Top 5 films, shows to watch this weekend

KGF 2: In cinemas

Sanjay Dutt in KGF 2.

The much-awaited second chapter of Yash’s KGF, which released in 2018, is finally running in theatres. It follows the story of a young boy who promises his mother to be a rich man before he dies. To fulfill his promise, he takes the route of crime. The first part concluded with Yash’s Rocky taking over the gold mines, and the second part narrates the story of the ensuing turf war. Though KGF Chapter 1 was received well, the second part doesn’t seem to have impressed critics. The Indian Express’ Shubhra Gupta wrote in her review, “The trouble with films busy working on their look is that they forget about plotting. KGF 2 swings haphazardly between the past and the present.”

Read the review of KGF 2 here.

Beast: In cinemas

Vijay and Pooja Hegde in Beast.

Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, action thriller Beast revolves around Vijay’s character Veera Raghavan who takes it upon himself to save people held hostage in a mall by terrorists. In the trailer, Veera is introduced as the “best and the most notorious spy” who is “meaner, leaner and stronger”. Indianexpress.com’s Manoj Kumar R gave the film a 2.5-star rating and called it an “unapologetic fan service.”

Read the review of Beast here.

Mai: Netflix

Sakshi Tanwar in a still from Mai. (Photo: Netflix)

In this Netflix series, Sakshi Tanwar plays a vengeful mother who sets out to avenge her daughter’s death. The film also stars Wamiqa Gabbi, Vivek Mushran, Raima Sen, and Prashant Narayanan. Praising Tanwar’s performance in the series, Shubhra Gupta wrote in her review, “Sakshi Tanwar’s journey from a timid housewife to a woman with steel (or did she always have it within her?) is at the heart of ‘Mai’. Right from her mega-popular Ekta Kapoor show ‘Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii’, Tanwar had proved that she had more to offer than mere saas-bahu shenanigans. Despite the elements that stretch our credulity, here she manages to hold our attention.”

Read the review of Mai here.

Anatomy of Scandal: Netflix

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Sarah Vaughan, Anatomy of a Scandal is a six-part Netflix series. It follows the story of a scandal among the British elite, and explores the themes of sexual consent and privilege.

Roar: Apple TV Plus

Based on a book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern, Roar explores what it means to be a woman in today’s world. It stars Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Issa Rae, Merritt Wever and Alison Brie, among others. In his review, Indianexpress.com’s Rohan Naahar wrote, “A series of one-line set-ups are expanded into eight (mostly) lacklustre episodes in Apple’s Roar, an ill-advised attempt at wokeness that ends up doing a disservice to its many relevant ideas.”

Read the review of Roar here.