Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead! Leila, the dystopian drama set only about 30 years into the future, portrays a chilling picture of a nation under an aggressive neo-Nazi government that perpetuates its ideals through nationalism and religious fanaticism. Based on the 2017 eponymous novel by Prayaag Akbar, the reason why Leila sometimes manages to genuinely scare is that the series' dystopian world doesn't seem to be too impossible a reality for India, given the paths the country has been treading lately. The series touches on various problems plaguing India currently including xenophobia, casteism ..read more

Disclaimer: Spoilers Ahead! Since Ema is a woman I will use feminine pronouns for narcissist. Apologies in advance. Pablo Larraín's Ema (2019), the tale of an anarchic predatory reggaetón dancer has an uncanny resemblance with a film released only a few months before- Joker. Joker too revolves around a character who rebels in outrageous fashion against a system designed "to cut people like you out". Not only do both Joker and Ema defy general understanding they both use dance as a bodily expression of them breaking free. In fact with her dyed back brushed hair, maroon tracksuit and the sheer ..read more

For the self-styled social activist of Bollywood Ayushmann Khurrana is a bit too comfortable with deception and manipulation. His on-screen romantic relationships are strewn with lying, manipulation, gaslighting, guilt-tripping, love-bombing, victim blaming, triangulation and many other patterns of mental abuse. In too many of his films he keeps actively deceiving his partner and comes clean only when he is forced to do so. Even when his behaviour cannot be strictly classified as deception he still comes off as a pushy overbearing partner who has zero sense of boundaries or personal space. Al ..read more

Disclaimer: Spoilers Ahead! If you have not watched the film DO NOT read a plot summary and come back here. Just watch it first. Please. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a masterfully crafted feature which can easily make its way into the lists of the most beautiful films ever made. It is one of those rare synergies which truly uphold the words "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts", riveting audiences from the very starting frame to the end. Too much has already been said about the exquisite experience that the film offers, and this is not an "Oh My God! That Was Brilliant!" post, alt ..read more

Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead! If you haven't watched the film I suggest going through the plot summary before reading this post. Jun'ichi Satô's debut feature A Whisker Away (2020) is a heartfelt tale about a tweenager grappling with loneliness and her attempts to find love. The Japanese name Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu literally translates to "Wanting to Cry, I Pretend to Be a Cat". The film introduces us to two distinct personalities of Miyo- Muge (Miss Ultra Gaga and Enigmatic), the persona she puts on for the outside world and Taro, the cat she turns into to get close to her crush, Hi ..read more

Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead! If you haven't watched the film I suggest going through the plot summary before reading this post. Anvita Dutt's Bulbbul takes from the Chudail stories of Bengal and adds a feminist spin to it. While the film can serve as a classic example of style presiding over substance where the exquisite visual experience keeps viewers detached from the story, the style serves an unique purpose in two very crucial scenes i.e. the abuse scenes of Bulbbul. When Indranil lets himself loose on Bulbbul (Tripti Dimry) there is no diegetic sound (Bulbbul's screams, the impact of the ..read more

Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead! If you haven't watched Black Panther I suggest going through the plot summary before reading this post. Black Panther has been widely hailed as the film that African Americans had been eagerly waiting for, and deserve. Its claims to black empowerment comes from having a black director, a black writer, an almost all entirely black cast, a vision of an advanced African nation, and a story focusing on the plight of African Americans. All these properties save the hyper-advanced African nation is basically every Spike Lee film ever. In this article I will discuss how B ..read more

Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead! If you haven't watched Coco I suggest going through the plot summary before reading this post. First off the bat let me say that Pixar's Coco (2017) is a brilliantly animated feature. Sure, the logical fallacies (the mechanics of the Land of the Dead, for example), the slapstick humour and the tedious melodrama are often too much to handle, but Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina's direction coupled with some incredible acting manages to tell an emotionally engaging story while staying culturally conscious (as has been pointed out by various Mexican and Non-Mexican criti ..read more

Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead! Leila, the dystopian drama set only about 30 years into the future, portrays a chilling picture of a nation under an aggressive neo-Nazi government that perpetuates its ideals through nationalism and religious fanaticism. Based on the 2017 eponymous novel by Prayaag Akbar, the reason why Leila sometimes manages to genuinely scare is that the series' dystopian world doesn't seem to be too impossible a reality for India, given the paths the country has been treading lately. The series touches on various problems plaguing India currently including xenophobia, casteism ..read more

Disclaimer: Spoilers Ahead! Since Ema is a woman I will use feminine pronouns for narcissist. Apologies in advance. Pablo Larraín's Ema (2019), the tale of an anarchic predatory reggaetón dancer has an uncanny resemblance with a film released only a few months before- Joker. Joker too revolves around a character who rebels in outrageous fashion against a system designed "to cut people like you out". Not only do both Joker and Ema defy general understanding they both use dance as a bodily expression of them breaking free. In fact with her dyed back brushed hair, maroon tracksuit and the sheer ..read more