Guild Reviews
The Bluff
Action, Adventure (English)
When her tranquil life on a remote island is shattered by the return of her vengeful former captain, a skilled ex-pirate must confront her bloody past and unleash her deadly talents to save her family from a ruthless siege.
Cast:
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Karl Urban, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Safia Oakley-Green, Pacharo Mzembe, Greg Hatton, Gideon Mzembe, Temuera Morrison, Angela Russo-Otstot, Vedanten Naidoo
Director:
Frank E. Flowers
Writer:
Joe Ballarini, Frank E. Flowers
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is in fine form, but The Bluff isn't
Wed, February 25 2026
Within the first few minutes of The Bluff, Priyanka Chopra Jonas slices and dices, swoops down and slashes a bunch of buccaneers in a relentless, action-packed, adrenaline-pumping sequence. Except that her character is no ordinary damsel in distress and neither is this a regular home invasion. The men who break in aren’t your streetside thugs either. They are, in fact, tied inextricably to Ercell Bodden’s past (Priyanka) and now stand to threaten her future. For Ercell wasn’t always Ercell. Known as “Bloody Mary”, she grew up sailing the seven seas as a pirate but gave up her swashbuckling, edgy ways for a domesticated life in Cayman Brac. The invasion — in which Priyanka plunges into the blood and gore with both physical solidity and psychological grit — is just the beginning of the high-stakes action that defines this Frank E. Flowers-directed film.
Shatak
Drama, History (Hindi)
The narrative covers a century of institutional history, revealing how a small group expanded its mission and membership to achieve widespread influence.
Director:
Aashish Mall
Writer:
Anil Agarwal, Utsav Dan, Rohit Gahlowt
An AI Slop-Filled, Shoddy Propaganda Tribute to RSS's Centenary
Wed, February 25 2026
Very little of Aashish Mall’s Shatak looks real. I’m not talking just historical authenticity here, or the conspicuous name-dropping of ‘leftist’ freedom fighters (all of them, obviously in awe of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or the RSS). Most of Mall’s film looks enhanced like the tacky green-screens on primetime news. Most characters wander around like AI slop, speaking with pauses – without showing the slightest bits of humanity. Walking out of Mall’s film, one of my thoughts was if the film was an exhibit for the India AI Impact Summit held in Delhi. If that was the case, what fresh hell it would mean for the nation already grappling with a dozen controversies brewing because of the event. Would Sam Altman have felt pressured to give it a standing ovation, seeing the Indian Prime Minister sitting adjacent to him, if the film screened there? Mall’s film feels like a 112-minute reel created using AI, chronicling the good/better/best anecdotes of the far-right organisation – without the slightest hint of curiosity. The aim is not to find out about how the RSS came into being, as much as kissing the feet of its founding fathers.
Members of the Problematic Family
Drama, Family (Tamil)
A man dies young. Funeral rites – yes; mourning – not so much. A death that stirs and shakes things up. A film that shows the violence of family relationships with uncanny subtlety and verve, the pendulum of void and solace.
Cast:
Karuththadaiyaan, Ara. Ajith Kumar, Kanchana Senthil, T Paneer Selvam, Saravana Siddharth, Hari Krishnan Senthil, Uvesri, Thiyagu, Ram Kumar, Ramesh
Director:
R Gowtham
Writer:
R Gowtham
(Writing for Mint)
Introduces new grammar to Tamil film
Wed, February 25 2026
A new dissenting voice emerges in Tamil cinema. R Gowtham’s debut Tamil feature, Members of the Problematic Family, premiered at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival last week in the Forum section. Everything about this film is distinct yet unfamiliar, beginning with its title. The Tamil title, Sikkalana Kudumbathin Uruppinargal, a literal translation, rolls off the tongue. For decades we’ve had the word kudumbam (family) in Tamil film titles that have often alluded to the spotless, divine status accorded to the unit. But here is a film that makes no such promise. It invites you not to witness a few days in the life of irascible characters but just human beings who, as fate would have it, need to function as a society sanctioned order.
Kennedy
Crime, Thriller (Hindi)
An insomniac former cop, Kennedy has been presumed dead for years. Yet, in secret, he continues to serve a corrupt system while seeking redemption. Halfway between thriller and film noir, Kennedy chronicles a violent and bloody vendetta in the dark streets of Mumbai. At the rate of the murders, Kennedy's character reveals itself more and more and sinks into a spiral that seems to have no way out.
Cast:
Rahul Bhat, Sunny Leone, Mohit Takalkar, Megha Burman, Haripriya Manish Lodhia, Shrikant Yadav, Abhilash Thapliyal, Jeniffer Piccinato, Benedict Garrett, Aamir Dalvi
Director:
Anurag Kashyap
A Spotify Review
Wed, February 25 2026
It took three years for Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy to secure a release after its Cannes premiere, and that, too, on the D-list tier streaming service ZEE5. We discuss the film’s baffling narrative, vague rumination about corruption and power, and long stretches of inaction that don’t feel authentic to Kashyap. We also spend way too much time discussing the ill-fitting costumes of Rahul Bhat and the underused Sunny Leone, and end with unverified rumours about the movie’s long-delayed release. Hint: It had something to do with a certain ‘Bade Papa’.
Personal, realized, and forthright both in its exuberance, and despondency
Tue, February 24 2026
Rahul Bhat powers this haunting meditation on systemic rot and redemption
Sat, February 21 2026
Before the curtain rises on Anurag Kashyap’s latest noirish adventure, William Wordsworth’s famous words, “We poets in our youth begin in gladness; but thereof come in the end despondency and madness”, flash on the screen. This struggle between resolution and independence holds for both Kashyap and Kennedy.
Assi
Crime, Drama, Thriller (Hindi)
An investigative courtroom drama based on the alarming statistic of nearly eighty sexual assault cases reported daily in India. In just one day. Every day.
Cast:
Taapsee Pannu, Kani Kusruti, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Revathi, Naseeruddin Shah, Supriya Pathak, Rajendra Sethi, Satyajit Sharma
Director:
Anubhav Sinha
Writer:
Gaurav Solanki, Anubhav Sinha
Heavy-Handed Cinema for Heavy Times
Tue, February 24 2026
Designed to Speak the Language of Manipulation Instead of Nuance
Mon, February 23 2026
At one point in Anubhav Sinha’s Assi, a father (Manoj Pahwa) and his son (Abhishant Rana) are devouring a plate of chhole bhature. The father says, “Your mother is an excellent cook, but the chhole bhature she makes is… okay. No shame in eating outside once in a while. You can get a plate like this for Rs 60, maybe Momos for Rs 90,” he says, going on to add – “but a man never brings these home.” Only towards the end, does a woman overhearing the conversation realise that the duo aren’t talking about her food. The son is shown to be an accomplice in a rape, a few scenes earlier. I can see why co-writers Sinha and Gaurav Solanki [the duo had also earlier written Article 15] might lean on the wryness of a scene like this to explain a perpetrator’s mindset. But the scene feels too satisfied with its oversimplified metaphors for deep-seated dishonesty and compartmentalisation that the (primarily) male, urban population is capable of.
No Safety in Numbers
Sun, February 22 2026
There is no gentle way to say this—Anubhav Sinha’s Assi hits you hard. It is, at times, an uneasy watch—and therefore, a very good film. To be clear, the unease does not come from graphic visuals; it comes from statistics read aloud by a lawyer, from stark statements that linger long after they are spoken. If merely listening to these details causes discomfort, one can only imagine the horrors endured by the victims. Sinha not only stabs us in the heart; he twists the knife—quietly, deliberately.
Do Deewane Seher Mein
Romance, Drama (Hindi)
Two socially awkward millennials in Mumbai find love while struggling with self-acceptance. As they battle insecurities and societal pressure, their journey takes them from city chaos to mountain serenity.
Cast:
Siddhant Chaturvedi, Mrunal Thakur, Ila Arun, Joy Sengupta, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Viraj Ghelani, Sandeepa Dhar, Deepraj Rana, Mona Ambegaonkar, Naveen Kaushik
Director:
Ravi Udyawar
Writer:
Abhiruchi Chand
A reluctant nod to imperfect love
Sat, February 21 2026
When the trailer of Ravi Udaywar’s romantic drama Do Deewane Seher Mein surfaced online, one was hooked to the tune of Gulzar’s melancholic Do Deewane (Gharaonda), searching for home and sustenance all over again. The haunting voice of Bhupinder Singh and the melody in Runa Laila’s timbre continue to capture the dreams, hope, and loneliness that lovebirds face in big cities. However, it turns out that old gold is being refashioned to win over a new audience, but the carat is compromised in the process.
Siddhant Chaturvedi, Mrunal Thakur film just doesn’t have enough deewanapan
Fri, February 20 2026
To judge by appearance is a bad thing. This single line premise is stretched out over two and a half hours, leading to a film where you are left counting the moments where two people spark. The only nice thing about Do Deewane Seher Mein– please note, not Shehar–is that for a change a Hindi film doesn’t make you feel as if Shashank (Sidhant Chaturvedi) and Roshni (Mrunal Thakur) could be brother and sister. There is attraction, and they do act upon it, bringing their faces close enough for their lips to touch. Small mercies.
The Last Thing He Told Me S02
Mystery, Drama (English)
A woman must forge a relationship with her teenage stepdaughter in order to find her husband, who has mysteriously disappeared.
Cast:
Jennifer Garner, Angourie Rice, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Jennifer Garner Leads Starry Guest Cast In Engaging Family Drama
Sat, February 21 2026
Jennifer Garner is back as Hannah Hall in this family thriller, The Last Thing He Told Me. In the first season, Hannah watched as husband, Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), disappeared after his tech company faced financial issues. She and her stepdaughter, Bailey (Angourie Rice), learn to move on with their lives. The Apple TV series returns after a three-year gap with Owen back in their lives, opening up a whole can of worms. The mystery drama series leans heavily on its past with several Hollywood stars from David Morse, Rita Wilson, and Judy Greer, as the show travels to France to close out a traumatic chapter.
Heated Rivalry
Drama (English)
Two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey are bound by ambition, rivalry, and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understands. What begins as a secret fling between two fresh faced rookies evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self-discovery.
Cast:
Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova
Director:
Jacob Tierney
Writer:
Jacob Tierney
Connor Storrie, Hudson Williams Carry Cliched But Endearing Queer Hockey Romance
Sat, February 21 2026
Created, written, and directed by Jacob Tierney, Crave’s Canadian series Heated Rivalry has taken the world by storm. On February 20, it lands in India on Lionsgate Play. The show adapts the books of author Rachel Reid, which focus on the unlikely love story between two top players, Canada’s Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). Tierney’s show elevates the material, getting to the heart of the matter as the two men meet when they are teenagers as rivals and end up as each other’s partners, away from the public eye. The low-budget series connects strongly due to its heartwarming screenplay and the refreshing performances from the cast.
The Night Agent S03
Action & Adventure, Drama, Mystery (English)
Brought together by a midnight phone call, an FBI agent and a cybersecurity expert must unravel an ever-growing web of political conspiracies.
Cast:
Gabriel Basso
Gabriel Basso's Everyman Hero Delivers The Goods Again In Thrilling New Instalment
Sat, February 21 2026
Last season, Peter Sutherland made a deal with the devil, and this time, it comes back to haunt him again. The likeable and dependable Gabriel Basso is back to lead Netflix’s The Night Agent for its third season. Created by Shawn Ryan, the espionage drama loses a few key players from previous seasons, but gains intrigue with another White House mystery that leaves viewers on the edge throughout. The first season of The Night Agent is ranked tenth in Netflix’s most-watched shows of all time, and the drama has enough juice to power a few more seasons, going by the quality of this latest instalment.
Goat (2026)
Animation, Comedy, Family, Action (English)
Will, a small goat with big dreams, gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball – a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world. Will's new teammates aren't thrilled about having a little goat on their roster, but Will is determined to revolutionize the sport and prove once and for all that 'smalls can ball'!
Cast:
Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Stephen Curry, Aaron Pierre, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Nick Kroll, Jenifer Lewis, Patton Oswalt, Jelly Roll
Director:
Tyree Dillihay
Writer:
Aaron Buchsbaum, Teddy Riley, Nicolas Curcio, Peter Chiarelli
(Writing for OTT Play)
A Lukewarm Biryani Of Animated-Underdog Tropes
Fri, February 20 2026
In terms of animated sports comedies featuring anthropomorphic animals, the bar is high. Surf’s Up (2007) set it nearly two decades ago; the mockumentary sports comedy about a young northern rockhopper penguin (voiced by a still-sane Shia LaBeouf) who dreams of becoming a professional surfer is unsurpassed in ingenuity, wit and underdog cinema (it’s one thing to make an animated film, it’s another to ‘shoot’ it like a live documentary). I’ll never forget the truth of the moment the protege discovers that his idol (Jeff Bridges) has been alive all along. The medium melts away, the cutesy humour pauses and out comes a classic genre trope. The heart doesn’t care if it’s not a live-action scene; emotions do not discriminate. Manufacturing them from scratch is arguably harder.
O'Romeo
Crime, Drama, Action (Hindi)
What fate awaits a stonehearted gangster and bloodthirsty womaniser when true love claims him, helpless and unguarded? A gang war that shakes the entire underworld and crime syndicate to their very roots. A forbidden love; the tale of an unrequited passion.
Cast:
Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Avinash Tiwary, Nana Patekar, Vikrant Massey, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, Farida Jalal, Aruna Irani, Hussain Dalal
Director:
Vishal Bhardwaj
(Writing for OTT Play)
Vishal Bhardwaj’s Bloody Tale Of Love Has No Heart
Tue, February 17 2026
All Filmmakers plot legacy. For Vishal Bhardwaj, it filters to adaptations. The 60-year-old’s career — including 12 feature films in 24 years — is shaped, mostly, by taking literary texts and supplanting them in a world of his making. One can debate the merits, but there is something to be said about the tendency to assert his voice most intensely in borrowed words, thereby amplifying the collaborative spirit of creation. A chief collaborator, in this regard, has been Shakespeare, whose plays assume great malleability in the director’s hands. Bhardwaj’s latest, O’Romeo, is not drawn from one of the playwright’s works but still culminates as an ineffective Shakespeare adaptation — a first from the director.
A potboiler sans passion and payoff
Sun, February 15 2026
Vishal Bhardwaj’s cinematic universes can be wildly imaginative. They are the kind where two warring sisters, desperate to escape each other’s sight, end up marrying two brothers by accident. Historically, however, the Indian film industry’s version of audacity usually involves a hero incinerating a factory and sauntering away in slow motion while digital fumes billow behind him. This “mass” template is now more common than a childbirth scene, or a Muslim protagonist shown as an ordinary office worker instead of a kohl-eyed gangster. Trying to join both aspects of their respective universes, O’Romeo uses Bhardwaj’s brand of weirdness and masala movie flamboyance to create a confused mixture with no emotion and limited punch.
Sharper Razor, Duller Drama
Sun, February 15 2026
Vishal Bhardwaj returns to the big screen after Patakha (2018), although his last outing, Khufiya (2023), was released on Netflix. O Romeo has ambition and style, but at nearly three hours, it lacks the substance required to sustain that runtime and offers little that feels new.
Pennum Porattum
Comedy, Drama (Malayalam)
In Pattada, a village defined by its association with death, the narrative centers on Gopalan Master, Charulatha, and Suttu, each facing the village's harsh judgment and violence. Through their struggles, the story highlights the plight of the marginalized. Suttu finds solace in freedom, choosing to leave. However, Charulatha remains, her future precarious, trapped within Pattada's cycle of violence and injustice.
Cast:
Rajesh Madhavan, Raina Radhakrishnan, Tovino Thomas, Mithun Haridas
Director:
Rajesh Madhavan
Writer:
Ravi Sankar
A Truly Inventive Absurd Comedy
Tue, February 17 2026
It’s very much a part of the design to start watching Pennum Porattum (The Girl And The Circus) from Suttu’s POV. Voiced by Tovino Thomas, Suttu is a white mongrel with black spots all over and the refugee the film talks about in its opening statement refers to those like Suttu. In his introductory voiceover, he’s letting us in on his daily routine and the number of times he’s been shifted in and out of his master’s house. He isn’t particularly happy there, nor is he comfortable in his tiny cage. And as we see stones being pelted at Suttu from outside, in a fit of rage, he shouts back and calls them “Manushyante makkale!”, which is something along the lines of “You sons of humans!”