Thu, June 19 2025

The Survivors, the new six-episode Australian miniseries on Netflix, will remind you of Big Little Lies. People gone missing, secrets held close both in the past and present, deaths hanging over a closed-knit group of residents, and a fresh murder that not only triggers old memories but also reopens an old case. But unlike Big Little Lies, when it comes to crafting a compelling mystery with engaging characters, The Survivors just about passes muster. Based on the eponymously named book by Jane Harper, the action in The Survivors takes place in the fictional Tasmanian town of Evelyn Bay, the hometown of Kieran (Charlie Vickers), that he visits — girlfriend Mia (Yerin Ha) and their infant girl in tow — to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the night of a terrible storm. It was an unfortunate event in which Kieran himself nearly drowned, while his brother and a friend died trying to save him. Memories of that dreadful night — and its aftermath — loom large over Evelyn Bay, with most residents believing that Kieran was to blame. In fact, the young man’s mother Verity (Robyn Malcolm), having lost a son, also holds Kieran responsible for the deaths.

Continue reading …

Wed, June 18 2025

Based on the unfinished novel by Edith Wharton, the romance series returns with more love triangles and plenty more melodrama.

The Apple TV+ period romance The Buccaneers returns after a year and a half for its second season, in which the five young American women plant firmer roots in England. But compared to the events of the premiere season, the women are faced with more obstacles as they assert their identities in the middle of a patriarchal society. Amidst that, the series created by Katherine Jakeways develops into a more vibrant and messier version of itself than Season 1, especially when dealing with its romantic storylines. Set in the 1870s during the Gilded Age, the American women have now married into British society. Nan (Kristine Froseth) becomes one of the most powerful women with the title of Duchess of Tintagel, a position she uses well to shield her sister Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) against her abusive husband. The rest of the young women, American heiress Conchita (Alisha Boe) and sisters Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag) and Mabel (Josie Totah), have newer mountains to overcome. Nan’s mother, Patti (Christina Hendricks), decides to leave her husband with her sister, Nell (guest star Leighton Meester), by her side. Nan’s mother-in-law, the Dowager Duchess (Amelia Bullmore), also gets a second chance at romance. But not all of these endings are happily-ever-after this season.

Continue reading …

Wed, June 18 2025

In this day and age, where films tend to boast of a scope of cinematic universes, giant problems, global disarray, Second Chance is a relatively contained effort.

Nia (Dheera Johnson) is scared. In the first scene of Subhadra Mahajan’s Second Chance, we hear the protagonist’s voice over a black screen. She’s calling Kabir – her partner, presumably. She’s pregnant, and doesn’t know what to do. “Please call me back when you see this,” she drops him a text, one of the many that have gone unanswered. The screen comes to life, and she’s in the middle of thick snow. It takes a while for us to register that she’s in some remote corner in Himachal Pradesh. As details trickle down, we learn that Nia comes from a rich Delhi family, who own a holiday home in the hills. Overcome with fear about the pregnancy, Nia flees from the capital. With limited network coverage in the home (near a bedroom window), a silent boyfriend, and seemingly supportive-yet-distant parents, Nia finds her refuge among the caretaker family of the home: Raju (Rajesh Singh), his son Sunny (Kanav Thakur) and mother-in-law Bhemi (Thakri Devi).

Continue reading …

Tue, June 17 2025

Subhadra Mahajan’s debut film beautifully dissects the culture of pain and escapism

Grief is too absolute an entity in cinema. Like joy, disappointment and love, it’s often treated as a ‘phase’ in a story: a striking part of a whole. It is seen and staged, either as a brooding montage or an atmospheric song or a transformative conflict or a sullen flashback about a character’s retreat from civilisation (think mainstream movies like Jab We Met). But grief — or its more familiar version, heartbreak — is actually a part of a hole. The pain is abstract, undefined, still, and often, violently simple. In Subhadra Mahajan’s Second Chance, this simplicity is laid bare. It’s not a time in life but life itself. It’s not a phase in a story but storytelling itself.

Continue reading …

Sun, June 15 2025

Subhadra Mahajan's lyrical film explores grief, loss and healing in a hill town

Writer-director Subhadra Mahajan demonstrates remarkable confidence in her debut feature—a lyrical film that explores grief, loss and healing in the spiritual setting of a hill town, characterised by silence and stillness. Set in the Pir Panjal mountains of Himachal Pradesh during winter, the film follows 25-year-old Nia (Dheera Johnson), who takes refuge in her family’s remote summer home after experiencing personal loss. This escape from family, city, and a painful reality offers Nia the opportunity to work through her turmoil and emerge from the darkness. Rather than surrounding Nia with noise or heavy backstory, Mahajan distils the narrative down to essentials. Nia lives alone in the cosy house, blanketing herself from the cold and her own pain, until she begins to forge an unlikely bond with the caretaker Bhemi (Thakri Devi) and her playful grandson Sunny (Kanav Thakur). In spite of class differences, three generations coexist and build human connection through small chores, simple joys, and wordless understanding—spurred by rustic cricket games, local delicacies, and a cute kitten.

Continue reading …

Mon, June 16 2025

Sat, June 14 2025

A spin-off of the John Wick films, Ballerina represents the fifth installment in the franchise known for its unrestrained action. Additionally, the extended title (From the World of John Wick: Ballerina) indicates that the filmmakers intended for audiences to recognize this as a John Wick film, rather than a standalone entry.

Continue reading …

Sat, June 14 2025

Ana de Armas stars in a stylish John Wick spin-off that delivers brutal action and philosophical depth.

Set around the third installment of the John Wick film series, Ballerina is the story of another assassin from that world who defies the rules and faces consequences. With action set pieces that are increasingly bloody and creative, a well-etched character arc, and a similar philosophical core to its parent series, Ballerina turns out to be an effective companion piece to the John Wick films. However, if you are someone who finds yourself in the theatre unaware of the franchise’s legacy, Ballerina might come across as an excuse for a series of incredibly sophisticated fight sequences stitched together by a semblance of a story. As an origin story, Ballerina takes a familiar route: an orphaned child, robbed of her innocence, with a burning vengeance deep in her heart, that doesn’t let her choose a path that would save her from getting her hands bloody. Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), as a child, witnesses her father die at the hands of a cult while saving her from their grasp. She grows up with her father’s family, which turns out to be the Ruska Roma, the same criminal organisation that John Wick belongs to. Under the mentorship of its Director (Anjelica Huston), Eve is taught to become an assassin and, more importantly, to “fight like a girl." However, that’s the extent to which the film explores gender politics, as there isn’t a lot of depth to Eve, and she does almost everything John would have done in her place.

Continue reading …

Mon, June 16 2025

Sun, June 15 2025

Stolen is a rare film in Hindi cinema that maintains a clear focus on its central issue and is executed with precision. There is no unnecessary meandering, nor are there any subplots that detract from the main narrative – this is a meaty film.

Continue reading …

Fri, June 13 2025

After producing two movies about a hyper-masculine cop who literally lynches people, Nikkhil Advani has attached himself as an executive producer to Stolen, the new survival thriller on Prime Video. In addition to Advani, the movie needed the support of heavy hitters such as Anurag Kashyap, Kiran Rao, and Vikramaditya Motwane in order to get a release after a festival run that began in 2023. Fortunately, it did, because it’s one of the better-made Hindi features of the year. We talk about the film’s many layers, and how director Karan Tejpal weaves them into a tight narrative. We also discuss the film’s larger commentary about contemporary India, and some of the writing missteps that it makes.

Sat, June 14 2025

A dazzlingly animated film that pushes the long-running franchise into fresh directions.

While many people have tried to project meaning onto Steven Spielberg’s Jaws — some have called it a parable about the Vietnam War, others have described it as a post-Watergate examination of the American middle-class — the movie is perhaps best enjoyed as a piece of pulp, devoid of any subtext at all. It is, after all, about a people-eating shark. Some things should remain uncomplicated. Nothing, for instance, would suck the joy out of a Predator movie more than trying to extract a deeper meaning from it. The franchise’s surprise new instalment, the animated offshoot Predator: Killer of Killers, embraces the simplicity at its core. And although it’s written by two grown men, it has the giddy energy of something concocted by teenage boys.

Continue reading …

Sat, June 14 2025

Far too many times in the last few years, Rajkummar Rao has played versions of the same person: a small town layabout whose overwhelming uselessness is inexplicably presented as innocent charm.

Nobody is above being typecast, not even Shah Rukh Khan. But while the Badshah of Bollywood has broken hearts and weakened knees with his culture-defining romance movies, Rajkummar Rao has become the patron saint of losers. Far too many times in the last decade, the once-promising star has played versions of the same person: a small town layabout whose overwhelming uselessness is inexplicably presented as innocent charm. The secret behind these characters’ appeal is never revealed, nor does Rao play them as particularly irresistible. In fact, in most of these movies, not only are the protagonists indistinguishable from each other, they’re positively repulsive. Even Rao would’ve struggled to bring freshness to his performance in Bhool Chuk Maaf, the latest in this long line of films.

Continue reading …

Fri, May 30 2025

Mon, May 26 2025

The plot is ingenious but the Rao-Wamiqa Gabbi starrer falls into the predictable trap of trying to make the jokes work with loud delivery

Ranjan (Rajkummar Rao) and Titli (Wamiqa Gabbi) want to get married. Time won’t allow them to. Funnily, it’s running time which the makers struggle to move along in this comedy about Ranjan’s tryst with time to reach his final destination. The plot is the least of problems for Bhool Chuk Maaf. In fact it’s the only ingenious bit in the film. It’s the characterisation of the lead hero, Ranjan, which makes this a hard pill to swallow. If one is to root for this guy’s predicament, one’s unable to because on paper there’s not much appealing about him. His ambition is simple: get a government job so as to marry his sweetheart; the means to go about it are questionable and ultimately off-putting. It makes Titli’s penchant for him all the more puzzling. Love does have mysterious ways, but surely idiocy isn’t one.

Continue reading …

Sat, June 14 2025

Rana Dagubatti makes up for the show's shortcomings as the long, tall and strong titular character, who stays the last man standing in the face of all the murder and mayhem.

Rana Naidu is back for a second-go-round, and this season is as kinetic as the first, fists and bullets flying. It also dials down the crassness, which is a good thing. The close ties that keeps the Naidu parivaar together are still intact, though, and that gives this heavy-on-action saga the occasional emo touch, which we saw in the first season. This franchise, adapted from American crime drama ‘Ray Donovan’ for India by Karan Anshuman, is shaping up to deliver on what it promises: a family man trying to do his best to keep his embattled flock safe even as he goes full tilt at what he is paid to – fix things for powerful people.

Continue reading …

Sat, June 14 2025

बाहरवालों के लिए अमीरों के लफड़े फिक्स करने वाला नंबर वन फिक्सर, मगर परिवार के लिए जान छिड़कने वाला फैमिली मैन राणा नायडू एक बार फिर दर्शकों के बीच आ चुका है। ‘बाहुबली’ के भल्लालदेव यानी साउथ स्टार राणा दग्गुबाती की मुख्य भूमिका वाली सीरीज का पहला सीजन सेक्स सीन, गालियों और हिंसा की भरमार के लिए आलोचना झेलने के बावजूद स्टाइलिश एक्शन, थ्रिलर और फैमिली ड्रामा की वजह से पसंद किया गया था। लिहाजा मेकर्स अब उन्हीं मसालों के साथ ‘राणा नायडू’ का दूसरा सीजन लेकर आए हैं। सीरीज में इस बार भी जोरदार एक्शन, मारधाड़, हिंसा, बोल्ड सीन जैसे पुराने तड़कों के साथ सियासत, सिनेमा, क्रिकेट का कॉकटेल परोसा गया है। हालांकि, इन सारे मसालों के बावजूद मूल सामग्री यानी कहानी की मात्रा गड़बड़ाने के कारण सीरीज का स्वाद फीका रह गया है। अमेरिकी क्राइम थ्रिलर सीरीज ‘रे डोनोवन’ का देसी अवतार यानी अपना राणा नायडू (राणा दग्गुबाती), अब वह दूसरों की गंदगी साफ करने वाले फिक्सर के अपने पुराने धंधे को छोड़कर पूरी तरह फैमिली मैन बनने का फैसला करता है। हालांकि, वह ऐसा करने की सोच ही रहा होता है कि उसका अतीत रऊफ मिर्जा (अर्जुन रामपाल) का रूप धारण करके उसके सामने आ जाता है और उसके बेटे का किडनैप हो जाता है। जाहिर है राणा को वापस अपराध में उस दलदल में उतरना पड़ता है। इस चक्कर में उसकी मुठभेड़ होती है, काले धंधे करने वाले सफेदपोश रईस विराज ओबरॉय (रजत कपूर) से।

Continue reading …

Sat, June 14 2025

Rana faces a deadly mission to rescue his kidnapped son Ani, reluctantly teaming with his estranged father Naga. His conflict with underworld kingpin Rauf escalates, involving family tensions, a dangerous heist, and brutal attacks on his allies. As betrayal looms, Rana joins hands with a business honcho, Viraj Oberoi, to protect his family and confront Rauf’s forces, going on the offensive. Rana Daggubati is totally in his zone as the angsty, middle-aged fixer and family man. He’s solid as a flawed character willing to do whatever it takes to protect his people. With his action-hero vibe, natural ease in family scenes, and steady presence around shady power players, he once again delivers strong, impactful screen presence. Surveen Chawla, as his troubled partner, delivers well in a meatier role this time.

Continue reading …

Sat, June 14 2025

A visually dazzling and emotionally grounded remake that proves some stories are worth retelling.how-to-train-your-dragon

Some tales are beyond redundancy. Despite the utmost familiarity and success, they get retold again and again throughout history, and we call them classics. Hence, a question about the purpose of a new iteration of an age-old classic is unnecessary, to an extent, absurd. How To Train Your Dragon, written by Cressida Cowell, is one such story. Hence, despite the tremendous success of its animated adaptation of the same name that was released in 2010, we now have a live-action version. However, DreamWorks Studio’s decision to do a live-action remake has more to do with easy profit than anything else. Following Disney’s route, the studio has ventured into this new space, and one should say they have hit a jackpot. Despite being a faithful remake of the original, the live-action remake retains the joy and visual spectacle that is a treat to both sets of audience: those who are and are not aware of this delectable world of dragons and Vikings.

Continue reading …

Sat, June 14 2025

Based on the popular Dutch reality show De Verraders, The Traitors is hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar. In this psychological game, 20 players are stationed at the grand Suryagarh Palace in Rajasthan, openly betraying each other to compete for a prize of ₹1 crore. Hidden among the innocents are the traitors, who secretly ‘murder’ players. The contestant line-up includes Karan Kundrra, Anshula Kapoor, Sudhanshu Pandey, Jasmine Bhasin, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Chhabra, Raftaar, Jannat Zubair, Sahil Salathia, Uorfi Javed, Harsh Gujral, Maheep Kapoor, and Raj Kundra. The Traitors, in its Indian debut, could be labelled a social deduction game – a classier hybrid of Bigg Boss and Roadies, where players are housed in a royal mansion, pitted against each other, guarding their true identities and undertaking adventurous tasks that lead to eliminations every episode.

Continue reading …

Sat, June 14 2025

Raghu, a Surat boy, flees home to join a Mumbai esports team for the Tournament of Champions, where they’ll challenge the elite Wolf Clan. The team faces internal struggles, including Joanna’s mounting debt and the shocking revelation of Raghu’s minor status, which leads to her arrest. Despite multiple setbacks, Gamerlog overcomes adversity, ultimately reaching the finals to face their formidable rivals. Darsheel Safary makes a convincing return to the screen as an adult, playing a confused yet passionate kid, eager to prove himself, yet unsure of how to connect with his gaming peers. But the real standout is Anjali Sivaraman as Joanna. She’s the emotional core of the show, essaying a layered character whose inner conflicts never overshadow her fierce loyalty to her team.

Continue reading …

Fri, June 13 2025

If Ajay Devgn were to show up in the new Apple thriller to help out Sydney Sweeney and Julianne Moore, you wouldn't bat an eyelid.

The central thrust of the Drishyam movies relies on one basic truth: Ajay Devgn’s character will do just about anything to protect his family. Not only does he cover up a murder, he also concocts an intricate scheme to keep the cops off his scent. The Drishyam movies don’t realise this, but the protagonist is actually a psychopath in the guise of a protective family man. In the second movie, he even allows his teenage daughter to be manhandled by the police in order to keep up the charade. The Drishyam franchise holds some sort of record for having inspired the most remakes. And although it isn’t an official adaptation, the new Apple movie Echo Valley follows the exact same beats. It would’ve been one of the rare examples of Hollywood ripping off an Indian project had Drishyam itself not been a rip-off of a Japanese novel.

Continue reading …

Fri, June 13 2025

Director Michael Pearce's drama about the depth of a mother's love is convoluted throughout but sticks the landing.

At the heart of Echo Valley is the mother-daughter relationship between Julianne Moore’s Kate and Sydney Sweeney’s Claire that gets strained beyond belief. Writer Brad Ingelsby and director Michael Pearce throw the impossible at them, and viewers watch the chaos unfold. At times, the feature stretches incredulity. However, the one-hour and 45-minute film is saved by its clever and twisty ending that manages to tie up everything nearly into place. To say Kate (Moore) is having a hard time is an understatement. She is barely able to keep the farm where she boards horses afloat and needs to borrow money from her ex-husband Richard (Kyle MacLachlan). On top of that, she is grieving the loss of her wife, who died in an accident. Her daughter Claire (Sweeney), who struggles with drug addiction, adds to her worries. When Claire shows up at her door one night covered in someone else’s blood, Kate decides to get into action. However, the mother’s love for her child is tested when Claire’s dealer, Jackie Lyman (Domhnall Gleeson), pushes her to the limits.

Continue reading …