Sonal Pandya

The eight-episode series, Down Cemetery Road, has a conspiracy plot that rivals another Apple TV show, Slow Horses. The similarities arise since both are adapted from author Mick Herron’s books. In this current series set in Oxford, a concerned neighbour finds herself being gaslit by those around her and stumbles upon a larger cover-up. Led by stalwart British talents Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson, the twisty will keep you on the edge until its satisfying finale.

A year after the world fell in love with agnostic podcast host Joanne (Kristen Bell) and hot rabbi Noah (Adam Brody), the Netflix series Nobody Wants This is back to check in on the couple. Erin Foster’s series about an interfaith couple struck a chord with audiences. With its new season, it’s time to see whether Joanne and Noah can make it work despite their differences. While the rom-com gets candid for several characters, it also keeps circling around the same issue for the main couple.

After Santosh, The Apprentice is the second film releasing on Lionsgate Play that didn’t receive a theatrical release in India because of censor issues. Ali Abbasi’s Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice is almost overshadowed by another man, Jeremy Strong’s Roy Cohn. Set in the 1970s, the drama follows young Donny’s journey into becoming Donald Trump, ably played by Sebastian Stan, who subtly gives glimpses of the businessman and future president used to cutting corners to get ahead.

Based on Ruth Ware’s bestselling novel, The Woman in Cabin 10, follows a journalist, Laura Blacklock, seeking the truth in a suspicious murder. With only herself as a witness, Laura is fighting a losing battle. Starring Keira Knightley as the determined heroine, the film features some cookie-cutter characters who fail to raise interest. The central mystery at the heart of this thriller is too easy to guess as well.

Like most projects in Hollywood these days, the new film in the Tron franchise, Tron: Ares, asks if Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used for good. Joachim Rønning’s feature brings forth some new characters wrestling with the idea of big tech harnessing AI for their own benefits. The franchise also returns back to the grid in both nostalgic and futuristic ways. The sequel sits on the fence, making its narrative appealing for fans and newcomers looking for an entertaining watch in theatres.

“Only a mother could love you,” scolds Ed Gein’s mother Augusta (Laurie Metcalf). Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology returns for a third time on Netflix with the story of serial killer and grave robber Ed Gein, who the series would have you believe is the godfather to the rest of the murderers that followed. Charlie Hunnam plays the title role and really sinks into it. However, the screenplay by Ian Brennan is overly indulgent dragging the story over eight episodes and moving it from tangent to tangent.

Matthew McConaughey plays a down-on-his-luck bus driver who becomes a reluctant hero after evacuting schoolchildren in The Lost Bus. The Paul Greengrass film takes its time to establish McConaughey’s character and the growing disaster. Once the fire grows in the small town, the drama gets to the heart of the story as two individuals fight against the odds to make it. The tension is heightened in the second half to the right temperature as the odds become slim. The leads’ teamsmanship carries the film over the line.

Before Squid Game, there was the Japanese series Alice in Borderland about players in life-or-death games. Returning five years after the Shibuya meteorite incident, Alice in Borderland’s third season puts its protagonists Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) back in dire danger. As the games resume in Borderland, the games become more elaborate with higher stakes. The events of Season 3 veer away from Haro Aso’s manga while sticking to its essence. The second half picks up to return to the show that entralled fans over five years and should leave them wanting more.