Guild Reviews
Task
Crime, Drama (English)
In the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, an FBI agent heads a task force assembled to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man.
Cast:
Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Thuso Mbedu, Fabien Frankel, Alison Oliver, Raúl Castillo, Martha Plimpton
One of This Year’s Most Grounded, Humane and Satisfying Crime Dramas
Thu, November 6 2025
In an era when films and shows are designed to seem endless (with consecutive sequels and multiple seasons) I’ve come to appreciate standalone films and miniseries. A miniseries in particular, meant to tell one story in between six to twelve episodes, has become a rarity in the midst of a deluge of platforms – where executives are only very eager to commission a second season for successful shows that have definite endings. It’s what I had appreciated about Mare of Easttown, a typical prestige TV procedural, headlined by an A-lister (Kate Winslet). The show didn’t necessarily reinvent the genre, but it delivered a rich world set in rural Pennsylvania, where a sleepy town hides secrets in plain sight. And how a compassionate cop goes about investigating a murder case, while handling fragile egos and respecting the lines in the sand.
Mark Ruffalo Gives One Of His Best Performances In This Slow Burn Drama
Fri, August 29 2025
Created by Brad Ingelsby of Mare of Easttown, the show follows a simple crime thriller, but only on the surface. The way the characters in the seven part series are explored is the real story within the plot. Task is about an FBI agent in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia trailing a string of violent robberies. Before the gangs in the area start taking credit and the cops have a turf war on their hands, Special Agent Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo) is sent out on the scene to bring things under control. Task begins with a grieving family man, Robbie, played by Tom Pelphrey. Raising two kids without their mother, Robbie wants a better life for his family and knows he won’t be able to do it if things stay the way they are. The only one by his side is his work friend, Cliff and his niece, Maeve. She is the one usually taking care of the kids and is unhappy with how unreliable Robbie is as a father. But Robbie has plans of his own to make sure his kids are taken care of, no matter the cost.
A Slow Burn Drama And Worthy Followup To Mare Of Easttown
Fri, August 29 2025
Since its release in 2021, so many makers have tried to replicate the moody and twisty narrative of Mare of Easttown, which starred Kate Winslet. Creator Brad Ingelsby’s latest show, Task, borrows many elements from his own award-winning series, and the result is a taut thriller that leaves you guessing until the last episode. The seven-part series gives viewers two protagonists to empathise with; they are headed on a crash course from which there is no return. Mark Ruffalo plays FBI agent Tom Brandis, who heads a task force to look into a string of violent robberies that target drug and gang houses. As he and his team dive deeper and deeper into the case, they uncover betrayals and moles that have wider repercussions. Meanwhile, main suspect Robbie Prendergast (Tom Pelphrey) is bottling up intense emotions that could land him and his family in deep trouble. Will both men make it out to the other side alive?
Teen Paayancha Ghoda (Three Legged Horse)
Drama (Marathi)
In the year 2003, three teenagers: a cynical brat Adnan, an aspirational Chandrika, and a reticent Rathore come together to forge not just a friendship...but also a marksheet. The repercussions of this minor mischief would not only unsettle their teenage lives, but also spiral into events that shocked the city. Coming of age is never a smooth run, but a three legged race.
Cast:
Chaitanya Deshpande, Hemant Kudale, Avinash Londhe, Sandesh Kulkarni, Devika Daftardar, Rohit Kokate, Ria Nalavade, Gajanan Paranjape, Kunal Shukla, Tushar Tengale
Director:
Noopur Bora
(Writing for The Common Man Speaks)
Fine portrayal of friendship and mistakes during teenage
Wed, November 5 2025
Teen Paayancha Ghoda (English title: Three Legged Horse) takes place in 2003 in Pune. Adnan (Kunal Shukla), a carefree youngster, has been flunking his 12th standard exams. He has already lost two years in the process. His girlfriend Chandrika (Ria Nalavade), who is even more carefree, continues to support him despite his failure. Adnan’s father is in the rehabilitation centre for alcoholism. He isn’t strict with Adnan and doesn’t have any grudges for him failing in exams. But Adnan’s nana (Gajanan Paranjpe), who is a retired IPS (Indian Police Service) officer and with him he lives, is super strict and has given an ultimatum to him to pass his exams this year.
A House of Dynamite
Thriller, War (English)
When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.
Cast:
Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke
Director:
Kathryn Bigelow
Writer:
Noah Oppenheim
Mon, November 3 2025
Takes the tension to claustrophobic levels... and then fizzles out
Tue, October 28 2025
There is nothing wrong with an inconclusive ending. Many popular films — some even cult classics, without a shred of doubt — have ended on a note that invites speculation many decades later. Think The Shining. Think Donnie Darko. Think The Inception. But what about an ending which is not really an ending, ambiguous or otherwise? One which builds its tension to claustrophobic levels in the first hour and then allows it to inexplicably dissipate in the next? A House of Dynamite — Kathryn Bigelow’s latest look at how we could be seconds away from being wiped out of existence in this age of nuclear weaponry — is that kind of film. As one review aptly noted about this film — A House of Dynamite is good… until it isn’t.
Diés Iraé
Horror, Thriller (Malayalam)
Rohan's affluent lifestyle spirals out of control as he becomes convinced there is a supernatural entity in his home. As he starts to uncover the mystery, he is drawn into unexpected worlds and alliances, along with the horrors that lie ahead.
Cast:
Pranav Mohanlal, Gibin Gopinath, Swathi Das Prabhu, Manohari Joy, Arun Ajikumar, Jaya Kurup, Athulya Chandra, Sushmitha Bhat, Saiju Kurup, Sreedhanya Thekkedath
Director:
Rahul Sadasivan
Writer:
Rahul Sadasivan
A Relentless, Unnerving Psychological Drama From Rahul Sadasivan
Mon, November 3 2025
“Ghosting” is not a term one should ever have used casually when you’re in the same room as director Rahul Sadasivan. Not only does this modern master of horror look at the word differently but he’s also capable of writing an entire screenplay based on how he understands this piece of Gen-Z lingo. This understanding is especially relevant given how he’s made another film about three people just like he did with Bhoothakalam and Bramayugam. And If Bhoothakalam used depression as its central theme to discuss generational trauma passing on from grandmother to grandson, Bramayugam used its three central characters to talk about class and caste divide systemic to Kerala.
Rahul Sadasivan Can Do No Wrong
Mon, November 3 2025
Jump scares, genuine chills make Pranav Mohanlal's film a winner
Sun, November 2 2025
‘Bhoothakaalam’ and ‘Baramayugam’ are two promising horror films that came from Malayalam cinema and also found their audience across the country. These two horror films in particular introduced director Rahul Sadasivan to the world, who, with his penchant for the genre, crafted two brilliant masterpieces that earned the love of the audience. Especially when horror has almost become a joke in Indian cinema, he is back with his third horror film offering, ‘Dies Irae’.
Aaryan
Action, Thriller, Crime (Tamil)
A struggling writer announces he'll commit the perfect crime, sparking a tense pursuit as police try to prevent his methodically planned killing spree.
Cast:
Vishnu Vishal, Shraddha Srinath, Selvaraghavan, Maanasa Chaudhary, Avinash, Jayakumar, Manoj beads, Jeeva Subramanian, Udhayabanu Mageswaran
Director:
Praveen K.
Writer:
Praveen K.
Vishnu Vishal stars in murder mystery that murders its own logic
Sun, November 2 2025
A good murder mystery and investigation thriller depends solely on the stakes and the balance between hunter and hunted. The film is uplifted when the cop investigating the crime is shown to be equally brilliant as the killer he’s chasing. Vishnu Vishal’s ‘Aaryan’ is one such murder investigation thriller that relies on the brilliance of its characters. But the big question is, does it achieve this balance? Let’s find out!
Long, Flabby But Engaging
Fri, October 31 2025
There are several ways in which Praveen K gets you to think — and then rethink — the de facto norms of a serial-killer thriller. At about the 20-minute mark in Aaryan, the film has already revealed everything we usually wait to be told in stories of this genre. Not only does the setup end with the film plainly telling us the identity of the serial killer, but it also concludes with this person being given the biggest punishment imaginable. With the whodunit element taken away, Aaryan gets the rare chance to focus on the reasons why a person decides to become a serial killer, and the unique modus operandi that has the entire force running from pillar to post.
Black Phone 2
Horror, Thriller (English)
Four years after escaping The Grabber, Finney Blake is struggling with his life after captivity. When his sister Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp, the siblings become determined to solve the mystery and confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.
Cast:
Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Demián Bichir, Miguel Mora, Jeremy Davies, Arianna Rivas, Maev Beaty, Graham Abbey, James Ransone
Director:
Scott Derrickson
Writer:
Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill
How did the Grabber really return from hell?
Sun, November 2 2025
When hell itself is unable to stop its villain from calling collect, you know a horror franchise just got even more interesting. The Grabber calls back from the afterlife this time, and now he is even more dangerous. Did you think Ethan Hawke’s mask and mallet-clad serial killer was terrifying? Wait till you see what he can do now that he’s dead. This is a callback that we didn’t particularly want addressed, but here we are. Let’s dive into Black Phone 2 story and ending, both of which are explained here.
Bahubali: The Epic
Action, Drama (Telugu)
When a mysterious child is found by a tribal couple near a roaring waterfall, they raise him as their own. As he grows, Sivudu is drawn to the world beyond the cliffs, where he discovers the ancient kingdom of Mahishmati, ruled by a cruel tyrant, haunted by rebellion, and bound to his past. What begins as a quest for love soon unravels a legacy of betrayal, sacrifice, and a forgotten prince.
Cast:
Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Nassar, Subbaraju, Tamannaah Bhatia, Rohini, Tanikella Bharani
Director:
S. S. Rajamouli
Writer:
S. S. Rajamouli, Madhan Karky, Deva Katta
SS Rajamouli’s grand vision and storytelling still stand tall a decade later
Sun, November 2 2025
To call this a review required careful thought. Strictly speaking, it is a re-release — marking a decade since Baahubali: The Beginning first hit theatres in 2015. But this is no ordinary re-release. After undergoing the required technical upgrades to meet current digital projection standards, the 225-minute-long Baahubali: The Epic arrives as a digitally remastered and re-edited film that condenses both parts of the Baahubali saga into a whole.
Hedda
Drama, Thriller, Romance (English)
Hedda Gabler finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Over the course of one charged night, long-repressed desires and hidden tensions erupt—pulling her and everyone around her into a spiral of manipulation, passion, and betrayal.
Cast:
Tessa Thompson, Nina Hoss, Imogen Poots, Nicholas Pinnock, Tom Bateman, Finbar Lynch, Mirren Mack, Jamael Westman, Saffron Hocking, Kathryn Hunter
Director:
Nia DaCosta
Writer:
Nia DaCosta
Ibsen’s ‘female Hamlet’ in new light
Sun, November 2 2025
Classic text, a terrific performance not just by its lead heroine Tessa Thompson but other actors too, writing which is both faithful to the original plot and takes its own leap of faith and imagination — ‘Hedda’ is certainly not your average film. Neither is it a frame-by-frame adaptation of the OG. Reimagining famed Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s play ‘Hedda Gabler’, giving it a queer spin, ‘Hedda’ is obviously held together by its titular character.
Good Boy
Horror, Thriller (English)
A loyal dog moves to a rural family home with his owner Todd, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities threaten his human companion, the brave pup must fight to protect the one he loves most.
Cast:
Indy, Shane Jensen, Larry Fessenden, Arielle Friedman, Stuart Rudin, Anya Krawcheck, Max, Hunter Goetz, Noah Manzoor
Director:
Ben Leonberg
Writer:
Alex Cannon, Ben Leonberg
Who really was the dark figure haunting Todd and Indy?
Fri, October 31 2025
Ever found yourself watching a horror movie and thinking: “Man, the dog knows something we don’t”? If so, then the Good Boy horror movie is tailor-made for you. Helmed by debutant Ben Leonberg, it’s a genuinely fresh spin on the genre. It is told from a narrator who barks (well, mostly whines) instead of speaking and wags instead of walking away. (And yes, your dog will now stare at random corners for entirely justified reasons.) Let’s dive into the Good Boy horror movie story and ending, which are both explained here.
Ballad of a Small Player
Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Drama (English)
Amid the glittering casinos of Macau, a gambler running from his past — and his debts — becomes fascinated by an enigmatic woman at the baccarat table.
Cast:
Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Tilda Swinton, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings, Jason Tobin, Adrienne Lau, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Jessica Lai, Margaret Cheung
Director:
Edward Berger
(Writing for Scroll.in)
Visually dazzling film never quite hits the emotional jackpot
Thu, October 30 2025
Edward Berger makes a dramatic and thematic shift from his previous movie Conclave with Ballad of a Small Player. Conclave was a taut, fictional feature about the secretive papal elections at the Vatican. Ballad of a Small Player, which is out on Netflix, is an occasionally tense, atmospheric and over-stylised character study set in Macau’s glittering gambling halls. Adapted by screenwriter Rowan Joffe from Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel, the film explores cycles of addiction and greed against a backdrop of ritual, superstition and neon decadence. Colin Farrell plays Lord Doyle, a British gambler with mounting debts and a troubled past.
Down Cemetery Road
Drama, Crime, Mystery (English)
When a child goes missing in the aftermath of a house explosion, a concerned neighbor teams up with a private investigator to find them. As secrets unravel and a military conspiracy emerges, all hell is unleashed on South Oxford's sleepy suburbs.
Cast:
Emma Thompson, Ruth Wilson, Adeel Akhtar, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Tom Goodman-Hill, Darren Boyd, Tom Riley, Adam Godley, Sinead Matthews, Ken Nwosu
Emma Thompson, Ruth Wilson's British Conspiracy Thriller Ticks All The Right Boxes
Wed, October 29 2025
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.
Avihitham
Comedy (Malayalam)
In a village full of men and gossip about affairs, the narrative reveals how society absurdly judges and monitors women's identities.
Cast:
Unni Raja, Renji Kankol, Rakesh Ushar, Dhanesh Koliyat, Vineeth Vasudevan, Vrindha Menon, Ajith Punnad, Unnikrishnan Parappa, Aneesh Chemmarathi, Vijisha Nileshwaram
Director:
Senna Hegde
Writer:
Senna Hegde, Ambareesh Kalathera
Secrets and scandals in sleepy Kanhangad
Wed, October 29 2025
Senna Hegde’s Avihitham opens with the tagline “Made in Kanhangad.” Where is Kanhangad? And what makes anything made there special, let alone a film? For those who discovered Malayalam cinema during the lockdown, the state might seem like a uniform patchwork of modern ideas and shared sensibilities. Avihitham, which examines adultery, is steeped in its local dialect, landscape, and cultural texture. It can very much amuse someone from Kerala’s Kottayam or Kollam despite never being a utopia. What remains universal here, though, is the social morality that thrives on exposing a “fallen woman,” teaching her a lesson, and eventually discarding her.
(Writing for Made in Mangalore)
Of furtive love, and the obvious lack of it
Sun, October 19 2025
There are many things women in India are terrified of, and with good reason. Walking on a lonely road after dark, being a lone female traveller in a bus, checking and double checking the surroundings before opening one’s car door, checking the bathrooms in public places for hidden cameras, verifying if hotel rooms are safe, if trial rooms are safe, if online chats are safe… in every single place, a woman is reduced to her body, and her individuality erased. Senna Hegde’s delightful yet punch-to-the-gut Avihitham (translates into illicit) adds one more to the list — a male tailor proudly claims he can size up a woman’s chest, waist and hip just by seeing her. Thanks sir, one more thing to be very afraid about.
Senna Hegde’s indie rediscovery indicts prying eyes
Sat, October 11 2025
The simplest of stories, even the seemingly unappealing ones, can turn into fairly engaging pieces of cinema once it gets into the right hands. In Avihitham, filmmaker Senna Hegde, who co-wrote the film with Ambareesh Kalathera, does not have an elaborate story to tell, but teases out several strands out of it to pull off something which keeps one engaged.