We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
Editor’s note: For all its flaws, Cocktail 2 is fresh, flirty, and messy. Mohanlal reminds us why he’s an all-timer in Drishyam 3, now on streaming. After a long wait, The Voice of Hind Rajab is finally in theatres. Colin Farrell returns as moody crime-solving alien spook on Sugar. The beloved Toy Story franchise with its newest iteration out in theatres. A slam-dunk weekend this time; dive right in.
*****
New Releases
On January 29, 2024, six members of the Hamadeh family found themselves trapped in a car as the Israeli Army opened fire on them while they were attempting to evacuate on the Army’s orders. Each family member in that car died until only one was left—Hind Rajab. Six-year-old Hind was alone, surrounded by the bodies of her dead family members, holding a cellphone that had been used in one of her relatives’ last moments to call the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Despite being merely minutes away from the nearest ambulance, it took hours to coordinate permissions for the paramedics to make their way to Hind. On February 10, it was confirmed that both Hind and the paramedics who set out to rescue her were dead.
Protests erupted around the world when the news broke, stirring an international wave of rage in Hind’s name. In this docudrama, director Ben Hania follows Hind’s story, but without turning it into a gratuitous, bloody affair.
Marya E. Gates, in Roger Ebert, writes:
This is administrative violence, a concept that may be hard to grasp when it remains theoretical. Still, as we watch it play out in near real time, the violence becomes just as hard to watch as it would be if Ben Hania had placed the camera in the car with Hind as the bullets from the nearby tank rained down on her family.
She adds,
Hind’s life ended in martyrdom, and “The Voice of Hind Rajab” exists not just as a clarion call to say never again, it also asks you to sit with this violence. Not with the bloodshed, not with the abstraction of a number in a news article. But with this violence.
Where to watch: Theatres
Star-studded is an understatement. Homi Adjania returns as the director for this one, with Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Rashmika Mandhanna on screen in this sequel to Imtiaz Ali’s 2012 film, Cocktail. Questions of marriage, commitment, and partnership emerge as bonds are made and broken, and relationships are tested.
Kunal (Kapoor) and Diya (Mandhanna) are college sweethearts. Together for years, it seems they aren’t both 100% sold on the institution of marriage, but they do love each other very much. Right?
Well, while on vacation in Sicily, this love is put to the test. They happen to bump into Ally (Sanon), Diya’s friend, who convinces them to give up their itinerary and follow her instead. But despite the beauty of the Italian backdrop, all is not perfect. Diya is not sure that Kunal truly wants to marry her, out of love and not some sense of obligation. So she asks Ally to flirt with him to test his loyalty. Big mistake.
People have their criticisms and hesitations about the film, considering it has some pretty big shoes to fill when compared to its predecessor from 14 years ago. Saibal Chatterjee NDTV writes:
A Gen Z rom-com with a millennial soul and the heart of an overgrown child, Cocktail 2 is a hit-or-miss mix of tips about life, love and uncharted adventures in Sicily that do not fully dissolve into the breezy, pulpy potion that the film seeks to serve up.
We still think it’s worth a watch—fresh, flirty, and messy, there’s something thrilling about another toxic relationship dynamic on screen. If nothing else, watch it for the visuals. Rishabh Suri for Hindustan Times agrees: “Cocktail 2 is so gorgeously shot that even when the story wobbles, the visuals keep you hooked. The scenic Sicily becomes a character in itself.”
Where to watch: Theatres
The much-awaited sequel to My Fault: London (based on the bestselling book series by Spanish author Mercedes Ron), this film is full of family drama, toxic relationships, and of course, insane chemistry. According to Erin E Gross on Fangirlish, “These two have ridiculous chemistry. Every glance, every argument, every longing stare—they sell every second of it.”
Picking up where the first film left off, Your Fault: London starts with Nick and Noah, who are step-siblings, in a full on relationship, having to hide it from their recently married parents. Tensions rise when they both make new friends in different places, Noah in college, and Nick at work. Gross writes:
Their relationship is messy, toxic, and fueled by questionable decisions. But if you can separate fiction from reality—and remember this started as a book—it’s an entertaining ride.
Where to watch: Prime Video
A pulpy Netflix thriller series to dig your teeth into this weekend. David is in prison for (allegedly) murdering his own son. But five years later, when his ex-sister-in-law turns up with a picture of a boy who looks too much like his son to argue, he is confronted with the possibility of his kid somehow actually being alive. So he breaks out of prison and takes to the road with Rachel and her ex-boyfriend to find his son, and to uncover what really happened the night he was accused of murder.
Based on a mystery novel with the same name by Harlan Coben, the show is quintessential American thriller—tense, exciting, and fast. Of course, the star cast (Sam Worthington, Britt Lower, Milo Ventimiglia) only helps.
Where to watch: Netflix
Husbands in Action (Korean)
Hwang Choong-sik, the hardened narcotics inspector, is locked in a pissing contest with Lee Min-seok, the new husband of his ex-wife Si-nae. And the stepfather of his daughter Yeon-ju. It’s an instant rivalry, as the two men battle over all manner of things. The two warring lover-in-laws are forced to pause their power struggle when wife and daughter are both kidnapped by the angry wife of a drug lord that Choong-sik has put away. And shenanigans ensue from here in this thrilling action comedy (written and directed by Park Gyu-tae). The reviews are largely positive:
With its high-intensity kidnapping plot, car chases, boat chases, paragliding incidents, and a freezer hulk out that is reminiscent of Naked Gun antics, there’s never a dull moment to be found in this latest action-comedy. And at the center of it all are just some wife guys trying to do their best to bring their family home, even if they may happen to be on opposing sides.
Where to watch: Netflix
Oasis, a fancy resort for super rich people serves as backdrop to this new Spanish mystery thriller. Dani (played by Tomy Aguilera) finds himself there with his recently remarried mum and his stepsister, the enigmatic Sofia (Ada Molina), who’s often off on her own little adventures and side quests. He meets fellow guests at the luxury resort, as well as striking up friendships with employees at the hotel, Celia (Victoria Kantch) and Helena (Ana Garcés). The two are best friends, and Jaén (Álex Mola), another employee, is also Helena’s ex.
And then Helena disappears. And so Dani and Celia set about trying to find out what happened. “Escapism is the name of the game with this show,” according to reviews, “with teenage or 20-somethings dabbling in duplicitous affairs, drugs, and general debauchery; or at least, it is the promise of it.” While not quite White Lotus in its scathing satire, Oasis does manage to spread its wings wide without losing narrative focus.
Where to watch: Netflix
Zoey Dutch stars as Jill, a pastry chef who, in mourning her late sister Isabelle, sends regular voicemails to Isabelle’s phone number. In these, she pours her heart out in great detail. Wes (played by Nick Robinson) is a real estate agent. He also happens to be the owner of the phone number that Jill sends these confessional messages to. Charmed, intrigued, Wes sets about trying to find Jill. Cute? Creepy?
The film is emotionally heavy, with a certain sadness at its core, and, per Deadline, it “expertly manages the shifting tones between broad comedy, sweet romance and genuine pathos”, with the chemistry between the two leads being a particular highlight.
Where to watch: Netflix
A Pride month release that reminds us the fight isn’t over yet. This Telugu-language courtroom drama follows the struggles of a transgender woman as she navigates the country’s legal landscape after a traumatic incident. As she makes her way through bureaucratic roadblocks, it becomes clear that there is still a long way to go before equality can be claimed.
Built around legal proceedings and happenings, the film highlights the hoops queer and trans people often have to jump through in order to get justice, and the consequences of holding prejudiced systems and people accountable. The film, starring real queer and trans actors, arrives at a moment where the transgender community is actively pushing back against harmful legislation, thus making the story more relevant than ever.
Where to watch: Theatres
In the fifth iteration of this universally adored franchise, big tech has infiltrated into the one world it doesn’t belong in. Our beloved characters’ return, as the toys we have learnt to care for and grow up with, is threatened by the scary, spooky, attention-stealing tablet. While our astronaut, Buzz Lightyear, and our cowgirl, Jessie, still belong to Bonnie, the kid from the earlier film, our cowboy, Woody, and his romantic interest in the toy world, Bo Peep, live away from them.
Poor old Bonnie is not in with the cool kids, as they say, because she’s the only kid her age who still plays with toys instead of staying glued to a screen like the other kids. So, when she finally gets a tablet device called Lilypad, things start to change. At first, it’s sweet—the tablet helps her connect to other girls her age and make friends. But slowly, it takes over her life. The toys are obviously in danger; they may become obsolete in the face of this marvelous feat of technology.
A telling tale of growing up and getting older, this film, like its predecessors, pulls on your heartstrings. And to top it all off, we have a new Taylor Swift song too!
And as Owen Glieberman writes for Variety:
The truth is that the “Toy Story” movies are all beautiful, all brilliant, all different, and they work all together now. They’re a vision — of childhood life and nostalgic tenderness, of jostling ego and maniacal slapstick fun, of pure moviemaking enchantment.
Where to watch: Theatres
Writer-director David Fortune’s debut is a tender and poignant portrait of parenthood, shot in black-and-white—Lucky (William Catlett) wants to take his son, Mason (Jeremiah Alexander Daniels), who has Down syndrome, to watch a baseball game together. Tammy (Brandee Evans), Mason’s mum, has just died, and Lucky is left to pick up the pieces.
After her memorial service, dad and son decide to go watch a game, only to constantly be confronted by misfortune and mishaps. The film chooses not to play up the melodrama, instead exploring the relationship with warmth, with the two leads coming in for particular praise. Writes The New York Times: “Daniels, an actor skilled at delivering hushed poignancy, shares a sincere rapport with Catlett, who furthers the film’s organic tenor with weary eyes that plead for one’s time and grace.”
Where to watch: Netflix
Fresh off the big screen
Drishyam 3 (Malayalam)
The third of Jeethu Joseph’s hugely successful Malayalam crime films, starring the maestro Mohanlal, hits streaming this week. In the 2013 blockbuster, the rubber farmer Georgekutty (Mohanlal) helped expertly cover up the murder of Varun, the son of a cop, by his wife and daughter. Now, 13 years later, the two families are still reeling from the aftershocks.
Georgekutty decides, rather ambitiously, to produce a film based on his own life. Cops are still pissed about how he got away with everything. There’s a journo on the case. Geetha, the Inspector General of Police Geetha (Asha Sarat) and Prabhakar (Siddique) are still mourning the death of their son, Varun. Georgekutty is often one or two steps ahead; will he get cocky this time?
While Mohanlal has been widely praised for his portrayal of the complex protagonist, the film doesn’t quite match up to its predecessors in the franchise. Writes The Hindu: “Jeethu appears to be steering away from expectations associated with the Drishyam franchise, choosing to expand further on how a criminal act changes the lives of all those connected with it rather than serving the audience with mind-numbing twists, which he overdid in some of his recent outings…”
Where to watch: Prime Video
One more chapter
Sugar (Season 2)
In this homage to classic noir cinema, Colin Farrell returns as John Sugar, a private investigator in Los Angeles ambling through the city with a desolate, moody disposition and solving tough cases. There’s also the small matter of Sugar not actually being a human being at all; he’s an alien disguised as a PI. In the new season, memories of his missing sister eat away at him in the background, even as he takes on increasingly challenging cases that no one else seems to bother with. The show proudly wears its identity, with Sugar’s casual detachment set against LA’s urban ennui. The Guardian writes:
Every moment of Sugar is divine to look at, while the concept of the protagonist’s main superpowers being weary kindness and naive sweetness, despite his alien biology affording him actual superpowers, continues to bewilder and amuse. Each episode is a half-hour haze suffused with Sugar’s sad, sleepy vibe.
Where to watch: Apple TV
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