We recommend: The best new movies and TV series

Editor’s note: Big Diwali week. Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana Part 1 finally releases in theatres after months of expectations. A small Netflix film, Dilwali Diwali, is streaming and so is Lee Chang-dong’s new film, Possible Love; there is also the Surya and Nazriya Nazim-starrer Scene in theatres.

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New releases

Ramayana Part 1 (Hindi)

Valmiki’s epic has been told and retold across time. The latest, starring a staggering ensemble comprising Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash and others, is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and unfolds as a straightforward adaptation, dunked in VFX and a Rs 4,000 crore budget. The film, however, has garnered praise upon release. 

A review in The Indian Express states:

As advertised, this Ramayan, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is unapologetically big, bigger than any other iteration we have seen before. Being fully aware that a large younger segment of the audience may not have direct knowledge of the source material, it casts a large global referential net, but it never becomes a Ramayana for dummies. It is a faithful, full-bodied re-telling which doesn’t talk down, or talk up, refusing to pander to dominant ideologies. Its cast takes its time to settle into the groove, but once it does, it gets going. The background music is Hans Zimmer- AR Rahman jodi on full throttle, and there’s enough sorcery and thrills and adventure to keep the occasional blandness at bay, and undemanding adults and kids happy. 

Where to watch: Theatres

Dilwali Diwali (Hindi)

Festivals call for family reunions and therefore chaos. Ritesh Menon’s film takes this tested premise and delivers something heartfelt with it. In the story, a middle-class family is seen preparing for the visit of their son from Norway but, amidst the glitter, there hides a deceit. 

“Dilwali Diwali packs quite a bit into its short running time, offering more than just box-of-chocolates resolutions and curated big-happy-fam vibes. It invites the viewer in with a playful premise, quietly undoes a few genre tropes, calls itself out, and manages to offer each character the dignity of agency. It’s one thing to be a light-weight crowd pleaser,” writes The Hollywood Reporter. 

Where to watch: Netflix

Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook (English)

Awkwafina has not one clue about cooking or anything to do with the kitchen. The American rapper and actress (real name Nora Lum), sets off on an adventure in her new show: she’s going to learn Asian American cuisine and connect with her family’s cooking heritage—formidable as it turns out to be, with a famous New York institution set up by her great-grandfather in the ’50s. The goal is to craft a tribute to Lum’s, the Chinese restaurant her family started, as well as the experience of immigrants, by opening a new restaurant or popup. The “increasingly fun and more than occasionally moving series”—as The Guardian writes—showcases an endearing side to Nora as she bumbles her way through her cross-country culinary journey, picking up new skills and dishes along the way. She is “the real, wholly baffled deal.”

Where to watch: AppleTV

Possible Love (Korean)

Lee Chang-dong’s film, which premiered at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, has been touted as the best outing of the year. The narrative revolves around two married couples, one wealthy and the other blue-collared, and they come together due to a workers’ strike at a Korean metals factory. 

“The ultimate power of ‘Possible Love,’ which grows in the mind after it’s over (and greatly rewards any repeat viewings), is rooted in neither wanton despair nor false optimism. Despite being steeped in the sadness and frustration of the working class, Lee’s drama uses its film-within-a-film construct to refract the moral valences of labor through the prism of what people actually earn through their work,” raves the IndieWire. 

Where to watch: Netflix

Scene (Tamil)

Jithu Madhavan’s investigative drama, led by Surya and Nazriya Nazim, is about a semi-retired cop who resumes action to get hold of a serial killer. The premise, which could have warranted a sweeping treatment, unfolds instead as a whistle-worthy intimate drama, dotted with compelling performances as the film also hat tips to Surya’s other memorable turns. 

“Since becoming a superstar, Suriya has often been forced to load his performances with so much bland earnestness that we’ve almost forgotten his silken-smooth touch when it comes to making fun of himself,” writes The Hollywood Reporter, praising Surya’s performance. “This is the Suriya we remember from films like Ayan and Pithamagan, and we’re grateful that Scene gives him the space to take himself a little less seriously.” 

Where to watch: Theatres

Campus Drivers (French)

Carmen Kassovitz and Baptiste Masseline star as Lois and Lane in this six-ep YA French romantic-drama. After a breakup, Lois—by some deus ex machina—finds herself moving in with Lane. From unexpected roommates to friends to star-crossed lovers, the arc, while predictable, is also warm and comforting. The series isn’t exactly trying to reinvent the genre; instead, it relies on the chemistry between Kassovitz and Masseline to drive things forward, with Kassovitz in particular praised for her performance: “vulnerable, flawed, messy and that’s what makes her hit so close to home.”

Where to watch: Prime Video

Under Siege (English)

On November 6, 1985, members of the 19th of April Movement (M-19), a guerrilla group, stormed the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. Over 300 people were held hostage as part of this mission, and the military response lasted over 24 hours. In the end, over 90 people were reported dead or missing.

This new and ambitious eight-part series on Netflix brings together the historical events of the siege and personal stories from the time. Directed by Edgar Nito, Samir Oliveros and Guatemala’s Jayro Bustamante, Under Siege is produced by Dynamo, the Colombian production company that produced Narcos. 

Where to watch: Netflix

Nooru Kodi Vaanavil (Tamil)

Vino works at a private TV channel in Mumbai. Seeking more, he gets the chance to head a channel in Goa, and takes it. In Goa, as he builds his career, he meets a young girl called Fenni, who is bent on documenting her life while her boyfriend, who met with a car accident, is in a coma. Fenni and Vino’s friendship starts to develop into something bigger, and Fenni is caught between these two men, both of whom she cares deeply about. When Richie wakes from his coma, Fenni is left with a difficult—some may even say impossible—choice, and must face the consequences of that choice.

Where to watch: ZEE5

Fresh off the big screen

Haiwaan (Hindi)

This Priyadarshan thriller brings back the iconic duo of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, and while it was riding heavy expectations, the film did not meet them. The story revolves a blind man, wrongfully accused of killing a judge even as a serial killer is on the loose. Not many reasons to watch it except to see both the lead actors coming back on screen after long. 

Where to watch: SonyLiv

I'm Game (Malayalam)

In Nahas Hidhayath’s film, a gambler gets embroiled in a strange set of events, leading to chaos unfolding. Starring Dulquer Salmaan, it received mixed reviews upon release but Salmaan’s performance was praised. 

Where to watch: JioHotstar

The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest (Hindi)

The Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia starrer is a mythological thriller that is all kinds of bizarre. The premise is simply this: an atheist has a change of heart because of mysterious changes in the jungle. The film goes only excessive from here, with campy VFX, and in case you want to watch something that is so bad that it is good, this is for you. 

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video