The Fantastic Four - First Steps
Science Fiction, Adventure (English)
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel's First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic (more…)
Son of Sardar 2
Comedy, Drama (Hindi)
Years after settling an epic family feud and surviving house arrest in Punjab, Jassi Singh Randhawa returns this time chasing love, not trouble. But when he lands in Scotland to win back his estranged wife, he stumbles into a hostage (more…)
Guild Reviews
My Oxford Year
Romance, Comedy, Drama (English)
An ambitious American fulfilling her dream of studying at Oxford falls for a charming Brit hiding a secret that may upend her perfectly planned life.
Cast:
Sofia Carson, Corey Mylchreest, Esmé Kingdom, Harry Trevaldwyn, Dougray Scott, Catherine McCormack, Nikhil Parmar, Poppy Gilbert, Romina Cocca, Yadier Fernández
Director:
Iain Morris
Netflix’s Saiyaara-coded weepy is no better than a Mohit Suri movie
Wed, August 6 2025
What begins like an In the Heights-style story about upward mobility and female ambition turns into what can only be described as a Mohit Suri movie. Saiyaara won’t leave you alone no matter how hard you try. The sappy tone of Suri’s films, borrowed from the cinema of more countries than the average Indian will ever visit in their lifetime, has swung all the way back around and influenced the likes of My Oxford Year. It’s perhaps the most algorithmic film that Netflix has released in recent memory. Starring two of the streamer’s newest alums — Sofia Carson from The Life List and Corey Mylchreest from Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story — the film makes you wonder if it was produced only because the filmmakers gained no-holds-barred access to the University of Oxford.
Nightbitch
Comedy, Horror (English)
A woman, thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.
Cast:
Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Snowden, Emmett Snowden, Jessica Harper, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Rajan, Nate Heller, Darius De La Cruz
Director:
Marielle Heller
Writer:
Marielle Heller
Lays bare the 'brutality' of motherhood but is more bark than bite
Tue, August 5 2025
A young stay-at-home woman’s tedious maternal routine takes a surreal turn when she finds herself finding a sense of freedom in her newly-developed feral tendencies. Simply and bluntly put, the appropriately-named Nightbitch has its protagonist — who remains unnamed — develop into a dog every night and run amuck through the neighbourhood, after a day of intense drudgery and monotony. Sounds crazy? It sure is. Based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Rachel Yoder and directed by Marielle Heller, whose last outing was the critically-acclaimed 2019 film A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, Nightbitch stars six-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams in the lead. Adams is more than a few pounds overweight, dressed dowdy throughout the film and perpetually exhausted in the way a lot of us can relate with. What we can’t, of course, is the extreme spiral the character undergoes under the load of stress and mental anguish. With ‘Husband’ away on office work on weekdays, ‘Mother’, which is what Adams is referred to in the description of the film, functions on a daily basis as a single mother. That includes taking care of her infant ‘Son’ with not a minutes’ rest, even as she ruminates on what could have been if she had not paused her career as an artist to take care of her baby full time.
Don’t let Suniel Shetty watch Amy Adams’ horror-comedy about motherhood; he won’t like it
Fri, August 1 2025
Despite being a six-time Oscar nominee, Amy Adams’ career in the last decade or so resembles that of someone who has lost the ability to say no. Her latest film is Nightbitch, a dark comedy about the horrors of motherhood, in which she plays a nameless woman who finds herself transforming into a dog. Literally. The movie is directed by Marielle Heller, whose last feature was A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood. Nightbitch is, in many ways, the cynical sister to that stubbornly saccharine film. It’s also a fantastical reality check for anybody contemplating parenthood. In addition to repelling audiences with its weirdness, however, Nightbitch could possibly cause Suniel Shetty to reconsider his views on gender roles.
Bakaiti
(Hindi)
Set in old Ghaziabad, this heartwarming series follows the Kataria family grappling with a financial crunch. When Naina is forced to share her room with her younger brother Bharat, sibling tensions rise.
Cast:
Rajesh Tailang, Sheeba Chaddha, Aditya Shukla, Keshav Sadhna
Director:
Ameet Guptha
(Writing for Binged)
Feel-Good Take On Middle-Class Blues
Mon, August 4 2025
Sanjay Kataria, a struggling lawyer in Ghaziabad, scrapes through his daily life with his wife and two children with great difficulty. He faces resistance from his father in letting out a room in his ancestral property for rent, and continues to bicker with his brother over monetary issues. When Sanjay’s rebellious daughter Naina suddenly goes missing on her birthday, his life comes to a standstill. Rajesh Tailang is a perfect casting choice to play the average Indian middle-class father who tries to keep the family together, come what may. He mirrors the role’s simplicity and lends warmth to the portrayal of a man hardened by situations. Sheeba Chaddha, expectedly, is fabulous, in the shoes of a wife whose life rolls along selflessly.
A patchy family drama that struggles to rise above the noise
Sat, August 2 2025
The Ghaziabad-based Katarias have a sole earning member. Ajay (Rajesh Tailang) is a lawyer whose earnings, and patience, is stretched thin by the antics of his permanently bickering teenage children, Naina (Tanya Sharma) and her younger brother Bharat (Aditya Shukla). Ajay’s wife Sushma (Sheeba Chadha) handles the house, one eye on the never-ending work in the kitchen, and another on the sewing machine, which has been lying neglected for years. What if she opens a longed-for boutique? That would bring in much-needed extra cash. The kids join in, with a couple of madcap schemes. But nothing works. The squabbling siblings have to share a room, while the one that’s freed up, is rented out. The tenant (Keshav Sadhna) turns out to be a good-looking fellow, whom Naina starts batting her eyelids at. Turns out that he has troubles of his own, revealed in a most unconvincing manner.
Chief of War
Drama (English)
With Hawaii's four kingdoms divided by war, the ferocious warrior Kaʻiana embarks on an epic mission to unite his people—as an existential threat approaches their shores.
Cast:
Jason Momoa, Luciane Buchanan, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale‘o, Brandon Finn, Mainei Kinimaka, Te Kohe Tuhaka
Jason Momoa Commands Fiercely In Brutal Epic Reclaiming Hawaii’s Untold History
Mon, August 4 2025
In Chief of War, Jason Momoa once again takes on a towering persona with Hawaiian warrior Ka’iana. The actor, who is also co-creator, writer, director, and executive producer, backs this violent but ambitious retelling of the unification of Hawaii’s islands during the late 1700s. The epic drama is also a history lesson combined with age-old themes of honour, pride, greed, and most importantly, power. The nine-part series focuses on the kings, rulers, warriors, and, of course, the people of Hawaii with its traditions and beliefs that must change over time. Ka’iana (Momoa) and his small family have relocated from Maui to the island of Kauai. But upon command of his king, Kahekili (Temuera Morrison), who has visions from a certain prophecy, he joins him for a battle on Oahu. There he realises the power-hungry Kahekili has deceived him and he spends the rest of the series atoning for his actions. Ka’iana leaves Hawaii and returns stronger, armed with knowledge and power that will help him in the war that is to come.
Breathtakingly beautiful, Jason Momoa’s Apple show is like a political alliance between Avatar and Black Panther
Fri, August 1 2025
It takes great writing discipline to make a show like Chief of War. Nearly everybody who watches it on Apple will be entering a world that they’re entirely unfamiliar with. And yet, they must surrender to its intimate yet epic narrative. Set in the late 18th century, the nine-episode drama tells the story of the unification of the Hawaiian islands, from the perspective of the Polynesian community. Riskier is the creative decision to set it almost exclusively in the native language. Perhaps the folks behind it — Chief of War is co-created by Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett — were empowered by the success of similar grand-scale productions such as FX’s Japanese-language drama Shōgun and Apple’s own Korean-language show Pachinko.
Son of Sardar 2
Comedy, Drama (Hindi)
Years after settling an epic family feud and surviving house arrest in Punjab, Jassi Singh Randhawa returns this time chasing love, not trouble. But when he lands in Scotland to win back his estranged wife, he stumbles into a hostage crisis, a mafia war and the most bizarre Sardaar wedding of the century.
Cast:
Ajay Devgn, Mrunal Thakur, Ravi Kishan, Neeru Bajwa, Vindu Dara Singh, Mukul Dev, Sanjay Mishra, Deepak Dobriyal, Chunky Pandey, Kubbra Sait
Director:
Vijay Kumar Arora
Writer:
Jagdeep Singh Sidhu, Mohit Jain
(Writing for The Daily Eye)
Bursts into bagpipes, buffoonery, and borrowed patriotism, each stumbling over substance in pursuit of spectacle
Sun, August 3 2025
Son of Sardaar 2 is back, and this time the sardaar has swapped swords for bagpipes—aye, we’re in Scotland now, lads! Directed by Punjabi punch specialist Vijay Kumar Arora and bankrolled by Ajay Devgn (also starring, obviously), Jyoti Deshpande, N.R. Pachisia and Pravin Talreja, this one’s a chaotic cocktail of comedy, culture clashes, and complete confusion. A standalone sequel to the 2012 madcap masala-fest Son of Sardaar, this film dares to ask the question: What happens when you mix a fake war hero, a dysfunctional band, a confused wedding, and Ravi Kishan’s eyebrows into one movie? Apparently, a whole lot of madness. The plot? Let’s just say it’s more tangled than a pair of wired earphones in a jeans pocket. Our man Jassi (Ajay Devgn), fresh off a long exile (probably dodging sequels), flies to bonnie Scotland to win back his estranged wife (Neeru Bajwa). But instead of rekindling romance, he finds himself knee-deep in cross-border chaos featuring a mob rivalry, a desi wedding gone rogue, and a mistaken identity twist that feels like Comedy of Errors… rewritten by Rohit Shetty during a sugar rush.
Ravi Kishan and Deepak Dobriyal outdo Ajay Devgn to keep this goofy comedy kicking
Sun, August 3 2025
After watching Dhadak, one finds a serious layer in this infantile sequel to Ajay Devgn’s tribute to his Punjabi roots as well. The writing plays on the Bollywood Sardar stereotype, one who is innocent, stands his ground, and doesn’t show his back in a battle. Lest we forget, the makers ensure the word Punjabi keeps popping up in the dhol-centric background score as well. After a long wait for a visa, when the simpleton Jassi (Ajay) comes to London, he discovers that his wife Dimple (Neeru Bajwa) has decided to ditch her. Lost, he strikes a chord with Rabia (Mrunal Thakur), a Pakistani musician who runs a wedding band with a transgender musician, Gul (Deepak Dobriyal), and Mehwish (Kubra Sait), as well as her foster daughter, Saba (Roshni Walia), after being ditched by her philandering husband, Danish (Chunkey Panday).
A confused, half-hearted comedy
Sat, August 2 2025
Thirteen years after Son of Sardaar hit cinemas with its brand of crowd-pleasing comedy, its sequel arrives with less humour and even less purpose. Vijay Kumar Arora takes the helm of Son of Sardaar 2, repackaging the chaotic energy of the original into a modern comedy about mistaken identities, cross-border friction, and manufactured family values. Son of Sardaar 2 is not a direct narrative continuation of the original but borrows the premise of an impromptu fake family assembled for a wedding from the 2017 Turkish film Aile Arasında (Between Family). In this version, a Pakistani family enlists the help of a kind-hearted, gullible Indian Sikh man to help the youngest member marry her Sikh boyfriend. Ajay Devgn plays Jassi, a gentle Sikh protagonist whose journey from Punjab to the UK—after finally receiving his long-awaited spouse visa—doesn’t yield the results he expected. Cuckolded by his wife Dimple (Neeru Bajwa), an aimless Jassi finds himself caught in the middle of India-Pakistan cultural chaos.
Su From So
Comedy, Horror, Drama (Kannada)
In a peaceful village full of joy, laughter, and vibrant life, everything seems perfect—until one day, the devil arrives. What follows is a hilarious chain of events that flips the entire village upside down!
Cast:
Shaneel Gautham, JP Tuminad, Sandhya Arakere, Prakash K Thuminadu, Deepak Rai Panaje, Mime Ramdas, Pushparaj Bollar, Arjun Kaje, Raj B Shetty
Director:
JP Tuminad
Writer:
JP Tuminad
Hauntingly Funny
Sat, August 2 2025
To put it in plain English, Su From So, the Kannada film playing with English subtitles, is one of the most refreshing films in recent times Amidst the chaos and juvenile humor that characterize most Friday releases, this film, directed by J. P. Thuminad, arrives like a breath of fresh air.
(Writing for OTT Play)
Much Laughter & Lots To Think About, In This Raj B Shetty Production
Mon, July 28 2025
There’s a passing scene in JP Thuminad’s hilarious yet thoughtful Su From So (releasing on July 25), which explains why the film lands the way it does. The villagers need to head somewhere and a convoy departs — it is led by two scooters, followed by two autos and cycles. Even in that not-so-important scene that barely lasts seconds, the film does not veer off its inherent spirit. These vehicles are ‘enough’ to serve the story. This is one of the many reasons why the film, which falls somewhere in the space between a thought-provoking movie and a horror comedy, keeps you engrossed through its runtime that’s a little over two hours.
Mahavatar Narsimha
Animation, Action, Fantasy, Drama (Kannada)
Hiranyakashyap, the tyrannical demon, challenges Vishnu, proclaiming himself a god. However, his son Prahlad remains devoted to Vishnu, who appears as Narsimha to defeat the demon.
Director:
Ashwin Kumar
Writer:
Jaypurna Das
(Writing for The Common Man Speaks)
Uplifting mixture of devotion and entertainmentmahavatar-narsimha
Sat, August 2 2025
Lord Vishnu’s various avatars have their own importance and they are worshipped in large numbers. But they also are cinematic enough for a movie on each one of them. In fact, I have always found it surprising as to why we have never had a series of films or web shows on each avatar of his. Filmmaker Ashwin Kumar’s animation film Mahavatar Narsimha has finally filled the void. The movie is based on Lord Vishnu’s Narasimha Avatar. The story starts off when sage Kashyap and his wife get physical during an inauspicious time. Hence, the twins born out of their union turn out to be Asura brothers Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashyap. As per their nature, the twins create havoc in the three worlds. Once, Hiranyaksha captures the earth and submerges it into the ocean. Hence, Lord Vishnu takes the Varah Avatar, frees the earth and kills Hiranyaksha. Hiranyakashyap, who already is against Vishnu, starts hating the latter even more and vows to avenge his brother’s death.
Kingdom
Action, Thriller (Telugu)
Soori, a modest police constable, is unintentionally dragged into a dangerous undercover spy operation in Sri Lanka for the Indian government . His journey is intimately linked to his estranged brother Siva, and the risks involved on their reunion.
Cast:
Vijay Deverakonda, Bhagyashri Borse, Satyadev Kancharana, Venkitesh V P, Ronit Kamra, B. S. Avinash, Baburaj, Ayyappa P. Sharma, Bhanu Prakashan, Sriram Reddy Polasane
Director:
Gowtam Tinnanuri
Writer:
Gowtam Tinnanuri
The Long Review
Sat, August 2 2025
The Derivative Curse Of Commercial Cinema
Sat, August 2 2025
Vijay Deverakonda's film aims high, but settles for mediocrity
Thu, July 31 2025
A film that hinges on brotherhood and a man’s/woman’s larger purpose in life has to get one aspect right. And, it’s not the scale or the music. It’s the emotion. You need to connect and resonate with the characters on-screen to feel their pain and joy. However mediocre the story might be, if the emotion connects, the film lands! Director Gowtam Tinnanuri’s ‘Kingdom’ promised to be a story of brotherhood, a spy thriller and a lot more. Has it cracked the magic formula? Let’s find out! ‘Kingdom’ begins in the 1920s, with a tribe called Divi fighting against the British. The tribe fails in the fight with the hope that a saviour will arrive to put off their worries. 70 years later, we see Suri (Vijay Deverakonda), a constable searching for his elder brother Siva (Satyadev). Siva fled after killing their abusive father and ran away from home. His attempts to find Siva land him in a covert mission.
The Naked Gun
Comedy, Crime (English)
Only one man has the particular set of skills... to lead Police Squad and save the world: Lt. Frank Drebin Jr.
Cast:
Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, Michael Beasley, Cody Runnels
Director:
Akiva Schaffer
Writer:
Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, Akiva Schaffer
Naked Gun not very quietly acknowledges the impunity law enforcement enjoys and leaves absolutely no stone unturned to remind you that.
Fri, August 1 2025
Saiyaara
Romance, Drama (Hindi)
Short-tempered musician Krish is paired with a no-nonsense lyricist in Vaani, for the music company to work together. The sparks fly and Krish and Vaani get close and so much that they didn't anticipate. Will their love story stand the test of time, egos, and, more importantly, become bigger than themselves?
Cast:
Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda, Varun Badola, Alam Khan, Geeta Agrawal Sharma, Rajesh Kumar, Shaad Randhawa, Sid Makkar, Shaan Groverr
Director:
Mohit Suri
Why 'Saiyaara' is all the rage
Wed, July 30 2025
It took two twenty-something newcomers to cause ripples at the box-office. The Ajay Devgn-led Son of Sardaar 2 pushed its release date. And those awaiting releases in August know they have a force to reckon with in Saiyaara. So, what’s about the intense musical romance that audiences cannot get enough of and are reacting to in a rather dramatic fashion? IV drip? Copious tears? All this despite a happy ending. Here are five reasons why director Mohit Suri and writer Sankalp Sadanah have crafter a winner. Saiyaara’s soundtrack has one earworm after another, with the title track particularly hitting all the right loving notes. Rendered by Kashmir’s indie artist Faheem Abdullah, this is Gen Z and Alpha’s “Tum Hi Ho” moment, a track which is likely to dominate the airwaves and streaming apps for a few years, like “Kesariya” did.
The memory of young love still leaves a sting
Wed, July 23 2025
Peak millennial storytelling for the Win!
Mon, July 21 2025
Sarzameen
Drama, Thriller (Hindi)
A father who refused to bowl down to threats, a son who was given up for the nation, a family that was torn apart by the secrets and deeds of the past.
Cast:
Ibrahim Ali Khan, Kajol, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jitendra Joshi, Mihir Ahuja, Boman Irani, Rajesh Sharma, Rohed Khan, Abdul Quadir Amin, Tara Sharma
Director:
Kayoze Irani
Ibrahim Ali Khan’s terrible film accidentally gets you to root for a terrorist to kill a soldier, and you can’t even deny it
Tue, July 29 2025
In Sarzameen, a stern military man allows his only son to be murdered by terrorists in Kashmir because… nation comes first or something. You often hear about parents who proudly declare that they are willing to sacrifice their children for the country, and perhaps Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Vijay Menon is cut from the same cloth as those folks. The only difference is that his son isn’t a soldier on the front-lines, but a child for whom he feels no love. Played by Ibrahim Ali Khan, the child’s name is Harman, and the only reason his father hates him is that he isn’t like the other boys; he’s timid, he can’t play sports, and he speaks with a stutter.
(Writing for OTT Play)
Ineffective Thriller With No Voice
Mon, July 28 2025
Kayoze Irani’s Sarzameen, comes in the long line of films that sacrifice a decent idea at the altar of inept filmmaking. It is one of those political films that props itself up to make a statement but lacks both the spine and the bite to articulate its politics. Kannan Iyer’s Ae Watan Mere Watan (2024) is a recent example, also backed by Dharma Productions, where the voice of the maker got lost in the chaos of commentary. But if Sarzameen is to be believed, Irani has no voice. This, of course, is not wholly true. Before directing his feature debut, Irani helmed one of the better shorts in the uneven Netflix anthology Ajeeb Daastaans (2021). There was genuine sensitivity on display even when aided by a persuasive cast. Four years since, nothing of that remains. Sarzameen could have been directed by a tree, and I still wouldn’t be surprised. Every frame of the film is dunked in staleness, and the dialogues are woefully clunky, like an AI is talking to another AI.
(Writing for M9 News)
Mix of Family Drama and Patriotism
Sun, July 27 2025
An upright army officer Vijay Menon, while being a caring husband to Meher, struggles to raise his son, Harman with the same compassion. When Vijay nabs two suspects in his pursuit of a terrorist, Mohsin, his son Harman is kidnapped. Torn between his motherland and blood, a conflicted Vijay is forced to make a tough choice, one that’s bound to have serious repercussions many years later. Prithviraj Sukumaran, in the shoes of Vijay Menon, is excellent as the stoic, tough father, hardened by circumstances. He infuses life and sincerity into the father-son drama with a tour de force act. The star receives ample support from Kajol, who returns to form in style with a memorable, crucial role, in what is like an antithesis to her part in Fanaa. Both the actors truly shine as performers.
The Fantastic Four - First Steps
Science Fiction, Adventure (English)
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel's First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.
Cast:
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss
Director:
Matt Shakman
Revives Marvel by Turning Idealism into a Superpower
Tue, July 29 2025
Yes, I’m as surprised as any of you. Marvel’s lacklustre run since Avengers: Endgame (2019) has meant that Kevin Feige has been looking to consolidate for a while. He’s been badgered with constant firefighting that’s been needed since the sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020 (Black Panther), the abuse allegations against Jonathan Majors, who was playing Kang – supposed to be built up as the next big Marvel villain after Thanos – and the reality-check that Feige got for the female-led films like Black Widow (2020), The Marvels (2023), and a black Captain America (played by Anthony Mackie) – all of which turned out to be disappointments. Coupled with Marvel’s strained relations with director Ryan Coogler, actors Scarlet Johansson, Brie Larson, and the two main draws – Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr sitting out (till RDJ was announced to return as Doctor Doom) – it all looked like the cinematic universe was too scattered. But that seemed to take a new turn with Thunderbolts*, which teased reinvention of the Marvel movies with almost a M Night Shyamalan-esque take on a superhero movie.
The Fab Four
Sun, July 27 2025
The Fantastic Four - First Steps marks the entry of the Fantastic 4 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their appearance has been hinted in the past, most obviously in the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*, earlier this year but this is their first full-fledged film and they will be seen again in Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for 2026.
Marvel is back to claim its supremacy with its first family
Sat, July 26 2025
There has been enough representation of The Fantastic Four in pop culture. My earliest memory is of the animated series on TV. Of course, there were some underwhelming films too that came out in the early 2000s. In the post-pandemic era, as Marvel tries to reboot and revive its lost glory, The Fantastic Four: First Steps fits well in the larger scheme of things. It takes the audience, new and loyalists included, back in time and narrates the story of Marvel’s first family. It changes some of our earlier perceptions of the four superheroes from Earth 828, adds certain new elements, and makes it a formidable franchise that hopefully will see more films in the future. Does it make for a thrilling ride, though? Let’s find out.