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Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

Is it an 8? No. Is it a 2? No. It's a high 6.

I enjoyed this better than the last one because the movie knows what it is and does what it's best at, being a visual grandeur. The action, visual effects and stunts are all A+ for a Netflix movie. This isn't Zack Snyder's best nor worst.

Someone compared this to Madame Web and I hope they have a child whose doesn't go to bed unless they watch Madame Web.

Djimon Housou is great and other actors do fairly well. We aren't looking for some acting masterclass here. If you're looking for some cool looking CqC, gunfu, big and small ships go boom, pew pew storm trooper aim, good guys win bad guys eat dust all for a lazy Saturday evening then this movie is perfect.

The movie is weakest in the beginning. Zack missed the character development in the first part and tries to catch up in this half but fails. Once that's out of the way it's all badassery.

Some day I will come back to this movie after I have forgotten about it just for the second half.

3 Body Problem (2024)

I don't care about books, many people don't care about books!!

And book readers, if books are so superior then why every single time you watch and whine? Let dumb adaptations get dumb appreciation.

This series isn't without its faults but acting, production, cinematography, sound design is all done great except some janky VFX here and there. Ramin Djwadi's music is good but not as impactful as Westworld and Game of thrones.

Some scenes could've been better in chopping room and some things are just exposition. So don't expect a series like Dark. But it's not a 3 or 4 or even 6 for that matter. It's entertaining. Slow burn at times. Acted very well and dialogues are for the most part really well done.

Some sequences are executed extremely well and few characters are written well enough to become memorable as well.

Here's to the hopeful second season which I can't wait for.

Bhakshak (2024)

Most important film of this year

Bhakshak should really start with a strong disclaimer, although it does say viewers discretion advised and Netflix warns you about sexual violence, it should really say go away because it opens with a scene that will have your spine in knots. The scene like the rest of the movie is masterfully created with long takes and a sinister cinematography and extremely well acted. It tells you now that you're here, sit down and let me tell you a story of what happened in your backyard.

The rest of the film follows Bhumi Pednekar and Sanjay Mishra who are reporter and camera man excellently portrayed by both. It was as if they were competing on who is going to steal the scene, both equally demanding attention with their powerful performance. They are helped by Durgesh Kumar to go against a truly heinous and monstrous Aditya Shrivastav who has given his career best. His performance wants you to reach into the screen and punch him till his lights go out. Durgesh Kumar after panchayat has made his mark as one of the underrated actors working today. They are joined by a terrific case of supporting actors many of who are teenagers and children.

Director Pulkit has worked with his DP to really nail the aesthetic of Bihar streets, daily life of middle class and the dark underbelly. Background score is superbly done. Some of the best done in Indian cinema. Sound design is great as well. But the hero of this movie are the writers, who don't hesitate to slap you in the face forcing you to not blink. The dialogues are fantastic, specially the one take epilogue. One of the reviewers complained about how this movie softly targets Hinduism, completely forgetting a frame where picture of protagonist beside Lord Hanuman. There's masterful symbolism done with goddess kaali as well.

This would be a perfect movie but the way it kind of wraps up in the end as if telling the audience "rest is history" and doesn't bother with another 10 or 15 minutes of what happened to the characters of the story. A couple of supporting actors were not able to match the towering performance by the lead actors.

It is otherwise a difficult but the most important movie of the year. I hope it becomes one of the best Indian movies to come out of Netflix.

Kudos to Red chillies for producing this movie.

Kaala Paani (2023)

Biswapati Sarkar is the hero behind screen

Take a bow to one of the best writers working in the industry and such an underrated one as well. Biswapati Sarkar. The man gave us gems like TVF Pitchers and Permanent Roommates. This for him is a totally new realm and he has almost nailed it, almost. I say almost because for us as viewers you've to really believe in the world that he is creating. A world where an entire island is cut off and no help is coming which itself is opens a can of worms like people have cell phones and internet. Also, this is post-covid world where people are well aware of govt. Tactics and pandemic protocols. Once you are past that, the thrill, suspense, drama and chaos are very engaging. Of course, you can nitpick on every single thing, or you can enjoy this refreshing new take of sci-fi that blends with culture and mythology of local indigenous tribes.

For me, Sukant Goel and Vikas Kumar are both standouts. Not only their character arc is beautifully written but their performances just jump out of the screen. So much acting is done with their eyes and their dialogues were written almost perfectly. Arushi Sharma and Radhika Merhotra, I wasn't sure at first but grew on me as I went along on the journey. The only gripe I had were the child actors and Ashutosh Gowarikar?? Who plays Lt. Gov.?? Whatt?? I really did not recognize him until I saw imdb. I don't know why did they go with him because he and his dialogues just did not go with the tone of the entire show. Amey Wagh is always enjoyable, he plays these characters very well but I am afraid he is on verge of becoming a typecast. Mona Singh was as great as she is always but much more left to be desired.

I also don't know if it was my screen or many dark scenes were just barely visible, like worse the game of thrones episodes. Otherwise the DP captures Andaman's beauty and hauntedness of the forests amazingly. Some sequences were shot so nicely that the camera was the hero of those scenes. Background score was near perfect and I enjoyed a lot of those tribal beats during thrilling scenes. But could've toned down a bit during emotional scenes.

This isn't a masterpiece and neither it will win global awards. But what this show is, is a great engaging sci-fi thriller that does not come out of Inda as much. It has many flaws but they can be overlooked for the better package you receive in the form of entertainment. It is so binge worthy that it can be consumed by not just Indian but global audiences.

Kudos to the team, can't wait for Season 2.

Pippa (2023)

Pippa is not a masterpiece but...

It was better than I expected. Honestly, the trailer did not do much for me and I was going to skip this one. I still gave it a shot and was pleasantly surprised.

Now I'll be first to admit, I do not know a whole lot about the war of 71 except for few key things. Pippa and its role in war was unknown to me. I was glad that they didn't make this movie about a Tank although it's an important character just like the lamp is for Aladdin or the book is in Jumanji.

The good:

• Ishan worked for me as an actor for the most part. He did have few misses here and there but for the most part it was great.

• Imaamulhaq who played Shibli was the favorite part of the movie. That actor I have never seen before but won me over. He understood the assignment and had the time of his life on the set.

• That one take, people who will watch will know. It was beautiful but it was prematurely cut.

• I liked how the story was written. The screenplay was okay at best. The rift between the two brothers was good drama. The brotherhood in army. Mrunal Thakur's semi arc. Etc. It wasn't cringefest.

• The background score and sound design was great too. Not as great as Uri. Uri had the best score and sound design of any Indian war movies but this one was good too.

• The movie is shot very well. Some great Bangladeshi landscapes looked great on screen and a few scenes were extremely memorable.

The average:

• All the battle sequences except one gun fight. The tank battles which are the essence of this movie were very underwhelming. They weren't as bad as Border or LOC Kargil. But come on. We have better technology and equipment to shoot a gripping tank battle don't we?

• The final battle I don't know historically much about. But I doubt it was so small scale. And even if it was, it felt like I was watching some old 80s bollywood climax fight sequence. It was okay at best.

The bad:

• Editing was the worst and the bane of this movie. Whoever edited this had no idea how to stitch two scenes properly. Some cuts and transitions were just jarring.

• Songs were forgettable. None of them are worth visiting again. AR Rahman what are you doing?

• VFX was below average. Given the small budget I get it but please use squibs for close ups at least or have real fire on tanks. That shouldn't be a problem I suppose. Or hire the guys behind Tumbad. That movie had small budget but did such great job.

• The opening shot. I won't spoil it. But its supposed to be such an impactful, last nail in the coffin kind of event. But it was so poorly executed and acted that I almost turned off the movie.

• Some of the supporting cast, such as the lady who played Indira Gandhi, did not work for me. Soni Razdan who I like usually like did not give her best. The deserter and the guy playing Pak army chief were terrible and took me out of the film.

Guys in the end, my low expectations did wonders. I didn't hate it as much as many others and I also did not think it's like a 5 or 1 star movie. It's an above average film that deserves a 7. Worse movies have better scores than this one has.

Khufiya (2023)

Another miss from one of the best directors of India

This has been Vishal Bharadwaj pattern if you see his works. I don't believe he intentionally makes a half hearted movie and this one seemed like a passion project and a new kind of work for him. But it just reeks of interference with producers or VB trying to be woke for the sake of it.

VB has been master at inserting social messages and cultural nuances in his films but this time it felt so forced. I was expecting a thriller like Raazi and to be honest first half kind of felt like slow burn Raazi with a lot of unnecessary plots inserted which I thought would have pay off in second half. But nope. Nothing. And whatever we got felt so unsatisfying. The writers are to be blamed of course for writing Tabu's character so boring and outdated. Ugh! Can we make a movie with spy who isn't brooding and has family issues? Raj & DK have already given us an interesting spy with family issues and no one can top that.

Tabu, poor woman can't catch a break. Last time VB's son Aasmaan betrayed her with his borefest Kuttey and this time VB himself thought he had great material but alas he didn't. She tries her best and to be honest the 6/10 is majorly for her and the other supporting cast. They all do their best except the foreigners. Every single white actor was EUGH!

Music was let down too. But atleast they tried. VFX was average at best. Please just use squibs and practical effects for blood and gore PLEASE!! Those CGI blood looked horrible in Kuttey and it looked worse in Khufiya. Production design was okay in some parts. Editing was let down and definitely not VB standards.

Can't wait for his next project. I hope he makes something that makes me say VB the maker of Maqbool, Omkara, Makdee, Kaminey, Haider is BACK!

No One Will Save You (2023)

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What if ... Shyamalan, Krasinski and Del Toro made a movie? Brian Duffield delivers an absolute thrilling adventure which I did not see any trailer of or read any reviews but gave it a shot.

First of all, the production design was absolutely perfect. So was the sound design and music. VFX is something you need to get past because of the budget but this deserved a theatrical release. I really really enjoyed Kaitlyn Dever's performance. She understood the assignment. But why is movie works is the writing. When they teach "show don't tell" in film schools this should be one of the assignments to watch. It's a niche thing to mention but the costume design deserves special mention too because it tells immediately of the era and walks shoulder to shoulder with production design.

This also is a masterclass on how to make a feminist movie with a strong female character. She makes all the right moves and does everything opposite of what dumb characters in horror movies do.

Ending might be subjective. I for one loved it. It's an allegory on the human mind, humanity and it's weaknesses.

These types of movies only work on word to mouth and should be encouraged by all movie lovers. These kind of horror movies are rare too. Definitely watch this with friends and bucket full of popcorn.

Deserves more than 6.5.

The Flash (2023)

dun dun dun dun ... FLASH!! aaaahaaaaa

So, I am late to the party but I had fun. Little off the topic, I was watching Ghost Rider (Sir Nicholas) and was complaining about how campy super heroes are almost gone. Then I saw The Flash, after hearing all the complains about CGI, lead actor's crime spree and DCpocalypse etc. To be honest the whole superhero genre has become so saturated every single movie has become throwaway one time watch with the exception of Guardians of the Galaxy 3, which I will watch maybe 2 more times. This movie however, I will come back to time and again whenever I'll do DC marathon because for all it's flaws it has heart. It's obviously not Dark Knight or Endgame, not even close but it has all the flavors that I need from a superhero movie.

Now, I've seen all projects from Andy Muschietti and this is a complete different tone from his other projects. His style of comedy is somewhat like James Gunn but not quite as dark. For this movie it wasn't as ridiculously overboard as Thor: Love and Thunder nor as grim as Batman V Superman or as dumb as Josstice League. Humor is big part of this movie. Its basically another character but I liked how serious and heartfelt moments were truly serious and heartfelt. Jokes didn't repeat and the performances were overall great.

Special shoutout to Kara Jor-El who I was skeptical about but turned out to be great addition to this movie. Michael Keaton, I am not worthy enough to talk about him. I wish we got more of Batfleck but sigh, people would've complained about runtime. I really really liked the Maribel who played Barry's mother. In short screentime she really made me tear up in the climax. Michael Shannon was wasted.

I really did not mind the CGI because where it mattered, it was really really great. It wasn't terrible in the sense it was unfinished. It was just terrible because of an artistic choice and that happens from time to time. It didn't bother me and after few years when people look back at this film, it's not gonna matter to them either because othewise this is all fun and great times.

Great job to everyone in the crew.

Adipurush (2023)

Ram gopal varma ki AAG will seem like Oscar potential movie in front of this "movie"

It's impossible to touch Ramanand Sagar's adaptation. Specially a movie can't even think of doing it. That doesn't mean no one is allowed to make Ramayana adaptation. Okay so your name is Om. You have the support of entire Hindu Brigade and more than 500 crores. Some of the biggest A list actors of the industry. What do you do?

Bhagwan Ram was down to earth and filled of humility. He taught us saying sorry doesn't make you small and the one who corrects mistakes is bigger human being. Om Raut goes against every single teaching. After the disastrous teaser he was so full of himself he thought people are trolling just for the sake. So he sat on the material, thought public is idiot and changed the DI color in these 5 months. Made rounds of film festivals. Changed posters and gave us this excretory product in the name of Ramayana.

I am against boycott and i am against suppression of art but this is a sin of highest order. OMG the dialogues had me laughing out loud it was so bad. Even my parents who aren't picky about anything devotional were angry at me and then we laughed all the way back from theatre.

The bg score is amazing but even if you close your eyes to just hear music you can still hear the dialogues 😭. Manoj muntashir I hope you're suspended from writers guild for atleast 5 years.

And what the f is prabhas doing? Doesn't he have a manager who helps him pick scripts.

Even Hanumanji needed sanjeevani after watching this.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Better than what Marvel is churning out

I was so worried that they showed entire movie in the trailer but this movie had much more to offer. The humor was well sprinkled and not overused unlike some goat screaming every time they're on screen. Emotional moments for the most parts are well balanced and not cut off by some quip. It's well acted, CGI is good enough for the budget. Practical effects were used and they were amazing.

So glad to see Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez getting center stage. Action was surprisingly very good. Very entertaining. It's fast paced, neither too long nor too short however I am someone who doesn't mind longer movies. It's an all around fun adventure movie. I would also call it a family movie but not sure if kids would be okay with the talking dead or someone getting eaten by dragon.

The stakes were not that great but it felt personal to a certain point and the villain was alright for the first movie although she did her best. Is it as good as the legend of vox machina? No. Is it better than what Disney and Marvel is churning out? Definitely. It's a great entertainer and i am sad I didn't go to the theatre to watch this.

Kuttey (2023)

There are wasted opportunities then there is this

I was so excited for this movie. I am a huge fan of Vishal Bharadwaj. Keeping nepotism aside, i thought this project has his blessings so must be something. I wasn't expecting ground breaking cinema but to have such huge calibre cast like Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu, Konkona, Kumud Mishra. Any man would drool. But after finishing the movie it's evident they gave their best and did this film because of their friendship with Vishal Bharadwaj.

Don't get me wrong, all the above mentioned give their best. Except for the director, writer, VFX, make up, production design, costume, music director, Arjun Kapoor. Let's talk about him for a while. I used to think the hate for him is just unwarranted and from what I hear he seems to be a genuinely nice guy. But he reminds me of Uday Chopra so much. He does not have the acting talent. One would sell their right hand to work with actors he was paired with. But nope. He's his usual self.

This film felt like Aasmaan stomped her feet into the ground and her father gave in and funded the project. Not one single character is fleshed out. Violence and Language is gratuitous. Freaking Ashish Vidhyarthi is wasted. Actor like Radhika Madan is turned into eye candy and a totally unnecessary partial nudity on display. Guerrilla soldiers become bullet sponges. Close ups and slow motion of VFX which look like they're done by Aasmaan herself while learning After effects.

I understand it's a low budget movie but Vishal Bharadwaj has shown time and again how you can make those cleverly without breaking immersion and gave us so many memorable characters. His movies have strong language and graphic violence. So I am not complaining about those. It's when you use those attributes to be edgy and look smart and think your audience is C word.

Absolutely skip this one.

The Night Manager (2023)

8/10 for Part One

It's been a while since I saw the hollywood version. So without hollywood bias I am writing this.

The original source is very smartly adapted into this Indianized version. Infact, I am impressed how the writers very subtly integrated current affairs into the events of the original source. It is also very well casted. I am loving the understated Aditya Kapoor is bringing to this character. Even Anil Kapoor who is famous for making his characters larger than life and sometimes louder than life (slumdog millionaire) has been keeping it very nuanced and thus adding to the menace. It feels more natural. I am not going to say anything about Shobhita Dhulipala because so far she hasn't been given much to do but the next part looks promising for her. Saswata Chatterjee is terrific as always and brings much needed comic relief in this dark methods. This is the first time I am watching Tilotama Shome and I am really enjoying her performance. I really hope she has a scene of banter with Saswata Chatterjee in next part.

It's so refreshing to hear good dialogues after such a long time. First Farzi and now this series is proof of how dialogues can make or break a scene. Also special mention to the title sequence. I didn't skip intro even once. Production design is top notch. They've really put their money into this. Great work behind the camera too except for a few out of focus sequences.

Where this series isn't working out for me is the pacing. A little too much breathing room is given to some scenes. Editing can be more snappy and the entire setup could've been an episode shorter. Shobita's character could've been given more to do, her backstory could've been explored instead of some other elements. Music is forgettable. But the most unforgivable mistake is marketing. Literally no one knows about this series. Is hotstar not confident about this series?

All that said, I am glad they picked this source and it looks great so far. I'll be watching the next part.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Alloyed (2022)

What a spectacular finish

The whole season has really been very good. They poured all creative talents into the technical aspects and this material is deserving of all the money. But one thing had been missing. Some characters were not relatable and I couldn't get attached to anyone except Nori and Prince Durin. But this episode ties it all for me. Every single person on screen proved their worth and came guns blazing.

Sauron takeout, Nori's goodbye, Sauron's reveal, forging of the first rings are so so well crafted sequence and edited together very nicely.

I wish the episode was longer and showed us other characters too. I am also bummed that they couldn't give us one scene of what Earien saw.

Background score was something I had complains about too but it was leagues better in this episode.

I hope the orcs stop reviewing this and desecrating comments sections so actual fans can enjoy this show as much as movies.

Veer-Zaara (2004)

Legendary, mystical, pure romance that we wish was true story

We have seen/heard/read many mystical and mythical tales of romance like Romeo and Juliet, Laila Majnu, Shireen Farhaad, etc. So to title your story in a way it indicates that it is another legendary tale of two lovers that would be recited in times to come was a bold move by Late Yash Chopra.

If it was any other director at helm at that era, I would've scoffed and skipped this. But I did not rate it 10/10 because I am just another Indian who has no sense of rating movies. To me, this epic is perfect in every single sense. Casting, production, music, background score, editing, story, screenplay, dialogues, song lyrics. Every single element has never failed to tug at my heart strings every single time I have watched this. And I stopped counting after 68 times.

The 3 hour runtime, never feels sluggish. You are already immersed int the characters as soon as they're introduced. The highlight for most is of course, SRK and his portrayal of Veer Pratap Singh who loves without boundaries (literally) and Priety Zinta as Zaara Hayaat Khan, who is very likeable progressive woman. But for me the limited screen time of Amitabh and Hema Malini who play surrogate parents of Veer. Every single scene, be it cultural, romantic or emotional ... it just hits man. Boman Irani and Manoj Vajpayee have very little to do and yet play important part in the story and they do it very well. Divya Dutta is a comedic relief for the most part but her character too has an arc and plays an important part in the story due to which she doesn't feel like just a comedic relief. Kirron Kher and Anupam Kher both are another standout in their respective roles.

The twists in the movie might not be digestible for those unfamiliar with the culture and nuances of this region but they are very well done and boy do they pull your soul out of the body.

A lot is said about this movie without ever mentioning the background score which is phenomenal. Every character has their own theme which is beautifully woven into the story telling. Music by the Late Madan Mohan is one of the evergreen albums in my list. After all these years I haven't gotten tired of any song. Not only it stays in my playlist always, but I also never skip any songs while rewatching this movie.

VFX in couple of scenes is little questionable but forgivable. Editing has one or two goof ups but over all very solid. Dialogues are poetic in every sense. In fact, this whole movie feels like a visual poetry.

Last but not the least, I strongly believe no other director could've made this film like Yash Chopra did. This could've easily been a throwaway romantic tale like many others. Or it could have been a hit but later revisited as a cringe fest like many films we grew up with. This however, shall go down in history as one of the best romance tragedy in Bollywood cinema and will always remain my most favorite bollywood romance of all time.

The Sandman (2022)

Episodes 5 and 6 - chef's kiss

I was waiting for this to be as epic as it is. The trailers gave me dune vibes not in terms of scale but film making. And some of it was indeed. Set design is surreal and most characters are given time to breathe. The writing of episodes 5 and 6 is absolutely one of the best I have seen in recent times. But after that it does start to go downhill. Especially the final 2 episodes.

I hope season 2 picks it up more and returns with characters from this season. Couple of characters were the backbone of this season's but we're not given much introduction or any story to be honest. Charles Dance was wasted in my opinion.

Music and soundtracks are good but nothing I'd buy or listen again. I would like some dark humor sprinkled because there is potential.

The main character is great and acted well. Support cast is good too but no one really stands out. But in the end it was a good watch, totally bingeable and good enough for me to wait for next season.

Prey (2022)

Bravo

This and exactly this is what I have been asking for from a Predator movie. Healthy mix of guerrilla warfare and alien tech. I am also glad to see how predator tech and Armor isn't as evolved as the one in the OG movie. That balanced out the whole weaponry and it is still a lot of creative and practical.

Sound design requires special mention as it is one of the best I've heard in recent times. I hope it gets many nominations. Watch it in Atmos theatres if you can.

VFX of some creatures (not the predator) was shabby. Editting in some places felt choppy but nothing that would take you out of emersion.

Acting of all the leads and support was great. Specially the character of Naru and her brother had nice chemistry. It's not the most heartwarming brother sister written but for the runtime they made sure it's not half baked.

The characters of French felt one dimensional and shoehorned. I wish they movie was a little longer and they explored the predator's arrival on the tribe.

Director of photography has done fantastic job to capture the native landscape and action scenes were well shot.

Overall it was fantastic movie and is among top 5 alien and predator movies.

Mai Neim (2021)

A gem of a action crime drama from Korea Surprise Surprise (not)

Korean cinema does better action, crime than many industries. It should be a common knowledge by now. Even some of their bad ones have great action choreography and set pieces. With popularity of Squid Game and Parasite winning an Oscar, I would've thought lot more people would be interested in their content like k-pop and kdrama has huge following. Sadly this one isn't getting as many views as it deserves.

It's a well acted, well written and directed thriller that is shaded because Netflix isn't promoting it enough and people are still not over the whole drama over who will watch with subtitles.

The action is brutal, with sprinkles of gore. It's well shot and edited. Some of the stunts are novel and the lead actress can M O V E. Best thing about this season (and I doubt there will be another) is that there aren't many padding or fillers. Some flashbacks, forgivable cliches and plotholes aside the writing really works. There are enough twists and turns. The bad guys have motivation that make sense and not just pure evil.

Special mention to the original soundtrack and background score. Couple of them are cardio worthy. Another special mention to the action choreography which is done in a way that feels like a sub-practical fight and not clean martial arts.

Spread the word, recommend it to your friends. Watch it in original language with subs, because the dubbing is ....well everyone knows how Netflix rubbings are.

Jurassic Park (1993)

It's then end of 2021 and this movie holds up.

It's 2021 and it's the age of super hero movies with greatest visual spectacles and world's biggest blockbusters have released in last couple of years. I am here to tell you that this is one of those movies that stands tall as a thrilling entertainer and people are still holding this as benchmark for visual effects, sound design and production design. If you're reading this in 2031 chances are this film making is still being taught in film schools and people are still yearning for practical effects of this manner.

This movie is childhood adventure, horror and fantasy of many like me who would pick this movie as one of the firsts to show to their grandkids. Though it's not as electrifying in pop culture as star wars or lord of the rings, it's still up there with one of the best monster movies of all time. Dr. Ian Malcom's shirtless resting pose has many droolers and Dr. Grant as well as Dr. Sattler have inspired many young minds to pursue archeology or paleontology. There are still dads making 'spared no expense' jokes at various events and John Williams score still gives the goosebumps.

Steven Spielberg has directed many movies before and after this. But to me this movie is his legacy. No I am not saying this is his best film. But when someone says Spielberg, the first word I think of is Jurassic and then ET, Saving private Ryan, Jaws, Schindler's list ....

This is a near perfect movie in every sense and I have always wanted one of those night vision goggles. I wish someone remasters it or re-releases it in theatres of my city. I know me and people of my age would pay the admission to relive their childhood.

Sardar Udham (2021)

The third act broke me permanently

This is not an easy movie to recommend. I was on the verge of turning it off unable to take it any more but out of respect, somehow kept going. Never ever has Jallianwala Baug massacre portrayed this way in history of cinema. This is however the most important film to come out in recent times.

Yes this is about Sardar Udham Sign but it is also about millions of Indians who sacrificed themselves for the freedom we enjoy in modern India and take it for granted. It is very intelligently written, the production design is on a level Bollywood hasn't seen in a long long time. The sound design and background score is skillfully done and the editing is just how I like it. Shoojit Sircar has obviously worked with DoP to capture every frame masterfully. Technically this is near perfect.

I would've given minus stars but didn't have heart to give it to the marketing department, producers and distributors. This movie should be screened in all the film festivals and has potential to be India's oscar entry for this year. Wake up people.

Finally, I just want to say this movie should also be in British high school curriculum. Of course, it's wishful thinking.

House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (2021)

An important mini documentary

I don't know if this is a must watch for all. Without spoiling anything I can tell you this is one important piece of media that has a valid reason to exist.

It's not the best documentary or even very well made one. This could've easily been a 2 hour documentary film instead of a 3 episode mini series. There is a lot of false intrigue and beating around the bush going on in the first and second episode. Multiple interviews are saying the same thing again and again. But, the final episode justifies its existence.

I for one, did not know any about this case. The last episode is very well crafted and tastefully done. Sheds light on many issues that we, in society need to start discussing openly. Overall this was eye opening, rather long but we'll intentioned documentary. I hope there are more to come from Netflix.

Don't Breathe 2 (2021)

Need & hubris

After success of 1st one I was wondering why they didn't make a sequel? Because that's why Hollywood does - milk every success as much as possible. And I was ready for this dairy product. But 7 years is too much of a wait and by this time we've already seen a better made blind super hero - Daredevil. So the novelty of it was gone.

But I was genuinely surprised. First of all, this sequel only does one thing - ups the ante. The blind guy is still morally compromised like in first one. The bad guys are bad guys with a reasonable agenda and like the first one there's a girl who is caught up at centre of it all. This time the bad guys know how to fight. Thus, twice the thrills and better action.

Like John McCain, the blind guy gets bloodied and beat up to pulp and you wonder how is he going to make it and that makes it more fun. First half specially is very edge of the seat fast paced. Second half dips and is where the movie could've used better and stronger writing. Stephen is great as the blind guy and the kid Phoenix is alright. Dogs have done great job so have the bad guys.

It's not as bad as people are saying nor its as well sorted as first one. This is more action than horror unlike first one but the action is very well done. I do hope for the third they bring back the horror factor back.

It's a 7/10 from me. +1 to make up for unwarranted bad reviews.

Midnight Mass (2021)

Heavy on philosophy with horror backdrop

Wow, some reviews in here are actually daft. Just because Flanagan made Hill house and Bly Manor doesn't mean he will make another one based on that same layout. Flanagan takes a theme such as guilt, depression, family and revolves his story around it. The intention is never to scare you or create Exorcist. He will hammer his point across if it's needed. For this one he decides to take on multiple themes, religion is on the nose, consequences, death, secularism, bias and power.

The idea of setting this on sparsely populated Crockney Island is genius. Reminded me of Frank Darabond's The Mist. One by one, you're taken into a character journey. Some would like it, some would call it boring or slow. I found it interesting. There's a twist in between and it's effective even though it doesn't shock you.

Kate Seigel is fantastic as always and so beautiful. Zach Guilford is perfectly casted and some scenes with him are just poetry on screen. Every other actor has done great job but there is one Samantha Sloyan who steals the show as Beverly Keane. Problem is her character is so not multi dimensional as others are. There are maybe a couple layers to her and you love to hate her.

Sound, VFX are okay, nothing ground breaking. The cinematography could have been better. I wasn't getting the island vibe. Sometimes it felt like I was in western movie set.

So if you're wondering, you want to watch this or not. Ask yourself, do you like having conversations about life, death, what comes after, resurrection, god, spirits, faith and topics like that with your friends and family? Watching this is like having one of those conversations.

Ojing-eo geim (2021)

Bring on the darkness

I didn't want to watch this because the thumbnail on Netflix looked like cheap Money Hiest rip off. The trailer had me little intriqued but I've had my fair share of battle royale. Then I watched it and I am so glad I did.

This isn't just a rip off of Battle Royale, Hunger games or Alice in Borerlands. This series speaks of the lives, desperation and morality of poor people vs the rich and their filth. Almost as if it was inspired by The Parasite. It's not the first time we have seen the wealthy bet on the poor but this time it's executed well. The deep dive into different characters and their plight really works here. This time it's not just the players but we get to peek into staff and leaders too. The motive makes sense. It's not just filthy rich making poor fight.

I liked how they took the childhood games and put a deadly spin on it. When it gets dark it really does get dark. I had a couple of people I was rooting for. My favorite character is player 001. I instantly fell in love with his character and almost all the scenes he is in, are delightful to watch.

All the actors have done great job. There are characters you hate, some that are just so annoying you wish they were dead, heroes, faux heroes, unfortunates, unlucky. Technically this movie is well made violence and gore is not gratuitous. Twists are well written, editing could've been tighter, cinematographer captures the South Korean streets and lives well enough, background score was okay. Humor is well knitted.

This is a must watch on Netflix. I doubt there will be a season two and there isn't any scope of it.

Crime Stories: India Detectives (2021)

A fantastic peek into metro crime and it's men and women

-1 stars on Netflix for not promoting this amazing piece of work. The cinematography, editing, background score and direction is as good as documentaries made in Hollywood. The stories are ofcourse hand picked and there are obvious biases visible throughout. However, whatever was convered, was done brilliantly.

This is not any game changing, eye opening documentary. At best this might be an attempt to humanize men and women of police force who we (indians) are mostly scared of and keep a distance. That being said, it achieves that objective nicely.

There are some disturbing scenes, narration, police brutality (sugar coated) and a heart breaking case on last episode and so it might not be for everyone. It hit me hard because it was so close to home.

The two negatives I can say are, the police are self aware of the camera and crew present in all scenes. Their behaviour is toned down except for couple of officers who probably didn't care. At first I thought they were bad actors hired to recreate crime scenes like in crime patrol episode. And another negative is lack of any kind of promotion from Netflix.

I am glad I saw this and I appreciate all the men and women of our police force who honestly want to do good for the citizens and care about justice. You should watch it too.

Malignant (2021)

First I was like wow then I was like whoa and then WHOA...

God I miss movies like this. James Wan has time and again explained this is not Conjuring or Insidious. It's really hard to describe this movie but think of it as hybrid of Matrix + Evil Dead? Even then I am nowhere close.

The first half really tests your patience. It looks like it's a serious film that we have seen time and again, like minority report but in horror setting but post interval it makes a U turn and shows its true self and if you've been watching this with seriousness, expecting a scary horror movie then it is your fault. The opening scene should give you a hint of what it's going to be like.

I am so glad they didn't casted someone like Amanda Wallace. Though she looks like an ordinary girl in the picture, it wouldn't have worked otherwise. There is plenty gore and practical effects that takes you back to 80s.

It's even better on second viewing. I am glad James Wan exists and he's such a name in horror industry that he can make bold movies like this which you can't describe without giving anything away. Watch it and keep your serious brain aside.