About Dry Grasses' is a portrait of “the second kind of artist”—detached and self-absorbed—where Samet’s stunning photographs belie his deep disconnect from others, and the film ultimately asks “what does it mean to be engaged in the world?” IndieWire calls the film “a distasteful story of a man beset by rural frustrations” filtered through “a surprisingly personal lens,” ultimately becoming “among the most brilliantly off-putting works to be featured at Cannes in recent years.”
Our take: ‘About Dry Grasses’ is not an easy watch—but that’s precisely the point. It takes its time to peel back the layers of a man consumed by disillusionment, ego, and quiet desperation. Set against the stark Anatolian winter, the film captures the moral fog of a character who sees himself as a victim, even as his actions suggest otherwise. With its long takes and searching dialogues, it challenges you to sit with discomfort—and reflect on the blurred lines between isolation, entitlement, and complicity.
No Bears: This is a film by Cannes fave Iranian director Jafar Panahi—who won the prestigious Palme d'Or for ‘It Was Just an Accident’ at the festival this year. But but but, back at home, Panahi is not so welcomed. In 2010, the Iranian government banned him from making movies. Despite the restriction, he made four films and in 2021, he began filming secretly from the Turkey-Iran border—which we now know as ‘No Bears’. This film was released in September 2022 and won the Special Jury Prize in Venice Film Festival.
The plot sees Panahi playing a fictionalised version of himself. He is stuck in a village close to the Turkey-Iran border. While struggling to make a movie over video call, he also gets embroiled in the villager’s affairs—all because of a photograph he may or may not have taken—leading to a very dark end of the road for him. FYI: There are no actual bears in the movie. It refers to a local superstition that helps townspeople to not cross over to the border.
Reviews are fantastic, as expected. The Guardian calls it a “piercingly self-aware portrait of an artist who is not afraid to depict himself and his craft as aloof or insular.” NPR gives a more straightforward review: “It's a brilliant movie — an intricate and layered drama that somehow manages to be funny, angry, playful and despairing by turns.”
Our take: ‘No Bears’ is as much a movie about the buildup of a village scandal as it is about the craft of filmmaking itself. Jafar’s sense of humour is refreshing and catches you off guard—especially if you’re watching his films for the first time. However, as the film progresses, you realise that there are more things at stake than just a missing photograph. The entire film has a treatment of a documentary which makes the movie more real in its social commentary.
Moon: Kurdish-born Austrian filmmaker Kurdwin Ayub’s thriller centres on an ex-MMA fighter named Sarah, who heads to Jordan to become the boxing trainer of three young women belonging to a well-off family. But the sisters don’t seem all that keen on combat sport, they’re under constant surveillance of other family members and there’s no internet access for Sarah to rely on between sessions. The film made a splash at the Locarno fest in 2024, winning the Special Jury prize and the Ecumenical prize.
Reviews are good. The Guardian says it’s “gripping in its own understated way as it presents the unvarnished reality: that standing up to injustice is harder than it looks in the movies.” Variety concurs: “While the multiple ellipses may annoy the more narratively-driven viewer, others will thrill to the mood Ayub creates and the way she plays with audience expectations.”
Our take: This isn’t your average fish-out-of-water tale, nor is it your typical ‘retired athlete finds herself abroad’ trope. Instead, Ayub opts for a more deliberately paced approach, getting far more out of the cast and the setting as a result. Her directorial style may be a little rough around the edges, but makes for an enriching experience.
Fresh off the big screen…
Novocaine: Jack Quaid stars as Nathan Caine in this high octane action-comedy about a man whose CIPA—a medically diagnosed inability to feel pain—is a superpower as he battles bank robbers who have abducted his crush Sherry Margrave, played by Amber Midthunder. Also starring: Ray Nicholson as the bank robbers’ ringleader, Jacob Batalon as Nathan’s gamer BFF, and Betty Gabriel and Matt Walsh as local cops. The film is now available on Amazon Prime.
Ronth: This Malayalam movie is a police drama starring Roshan Mathew as Dinanath—the rookie cop—and Dileesh Pothana as Yohannan—a senior officer. The duo—who have opposing personalities—are assigned night patrols but their differences melt as they unite as they stumble upon a very compelling case. The movie is now streaming on JioHotstar.
