Sonal Pandya

After voicing Spider-Man Noir in the Sony animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Nicolas Cage brings a version of the character to the small screen with Amazon Prime Video’s Spider-Noir. The Marvel and Sony co-production is part superhero saga and part classic noir. Interestingly, Spider Noir gives viewers the chance to see the show both in colour and black and white, which can also change perspective on the story. Developed by Oren Uziel, Spider Noir is a character portrait of a broken-down man named Ben Reilly who rises to the occasion when really required. The ongoing mystery woven in the narrative also keeps audiences engaged.

In Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s System, a younger lawyer is out to prove her name is more than her father’s and discovers the courtroom only looks at black and white, never the innocent. The Hindi legal drama is led by Sonakshi Sinha and Jyotika, who team up to fight cases and discover a murder case that might be their undoing. Spending much time inside the hallowed halls of the court, System exposes the loopholes and methods used not only by lawyers but also by the police to make sure a culprit is nabbed. The ending leaves viewers with more questions than answers.

Three years after the Amazon Prime Video series on Jack Ryan ended, the character and actor John Krasinski are back by this time with a condensed version where the former CIA analyst slips briefly into civilian life. He’s pulled back into the spy world again with an adventure that takes him from Dubai to London, England. Of course the stakes are too high for Jack Ryan to walk away once more; Krasinski has co-written a thriller that feels familiar but doesn’t attempt anything radical. Directed by Andrew Bernstein, the spy drama Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War has a heart-pounding car chase in the middle of London that brings the thrills.

Last seen in Daredevil: Born Again, The Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal, returns for a bloody adventure before Spider-Man: Brand New Day this summer. Fans wondering about what happened to the character get a brief catch-up with the character as he comes back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Bernthal, who is also a co-writer on The Punisher: One Last Kill, gives viewers some insight into his trauma as the vigilante returns to patrol the city. The purpose of the special is to serve as one long action sequence for a character that has lost his purpose.

The film adaptation of The Sheep Detectives manages to surprise you on several fronts. Yes, it has talking animals but the concept is not cloying but rather essential to this mystery about the death of a shepherd. As the feature delves to uncover the killer, the characters charm and delight as they mill about the vast English countryside. Written by Craig Mazin, the movie goes beyond the murder to explore themes of death, grief and family. With punchy jokes and lots of physical comedy, The Sheep Detectives is a heartwarming film that everyone can dig into.

Produced by Skydance Animation, the new Netflix animated feature Swapped tells the story of a magical valley that has fallen on hard times. A woodland creature and a majestic bird swap bodies to figure out a way to restore it to its glory. While the storytelling and look of the animated fable feel a bit familiar, its sure-handed execution is what sees Swapped through. Nathan Greno’s film is led by the stunning visuals and empathetic voice performances of actors Michael B Jordan, Juno Temple and Tracy Morgan. The Netflix film is a perfect lesson to introduce children about compassion towards others, though very young children might find the latter portions a bit scary.

Created by Deepak Segal, Swati Patnaik, and Shreyashi Mukherjee, Undekhi started out as an insightful commentary on power, wealth and corruption. The first season hit it off on all cylinders, but this latest season has devolved as it has essentially recycled storylines to create a wedge between the once-close Papaji and Rinku Atwal. Directed by Ashish R Shukla, the once-familiar characters become one-note in their mission to get at the truth. But the one-promising Hindi thriller keeps hitting a reset button with every season.

On December 31, 2025, the Duffer Brothers brought their long-running series, Stranger Things, about the supernatural events in the town of Hawkins, Indiana, to an end. Vecna has been vanished and the Upside Down has been dealt with. However, a new animated series, Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85, winds the clock to take viewers between Seasons 2 and 3 for a new battle with some familiar but different monsters from the Upside Down. The stakes of the show are decidedly lower, as dedicated fans know what’s going to happen. But the series might just rope in younger audiences who have yet to discover the live-action series and might be motivated to check in after this.