Utopia is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. (Photo: Amazon Studios)As film theatres are still closed, streaming services continue to be the prime source of entertainment for Indians with internet access. And for now, new content that was produced before the coronavirus outbreak shut down most of the world’s economy, is still being released.
So far, the entertainment continues unabated.
One of the more popular recent releases on streaming services include Harry Bradbeer’s Enola Holmes. Turns out, Sherlock has another sibling that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never talked about, a younger sister called Enola — a sassy, spunky teenage sister of Sherlock who does not accede to the shackles that Victorian society placed on women. The film is based on the book series of the same name by Nancy Springer. The titular role is played by Millie Bobby Brown, while Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin essay Sherlock and Mycroft, respectively. Harry Bradbeer has directed a Jack Thorne script. Enola Holmes began streaming from September 23 on Netflix.
Enola Holmes received critical acclaim, scoring 92 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. The Indian Express’ Ektaa Malik gave it 3.5 stars. She wrote, “The film makes many subtle commentaries on the state of affairs, but they blend seamlessly into the screenplay, brilliantly written by Jack Thorne, who has earlier written the stage play for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. Feminism and the female gaze are recurring themes, but they never get in your face. In fact, the lack of a chest-thumping speech is conspicuous by its absence. There is also a nod to ‘an idea of England’, and they could very well be talking about a post-Brexit England. Enola Holmes is a joyous adventure, and one feels giddy with delight to be a part of it. Just maybe there should have been a bit more deduction, a tad more mystery. But perhaps this is the beginning of a franchise, and Enola is just wetting her toes. It would be quite something to see how the two Holmes square off against each other as they solve crime in 19th century London.”
Netflix’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Victorian-era Gothic horror novel was a surprisingly clever, well-performed piece of entertainment. While it was a considerable departure from the source material, it remains an interpretation that Stoker himself probably would have been proud of.
The standard yet thrilling zombie apocalypse series has a woman being separated from her daughter. She goes on a journey to find her, determined to be reunited come hell or high water.
A romantic anthology series that dramatises the real-life love stories from the New York Times’ column of the same name, Modern Love explores love in all its forms.
An endearing family drama, This is Us weaves a charming tale of a dysfunctional family. A beautiful show where characters seem to have a life of their own instead of being controlled by the strings in the hands of the creators. The show does have its dark moments, but its essence is that of love and family.
The Boys first season was about a bunch of vigilantes (the titular Boys) who have their own reasons to abhor the ‘supes’ or superheroes. This is a world in which superheroes like Justice League and Avengers exist, and instead of being symbols of hope and nobility, they are blinded by their fame and many of them are more like supervillains. Picking up right after the first season, the sophomore outing fires on all cylinders right from the outset.
Written by Gillian Flynn of Gone Girl fame, Utopia is the remake of British series of the same name. It is a conspiracy-thriller series of eight episodes. It is about a group of comic-book fans who bond over their obsession about a fictional comic called Utopia. The Indian Express' Ektaa Malik gave the series two stars. She wrote in her review, "Utopia could perhaps be seen as pertinent to this time, but it could also be perceived to be adding to the anxiety and stress. Helmed by Gillian Flynn, Utopia is a remake of a 2013 British show. The original had received its shares of criticism for being too violent and dark. The American version apparently has toned down the violence quotient, but it is still gory. A particular scene which involves an eye and a spoon will make even the most sturdy of show watchers squeamish."