Guild Reviews
Dude
Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance (Tamil)
Childhood friends Agan and Kural are inseparable. When Kural encounters romantic troubles, Agan must balance his hidden feelings for her with his desire to ensure her happiness.
Cast:
Pradeep Ranganathan, R. Sarathkumar, Mamitha Baiju, Hridhu Haroon, Neha Shetty, Rohini, Ramachandra Raju, Dravid Selvam, Aishwarya Sharma, Satya
Director:
Keerthiswaran
Writer:
Keerthiswaran
Pradeep Is here to stay
Mon, October 20 2025
Pradeep Ranganathan Shouts Through a Loud, Crass Soup Boy Comedy
Sat, October 18 2025
There’s an argument to be made about the cleverness of the opening sequence of Pradeep Ranganathan’s third outing as hero, Dude. Not only does he deserve an introduction befitting a rising star, but he’s also not at the level where he can save an entire village — at least, not yet. So instead of a grand hero’s entry, what he gets is the absolute definition of a zero entry.
The Long Review
Sat, October 18 2025
Paathirathri
Drama, Thriller (Malayalam)
When two police officers, Hareesh and Jancy, stumble upon a mysterious event at midnight, they unleash a chain of unpredictable consequences that threaten their careers, relationships, and lives.
Cast:
Navya Nair, Soubin Shahir, Sunny Wayne, Ann Augustine, Shabareesh Varma, Indrans, Athmeeya Rajan, Harisree Ashokan, Achyuth Kumar, Pooja Mohanraj
Director:
Ratheena
Writer:
Shaji Maarad
(Writing for Filmy Sasi)
Navya and Soubin lead the charge
Sun, October 19 2025
In recent years, Malayalam cinema has produced several police stories that look beyond their heroic surface. From the era of Suresh Gopi’s Bharath Chandran IPS, the template has shifted to more grounded portrayals, with filmmakers exploring the brutal, vulnerable, and helpless sides of police officers. Ratheena’s Paathirathri belongs to this newer breed, focusing equally on the personal lives of its cops. Set in Anakkara, a village in Kerala’s Idukki district, the film revolves around an unforeseen event that takes place at midnight.
Soubin Shahir and Navya Nair star in an uninspiring crime procedural
Sat, October 18 2025
One of the surest bets for audience appreciation in the current purple patch of Malayalam cinema has been realistic police procedurals. An intriguing screenplay bringing out all the crucial little details of the investigation and a fairly surprising twist in the tale could turn a film into a box office winner. But this trend is now slowly turning into a formula, with makers at times mechanically repeating all the familiar beats of the genre.
Two Much With Kajol and Twinkle
Talk (Hindi)
Two of India’s sharpest women, Kajol and Twinkle, host a talk show that’s fun, unhinged and sneakily insightful - featuring celebrity guests, wild takes, and total chaos. Like the fun table at the party - everyone’s invited.
Cast:
Twinkle Khanna, Kajol
Director:
Arun Sheshkumar
Writer:
Bhavesh Gandhi, Jessica Khurrana, Punya Arora
Chunky Panday and Govinda On Their Feminism
Sun, October 19 2025
One of the strange symptoms of our current climate is an inability to distinguish between ironic and unironic love. When I ask friends who have paid for and partaken in Himesh Reshammiya’s Cap Mania concert, if they are enjoying the music or the performance of a collective exercise in irony, the answers confuse me, because the distinction seems hard to make. The question of what to do with celebrities of irony is itching, because they are people who become known for their upfront, unapologetic silliness. We enjoy their audacity. We cringe at the expression of it. Why do we love Rakhi Sawant? Urvashi Rautela? What primal instinct for trash do they accomplish? Perhaps, trash has a street credit that Satyajit Ray simply cannot compete with, a counter-canon kind of joy that insists on and prides itself in being outside of what is considered tasteful and tactful.
Diesel
Action, Romance, Drama (Tamil)
During the 1980s, Manohar was a leader in the city's crude oil smuggling business. Manohar opposed Patanis dream of setting up a private port that would become a hub for the black market oil trade. He looted a large quantity of oil from the pipeline to blackmail the government into fulfilling his dream. Finally, the Vasu finds the missing oil.
Cast:
Harish Kalyan, Athulya Ravi, Yogi Babu, Karunas, Vinay Rai, Ananya, Sai Kumar, Sachin Khedekar, Vivek Prasanna, KPY Dheena
Director:
Shanmugam Muthusamy
Writer:
Shanmugam Muthusamy
Harish Kalyan Anchors A Lost, Lazy Film
Sat, October 18 2025
With big, puppy dog eyes and an angular nose that could crater dimples into cheeks, facial hair that hoods over his lips, nimble legs that slip into skinny pants, a bicep wide enough to hold a strange tattoo of his dead mother as a mermaid, and a mop of hair so thick and wild, it requires its own continuity supervisor, actor Harish Kalyan finds the pitch of his character in Diesel, Vasu or Diesel Vasu, somewhere between the charming boy from a romantic film and the vengeful hero from an action one, between the lithe dance movements of Vijay and the handsome, brooding anger of Surya, not quite either, not quite both.
Harish Kalyan's film fails to ignite despite strong premise
Fri, October 17 2025
Director Shanmugam Muthusamy’s ‘Diesel’, starring Harish Kalyan, Vinay Rai, and Athulya Ravi, attempts to tell the story of fisherfolk caught in the world of crude oil smuggling. Despite its ambitious canvas, the film lacks originality and crumbles under derivative storytelling and technical incompetence. ‘Diesel’ opens with promise. Director Vetri Maaran’s commanding voice-over—reminiscent of his ‘Vada Chennai’—sets up a compelling premise about fishermen protesting a 17-kilometre crude oil pipeline installation on the shore, protests that end in tragedy and bloodshed. It’s the kind of socially conscious setup that suggests substance. But that’s where the promise ends.
The Pet Detective
Adventure, Comedy (Malayalam)
A couple of amateur sleuths attempt to solve the mystery behind disappearing pets, but become embroiled in far more sinister crimes.
Cast:
Sharafudheen, Anupama Parameswaran, Vinay Forrt, Muthukumar, Vinayakan, Joemon Jyothir, Shyam Mohan, Renji Panicker, Maala Parvathi, Jinu Joseph
Director:
Praneesh Vijayan
Writer:
Praneesh Vijayan
A moderately funny comic book caper with template characters
Sat, October 18 2025
A kidnapped girl, a missing dog, exotic fishes that get stolen, a feared Mexican mafia don and a couple of smaller dons, a psychopath, a bumbling policeman, and a pet detective. One would need this basic checklist to keep track of the numerous subplots that are cramped into The Pet Detective, directed by debutant Praneesh Vijayan The writers appear to be aware of this rather confusing mix that they get one of the characters to periodically narrate the series of events till then, just so that no one gets lost. But then, it is sometimes a pleasure to get lost in a world in which things do not get serious beyond a point, just like in comics. Clearly, this is the space that the makers are aiming for, where even a Mafia don does not look too dangerous, but at times ends up as a laughing stock. In its staging, editing patterns and over-the-top performances, the film attempts to capture this comic energy. Yet, for a film of this nature, the jokes that land well are just about a handful.
Theatre: The Myth of Reality
Drama, Mystery (Malayalam)
Cast:
Rima Kallingal, Ashwathy B, Dain Davis, Sarasa Balussery, Pramod Veliyanad, Krishnan Balakrishnan, Mekha Rajan, Ann Saleem, Balaji Sarma, Akhil R C Kavalayoor
Director:
Sajin Baabu
Writer:
Sajin Baabu
Between solitude, superstition and survival
Sat, October 18 2025
Imagine two women in a lonely house with a large yard that benefits no one else. Would the authorities care about their two votes? In Sajin Baabu’s abstractly titled Theatre: The Myth of Reality, this is how a discussion unfolds among locals in Kerala’s backwaters as they talk about the isolated lives of a spinster named Meera (Rima Kallingal) and her mother Sharadamma (Sarasa Balussery). Their lifestyle is peculiar and far removed from the mainland. In the agriculture-based ecosystem they’ve built for themselves, the duo is surrounded by a serpent temple (kaavu) where a prayer must be performed every day.
The Diplomat S03
Drama, War & Politics (English)
Amid an international crisis, a US diplomat contends with her high-profile job as ambassador to the UK and her strained marriage to a political star.
Cast:
Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, Rory Kinnear, Ato Essandoh
Who really stole the doomsday weapon Poseidon?
Fri, October 17 2025
It’s fitting that The Diplomat on Netflix ends its third season not with an explosion, but with something quieter, and infinitely more dangerous. A silence loaded with betrayal. For a show built on diplomatic finesse and political tension, The Diplomat season 3 brings its most devastating twist yet: the realisation that even love, loyalty, and diplomacy are just different dialects of manipulation. Let’s dive into The Diplomat season 3 story and ending, explained here, cast, and more.
Telusu Kada
Romance, Drama (Telugu)
A couple's struggle with infertility takes a complicated turn when an ex-partner offers to be their surrogate.
Cast:
Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Srinidhi Shetty, Raashii Khanna, Harsha Chemudu
Director:
Neeraja Kona
Writer:
Neeraja Kona
Siddhu, Raashii and Srinidhi lead a messy Telugu drama about tangled relationships
Fri, October 17 2025
In an early scene from director Neerraja Kona’s Telugu romance drama Telusu Kada (loosely translated as You know it, right?), chef-restaurateur Varun (Siddhu Jonnalagadda) berates his staff for failing to meet his exacting standards. His friend and moral compass (Harsha Chemmudu) reminds him to see things more practically: for Varun, a loner, the restaurant is his world; for his staff, it is just a job.
The Woman in Cabin 10
Mystery, Drama, Thriller (English)
On a lavish yacht for an assignment, a journalist sees a passenger go overboard. But when no one believes her, she risks her life to uncover the truth.
Cast:
Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce, David Ajala, Gitte Witt, Art Malik, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Hannah Waddingham, Kaya Scodelario, David Morrissey, Daniel Ings
Director:
Simon Stone, Farhan Rana Rajpoot
Carries forward the genre of mysteries with unreliable female narrators... with mixed results
Thu, October 16 2025
Aspiring to be Agatha Christie-lite, mounting a narrative that reminds one of the Knives Out films and attempting to throw in a bit of Hitchcockian suspense in a confined space setting, The Woman in Cabin 10 is the latest in the subgenre of unreliable female narrators, one that has gained momentum in the last decade with films like Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, Before I Go To Sleep, The Woman in the Window, et al. The Woman in Cabin 10, recently released on Netflix, is based on Ruth Ware’s 2016 novel, and swaps the manor-style/chamber drama setting reserved for mysteries of such kind for a cruise ship. While that may initially come across as inventive, one immediately realises that Christie did it almost 90 years ago with Death on the Nile, that found its way to the big screen in 1978 and then as recently as 2022.
Keira Knightley Thriller Weighed Down By Predictable Twists
Sat, October 11 2025
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.
You're Cordially Invited
Comedy (English)
When two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue, each bridal party is challenged with preserving their family's special moment while making the most of the unanticipated tight quarters. In a hilarious battle of determination and grit, the father of the bride and sister of the other bride chaotically go head-to-head as they stop at nothing to uphold an unforgettable celebration for their loved ones.
Cast:
Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Stony Blyden, Leanne Morgan, Rory Scovel, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Ramona Young
Director:
Nicholas Stoller
Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon are fun, You're Cordially Invited isn't
Wed, October 15 2025
Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell star in You’re Cordially Invited — the most Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell film possible. That both actors function as executive producers in this 2025 romantic comedy shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, both have earned their stripes largely being a part of such films — ones that are predominantly distinguished by their ability to slap together a ludicrous but mostly watchable story that brings on ample belly laughs. Whether you retain any bit of those films once you walk out of the theatre is, however, questionable.
Reese Witherspoon And Will Ferrell's Comedy Isn't Perfect
Mon, February 3 2025
The latest Prime Video release is the romantic comedy titled You’re Cordially Invited led by Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. Directed and written by Nicholas Stoller, the film focuses on the story of two supporting characters at two different weddings aka the bride’s sister and another bride’s widowed father. They cross paths at the accidently double-booked wedding venue and the fight for the venue ensues. While the plot seems easy to explore in the comedy genre, the makers did present a new take on the situation. Instead of the fight going on before the wedding proceeds, the arguments go on throughout the wedding and after, taking away the urgency of the incident. The film begins with Will Ferrell’s character finding out that his young daughter is getting married to her boyfriend. While he isn’t exactly happy about it, he agrees because it would mean his daughter moves closer to home. On the other hand, Reese finds out her sister is getting married to her erotic dancer boyfriend. Supportive of the decision and wary of how the family would react, she agrees to look after the wedding planning. Both weddings are accidentally booked at the same resort on a small island for the same weekend.
Wedding woes
Sun, February 2 2025
By now, big stars teaming up for a streaming original film — mostly comedy, and made on a budget that makes you wonder about the recovery without a theatrical run — has become a mainstay. What’s been difficult is to shake off the tag that these films offer little entertainment compares to their big-screen counterparts. Films like Prime Video’sYou’re Cordially Invited tell you why this trend is, unfortunately, not a fad. Director Nicholas Stoller, the maker behind comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, The Five-Year Engagement and Bros, is back for another comedy headlined by powerhouses Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon. In You’re Cordially Invited, a single father, Jim (Will Ferrell), to get his daughter Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan) married off, books a small inn on Palmetto Island where he got married years ago. Concurrently, television producer Margot (Reese Witherspoon) finds out that her sister Neve (Meredith Hagner) is planning on marrying and she volunteers to plan the wedding. She books the same Palmetto Island, where she and Neve visited their grandmother as children. Thanks to what can be only called a clerical error, both parties reach the island on the same day to learn about the double booking. While Jim and Margot initially decide to work it out by sharing the premises, their egos, insecurities, miscommunication, and many other mistakes play havoc.
Veduvan
Crime, Mystery (Tamil)
Sooraj, a struggling Tamil actor, is approached by a director to star in a biopic about Encounter Specialist Arun. As he dives deeper, he discovers there is much more to Arun’s story.
Cast:
Kanna Ravi, Sanjeev, Sravnitha Srikanth, Vinusha Devi, Rekha Nair, Lavanya, Aishwarya Raghupathi
Director:
Pavan
Writer:
Pavan
Kanna Ravi's sincere act falls short in rushed crime drama
Tue, October 14 2025
‘Veduvan’, now streaming on Zee5, throws us into the life of Sooraj, an aspiring actor who unexpectedly lands a lead role in a film about Arun, a cop with a controversial reputation for encounter killings. It’s a classic case of life imitating art, as Sooraj digs into Arun’s world - not just as research for a part, but in a way that starts to affect him deeply.
Caught Stealing
Crime, Thriller, Comedy (English)
Burned-out ex-baseball player Hank Thompson unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival amidst the criminal underbelly of late 1990s New York City, forced to navigate a treacherous underworld he never imagined.
Cast:
Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio, Griffin Dunne, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Bad Bunny
Director:
Darren Aronofsky
An urban nightmare turns into a redemption story
Sun, October 12 2025
Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing is a crime thriller with a shot of black comedy. Adapted by author Charlie Huston from his own noir 2004 novel, the film, set in New York City in 1998, follows bartender Hank Thompson, played with remarkable physical and emotional commitment by Butler. Hank was once a promising minor-league baseball player. He now drifts through life as a bartender, carrying teenage trauma and regrets. When a neighbour asks him to look after his pet cat, a seemingly innocent favour propels Hank into a vortex of gangsters, corrupt cops and psychotic debt collectors. What begins as a noir caper unfurls into an Aronofsky psychodrama: a man’s descent into chaos, filmed with a feverish intimacy that’s both thrilling and affecting.
The Wrong Man
Sat, October 11 2025
Based on the screenplay by Charlie Huston, who also authored the original novel in 2004, Caught Stealing is a crime caper that smoothly shifts gears, culminating in a climax that will largely leave you feeling satisfied, as the end credits begin to roll.