Dazzling & Poignant. This should have been released on the big screen.
“Robert Grainier lives all of his years in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, working on the land, helping to create a new world at the turn of the 20th century. “
//02
One Battle After Another
An absolute blast of a film. A heady blend of chaos, comedy & paranoia.
“Bob is a washed-up revolutionary who lives in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited and self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces and Willa goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her as both father and daughter battle the consequences of their pasts.“
//03
Warfare
Alex Garland’s swan song (fingers crossed that he decides to continue to co-direct) is a deeply unsettling and horrifically visceral account of the futility and horrors of war.
“A Navy SEALs platoon, offering overwatch for a US Marine operation in Ramadi, Iraq, finds themselves in a fight for survival after their mission takes an unforeseen turn.”
//04
Sinners
Ryan Coogler & Michael B. Jordan serve up a delectable genre bender that is a breath of fresh air.
“Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their Mississippi hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.“
//05
Homebound
Based on an article in the New York Times by Basharat Peer, Homebound is a truly gut wrenching and affecting film brought to life by the brilliant Ishaan Khatter & Vishal Jehtwa. You cannot miss this one!
“Two childhood friends from a small village in North India dream of becoming police officers, hoping the job will bring them the respect they never had. However, as they come closer to their goal, pressure and struggles create problems in their friendship.”
//06
A House of Dynamite
Kathryn Bigelow returns with a tense yet taut political thriller – with the world on the brink of a nuclear war.
“Radars at Fort Greely, Alaska, detect a nuclear missile. The president and his entourage must use the limited time they have to try to shoot down the missile before it reaches Chicago.”
//07
Sentimental Value
My first Joachim Trier film. I know. A travesty! But wow. A beautifully composed piece of cinema that will leave an indelible imprint.
“Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film.“
//08
It Was Just An Accident
Another first. Jafar Panahi’s – an Iranian dissident banned by the regime – thriller is an ode to resistance in the face of authoritarian rule.
“In Iran, a man bumps into the man he believes to be his former torturer. However, faced with this person who fiercely denies having been his tormentor, doubt sets in.“
//09
Bugonia
It’s best you go in blind. Lanthimos’ latest offering is a treat!
//10
Santosh
Banned in the sub-continent. This award winning visceral police procedural is a fierce and provocative tour de force.
“Santosh was 28 when her policeman husband died tragically. She inherits the position and in turn becomes a police officer.”
Riveting, urgent & a must-watch for the times we live in. Laura Poitras has done it again!
“Seymour Hersh has been at the front lines of political journalism in the United States. Hersh’s breakthrough reportage has brought to the public’s attention many of the most damning constitutional wrongdoings and cover-ups.”
//02
Come See Me in the Good Light
A stirring and deeply affecting tribute to a wonderfully talented and beautiful soul.
“Trying to contextualise and come to terms with a terminal cancer diagnosis comes with heartbreak and heavy realisations. Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson approaches their situation with honesty and art. Alongside their fellow poet partner, Megan Falley, Gibson works towards a big final performance, bringing their spoken word skills to life on an otherwise grim topic. The true beauty comes from within their relationship.”
//03
The Settlers
A stark and unnerving reminder of what propaganda can do to the world.
“Fourteen years after his first visit, Louis Theroux meets some of the growing community of religious-nationalist Israelis who have settled in the occupied West Bank. Louis also meets Palestinians, whose lives have been impacted by settlers.”
//04
Antidote
A spiritual & worthy successor to Navalny.
“Whistleblowers and activists risk their lives exposing Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime, facing grave consequences for their courageous efforts to uncover the truth.”
//05
Grenfell: Uncovered
A horrific story of apathy, neglect & corruption.
“Survivors, witnesses and experts tell the story of the tragic fire that engulfed a residential tower block in London and the investigation that ensued.”
//06
2000 Meters to Andriivka
A first person look at war. Raw, up close & personal.
“A Ukrainian platoon attempts to liberate a strategic village from Russian forces. A journalist joins them, observing the impacts of war and growing doubts about its resolution.”
//07
Predators
Confrontational & provocative. Predators wrestles with the ethics of reality tv & the true-crime genre.
“This chilling doc captures the rise and fall of candid-camera docuseries To Catch a Predator, along with the online amateur detective subculture it helped spawn.”
//08
Orwell: 2+2=5
A dystopian smorgasbord of thought & expression.
“Through archive photos, newsreels, films, contemporary documentaries, and notorious speeches, Raoul Peck investigates how early 20th century authoritarianism still echoes in contemporary life, especially during ongoing conflicts threatening democracy and public liberties.”
//09
The White House Effect
Finally. A documentary that names names.
“Exploring the dramatic origin story of the climate crisis and how a political battle in the George H. W. Bush administration changed the course of history.“
//10
The Stringer: The Man Who took the Photo
Well crafted investigative journalism at its finest.
“Centred upon on the Vietnam War photograph ‘The Terror of War’, more commonly referred to as Napalm Girl, depicting Phan Thi Kim Phuc running from a napalm attack, the film examines whether it was credited to the right photographer. It presents a two-year investigation on the matter.”
A fantastic, chaotic, and fast paced ER procedural that contains the emotional heft & grit to stand out as one of the best shows of the year. Not to mention, the charismatic cast sizzles and delights while the real time immediacy brings about a certain freshness to an otherwise bloated genre.
//02
Adolescence
When this aired, it was the talk of the town. And for good reason. Over the years, Stephen Graham has slowly yet steadily been building a solid filmography and has somehow managed to find a way to enter the culture war arena, if not fight back against the dangerously alarming misogynistic hate fuelled rhetoric, that has infiltrated society today. A hugely relevant show with some nail biting performances.
//03
Andor
This politically charged espionage thriller, set as a prequel to Rogue One, has probably cemented its place as the best thing to happen to Star Wars since Star Wars. Spanning a 2 Season story arc, Andor revels in its ability to exist within the beloved Universe yet stand out distinctly as its own show.
//04
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Adapted from Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize Winning novel with the same name, the Jacob Elordi starrer is a haunting & searing look at forbidden love, the horrors of war & the scars that remain. Ciarán Hinds & Jacob Elordi steal the show with their jaw dropping performances.
//05
Pluribus
Vince Gilligan returns with something that no one would have ever imagined! Kudos to him for giving Rhea Seehorn her flowers.
//06
The Chair Company
Robinson is a genre unto himself. A cringe inducing bubble of absurdity that will leave you guffawing at the most inane and inopportune moments.
//07
The Studio
Seth Rogen has confirmed his place as a comedic auteur. With The Studio, he takes it a notch higher with the insanely funny and savagely satirical meta comedy that holds up a mirror to the film industry.
//08
Task
A slow burn crime thriller – from the creator of Mare of Easttown – with Mark Ruffalo in tow. Reason enough?
//09
Department Q.
It’s been a while since a cast has made me sit up and take notice. Smart, witty & grimy. All the attributes for a fresh and exciting crime-thriller franchise in the making.
//10
Stranger Things
This list wouldn’t have been complete without the Upside Down. It’s been a helluva ride!
Here’s a bunch of new shows I’m really looking forward to – all neatly categorised according to their respective networks. It’s going to be a good year for television!
Apple TV+
No. They haven’t paid me for this post you’re about to go through. But they probably should. There’s a whole standalone piece – Why Apple TV is Slowly becoming a Force to Reckon With – I’ve got in cold storage which, now more than ever, needs to see the light of day. Especially since, Apple’s been gobbling up shows left, right and centre & becoming a safe haven for some brilliant sci-fi projects – The Murderbot Diaries + Neuromancer are on their way as well!
Masters of the Air
Now Streaming
‘Masters of the Air’ is a shiny to addition and finally completes the set – Band of Brothers & The Pacific. It’s a solid adaptation but if you really want to know where it all started, then here you go!
Masters of the Air explores the aerial wars of WWII through the enlisted men of the Mighty Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces.
Constellation
Now Streaming
A strange yet riveting new sci-fi thriller with Noomi Rapace (Prometheus) & Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) in tow!
When a fatal accident occurs on board the International Space Station, a lone astronaut makes the heroic journey back to Earth, only to discover key pieces of her life — including her young daughter — have changed.
Criminal Record
Now Streaming
Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who) & Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife) hold this taut action packed thriller together as a game of cat & mouse ensues.
In the heart of London, an anonymous phone call draws two brilliant detectives — a young woman in the early stages of her career and a well-connected man determined to protect his legacy — into a fight to correct an old miscarriage of justice.
Dick Turpin is a legendary British motorway robber, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship and great hair. Together with his gang of rogues, he sets out on new adventures, all while trying to escape the clutches of a thief-taker.
Manhunt
March 15, 2024
Part historical fiction, part conspiracy thriller, Edwin Stanton delves into the aftermath of the first American presidential assassination-and the fight to preserve and protect the ideals that were the foundation of Lincoln’s Reconstruction plans.
Sugar
April 05, 2024
Private detective John Sugar investigates the disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the beloved granddaughter of Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel. As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he unearths Siegel family secrets, old and new.
Dark Matter
May 08, 2024
The book was pretty predictable. But this should be fun!
An expert in astrophysics sheds light on the topic of dark matter which has been one of the primary mysteries in modern physics.
Franklin
April 12, 2024
In December 1776, Benjamin Franklin is world-famous for his electrical experiments, but his passion and power are put to the test when he embarks on a secret mission to France, with the fate of American independence hanging in the balance.
Presumed Innocent
June 14, 2024
I’ll gladly watch anything this man does.
A horrific murder upends Chicago’s prosecuting attorneys’ office, as one of its own is suspected of the crime.
Prime
Prime’s track record has been a little ‘hit & miss’ over the years. However, more than Netflix, I see Amazon as a worthy competitor to HBO.
Expats
Now Streaming
I absolutely loved Lulu Wang’s ‘The Farewell’. But don’t go into this expecting much of the same. Nicole Kidman got on my nerves a bit, but the supporting cast really shines.
A look at the personal and professional lives of a tight-knit group of expatriates living in Hong Kong.
Mr & Mrs Smith
Now Streaming
Donald Glover and Hiro Murai – you’ve probably seen his stuff but haven’t been paying attention tsk tsk – unite for a crisp, action packed romantic comedy that definitely needs to be on your radar. Even though I adore Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), I’m glad she left the show in 2021. Maya Erskine has been a revelation!
John and Jane Smith become secret agents for a mysterious organisation. Their work puts both their skills as spies and their relationship to the test. The two have to deal with a world full of dangers.
Fallout
April 11, 2024
I haven’t played the game but this looks like a fun ride nonetheless.
In a future, post-apocalyptic Los Angeles brought about by nuclear decimation, citizens must live in underground bunkers to protect themselves from radiation, mutants and bandits.
Netflix
Aah! Welcome to the land of bloatware. Where anything and everything goes. Don’t get me wrong. Netflix has some certified gems but unless you absolutely know what you’re looking for, you’re probably going to spend most of your evening doomscrolling through the vast catalogue on offer.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Now Streaming
A fun okay-ish live action adaptation. Hardcore fans may not be excited about this though.
A young boy known as the Avatar must master the four elemental powers to save a world at war and fight a ruthless enemy bent on stopping him.
One Day
Now Streaming
I really need to see what all the fuss is about!
After spending graduation night together, Emma and Dexter go their separate ways — but their lives remain intertwined.
The Signal
Now Streaming
The random oddball that sticks out.
After months in space, a reunion for astronaut Paula and her family seems close enough to touch. But when Paula’s plane vanishes without a trace, her husband Sven and daughter Charlie are left behind – distraught, distressed, and with a terrifying riddle that Paula left them from her travels…
When the laws of nature inexplicably unravel, a tight-knit group of brilliant scientists must join forces with an unflinching detective to stop humanity’s greatest threat.
A wealthy man hires down-on-his-luck grifter Tom Ripley to travel to Italy to urge his vagabond son to return home; Tom’s acceptance of the job is the first step in a life of deceit, fraud and murder.
HBO/Max
Now that the entire rebranding saga has come to an end, we can start focussing on what really matters!
True Detective: Night Country
Now Streaming on Jio
A return to form for the franchise. Yeah, nothing will ever come close to the first season. But that’s the beauty of it!
Police officers and detectives around the USA are forced to face dark secrets about themselves and the people around them while investigating homicides.
The Sympathizer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3HSTmG5Lhc
April 14, 2024
Near the end of the Vietnam War, a spy who was embedded in the South Vietnam army flees to the United States and takes up residence in a refugee community, where he continues to gather intelligence and report back to the Viet Cong.
The Penguin
Date TBA
Matt Reeves and Greig Fraser (Dune) deserve all the credit for the tone and style when it comes to their Batman projects. Hope this leads to more spin-offs.
The transformation of Oswald Cobblepot from a disfigured nobody to a noted Gotham gangster.
The Franchise
Date TBA
Sam Mendes, Aya Cash and Himesh Patel? Count me in!
The Franchise is an upcoming comedy television series created by Armando Iannucci, Sam Mendes, and Jon Brown.
Dune: Prophecy
Date TBA
There isn’t a lot being spoken about this one. But a political thriller on the Bene Gesserits seems intriguing enough.
Dune: Prophecy, expands the epic universe of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece. Set thousands of years before the events of Dune, the prequel promises a thrilling narrative delving into the origins of the powerful Bene Gesserit order.
Hulu/FX
FX has consistently developed solid originals and adaptations over the years. Including one of the most underrated comedies of all time – You’re the Worst
Shōgun
Streaming Now on Disney+ Hotstar
Touted as a cross between Game of Thrones and House of Cards, FX seems to have another certified hit as per of their arsenal.
Set in Japan in the year 1600, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.
The Veil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGMmFC_GpXc&t=29s
April 30, 2024
While we wait for the next season of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, Elisabeth Moss & Steven Knight (Taboo) serve up a delectable spy thriller.
The surprising and fraught relationship between two women who play a deadly game of truth and lies on the road from Istanbul to Paris and London; one woman has a secret, and the other has a mission to reveal it before thousands of lives are lost.
The hidden world of the teenagers accused of a savage murder reveals startling truths about the unlikely killer.
Showtime/Paramount+
A Gentleman in Moscow
March 29, 2024
The revolution is here!
A Russian aristocrat is spared from death and placed on house arrest for decades in an attic hotel room while the Bolshevik Revolution plays out before him.
AMC
Parish
March 31, 2024
We need a Gus Fring spin-off already!
Grey Parish is pulled back into the crime world after the murder of his son and the collapse of his luxury car service he owns in New Orleans.
‘In Ascension’ is a hauntingly nuanced and astonishingly dazzling novel that catapults you from the depths of the ocean to the vastness of space, and plays out in parts as an extraordinarily riveting and nail biting eco-thriller only to surprise us all as it magically transfigures into a sci-fi epic for the ages.
Oh boy. What a book.
Long listed for this year’s Booker Prize, this intimate, ambitious, and sprawling work of fiction continuously evolves, morphs and coalesces into a living breathing entity unto itself, Martin MacInnes’‘In Ascension’ is nothing short of being a literary masterpiece.
Everything is connected. Inextricably so. It is the nature of things.
“Galaxy’ comes from the Ancient Greek for milk. People looked at the density of stars and saw birth, maternal sustenance scattered across the sky.”
Forged to take the reader on a thrilling and mind bending escapade – with discovery being a potent & provocative literary device – this slow burn novel soon transforms into a shining light.
However, for a book that revels in its ability to invoke a sense of awe and wonder, I was slightly taken aback by the rather long and unnecessary blurb. I urge you to skip past any mention of it and head to the first chapter.
But here’s a spoiler free variant. Thank me later.
An exploration of familial tensions, trauma, abuse & existence through the lens of a Dutch marine biologist – who traverses the world to pursue her passion all the while ostensibly stumbling upon the building blocks of life.
“It’s a mistake to think of our origins, of all life’s origins, as belonging only to the past. It’s still there.”
Apart from cementing his position as a gifted storyteller, MacInnes is extremely adept at world building – deeply layered and richly atmospheric – juxtaposed with narratives that depict and investigate the human condition as well as the relationships that bind us together.
Clocking in at around 500 pages – do not let that deter you – I found the experience to be exhilarating as I blazed through with an alacrity unlike any other – a testament to the author’s breathtakingly beautiful and impressively lyrical writing style.
“I imagined a life of this, in close contact, as I saw it, with the stuff of the world”.
‘In Ascension’ is a hauntingly nuanced and astonishingly dazzling novel that catapults you from the depths of the ocean to the vastness of space, and plays out in parts as an extraordinarily riveting and nail biting eco-thriller only to surprise us all as it magically transfigures into a sci-fi epic for the ages.
There aren’t many books that leave a lasting impression and compel you to start reading them all over again once you turn the final page. This right here, has got what it takes.
‘Annihilation’ is a fantastically pieced together work of fiction that is as unnerving as it is delightful – revelling in its ability to be ambiguous and pushes the reader to draw their own conclusions.
I vaguely remember firing this up on my Kindle a couple of years ago but somehow never got around to reading VanderMeer’s cerebral sci-fi eco-horror thriller. Cut to 2018, and Alex Garland – hot off the critical success of ‘Ex Machina’ – teams up with Netflix to release an adaptation of the book – the first in ‘The Southern Reach Trilogy’, which recounts an expedition by a team of four women who set out to explore a mysterious new ecosystem, called Area X.
While visually stunning and conceptually provocative, the psychologically esoteric and philosophically perplexing nature of the film did catch a lot of viewers – including myself – off guard.
But here we are. Five years later. And with me having blazed through it in under 3 hours.
‘Annihilation’ is a fantastically pieced together work of fiction that is as unnerving as it is delightful – revelling in its ability to be ambiguous and pushes the reader to draw their own conclusions. Coupled with some slick, fast paced writing chops and tense nail biting sequences, VanderMeer masterfully conjures up imagery that is both hauntingly beautiful and vividly terrifying – evoking a sense of awe and dread of the unknown.
The gorgeously atmospheric and refreshingly original, ‘Annihilation’ will leave you clamouring for answers as you are led into a thought provoking labyrinth – coming out on the other side, not really quite the same.
An ambitious, spellbinding and breathtaking endeavour that raises the bar for fiction across the board. Nagamatsu’s poetic narrative is a magnificent achievement!
‘How High We Go in the Dark’ is a hauntingly beautiful genre bending read that accentuates the horrors of climate change – a world blighted by natural disasters and a terrifying plague that escapes from the depths of the permafrost – while focusing on the will of humanity and the power of resilience.
Written before the Covid Pandemic, Sequoia Nagamatsu’sprescient narrative immaculately captures a sense of atmosphere and unfurls a deeply layered and richly textured landscape, all recounted through short vignettes – from how the outbreak began to humanity’s response, spread across a 6,000 year period – ostensibly disparate yet interconnected events.
From Amusement Park rides being used to euthanise sick children to Elegy Hotels, the many narratives are as much about death and destruction as they are about grief, acceptance, family and a collective sense of being.
‘How High We Go in the Dark’ refuses to pigeonhole itself into a particular category and renounces the age old tradition of labelling works. With nuance and subtlety, the collection of stories manages to oscillate between pure sci-fi to historical fiction – a heady concoction that is both fantastical and relatable at the same time.
Nagamatsu reaffirms the case for non-linear story arcs that make the reading experience all the more engaging and exciting. A sublime piece of speculative fiction – with a dazzlingly rewarding end – that dances, swirls and soars in search of hope and possibility, ‘How High We Go in the Dark’ is a magnificent achievement – one that will continue to transcend time & space as it hurtles its way across the galaxy.
P.S. This reminded me a bit of another speculative fiction story. Check out the film review here: Little Fish
