We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy: PSA for all the 90s kids: Bridget Jones is back! It’s been nine years since the last movie where Bridget (Renée Zellweger) unexpectedly gets pregnant by her on-again-off-again beau Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and she finally marries him. The latest installment of the classic rom-com starts with a 50-something Bridget—after Darcy’s death—back into the dating pool. Her love interests are played by Hugh Grant who reprises his role as Daniel Cleaver, Leo Woodall as Roxster and Chiwetel Ejiofor's as Mr Wallaker.
Reviews are great. IndieWire says, “There is no Bridget Jones without Renée Zellweger, and the force of her performance and obvious admiration for the role do plenty to skate over any off-kilter beats.” Empire Magazine concurs: “The sequel we didn’t know we needed, 'Mad About The Boy' is a heartfelt, charming return to the chaos surrounding the one and only Bridget Jones.” Our take: Nothing more satisfying than following and laughing along with Bridget Jones and her love life on Valentine's day! Watch it in theatres now!
Melo Movie: This rom-com is for K-drama fans. Park Bo-young (from ‘Daily Dose of Sunshine’ and ‘Strong Girl Bong-soon’ fame) plays Mubee—an aspiring filmmaker and Choi Woo-shik (from ‘A Killer Paradox’ and ‘Parasite’) who plays Ko Gyeom, a film buff. The plot is simple—they meet, fall in love, and go their separate ways but fate brings them back together. The series is directed by Director Oh Choong-hwan—best known for hit shows like ‘Hotel del Luna’ and ‘Start-Up’.
Reviews are good. According to the South China Morning Post: “Beyond its clean and vibrant style, where ‘Melo Movie’ differentiates itself is in its portrait of youth. [Writer Lee na-Neun] imparts her characters with ambition and desires but also a wariness towards a world that offers uncertain prospects.” NME says, “‘Melo Movie’ eschews major epiphanies and incidents in favour of a slow burn, which lends an air of realism.” Our take: We love the cast and the crew and will definitely add this to our personal watchlist. The first two episodes dropped on Netflix.
The Gorge: Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy star in this action horror film as a pair of elite snipers guarding either side of a mysterious gorge that acts as the ‘door to hell’. They form a working friendship as a way to pass the time while staying vigilant, but surprise, surprise, they’re forced into action when the gorge’s evil reveals itself. Scott Derrickson of ‘The Black Phone’ and ‘Doctor Strange’ fame directs this one.
Reviews are promising. Observer compliments the film as a "chaotic and fun" blend of action, romance, and horror, delivering "real thrills" and "white-knuckle situations." The Telegraph praises ‘The Gorge’ and its deliverance of "a novel science-fiction premise and some captivating bursts of suspense." Our take: From the hatke premise to the creative talents involved, this has all the makings of a fabulously creepy genre-bending watch. The film is now out on Apple TV+.
Dhoom Dhaam: Directed by Rishab Seth, Dhoom Dhaam is an action-packed romantic comedy about newlyweds Koyal (Yami Gautam Dhar) and Veer (Pratik Gandhi), whose wedding night turns into a whirlwind of chaos. Veer, a timid groom, and Koyal, a bold and fearless bride, find themselves on the run from dangerous pursuers. At the center of the madness is one burning question—who is Charlie, and why is everyone after him? As secrets unfold and unexpected guests crash their night, the couple is forced into a wild adventure.
Reviews are mixed. Hollywood Reporter India says, “It lives by the sword of meaning two things at once, but dies by the sword of being stranded between two genres. The Hindu terms it a “harmless-enough watch, in that its creative aspects are uninspired, and tried and tested.” Our take: Gandhi and Gautam are funny enough to make this a one-time watch. You can catch it on Netflix.
Also in theatres…
Chhaava - Chhaava is a saffronised historical drama set in the late seventeenth century and centred on the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj—the son of Shivaji and the second ruler of the Maratha Empire. As with Padmavaat and Tanhaji, it consciously oversimplifies history as a ‘good vs. evil’ comic book plot—where the ‘Hindu’ warriors are the ‘heroes’ who took on the Mughal ‘bad guys’—Aurangzeb in this case. Rashmika Mandanna plays Maharani Yesubai, while Akshaye Khanna portrays Aurangzeb. It is directed by Laxman Utekar and based on the Marathi novel ‘Chhava’ by Shivaji Sawant.
Reviews are poor. Shubhra Gupta in Indian Express says the film’s torture porn is “relentless and ends, as does the film, in an exhausting blur.” Hollywood Reporter India agrees: “The filmmaking is driven not by curiosity but by crippling fear—fear of offending…and fear begets reverence.” Our take: Don’t waste your time—this is for the most diehard of Vicky Kaushal superfans only. You can catch it in theatres.
Captain America: Brave New World: Phase 5 of the MCU returns with the long-awaited followup to ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’. Anthony Mackie stars as Sam Wilson AKA Captain America—who finds himself at the centre of an international incident against multiple villains—after meeting with President Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, played by Harrison Ford. Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Giancarlo Esposito and Tim Blake Nelson square up with Mackie over the course of the film—with Nelson’s character, The Leader, pulling the strings behind closed doors.
Reviews are disappointing. Screenrant says that while the film tries to recapture past Captain America films, it ends up a "bleak retread" with "very little to enjoy." NME mostly concurs, conveying it stumbles through a "flimsy" political thriller with "little excitement," murky visuals, and a lackluster narrative that "never really takes flight." Our take: We’re here for the cast and the action alone. The film released in cinemas on Friday.
Here’s a new chapter…
Cobra Kai season 6 Part 3: ‘Cobra Kai’ is a spinoff series of ‘The Karate Kid’—made by creators of the cult comedy ‘Harold and Kumar’. This is the final part of the final season and sees how the characters reel from the death of a teammate and go back to the values of Mr Miyagi’s teachings. The episodes are out on Netflix.
White Lotus Season 3: The Emmy and Golden Globe winning show is in its third season—which takes place at a wellness retreat in Koh Samui, Thailand. The
Masseuse Belinda (played by Natasha Rothwell)—who was encouraged by Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid to start her own practice—returns to the series. The new set of actors includes: Aimee Lou Wood (from ‘Sex Education’ fame) and Blackpink member Lisa. The new episodes drop on Sunday on JioCinema.
Fresh off the big screen…
Kadhalikka Neramillai: If you’re looking for an ‘unconventional’ love story, check this Tamil film out. Starring Jayam Ravi (of ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ fame) and Nithya Menen (of ‘O Kadhal Kanmani’ fame), the plot revolves around Shriya, an architect, who has a kid via IVF and Sid, an engineer who happens to work on a project with her. After an eight-year time jump, the protagonists meet again and old sparks fly. Watch the movie on Netflix.
