The Long Take

Deadpool & Wolverine , the only Marvel Cinematic Universe movie this year, levels up in terms of budget but isn't bothered about evolving emotionally. We discuss the film’s relentless humour, the ugly CGI, and the confusingly complicated plot. There’s time for self-reference, but not for self-reflection in the Deadpool films, as Ryan Reynolds continues to overwhelm every aspect of them. We als...

Stree 2 is an overlong, unfunny, and ultimately unnecessary sequel that has no idea how to deliver scares or laughs. Every scene in the film goes on for too long, the jokes are repeated to the point of redundancy, and some of the diversions are baffling to behold. Why is Akshay Kumar in this? How old is Tamannaah Bhatia’s character? Why are there no rules to this universe? We discuss the film’s fl...

Vikramaditya Motwane’s fascination with genre cinema continues. But his latest film, CTRL , isn't exactly going to win him any new fans. We discuss the film’s mess of a script, which tries to cram in way too many ideas than it needed to. We also talk about its elaborate conspiracy thriller section and its melancholic third act. Along the way, we praise Ananya Panday for bringing nuance to a string...

Kottukkaali , writer-director P.S. Vinothraj’s follow-up to the acclaimed Koozhangal , divided us down the middle. We speak about the techniques Vinothraj uses to tell an ever-evolving, odyssey-like story about a group of people accompanying a young woman to her exorcism. We discuss the brief bursts of horror and comedy and talk about the larger points that Vinothraj is trying to make about a deep...

Sector 36 is a gratuitously grisly dramatisation of the gruesome Nithari serial murders from around two decades ago. But because it unfolds with zero nuance, the movie mines cheap thrills out of a real-life horror story. We talk about the strange arcs that Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal’s characters have been given, the haphazard narrative structure, and seemingly missing sequences that could’...

Kill  might be one of the rare movies that actually benefit from a remake—that’s how royally it fumbles both its action and revenge plot. We discuss the film’s indecipherable approach to close combat, the lead actor Lakshya’s wooden performance, and the lack of inventiveness in the story. We also talk about the unearned  John Wick  and  The Raid  comparisons, and wonder why international audiences...

The year’s biggest Indian hit, Kalki 2898 AD , is just as irredeemable as Prabhas’ other recent films. But unlike those movies, this one barely features Prabhas at all and drags on for three hours without offering a single character you can latch on to. We talk about the film’s poor construction, subpar world-building, and superficial writing. We also discuss its shameless sequel-bait of a climax...

Angry Young Men , the three-part documentary about writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar’s partnership, is a massive missed opportunity. We discuss the show’s cagey approach to its legendary subjects, the overwhelming feeling of self-satisfaction, and the unearned points it tries to score for highlighting the plight of writers in the film business. We also discuss the superficial filmmaking, the lac...

Chandu Champion finds director Kabir Khan returning to 83 territory, for better or worse. We talk about the film’s shoddy storytelling structure, its complete lack of interest in developing its protagonist, and its over-reliance on crutches like music and contrivances. We also discuss Khan’s tendency to underestimate his audiences’ intellect and his inherent insecurity about his subject’s genuine ...

In Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba , Taapsee Pannu and Vikrant Massey return as the murderous couple of hell who were introduced in 2021’s Haseen Dillruba . The sequel boasts an entirely different visual aesthetic and its romantic-thriller tone stands in contrast to the tongue-in-cheek pulpiness of the first film. We discuss what a huge mistake this is, while also trying to wrap our heads around the fi...

Longlegs is the rare psychological horror movie that truly gets under your skin. Featuring an instantly iconic performance by Nicolas Cage, the movie creates an ominous atmosphere with the help of a measured pace and an unsettling reliance on silence. We discuss the film’s grounded first act and its rapid descent into full-blown supernatural horror. We also talk about director Osgood Perkins’ imme...

They might as well have called Maharaj “Junaid Khan’s Launch Vehicle” because naming it after the villain makes even less sense. We discuss the film’s many irredeemable flaws, which include shaming the victim of sexual abuse, projecting a red flag male character as the protagonist, and resorting to the problematic trope of “fridging.” We also talk about the film’s obvious technical inadequacies, l...

In its third and potentially final season, Kota Factory seems to be responding to past criticism. We discuss the show’s sudden bout of self-reflection, and the confused manner in which it examines the harsh realities of towns like Kota and the industries they service. We also talk about its aversion to human moments, and why the handful of them this season stand out. Later in the episode, we wonde...

Dibakar Banerjee is going to have to make two good movies to compensate for whatever hellish assault on the senses Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 was. We discuss the film’s muddled social commentary, the frustration oozing out of every frame, and the general incoherence of the arguments. We also compare LSD2 ’s aesthetic and thematic shortfalls, especially when compared to Banerjee’s past work, while wonde...

Crew , the new heist movie starring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Kriti Sanon, effectively weaponises middle-class angst against corporate overlords. We praise the film’s dedication to punching up, the instant relatability that it is able to generate for its characters, and its tightly constructed first half. But we also criticise its endless product placement, and the relatively disappointing se...

Writer-director Kunal Kemmu’s Madgaon Express smartly avoids taking the sleazy route and mostly succeeds in finding the soul of its cartoonish characters. We talk about the film’s familiar set-up, and how it transports a Hangover -like premise to India. We also discuss the performances of Divyenndu, Pratik Gandhi and Avinash Tiwary, while noting the tightrope walk actors have to pull off in absurd...

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar , director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s big-budget streaming debut, is yet another high-profile Netflix failure. A summation and culmination of Bhansali’s lifelong ambitions, the show represents everything that is wrong with his sensibilities and style-over-substance storytelling. We discuss the show’s flawed understanding of feminism, aestheticisation of female suffering...

In addition to being a thought-provoking movie about how close we are to disintegrating as a society, Alex Garland’s Civil War is a rollicking cinematic experience. We discuss the film’s affection for journalism, the intricate character work that Garland is able to accomplish via action sequences, and the film’s stand-out moments. One of them involves a scene-stealing cameo by Jesse Plemons, and t...

Is Amar Singh Chamkila a long-awaited return to form for director Imtiaz Ali, or is it another let-down from the once-promising filmmaker? We discuss the film’s inventive approach to the music biopic genre, if not narratively then at least formally. We also talk about Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra’s central performances as the slain husband-wife folk singer duo and address the ‘Hindi gaze’ t...

Aattam , the latest Malayalam-language gem that further solidifies the industry’s artistic stronghold on the cinema landscape of the country, offers an inventive spin on the whodunnit genre. We discuss the film’s gripping narrative, ambitious social commentary, and director Anand Ekarshi’s bold voice. We also talk about the many moral quandaries that the movie puts its characters in, and how willi...

Is Fighter another in the long and increasingly problematic line of hyper-nationalistic Indian action movies, or is its biggest problem that it can’t look beyond star Hrithik Roshan? We discuss the many missteps that director Siddharth Anand makes in his follow-up to Pathaan , the unnecessary songs and the momentum-killing asides, but we also talk about how the movie goes out of its way to not pai...

Murder Mubarak lowers the bar even further for Netflix India, and feels like a particularly annoying missed opportunity. We talk about the inept filmmaking, the strange structure, and the over-the-top performances of its ensemble cast. We also wonder how the finished film can look like something that was snatched away from director Homi Adajania and handed over to editors who’ve never met him. And...

Merry Christmas , director Sriram Raghavan’s follow-up to the critical and commercial hit Andhadhun , is nothing to celebrate. We discuss the film’s lack of discernible aesthetic, the complete absence of any spark between stars Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi, and its baffling climax. Along the way, we discuss the decision to reduce an important child character to a plot device, and the increasi...

Dune: Part Two is being called one of the greatest sequels ever made. It isn’t. We discuss the problems that we’ve had with both Dune films, our issues with their cold tone, the seemingly rushed plot despite a nearly three-hour run-time, and the sheer number of characters to keep track of. But we also appreciate director Denis Villeneuve’s handling of the action, particularly the sandworm sequence...

All India Rank , the feature directorial debut of Varun Grover, is a refreshing change of pace for Bollywood, but still not as good as it could have been. We discuss all the ways in which the coming-of-age drama avoids making the same mistakes as 12th Fail or Kota Factory , its ability to evoke a particular time and place, and its reliance on tried-and-tested narrative tropes. We also talk about t...