Movie Review: News

23 May 2023

Manoj Bajpayee

#SirfEkBandaaKaafiHai review: Manoj Bajpayee lives up to the film's title

Manoj Bajpayee-led Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai literally translates to "only one man is enough" in English. There's nothing better that can describe Bajpayee's acting in the film than the title.

21 May 2023

YouTube

#NewsBytesRecommends: 'Popcity' on YouTube—story of eccentric contract killer

Rohit Mittal's Popcity—soaked with zany humor of the kind we regularly see around us but not so often in films—is both an aspiring gangster's coming-of-age drama and a study of a troubled mind's frayed emotions that choke sans outlets.

19 May 2023

Sanya Malhotra

'Kathal' review: Sanya Malhotra-starrer is a well done satirical comedy 

When satire is mixed with an undertone of socio-political issues, you get served with a film like Kathal: A jackfruit mystery.

13 May 2023

OTT releases

'Taj: Reign of Revenge' review: Of conspiracies, power hunger, revenge

The first part of season two of Taj, with the tagline Reign of Revenge, was released on Friday on the streaming platform ZEE5.

12 May 2023

Amazon Prime Video

'Dahaad' review: Despite powerful performances, police procedural drama bites dust

Dahaad, created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti and directed by Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi is a slow-burn police procedural drama set in Rajasthan.

12 May 2023

Vidyut Jammwal

'IB71' review: Vidyut Jammwal's film has flaws but also merits

Vidyut Jammwal has stepped out of his action-hero identity but not entirely. His latest release, IB71, is an espionage thriller that is said to be inspired by true events. With a backdrop of the Indo-Pak 1971 war, the film runs high on patriotism.

12 May 2023

Amazon Prime Video

'Citadel' review: Even in Episode 04, we only get crumbs

The fourth episode of Citadel has arrived.

07 May 2023

Netflix

#NewsBytesRecommends: 'Operation Romeo' on Netflix—deeply nuanced, penetrating thriller drama

Operation Romeo tells the story of a young couple whose life is upended when their date turns into a nightmare.

05 May 2023

Sudhir Mishra

'Afwaah' review: Points for ingenuity, but predictability, monotony mutilates film

Sudhir Mishra's social drama Afwaah, headlined by Sumeet Vyas, Bhumi Pednekar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Sharib Hashmi, was released on Friday.

05 May 2023

Bollywood

'The Kerala Story' review: Poor filmmaking bogs down important tale

Riding high on controversies, Sudipto Sen's directorial The Kerala Story (TKS) was released in the theaters on Friday. The makers have claimed that 32,000 Kerala women were converted to Islam and made to join ISIS. His bold attempt at narrating the details of the barbaric crime in a two-hour movie unfortunately falls flat due to various factors including weak acting, dialogue, and music.

05 May 2023

LGBTQ+

'UnWoman' review: Sensitive, piercing LGBTQ+ drama rooted in rural India

UnWoman, directed by Pallavi Roy Sharma and produced by Gunjan Goel, Susheel Sharman, and Shalmali Prakash, is a sensitive, poignant, searing drama that exposes the grim reality of the LGBTQ+ community in India, especially in the hinterlands.

05 May 2023

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

'Citadel' Episode03 review: Spy-thriller seems to be drowning in cliches

The third episode of Amazon Prime Video's Citadel has arrived.

30 Apr 2023

Netflix

#NewsBytesRecommends: 'Awe!'—Cross-genre fantasy entertainer that does justice to sub-plots

The 2018 Telugu language film Awe!—directed by Prasanth Varma and co-produced by Nani—is a mind-bending cross-genre movie that masterfully combines elements of fantasy, magical realism, LGBTQ+ themes, comedy, horror, and psychological thrill.

28 Apr 2023

Ponniyin Selvan

'Ponniyin Selvan: II' review: Mani Ratnam's magnum opus is masterpiece

What led to Nandini's bitterness toward the Chola empire, especially for Aditya Karilkalan? Were the Cholas able to save their dynasty? Was Arulmozhi Varman saved from the waters? All these questions were answered with the release of Ponniyin Selvan: II on Friday.

28 Apr 2023

ZEE5

'U-Turn' review: Better to skip this bumpy, potholed road altogether

U-Turn, starring Alaya F, Rajesh Sharma, and Manu Rishi Chadha, arrived on ZEE5 on Friday.

27 Apr 2023

Amazon Prime Video

'Citadel' review: PeeCee-Richard Madden set solid foundation for action-fueled thriller

Amazon Prime Video's globetrotting adventure spy thriller show Citadel (Episodes 1 and 2) will arrive on the streamer on April 28, Friday.

23 Apr 2023

YouTube

#NewsBytesRecommends: 'The Other Pair' on YouTube—short film on selfless humanity

Well-made short films make for splendid viewing experiences because they say a lot in a limited time.

22 Apr 2023

Netflix

Stream or skip: Time-travel drama 'One More Time' on Netflix

One More Time is the latest addition to Netflix's humungous catalog of young adult dramas.

21 Apr 2023

Bengali Cinema

'Chengiz' review: Predictable gangster drama fails to create impact

Bengali cinema's superstar Jeet's action drama Chengiz was released on Friday.

21 Apr 2023

Salman Khan

#KisiKaBhaiKisiKiJaan review: Salman Khan starrer butchers physics, entertainment, sanity

There are several aspects that can go wrong in a film: the story and screenplay can dwindle, the characters can be half-baked, the pace can be languid, there can be a bewildering age gap between the primary protagonists, etc.

21 Apr 2023

OTT releases

'Dancing on the Grave' review: A compelling crime docu-series

Three decades ago, in 1991, a missing case of a member of an influential family shook the entire nation, particularly Bengaluru. After years, when the sudden disappearance was discovered, nothing but the bones were found.

21 Apr 2023

Tigmanshu Dhulia

'Garmi' review: Another run-of-the-mill student politics story

Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia's last few offerings in the OTT world have one flavor in common - politics. Whether it was Tandav or The Great Indian Murder, his recent web shows have revolved around politics. Similar is the case with Garmi, which was released on Friday on SonyLIV.

16 Apr 2023

Netflix

#NewsBytesRecommends: 'Loving Adults' on Netflix—twisted story of broken marriage

Thrillers that focus on infidelity, broken marriages, and the resultant violence and rage that stem from such situations are never in short supply, especially on Netflix.

14 Apr 2023

Radhika Apte

'Mrs. Undercover' review: Hare-brained film offers zero logic, thrill, entertainment

Anushree Mehta's Mrs. Undercover arrived on ZEE5 on Friday.

14 Apr 2023

Samantha Ruth Prabhu

'Shaakuntalam' review: Samantha-Dev Mohan's epic love story is only half-successful

After delivering her first successful pan-India film, Yashoda, in 2022, Samantha Ruth Prabhu has returned once again with yet another multi-lingual movie.

07 Apr 2023

Mrunal Thakur

'Gumraah' review: Gripping narrative that frustratingly works only in parts

Mrunal Thakur and Aditya Roy Kapur's Gumraah was released on Friday.

07 Apr 2023

Hollywood

'The Pope's Exorcist' review: Russell Crowe versus demon, sans horror

Remember the 1973 film The Exorcist? While it still remains a favorite of many, The Pope's Exorcist, based on Father Gabriele Amorth's one of the real-life exorcist cases, is anything but horrific.

07 Apr 2023

OTT releases

'Jubilee' review: Well-crafted series steeped in nostalgia, ambition, artistic vision

Vikramaditya Motwane's series Jubilee arrived on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, a few hours before its original release date of Friday, April 7.

01 Apr 2023

Adam Sandler

Reasons you should watch Jennifer Aniston-Adam Sandler's 'Murder Mystery 2'

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler's action comedy mystery film Murder Mystery 2 landed on Netflix on Friday.

31 Mar 2023

Disney+ Hotstar

'Gaslight' review: Predictable thriller bites more than it can chew

Sara Ali Khan, Vikrant Massey, and Chitrangada Singh starrer Gaslight arrived on Disney+ Hotstar on Friday.

30 Mar 2023

Bollywood

'Bholaa' review: Ajay Devgn overshadows all in this high-octane actioner

Seen in a triple role of a director, producer, and of course, the lead actor, Ajay Devgn's Bholaa is a one-man show.

26 Mar 2023

Amazon Prime Video

#NewsBytesRecommends: 'The Great Indian Kitchen'—no-holds-barred portrayal of sexist social fabric

Malayalam filmmaker Jeo Baby's pathbreaking 2021 film The Great Indian Kitchen is the kind of movie that makes you realize why you fell in love with cinema in the first place.

24 Mar 2023

Bollywood

'Bheed' review: A hard-hitting, emotionally-charged reality of India's COVID-19 lockdown

Anubhav Sinha's films are often hard-hitting and a mirror reflection of certain things that are prevalent in society. He has a knack for making cinemas that will punch you in the gut.

24 Mar 2023

Netflix

#ChorNikalKeBhaga review: Gripping tale of revenge-fueled double-crossing and mid-air heist

Ajay Singh's heist revenge drama Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga landed on Netflix on Friday.

24 Mar 2023

Malayalam Movies

'Purusha Pretham' review: Predictable dark comedy thriller sans gripping tale 

Aavasavyuham director Krishand has returned to entertain the audience with a new film, Purusha Pretham. This time, he has picked a dark comedy genre mixed with a thriller.

23 Mar 2023

Disney+ Hotstar

'All That Breathes' review: Poetic tale of perseverance, compassion, humanity

Shaunak Sen's Oscar-nominated documentary All That Breathes has started streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

17 Mar 2023

Kapil Sharma

'Zwigato' review: Kapil shines in emotionally resonant, yet flawed drama

Nandita Das's Zwigato, led by Kapil Sharma and Shahana Goswami, arrived on Friday.

17 Mar 2023

Bollywood

'Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway' review: Rani Mukerji starrer disappoints

After 2021's disastrous movie Bunty Aur Babli 2, Rani Mukerji returned to the screens yet again. But this time, she teamed up with a non-Yash Raj Films banner for Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway.

08 Mar 2023

Bollywood

'Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar' review: Bollywood's rom-com drought ends 

For a while now, Bollywood was missing out on having a good romantic comedy. The dry spell of this genre ends successfully with the release of Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor-led Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar.

03 Mar 2023

OTT releases

'Gulmohar' review: Come, get soaked in this family drama 

Gulmohar is no regular Indian family drama that is all crying but no fun. It's a fresh take that most of us will resonate with for a very simple reason- it does show the reflection of present-day families. We might be living under the same roof, but leading entirely different lives. It talks about change and acceptance.