Sonal Pandya

Some viewers may remember Ryan Reynolds playing Hal Jordan in the 2011 film Green Lantern. With the new HBO series, the character of Hal has gotten a complete overhaul as the origin and future of DC Studios’ Green Lantern are reintroduced in a way that will pleasantly surprise fans. In fact, creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King subvert the superhero series to present a layered mystery that explores the core of its leads and ensemble characters. Every twist and turn in Lanterns gives audiences a taste of different genres, from sci-fi to mystery, buddy comedy to a Western. But ultimately, Lanterns is a story about a mentor and mentee who end up teaching each other more than they expected.

Apple TV’s biggest comedy, Ted Lasso, was supposed to end its run on a high after a pesky third season in 2023. Originally developed from a sketch comedy starring Jason Sudeikis about an American with no clue about football, the character Ted Lasso became a beloved TV icon. The first season of Ted Lasso was perfect in almost every way, and the latter seasons expanded on the show by trying to add depth to its characters. In doing so, it undid much of what made the show great in the first place. Now, three years after Ted goes back to Kansas City, his former boss Rebecca Walton (Hannah Waddingham) brings him back to AFC Richmond, but for another team.

The British series The Bombing Of Pan Am 103, out now on Netflix, assembles a solid cast of actors from both sides of the pond in a compelling drama that aims to cover it all. However, in doing so, the limited series struggles to find a voice and comes into its own in the climax as it shows the legal fight for justice. The emotional series, though dramatised, follows the incident from takeoff to the international courtrooms where two men were finally held accountable for the plane’s bombing. Creator and writer Jonathan Lee finds it hard to gain a foothold from the beginning, and the sombre series remains flat from thereon.

While it is disappointing that Heartstopper never got a fourth season, viewers should be satisfied that the new movie Heartstopper Forever allows the coming-of-age tale to grow up and go out on its own terms. Writer Alice Oseman has adapted the sixth and final volume of their own webcomics. Over the past four years, we’ve watched characters Nick and Charlie met, become friends and fall in love. In the final movie, the two teenagers take tentative steps towards their futures and tackle misunderstandings in their relationship. The movie is a bittersweet ending to a show that makes audiences feel like part of this supportive world.

How do you follow up Oppenheimer and its seven Oscars? If you’re Christopher Nolan, you attempt to take on Homer and The Odyssey. The filmmaker’s undertaking tackles several genres at one go. It’s a literal Greek tragedy backed with adventure, drama, horror and a love story for the ages. All technical departments and the astonishing cast deliver an emotional adaptation that will likely uncover something new upon each viewing. The Odyssey is also the first feature shot entirely on IMAX cameras, and the result is definitely a thing of beauty.

The 1970s series of the same name was an American classic and this Netflix retelling introduces the story by Laura Ingalls Wilder through her semi-autobiographical books. The Ingalls family heads out to the American prairie and finds steady challenges in their decision to relocate. Showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine establishes the mood for the family drama that hints of both adventure and conflict. With young stars Alice Halsey and Skywalker Hughes, the new Little House series is both nostalgic and optimistic for a time gone by that was once filled with promise.

Lucky’s leading lady, Anya Taylor-Joy, has the word ‘resilience’ written all over. Which is why she was perfectly cast for the projects Furiosa: A Mad Max Story and The Queen’s Gambit. Now, Taylor-Joy leads Apple TV’s Lucky both as star and executive producer in a wild and thrilling chase in which she is the emotional heart. Playing the vulnerable but wily con artist, the actress is the best part of the series adaptation of Marissa Stapley’s novel. The limited series by Jonathan Tropper and Cassie Pappas makes sure that viewers are kept on the edge of their set as Lucky reaches the end of her nine lives. With a cast of veteran actors, Lucky manages to captivate.

The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde, opens with an Oscar Wilde quote, “One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.” The Hollywood comedy is set in a San Francisco couple who invite their neighbours over one evening. It exposes the two couples to own up to some uncomfortable admissions and realise some suppressed truths about themselves. With only four actors in the cast, The Invite works as an engaging play that delivers steady one-liners and insights as the characters experience every emotion under the sun. Wilde impressively guides the feature to an absorbing ending that perfectly sums up human relationships.