Sachin Chatte

A film about sheep who solve a murder mystery? Bring it on, one would say. Given the volume of pedestrian stories doing the rounds these days, sheep involved in solving a crime is as refreshing as it gets. The Sheep Detectives, directed by Kyle Balda — the man behind Minions — is a charming film with some good old-fashioned wit. Executive producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are well-known names, recently associated with Project Hail Mary.

The hardest part of making this sequel to the thoroughly enjoyable 2006 original was probably getting the cast together — once Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt were signed on, the film was essentially sold. The screenplay, however, tells a different story: it feels like an afterthought. The film is charming, and the trio — along with the supporting cast — is a genuine pleasure to watch, but there’s little beneath the glossy surface. Unless name-dropping Gucci, Chanel, and their ilk is enough to keep you entertained, don’t look for much more. Fans of Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) and her former assistant Andy (Anne Hathaway) from two decades ago will find this a breezy reunion. Remarkably, neither actress appears to have aged a day — and the same goes for Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci.

Raja Shivaji — written, directed, and produced by Riteish Deshmukh — has released in both Hindi and Marathi. Interestingly, history repeats itself: back in 1952, the legendary Bhalji Pendharkar made Chhatrapati Shivaji, which was also released in both languages (and featured a cameo by Lata Mangeshkar). This new film similarly features a cameo by a major star, which stands out as one of its highlights — though the film itself otherwise follows a fairly predictable path. Worth noting: the Marathi version runs 8 minutes longer than the Hindi cut I watched, though the nature of those additions remains unclear.

There’s a scene in Michael where Jackson, played by his real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, steps out of his palatial home and into a waiting car, fresh from a confrontation with his controlling father Joseph (Colman Domingo). As the car passes through the gates, thousands of fans are screaming his name. He waves gently, slips on his trademark glasses, and the contrast is complete — the private turmoil invisible to the world outside. It’s one of the film’s most effective moments, capturing in a single image what it means to live a double life at that scale.

Priyadarshan’s Bhooth Bangla opens with a disclaimer stating that it doesn’t promote superstition - a sensible inclusion on paper. But over its nearly three-hour runtime, the film seems to do the exact opposite. From chants that supposedly ward off demons (and, when played in reverse, conveniently summon them - more on that backmasking later) to bizarre attempts at linking quantum physics with the aatma (soul), the narrative is packed with so much mumbo-jumbo it could fill a tanker crossing the Hormuz.

Directed by Mohit Takalkar and written by Irawati Karnik, Toh, Ti Aani Fuji explores a turbulent relationship set against the backdrop of Japan. Mount Fuji may be dormant, but the relationship between Toh (Lalit Prabhakar) and Ti (Mrinmayee Godbole) is anything but — constantly simmering, erupting, and impossible to ignore.

The Drama, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, certainly lives up to its title—but not in a way that works to its advantage. There is no shortage of drama here, but what value does it hold when you feel absolutely nothing for the people at the center of it?

Based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir (of The Martian fame), Project Hail Mary is a mixed bag. It promises a lot but doesn’t quite deliver. The film relies more on the charm of its lead actor than on the screenplay by Drew Goddard, which reportedly remains very faithful to the book.