The Long Take

We’re divided on Vasan Bala’s difficult-to-categorise Monica, O My Darling , out now on Netflix. We discuss the film’s convoluted plot, its tone-hopping structure, and Bala’s hyper-stylised filmmaking. And we also talk about the overbearing soundtrack, the dubious perspective, and the ambiguous ending. — Hosted by Akhil Arora and Rohan Naahar , The Long Take is fully bootstrapped. Please consider...

Ayan Mukerji’s fantasy film Brahmāstra —out on Disney+ Hotstar after a theatrical run—is an outright disaster on several fronts. It wastes its massive budget on sub-par visual effects, routinely forgets that it has to write meaningful scenes for Alia Bhatt’s female lead, and reduces Amitabh Bachchan to an exposition machine. We also discuss the film’s failure on both a narrative and visual level,...

There was a lot riding on House of the Dragon , the first Game of Thrones spin-off, which ended its 10-episode debut season last week. We discuss how the show succeeds independently of not just its predecessor, but also when it is held up in comparison with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power . We also talk about its slow-burn palace intrigue, how deftly it establishes its characters, and it...

Dobaaraa , a sci-fi remake that takes the plot of a mediocre movie and somehow makes it worse, is probably the worst film of Anurag Kashyap’s career. We discuss its unnecessary comedic scenes, the illogical plot construction, and the filmmaker’s lack of faith in the audience’s intelligence. We also wonder—again—how Taapsee Pannu is still considered a movie star, despite exclusively appearing in te...

It’s difficult to dislike Laal Singh Chaddha —the new Aamir Khan movie, now out on streaming—when it’s trying to be such an uplifting, anti-hate epic. We discuss the film’s unwillingness to deviate from Forrest Gump , Khan’s divisive central performance, and the manner in which it cherrypicks the moments from history it wants to include (and those that it doesn’t). Chapters (00:24) Review: Laal Si...

Blonde is just as divisive as they say. And we are torn, as well. Is Andrew Dominik’s unconventional biopic of Marilyn Monroe an irresponsible and dishonest act of exploitation, or is it a deeply immersive horror film in the vein of Mulholland Drive and Hereditary ? We discuss the film’s epic length, its precise tone, and Ana de Armas’ central performance. We also wonder if it would’ve played...

Liger —with Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday—is easily the worst movie we’ve covered on the podcast, and nothing we say can communicate the utter depravity of what this “film”—from writer-director Puri Jagannadh, and producer Karan Johar—has to offer. We discuss the shocking level of entitlement that can convince people that it’s okay to release something like this, the casually offensive natur...

Jogi is our second brush with director Ali Abbas Zafar after the truly unbearable Prime Video series Tandav , and we should’ve known better than to expect the filmmaker behind Tiger Zinda Hai to deliver a sensitive political drama. We talk about Zafar’s timid filmmaking, his muddled political commentary, and the film’s lack of focus. We also discuss the ways in which Jogi pulls punches, and wonder...

Thor: Love and Thunder is now out on Disney+, which gave us an opportunity to finally figure out if it was a worse theatrical experience, or an at-home viewing experience. Taika Waititi’s second Marvel movie remains a disjointed affair that appears to have solid 10-minute chunks missing. It’s almost as if the old DC Films crew took over. We discuss the film’s messy narrative, its disservice to the...

Is Amazon’s big-budget The Lord of the Rings prequel— The Rings of Power —the lavish fantasy series that fans were hoping for, or is it an unmitigated disaster? We discuss the show’s slow-paced opening two episodes, the connections— both visually and stylistically—to Peter Jackson’s trilogy, and how well the series handles the multiple storylines that it throws the audience into. We also talk abou...

Is Jordan Peele’s Nope —out now in Indian theatres—a meta commentary on his own career, or is it merely his tribute to blockbuster films? We discuss the sci-fi thriller’s deeper themes, its spectacular IMAX cinematography, and theorise about that Gordy’s Home sequence. We also talk about its Steven Spielberg influences, how it treats its central mystery, and where we place Nope on Peele’s fil...

The Bear , one of the best new shows of the year, has arrived in India two months late, on Disney+ Hotstar. Even though it’s made by FX, owned by Disney. Streaming works in mysterious ways. We discuss the show’s tense storytelling, Jeremy Allen White’s terrific lead performance, and draw parallels with not just other films and series about chefs, but also The Godfather and Uncut Gems . Update: The...

Malayankunju —the new Fahadh Faasil movie, now out on Amazon Prime Video—is less the survival thriller that it was marketed as, and more like a surrealist character study. We discuss the film’s disjointed halves, its near-wordless experimental narrative, and whether the detestable protagonist deserves a redemption arc at all. We also talk about A.R. Rahman’s dissonant score, and how the film uses...

Darlings —the new Netflix film starring Alia Bhatt—is yet another Hindi-language comedy that doesn’t know how to navigate serious themes. We talk about the film’s tonal imbalance, the disrespect with which it treats its protagonist, and director Jasmeet K. Reen’s under-confident handling of some very intense ideas. We also discuss why rape-revenge films are morally thorny, and how Vijay Varma is a...

JugJugg Jeeyo —the new Dharma movie starring Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor, and Neetu Kapoor—is in constant conflict with itself. Is it a comedy or a drama? Does it want to portray emotionally evolved modern characters, or does it want to be a slapstick Govinda film from the ‘90s? Does it really want to expose patriarchal mindsets, or does it want to devote its entire runtime t...

Yet another big-budget stinker from Netflix, The Gray Man —the new film from Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo—is so anonymous, it’s like it was literally birthed by an algorithm. We discuss The Gray Man ’s utter lack of personality, the incoherent action sequences, and deathly dull plotting. We also talk about how it assembles some of the world’s most talented movie stars—Ryan Gos...

More an ill-conceived collection of random sketches than a proper feature film, Netflix’s Jaadugar is the kind of movie you want to wave your wand at to make it disappear. We discuss the film’s many problematic aspects—something that is becoming worryingly common for star Jitendra Kumar—and its absolute lack of cinematic value. Jaadugar has zero understanding of football, cares little for its supp...

Anek —the new Ayushmann Khurrana film, now out on Netflix—is so unsuccessful at what it sets out to do that it’s actually possible that Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is a better movie, purely because it knows its audience. We discuss the sheer incompetence of Khurrana’s character, the uniformly terrible performances of the cast, and director Anubhav Sinha’s nonsensical and utterly-confused storytelling. We al...

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness —now out on Disney+—represents a welcome return to bold filmmaking for the increasingly cookie-cutter Marvel Cinematic Universe. Or does it? We discuss director Sam Raimi’s signature kinetic filmmaking, how the movie short-changes its title character, and whether Wanda Maximoff’s motivations make sense. We also dissect our contrasting opinions about the...

Could Cha Cha Real Smooth follow in CODA ’s footsteps and become Apple’s second Best Picture contender at the Oscars? Actor-writer-director Cooper Raiff’s second feature is a coming-of-age story that tackles themes as complex as mental health, motherhood, and identity. We discuss Dakota Johnson’s outstanding performance, the film’s reversal of gender roles, and its chances at next year’s Academy A...

For our 100th episode, we have something special planned. Just kidding, it’s yet another movie that we’ll never talk about ever again. Jayeshbhai Jordaar is—simultaneously—not as deranged as it should have been, and also one of the most miscalculated mainstream Hindi movies you’re likely to see this year. We talk about Ranveer Singh’s uncharacteristically muted central performance, the film’s coun...

If Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore — out now on streaming and video-on-demand — is the last Wizarding World movie we’re going to get for a while, then what a disappointing way this is for things to have panned out. Has any other contemporary film franchise been this reactionary to fan concerns? We discuss the film’s convoluted (yet low-stakes) plot, its overabundance of characters (som...

Top Gun: Maverick is such a refined big-screen experience that you're willing to forgive the movie’s most obvious flaws. In that way, it’s like its star, Tom Cruise. We discuss Top Gun: Maverick ’s meta commentary on Cruise’s career, and how it reflects his insecurities. We also discuss the visceral IMAX experience, the film’s apolitical tone, and the straightforward but almost scientifically-effe...

Is RRR —director SS Rajamouli’s epic historical fiction, now on streaming—a rousing patriotic drama, or a blatant attempt at bhakt-baiting? We discuss the film’s murky morality, over-the-top action scenes, and Rajamouli’s utter lack of interest in writing compelling women. We also talk about RRR ’s homoerotic undertones, its video game-like reliance on jadi-bootis, and the most confusing director...

Did Amazon Prime Video just take a leaf out of Netflix’s playbook? Modern Love Mumbai —an Indian spin-off of the original American anthology series—has such a poor hit rate that it makes Ankahi Kahaniyan and Ajeeb Daastaans look like early Black Mirror seasons. We discuss our favourite shorts of the six films, the bizarre choice to adapt these from the American column and not source local stories,...