We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Sister Midnight: In this wild, darkly funny debut from filmmaker Karan Kandhari, Radhika Apte stars as Uma, a sharp-tongued misfit whose arranged marriage drags her from small-town life to a stifling one-room home in Mumbai. Struggling to play the part of a dutiful wife, Uma’s descent into rebellion, rage, and outright madness takes some truly bizarre turns—think puking, petty crime, and a goat that just won’t die. Blending satire, surrealism, and stop-motion chaos, this twisted comedy of marital doom is as unhinged as it is unforgettable.
Reviews are amazing. The Daily Beast calls the film a "delightfully zonked marital satire" that uses "out-there mania" to deliver a surreal yet sharp critique of Indian social norms. The Guardian calls ‘Sister Midnight’ a "stylish and offbeat" comic horror that finds “horror of arranged marriage, or maybe the intimate horror of marriage full stop"—in Radhika Apte’s hilariously unhinged descent into domestic madness. Our take: Come for the deadpan humour and surreal horror, stay for Radhika Apte’s gloriously unhinged performance—now playing in theatres.
Dept. Q: After a botched case leaves one officer dead and another paralyzed, disgraced Edinburgh detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) is demoted to a grim basement office and tasked with reopening cold cases. With help from a traumatised cadet, a Syrian refugee and ex-cop, and his injured partner, Morck investigates the four-year-old disappearance of a young prosecutor—uncovering a web of corruption, cruelty, and buried secrets.
Reviews are excellent for this one. The Guardian notes that Dept. Q is “fantastically well, and rigorously, done”–a “dense, twisty, cleverly structured” crime drama where Matthew Goode shines as a haunted detective navigating guilt, cold cases, and Edinburgh’s grim underbelly. Hollywood Reporter, OTOH, says the series is a “satisfyingly sturdy crime procedural” elevated by Matthew Goode’s “dyspeptic expertise” and Scott Frank’s talent for turning the familiar into compelling TV. Our take: A misanthropic detective, a broken team, and a twisty cold case—this gritty procedural makes it worth the watch. Stream it on Netflix now.
Lost in Starlight: This is the first-ever Korean animated feature film! The sci-fi love story takes place in 2050—and follows Nan-young— an ambitious astronaut—and Jay—a talented musician who had to put aside his artistic pursuits. When Nan-young gets an opportunity to go to Mars, they have a falling out but even the literal distance between them doesn’t stop them from getting back to each other. The protagonists are voiced by Kim Taeri and Hong Kyung.
Reviews are mixed. DMTalkies praises the film as a “visual marvel” with “organic” voice performances and heartfelt romantic beats, even if its story sometimes feels “underbaked” and leaves some themes unexplored. But Why Tho OTOH says the film is a “gorgeously animated” Korean sci-fi romance that “brilliantly captures the way your life sparks when you find someone to love and be loved by,” exploring flawed but loving relationships against a richly detailed futuristic Seoul backdrop. Our take: We are intrigued and love that this is an animated feature film for adults. The movie is available on Netflix.
Good Boy: Fresh off of ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ fame, Park Bo-gum headlines this rom-com K-drama as a kick-boxer-turned police officer Yun Dong-ju. He stars opposite Kim So-hyun who takes on the role of Ji Han-na—a shooting prodigy turned police officer. Both the officers are put in the same team for a special investigation. Of course, there’s no love story without a love triangle. Turns out Ji Han-na’s ex is part of the special team.
There are no reviews out for this series yet. Our take: We’ve been waiting for a light-hearted Korean rom-com for a while and are hoping this one’s it! The first two episodes have dropped on Netflix.
Moonwalk: Set in the 1980s and ’90s in Thiruvananthapuram, ‘Moonwalk’ follows a group of young Michael Jackson fans who dream of becoming skilled dancers like their idol. Fueled by the global breakdance craze, they push themselves to master challenging moves and compete in the All Kerala Breakdance Competition. But their journey isn’t easy, as they face personal struggles and life challenges along the way.
Reviews are good. The Hindu says it’s a “heartfelt tribute to a time period and to the breakdancing subculture that ruled the campuses and street venues.” According to Indian Express: “One of the most self-aware Malayalam films in recent times, Moonwalk doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. It is the result of Vinod AK’s absolute conviction and trust in the material he has.” Our take: A nostalgic dance drama that’s bursting with heart and ’80s vibes—catch it in theatres now!
Also in theatres...
Karate Kid: Legends: This reboot blends two Karate Kid universes to tell the story of Li Fong, a kung fu-skilled teen who moves to New York City and faces bullying from a local MMA champ tied to loan sharks. Forbidden to fight by his mom due to a family tragedy, Li is eventually trained by kung fu master Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and the legendary Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), who team up to prepare him for the high-stakes “5 Boroughs” martial arts tournament. The film also features Sadie Stanley as Li’s love interest Mia Lipani and Aramis Knight as his rival Conor Day.
Reviews are not so great. Rolling Stone calls it “a gajillion montages” and “a slightly ramshackle feel,” making ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ “a kick for hardcore fans only” while others may find it “a downer.” Roger Ebert describes the film as an “impressive and exasperating” legacy sequel that “sprints through” its overstuffed story to deliver “a huge glimmering chunk of lore” packed with nostalgia, heart, and familiar moves. Our take: Nostalgia meets knockout action in this fast-paced, feel-good reboot—now available in a theatre near you.
Here’s a new chapter…
And Just Like That... Season 3: Carrie Bradshaw is back—still fabulous, still fumbling through love, and still waiting on Aidan, who’s put their romance on a five-year pause to focus on his kids. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s juggling work and family, Miranda’s navigating her identity, and the show introduces newer faces like Seema and Lisa. Expect glam outfits, awkward dating drama, and a whole lot of nostalgia as the series edges slightly closer to its ‘Sex and the City’ roots. Streaming now on JioHotstar.
Criminal Justice: A Family Matter: In the fourth season of this legal drama, Pankaj Tripathi reprises his role as lawyer Madhav Mishra. The client is accused of murdering his girlfriend. The trial reveals the client’s extra marital affair and in a shocking turn of events, his wife is also arrested. Madhav Mishra has to use his wits to get his client out of jail. You can watch the new season on JioHotstar.
Fresh off the big screen…
Captain America: Brave New World: Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson AKA the new Captain America finds himself at the centre of an international incident against multiple villains. He’s accompanied by a star-studded cast: Harrison Ford who plays President Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, Danny Ramirez—the new Falcon and Tim Blake Nelson who plays the villain, The Leader pulling the strings behind closed doors. Watch it on JioHotstar.
A Complete Unknown: The Oscar-contending Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet follows the story of the legendary musician as he arrives in New York City in 1961, seeking to make a name for himself in the folk music scene. Inspired by Woody Guthrie, Dylan quickly rises through the ranks, forming relationships with key figures like Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), and Suze Rotolo’s fictionalised counterpart, Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning). As his fame grows, he struggles with expectations, artistic evolution, and the pressures of celebrity. The film builds to the pivotal moment when Dylan goes electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, marking a turning point in his career and folk music history. The movie is available to stream on JioHotstar.
Our MUBI recommendations for May
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.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire: ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ or ‘Portrait de la jeune fille en feu’ in French is a period drama written and directed by Céline Sciamma. It is a love story between two women: an aristocrat Héloïse (played by Adèle Haenel) and a painter named Marianne (played by Noémie Merlant) who’s been secretly commissioned to paint Héloïse‘s portrait for a suitor. But with each interaction, Marianne starts falling in love with her muse—which affects the way she paints her. Unsatisfied with her earlier iterations, the painter keeps erasing her portrait and keeps working on paintings that are more intimate and true to how she perceived her love. A subplot explores how their housemaid Sophie (played by Luàna Bajrami) takes extreme steps for an abortion. FYI: This film was first released in Cannes in 2019.
Reviews for this film are fantastic! Variety writes: “Though this gorgeous, slow-burn lesbian romance works strongly enough on a surface level, one can hardly ignore the fact, as true then as it is now, that the world looks different when seen through a woman’s eyes.” The Guardian opens the review with these glowing words: “Céline Sciamma has brought a superbly elegant, enigmatic drama to Cannes that compels a shiver of aesthetic pleasure and fear. With this new story, she demonstrates a deeply satisfying new mastery of classical style to go with the contemporary social realism she showed in Girlhood (2014) and Tomboy (2011).”
Our take: This movie has been revered as a masterclass in female gaze—and rightfully so. But beyond that, Céline Sciamma creates a stunning world—removed from the ugliness of society—where each frame is a painting. We get introduced to the characters in bits and pieces till we get a whole picture of who they are. There is a tender love story at play but also something for us to learn about what it means to create art—and how it changes shape as you start pouring in your emotion—one brushstroke at a time. In that sense, it is a movie you can keep going back to—like you’re watching it for the first time all over again.
Lalanna’s Song: It is a haunting psychological horror film that follows two young mothers, Miriam and Shoby, whose ordinary afternoon unravels after they meet Lalanna, an enigmatic 12-year-old girl with a haunting song. What begins as a realistic slice-of-life tale gradually slips into eerie surrealism, as Lalanna’s silence and strange presence stir the women’s buried fears and insecurities. Directed by Megha Ramaswamy and starring Nakshatra Indrajith, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and Rima Kallingal, this Malayalam–Hindi horror film-set against the backdrop of everyday prejudice and quiet emotional unrest-blends realism with the uncanny to explore how fear and judgment simmer beneath the surface of civility.
Reviews and featured write-ups for this one are plenty. As per High on Films, ‘Lalanna’s Song’ is “a bewitching, perplexing tease of a short” that slips between realism and the uncanny to expose the buried violences of gendered behavior, ultimately “accomplish[ing] an effect that is both extraordinarily chiseled and flirtatiously fuzzy.” Cinema Express features an interview with the director Megha Ramaswamy. In it she says that the main characters are “flawed, but strong women” who speak freely about sex and intimacy, using horror to explore how “societal oppression”—especially caste and religious injustice—shapes their lives.
Our take: It is the kind of film that stays with you—not because it’s loud or flashy, but because it’s quietly unnerving. Through eerie stillness and loaded silences, it captures the subtle violence women inflict and endure, often without saying a word. At just 33 minutes, it’s great in atmospheric storytelling—part ghost story, part social critique. Watch it for how it turns into something deeply disquieting.
Leila’s Brothers: This Iranian family drama is directed by Saeed Roustayi and stars Taraneh Alidoosti—of ‘About Elly’ and ‘The Salesman’ fame—as the titular character. Also starring: Navid Mohammadzadeh—a frequent collaborator with Roustayi—and Payman Maadi—best known for the Oscar-winning ‘A Separation’. The plot: 40-year-old Leila Jourablou is the primary breadwinner and caregiver of her father and four brothers—who are constantly at loggerheads with each other. As US sanctions loom—threatening to financially cripple many families like hers—Leila attempts to take control by opening a new shop. The film premiered at Cannes in 2022 and won the international critics’ award, as well as the Citizenship Prize.
Reviews are great. Hollywood Reporter says, “As a filmmaker, Roustaee aims so high and wide that even if he misses his mark at times, he manages to find his own stirring voice.” Variety concurs: “[Roustayi] constructs scenes with a bustling documentary energy, studiously avoiding melodramatic tropes, even when they might serve to make the narrative more engaging, less unwieldy or simply easier to digest overall.”
Our take: If we make a list of filmmaking cultures that have mastered the art of extracting cinematic beauty from bleak narratives, Iran would rank at the top by some distance. The likes of Asghar Farhadi, Majid Majidi and Mohammad Rasoulof have been recognised at Cannes and the Oscars for their work—amid the threat of government persecution. Roustayi is several decades younger than them, but his third feature is every bit as assured, nuanced and defiant in its messaging as these industry giants. The 160 minutes succeed not only at keeping you at tenterhooks over a fairly accessible premise, but also emotionally hitting you like a ton of bricks when the story demands it. FYI: Roustayi’s latest film ‘Woman and Child’ just premiered at Cannes and was nominated for the Palme d’Or.
