Sriram Raghavan is back, and with him hopes for a smart, well-directed, cinema-literate Hindi film after what seems like forever. This thriller about two strangers who meet on Christmas Eve has the unlike central pairing of Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif. Sanjay Kapoor and Vinay Pathak feature in the Hindi version, while the Tamil-language release of the film has Radhika Sarathkumar and Gayathrie. (In theatres)
Napoleon begins with the future emperor (Joaquin Phoenix), a lowly army captain, and tracks his rise to world domination. One of the slyest ideas in Ridley Scott’s 2023 film is to make Napoleon and Josephine’s (Vanessa Kirby’s) convoluted sex life and marriage the backdrop to his relentless militarism. Hard fact is sacrificed for a chance to run riot through history. (Amazon Prime, rental)
This new Marvel action miniseries features the deaf superhero Echo. Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) used to lead a criminal gang for Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), the primary antagonist in the Marvel series Daredevil, but is now taking back control of her life. Like her character, Cox is Native American, deaf and has a prosthetic leg. (Disney+ Hotstar)
The year’s first big Indian action film. Dhanush stars as Easa, who must rise up against his former masters in the British Indian army. Directed by Arun Matheswaran, who made the brutal revenge drama Saani Kaayidham in 2022. In Tamil. (In theatres)
Compiled by Uday Bhatia
