Lucky Baskhar
Drama, Thriller, Crime (Telugu)
A cash-strapped bank cashier embarks on a risky investment scheme and soon gets drawn into the murky world of money laundering. (more…)
Mithya: The Darker Chapter
Mystery, Drama (Hindi)
A tale of two women who are at odds with each other over allegations of plagiarism, which sparks a series of hostilities and shocking revelations spun around a murder for which they both are suspects. (more…)
Guild Reviews
Rahasyam Idham Jagath
(English)
Rahasyam Idham Jagath" . is an exciting sci-fi adventure film, blending Indian mythology with historical discoveries found in Oregon, USA. With a fresh and intriguing storyline, this film promises to deliver a visually stunning and unforgettable experience for the Indian audience. Witness the mystery unfold in theaters worldwide on November 8th!
Earnest but far from engrossing
Sat, November 9 2024
How far would you go to help your loved ones? This question is oft explored in books and cinema. If done well, it can be an emotionally moving drama. Komal R Bharadwaj, who has written and directed the Telugu indie film Rahasyam Idham Jagath, gives this idea a different spin, interspersing elements of science fiction and mythology. There is romance, a bitter past, a possibility of revenge, unexplained murky happenings in an eerie setting and the possibility of time travel through a wormhole. It is an ambitious, interesting idea on paper but does not translate to an engrossing adventurous ride, despite the earnest execution of the film.
I Am Kathalan
Thriller, Drama (Malayalam)
How many servers would you hack for love? What started as a silly attempt to win back his girlfriend turns into a dangerous game of revenge for Vishnu, risking everything he cherishes.
Cast:
Naslen, Anishma Anilkumar, Dileesh Pothan, Lijomol Jose, Vineeth Vasudevan, Sajin Cherukayil, Vineeth Vishwam, Arshad Ali, Kiran Josey, Zhinz Shan
Director:
Girish A. D.
Fast-paced cyber crime thriller ends up an average fare
Fri, November 8 2024
If there exists a parallel world where losers are guaranteed to find salvation, Girish A.D’s characters would probably be the rulers of that world. Down and out protagonists have been a common factor in all his films till date, be it Thanneer Mathan Dinangal or Super Sharanya or Premalu. His latest outing I Am Kathalan is no different, but just as always, he brings the same underlying theme in a different packaging.
Mura
Action, Thriller (Malayalam)
In Trivandrum, four inseperable friends, from raw, rustic background Anandhu, Saji, Manu, and Manaf plan the ultimate heist, their one shot at turning dreams into reality. But as they dive deeper, shadows from the past surface, unraveling hidden motives and testing loyalties in ways they never saw coming. When friendship clashes with ambition, how far will they go for revenge?
Cast:
Suraj Venjaramoodu, Hridhu Haroon, Maala Parvathi, Kani Kusruti, Kannan Nayar, Jobin Das, Anujith Kannan, Sibi Joseph, Alfred Jose, Krish Hassan
Director:
Muhammad Musthafa
Writer:
Suresh Babu
Hridhu Haroon charms in violent actioner that meanders in 2nd half
Fri, November 8 2024
Director Muhammed Musthafa made his debut in the critically acclaimed Malayalam film, Kappela. The film, which is streaming on Netflix, stood out in terms of filmmaking and social message. After four years, he is now back with an action entertainer, Mura, which features Suraj Venjaramoodu and All We Can Imagine As Light-fame, Hridhu Haroon. Let’s see how the film has turned out. Local gangster Ani (Suraj Venjaramoodu) is the right hand of tough businesswoman Rema (Maala Parvathi), who entrusts him with many illegal activities. Ani, who is in touch with many rowdy gangs in the locality, reaches out to Anandhu (Hridhu Haroon) and Saji’s gang about a high-profile robbery. Anandhu, Saji, Manu and Manaf are young guns who grew up together, and know how to escape a crime scene.
Apocalypse Z - The Beginning of the End
Drama, Action, Horror (Spanish)
When a kind of rabies that transforms people into aggressive creatures spreads across the planet, Manel isolates himself at home with his cat, relying on his wits to survive; but soon they must go out in search of food, by land and by sea, dodging many dangers.
Cast:
Francisco Ortiz, José María Yázpik, Berta Vázquez, Iria del Río, Marta Poveda, Amalia Gómez, María Salgueiro, Yuri Mykhaylychenko, Ian Monclús, Yaiza Macías
Director:
Carles Torrens
The Beginning of the End movie review: Prime Video’s unoriginal zombie thriller compels you to zone out
Wed, November 6 2024
Influenced by every zombie thriller ever made, but more specifically, by the video game series The Last of Us, Prime Video’s Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End is a competently crafted thriller let down by a lack of ambition. The Spanish-language film unfolds across a year in the life of a grieving man named Manel, who is caught by himself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Manel is heartbroken over the death of his wife in a car crash not too long ago — the movie opens with this tragic scene — and is hanging on by a thread when the fast-spreading virus breaks out. Having survived the pandemic, everybody assumes that they can handle this outbreak as well. But they have no idea just how terrifying things are going to get. Initially, Manel decides to stay put at home and ignore the government’s instructions to participate in a military-aided evacuation. But after a couple of months in isolation, he has no choice but to make a move. Manel’s sister left with her family for the Canary Islands just as the outbreak got out of control, and even though he lost all contact with them a while ago, he decides that the smartest thing to do would be to make his way to them. Apocalypse Z is divided into chapters; not literally, like a Quentin Tarantino movie, but more structurally.
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare
Documentary (English)
Kirat falls for a man she meets online, only to get swept up in a virtual relationship that upends her life for years, in this shocking documentary.
Cast:
Kirat Assi, Hemma Gulhane, Anurag Mehra, Ariya Larker
Director:
Lyttanya Shannon
Sweet Bobby exposes chilling catfish deception.
Tue, November 5 2024
Even seasoned true-crime documentary aficionados will be left perplexed and very, very uncomfortable by what unfolds in this recently released watch on Netflix. A large part of that has to do with the fact that Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare feels both relatable and ridiculous at the same time and brings to the fore the dark abyss that is the Internet as well as exposes the shocking depths that human apathy can plunge to.
Longlegs
Crime, Horror, Thriller (English)
FBI Agent Lee Harker is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer. As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.
Cast:
Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, Lauren Acala, Kiernan Shipka, Maïla Hosie, Jason William Day
Director:
Osgood Perkins
Writer:
Osgood Perkins
Nicolas Cage builds dread and darkness in Longlegs.
Tue, November 5 2024
As is the norm in promoting any product these days, in the run-up to its theatrical release, Longlegs fell back on social media influencers to market it as the ‘scariest film of the year’. A far more interesting promotional campaign, which quickly went viral, included cryptic ads in newspapers, billboards across Los Angeles comprising nothing but a phone number which, when called, had actor Nicolas Cage, who plays the titular character, whisper ‘threats’ to listeners. A true-crime website was specially designed to detail the antecedents of Longlegs’ long list of victims. A modestly budgeted horror film was turned into an event, which made everyone ask: is Longlegs the most terrifying film in recent times?
A Spotify Review
Thu, July 18 2024
Longlegs is the rare psychological horror movie that truly gets under your skin. Featuring an instantly iconic performance by Nicolas Cage, the movie creates an ominous atmosphere with the help of a measured pace and an unsettling reliance on silence. We discuss the film’s grounded first act and its rapid descent into full-blown supernatural horror. We also talk about director Osgood Perkins’ immersive framing and the film’s themes of parenting and childhood trauma.
Nikosh Chhaya
(Bengali)
Bhaduri Moshai, the renowned occultist, is drawn into a haunting mystery when an Aghori tantric surfaces around the time of the blood moon, with sinister intentions which begin to harm people he holds dear.
Cast:
Chiranjeet Chakraborty, Surangana Bandyopadhyay, Anindita Bose, Gaurav Chakrabarty, Anujoy Chattopadhyay, Kanchan Mullick, Deboprasad Haldar, Arna Mukhopadhyay, Pallab Mukhopadhyay, Rahul Dev Bose
Director:
Parambrata Chatterjee
Kanchan Mullick shines in this creepy drama
Mon, November 4 2024
A couple of corpses disappear from a morgue. Police officer Amiya (Gaurab Chakrabarty) and his team start investigating. They learn about a little stinky monster, Genu, who reminds him of an old story. Amiya and Titas (Anindita Bose) remember that their old friend Sanjay (Anujoy Chatterjee) told them a story of a similar monster 10 years ago and both the descriptions match. That’s when Amiya seeks help from Bhaduri Moshai (Chiranjeet Chakraborty).
चौंकाती, दहलाती ‘द मिडवाइफ्स कन्फैशन’
Mon, November 4 2024
‘लड़की के मुंह में नमक डाल कर मुंह दबा देते थे, या फिर यूरिया खाद डाल देते थे, कई बार गर्दन पकड़ कर भी मरोड़ देते थे तो बच्ची मर जाती थी।’ बिहार के गांवों में दाई का काम करने वाली महिलाएं जब यह कहती हैं तो सुन कर दिल दहल जाता है। सच तो यह है कि बी.बी.सी. के यू-ट्यूब चैनल पर आई एक घंटे की डॉक्यूमैंट्री ‘द मिडवाइफ्स कन्फैशन’ (The Midwife’s Confession) देखते हुए दिल एक बार नहीं, कई बार दहलता है, बेचैन होता है, चौंकता है, उछलता है और डूबने भी लगता है।
Cast:
Arshad Warsi, Meher Vij, Baby Kiara Khanna, Shataf Figar, Arvind Kumar, Alisha Chopra, Jeeveshu Ahluwalia, Shilpi Marwaha, Kanwer Pal Kamboj, Sachin Negi
Director:
Abhishek Saxena
Writer:
Abhishek Saxena, Shaheen Iqbal
हर ’बंदा’ सिनेमा का ‘चौधरी’ नहीं होता
Mon, November 4 2024
अस्सी के दशक के पंजाब के बारे में मुमकिन है नई पीढ़ी के लोग खुल कर न जानते हों। उन्हें यह न पता हो कि सांझे चूल्हों और साझी विरासत वाली पंजाब की धरती पर उन दिनों फसलों की हरियाली से ज़्यादा बेकसूरों के खून की लाली दिखती थी। कुछ लोग थे जो परायों के बहकावे में आकर अपनों को ही मार रहे थे। जहां एक तरफ हिन्दुओं को चुन-चुन कर मारा जा रहा था और उन्हें पंजाब छोड़ने पर मजबूर किया जा रहता वहीं दूसरी तरफ सिक्ख भी पूरी तरह से सुरक्षित नहीं थे। लेकिन उस माहौल में बंदा सिंह चौधरी जैसे कुछ लोग थे जिन्होंने पलायन करने, डरने या मरने की बजाय मुकाबला करने का रास्ता चुना था। यह फिल्म ’बंदा सिंह चौधरी’ उस एक बंदे के बहाने से ऐसे लोगों के जुझारूपन की कहानी दिखाती है।
Arshad Warsi film fails to do justice to its subject, actors
Fri, October 25 2024
Based on a real-life character of the same name, Bandaa Singh Chaudhary tells the tale of a man who stood his ground and fought against tremendous odds during the 1980s in Punjab, when militancy was rising rapidly, propelling a clutch of separatist movements. With Arshad Warsi playing the eponymous Banda, and Meher Vij as his spirited wife Lalli, this film had the potential to deliver a strong character study set during one of the most turbulent periods of recent Indian history. But nothing does the subject any justice, neither the story-telling nor the performances.
Brother
Drama, Family, Comedy (Tamil)
Karthik, an unwavering idealist, goes on a journey to restore harmony in the fractured family and prove himself, when his pursuit of justice inadvertently clashes with family loyalty.
Cast:
Ravi Mohan, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Bhumika Chawla, Natarajan Subramaniam, Rao Ramesh, VTV Ganesh, Achyuth Kumar, Saranya Ponvannan, Seetha, Sathish Krishnan
Director:
M. Rajesh
Jayam Ravi, Rao Ramesh are the saving grace in this outdated family drama
Sat, November 2 2024
In the 1980s and 90s, we had a steady stream of films about an outsider coming to a broken home, and uniting everyone. Visu almost perfected this template. We saw it happen in the 90s and 2000s too where the setting of the home was extended to a college, a workplace, a village, etc… Basically, Indian cinema loves its feel-good family entertainer space where there are clashes of ego, but all’s well that ends well. There was a time when M Rajesh could effectively milk these situations, and effortlessly conjure hilarious scenes with his oddball protagonists. There was a time when he soared past the generic nature of the central plot, and neatly wrapped it all up with his brand of comedy. Unfortunately, hardly any of this happens in his latest film Brother.
Lucky Baskhar
Drama, Thriller, Crime (Telugu)
A cash-strapped bank cashier embarks on a risky investment scheme and soon gets drawn into the murky world of money laundering.
Cast:
Dulquer Salmaan, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Rajkumar Kasireddy, Ramki, Maganti Srinath, Sai Kumar, Sachin Khedekar, Tinnu Anand, Gayatri Bhargavi, Sivannarayana Naripeddi
Director:
Venky Atluri
Writer:
Venky Atluri
Venky Atluri, Dulquer Salmaan deliver an entertaining drama
Sat, November 2 2024
Lucky Baskhar, the Telugu film written and directed by Venky Atluri, employs the narrative technique of creating tense moments before a twist, then retracing a few steps to reveal the events that led to it, at sporadic intervals. The first time this happens, it is an indication of what the titular character is capable of. When this technique is repeated, there is the danger of it falling flat. There are occasions when we can pre-empt a twist, but the manner in which it unfolds brings a smile. This relationship drama woven around a financial scam is Atluri’s best work till date and is anchored by a powerhouse Dulquer Salmaan, who shifts seamlessly from a common man struggling to make ends meet to a shrewd banker driven by the need to make quick money.
Dulquer Salmaan elevates a solid, safe take on ambition
Thu, October 31 2024
While promoting his latest movie, Lucky Baskhar, director Venky Atluri claimed that one of his biggest strengths is his talent in screenwriting. However, those closely following his filmography would tell you that his ability to assemble a stellar cast is his greatest asset. He once again showcases this strength with Lucky Baskhar.
A terrific Dulquer Salmaan powers this brilliant Venky Atluri film
Thu, October 31 2024
Legendary American poet Maya Angelou once wrote, “When great trees fall in forests, small things recoil into silence…” Dulquer Salmaan’s latest film Lucky Baskhar is about one such small thing that decided to brave its fears, and find a way to survive when the tree of the great banking scam of the 90s fell. Of course, we have seen multiple iterations of this story through series like Scam 1992 and films like The Big Bull. But what Venky Atluri does in Lucky Baskhar is that he isn’t telling the story that everyone is focused on. He conjures up a story of a man who is caught in the crosshairs and decides to do something about it. Now, it is fictional, but it could have been true. And it is this thin line between fiction and reality that truly makes Lucky Baskhar a terrific watch.
Mithya: The Darker Chapter
Mystery, Drama (Hindi)
A tale of two women who are at odds with each other over allegations of plagiarism, which sparks a series of hostilities and shocking revelations spun around a murder for which they both are suspects.
Cast:
Huma Qureshi, Avantika Dassani, Indraneil Sengupta, Rajit Kapoor, Avantika Akerkar, Krishna Singh Bisht, Rushad Rana, Naveen Kasturia, Anindita Bose
Director:
Kapil Sharma
A forced, underwhelming sequel
Sat, November 2 2024
In the first season of the ZEE5 series Mithya, Hindi professor Juhi Adhikari (Huma Qureshi) was locked in a dangerous battle with student Rhea Rajguru (Avantika Dassani) after she failed her the young woman for plagiarism and branded her a cheat. The entitled daughter of a tea estate owner and college trustee, Rhea became obsessed with seeking vengeance, sometimes with violent results.
Huma Qureshi-starrer is contrived, unconvincing, and worst of all, dull
Fri, November 1 2024
There was enough intrigue in the first season of ‘Mithya’, in which a troubled author is left on the edge of a sharp wedge, for us to want to return for another round. However, the new season, which comes from the same production house (Applause Entertainment) but a different director (Kapil Sharma) is everything that the first wasn’t: contrived, unconvincing, and, the worst sin, dull.
How much Mithya is too much Mithya?
Thu, October 31 2024
One of my pet peeves features Hindi cinema’s toxic relationship with technology. You know how, in the middle of a public event, every single cellphone in the hall simultaneously beeps with a headline alert because the famous person it’s about is also present? Everyone turns to dramatically look at this unfortunate person; whispers and gossipy glances hijack the scene. This is how news spreads in such stories. It can be at a press conference, a panel discussion, even at a party. In Mithya: The Darker Chapter, it’s at a business auction that comes to a standstill. My questions are simple. How is it that nobody’s phone is on vibrate mode? Why are the shock and awe so coordinated? Why is it that no other message or app on the phone has a pop-up sound? The closest I’ve experienced as a real-world viewer is when, during a press screening of Super 30 (2019), most journalists in the hall audibly gasped when Dhoni got run out in that World Cup semifinal.