Recent Shows and Movies I Enjoyed

Just realized that I have been binge-watching quite a lot of content recently, and thought I’d share some favorites from the last six months here.

Rocky aur Rani ki prem kahani

This was the first movie I watched this year, and I love it’s energy and vibe. This is how I like my Bollywood romances to be – bright and colorful, energetic, good songs, hot actors in good costumes and sets, and also just a nice storyline.

12th Fail

This is a more serious movie about the struggles of people trying to ace competitive exams. I watched it while my daughter was preparing for her exams, and it was eye-opening to see the extent of the competition and the number of attempts these people gave for their exams. It’s serious, but ultimately happy.

I did dislike how the heroine in the movie didn’t have her own story arc besides supporting the hero, but despite that, I ended up enjoying the movie.

Crew

Crew made up for the lack of female focus in 12th Fail. This is an all-female entertainer starring two of my favorite actresses, Tabu and Kareena Kapoor. This was also the first time I saw Kriti Sanon in a movie, and she’s a winner, too—gorgeous and talented. I loved the pairing between her and Diljit Dosanjh. Their chemistry was ❤️. This story is loosely based on the saga of Kingfisher Airlines but has a much happier and more satisfying ending than the real story.

Oppenheimer

I was super late watching this movie. When it was released on the big screen, I was too tied up with work, and it was too old and serious for my kids, so it was easy to skip. But the moment it came on streaming, I watched this and regretted not trying to see it on the big screen. Excellent!

Beef

On to the shows now. The first three episodes of Beef were a bit difficult. I lost interest and almost stopped watching. But something happened around the middle of the third episode, and I was hooked. I binge-watched it over a weekend. This show about two lonely people battling their demons and doing some really sad and uncomfortable things awakened all sorts of emotions in me—cringe, dismay, empathy, sadness. It’s one of those shows that’s more complex than it seems. Terrific acting too!

The Gentlemen

I am a big fan of Guy Ritchie movies. They may be a tad repetitive, but I love the vibe and style. And The Gentlemen show has all the style and vibe of the movie. I loved watching all the handsome men in their sharp suits – Theo James especially rocked the Savile Row suits and tweeds. Overall, a great, stylish, and fun watch!

Perfume

I started watching this German show because I heard it was based on the book Perfume by Patrick Suskind. In reality, it’s inspired by it, but it’s not an adaptation of the book.

I admit this is a hard show to recommend. It’s gruesome, the characters are all fucked up, and it’s hard to root for anyone at all. I almost stopped watching it many times. I think I only completed it because I kept interrupting it to play Monk (which is pretty wholesome for a crime show), which acted kind of like a palate cleanser for the soul.

However, despite the depravity and the gruesomeness, I kept watching because it was impossible to guess who the killer was. This is a new experience for me, as being so used to thrillers, I almost always guess the killer within the first few minutes. That is not possible with this show. The suspense is built beautifully, and I was unprepared for the twists in the final episode.

If you’re still sure you want to watch it, do so quickly. It’s leaving Netflix soon.

Monk

This brings me to my final show recommendation—an oldie but a goldie. I never heard of Monk back when it played on TV, but I was intrigued and watched a couple of episodes when it came to Netflix. Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with Tony Shalhoub, the idiosyncratic but brilliant detective struggling with mental health issues.

I have binge-watched two seasons so far, and I am midway through the third. I am struggling a little currently because one of my favorite characters has been replaced by another actor. But all my colleagues at the office say it continues to excel even in the later seasons, so I am looking forward to it.

So, yeah, I have watched a lot this year! Unfortunately, 2024 is becoming a year of more movies and shows than books. What shows or movies have you enjoyed this year? Are there any you recommend?