Sonal Pandya

After dropping the biggest shocker about its lead character, John Sugar (Colin Farrell), in the first season, Sugar moves back into being a moody neo-noir about a detective trying to track down a missing person. The original series by Apple TV puts the reveal of Sugar’s otherworldly secret aside and builds a story around corruption, betrayal and greed, all things that are alien to him (pun intended). The eight-part series continues with its homages to old Hollywood as the cinephile private detective attempts to reunite two boxer brothers. With some new faces in the second season, Farrell slips back into detective mode as the layered drama keeps viewers interested.

Seven years after audiences said goodbye to Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the rest of the gang in Toy Story 4, the toys return for a new chapter in Toy Story 5 that sees them face yet another threat as technology invades their universe. Andrew Stanton comes back to the franchise as director for the first time that sees the toys deal with abandonment, trauma, and bullying while coming together for their person, Bonnie. The toys versus tech debate is explored in the animated sequel and shares a strong stance to let children be and not grow up too soon. So is the age of toys over? Let’s find out.

The romance genre has gotten a new lease of life thanks to streaming. Amazon Prime Video is doubling down on its book-to-screen adaptations. The latest series that is set to dominate this summer is Every Year After, based on Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After novel. The simple premise is that a former couple reunites after a death, bringing up past feelings and emotions. The friends-to-lovers trope is explored nicely in the eight-part show, which includes plenty of romantic drama for all of its characters. The bingeable show is very similar to another Amazon Prime Video hit, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and could appeal to its fans as well.

It’s a plot straight out of a romance novel or maybe a K-drama. A CEO of an airline falls for the company lawyer, jeopardising their jobs and reputations. In the new Netflix rom-com, Office Romance, Jennifer Lopez plays the CEO of Air Cruz, who finds herself inexplicably falling for the new company lawyer from London. Will their secret office romance be exposed to all? Directed by Ol Parker, the opposites-attract comedy has a good dose of British humour, plenty of HR policies and some worthy scene-stealers. Jacqueline Cruz (Lopez) needs to get rid of a competitor’s lawsuit that is threatening her position as CEO of her father’s (Edward James Olmos) airline. The CEO has to make do with a replacement lawyer when their regular one, Peter Vance (Bradley Whitford), is out with an emergency. The new hire Daniel Blanchflower (Goldstein) is more than up to the task and ends up batting for Jackie in front of the board. It leads to Jackie and Daniel getting closer for the case and having a secret affair that risks both their careers. Will the odd couple make it work or call it quits?

A supersized version of Gullak has arrived for its fifth season. We’ve watched the Mishras grow in their humble abode all these years. In the latest season, the family makes some instrumental decisions that will affect everyone. But while The Viral Fever (TVF) has an emotional end, the show takes some amusing and meaningful detours. It also adds to the lore of the Gullak universe; if you’ve been a fan since the beginning, there are welcome rewards ahead for viewers. Overall, the comfort series continues to delight and make you want to know more about this loyal, caring clan.

The latest star-led prestige drama from Apple TV is Cape Fear. Created by Nick Antosca, the new remake based on John D. MacDonald’s book The Executioners and the previous Hollywood films elongates the story of vengeance. It expands the roles of the Bowden family while creating an aura of ambiguity around notorious villain Max Cady, now played by Javier Bardem. With the backing of Oscar-winning filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, the new Cape Fear is a chilling page-turner and psychological thriller you just can’t get enough of.

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.