Which are the OTT releases this week? With so many releases across platforms, here are 3 picks that I think are worth checking out. Thangalaan, Bougainvillea and Dream Productions are my suggestions. Why I pick those; scroll down to read more.
Bougainvillea: A Memory Game With Poor Ending
Platform: SonyLIV
Director: Amal Neerad
Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Jyothirmayi, Kunchacko Boban
Plot & Review: Bougainvillea (2024)
Reethu (Jyothirmayi), dealing with memory loss after an accident, faces trouble when a police investigation links her and her husband Royce (Kunchacko Boban) to a missing girl.
❤️ Jyothirmayi delivers a compelling performance, capturing Reethu’s confusion and vulnerability.
❤️ Amal Neerad’s visual style and sound design are worth giving a try.
❌ Unconvincing plot twists and a rushed climax weaken the narrative.
❌ Fahadh Faasil and Sharafudheen feel underutilised, adding little to the story.
Despite its intriguing start, Bougainvillea struggles with the ending, leaving it an average psychological thriller with excellent visuals.
Red One: A Holly Jolly Mixed Bag
Platform: Amazon Prime
Director: Jake Kasdan
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, Kiernan Shipka
Plot & Review: Red One (2024)
In this Christmas action-comedy, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), head of Santa’s E.L.F. unit, joins forces with hacker Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) to save Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) from the witch Grýla (Kiernan Shipka). Their wild journey includes battling snowmen, facing Krampus, and using magical gadgets.
❤️ Kristofer Hivju’s Krampus stands out with a striking design and practical effects.
❤️ Chris Evans and J.K. Simmons add charm despite the uneven material.
❌ Wasted creative mythology for a generic buddy-cop formula.
❌ Struggles with tone, unsure whether to be self-aware or serious.
Red One is an entertaining yet flawed Christmas romp, blending action and comedy with moments of charm but failing to fully deliver on its potential.
Thangalaan: A Spirited Yet Splintered Saga
Platform: Netflix
Director: Pa. Ranjith
Cast: Vikram, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Malavika Mohanan, Daniel Caltagirone
Plot & Review: Thangalaan (2024)
Set in the 1850s, Thangalaan tells the story of a tribal clan’s struggle for survival and identity against landlords and the British. It explores themes of oppression, resilience, and societal divisions through a quest for gold.
❤️ Pa. Ranjith’s powerful symbolism and Malavika Mohan’s performance standout.
❤️ Standout sequences like the village women receiving blouses reflect nuanced socio-political themes.
❌ Weak VFX and sound design hinder the immersive period setting.
❌ Overdone tropes and a lack of emotional depth reduce its impact.
Thangalaan offers ambitious storytelling and striking moments but struggles to deliver a cohesive and engaging narrative becuase og Ranjith’s obsession with Symbolism.
Kanguva: A Grand Vision but Cluttered Execution
Platform: Amazon Prime
Director: Siva
Cast: Suriya, Disha Patani, Bobby Deol
Plot & Review: Kanguva (2024)
Kanguva spans two timelines, following Francis, a present-day bounty hunter, and his mysterious link to a child from his past life. The tale unfolds in a vast period setting of betrayal, survival, and resistance against oppressors.
❤️ Stunning period visuals and production design create an immersive backdrop.
❤️ Creative moments like symbolisms and picturisation show flashes of brilliance.
❌ Cluttered storytelling weakens emotional engagement and narrative cohesion.
❌ Overwhelming sound design and uneven pacing disrupt the immersive experience.
Despite Suriya’s commanding presence and visual grandeur, Kanguva falters in delivering a cohesive and engaging narrative, leaving viewers with little more than a promise of better things to come in its sequels.
Singham Again: A Franchise Stuck in Reverse
Platform: Amazon Prime (Rent)
Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone
Plot & Review: Singham Again (2024)
Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) takes on Omar Hafeez (Jackie Shroff) and his grandson Zubair (Arjun Kapoor) in a Ramayana-inspired battle, with help from a star-studded lineup of allies.
❤️ Ranveer Singh’s playful Simmba injects energy into an otherwise dull affair.
❌ Predictable story with awkward mythological parallels feels uninspired.
❌ Reliance on cameos and heavy-handed religious undertones dilutes the action.
Singham Again struggles to deliver fresh ideas or engaging escapism, leaving even fans of the franchise underwhelmed.
Mechanic Rocky: A Thriller That Finds Its Thrills Late
Platform: Amazon Prime
Director: Ravi Teja Mullapudi
Cast: Vishwak Sen, Shraddha Srinath, Meenakshi Chaudhary
Plot & Review: Mechanic Rocky (2024)
Rakesh aka Rocky (Vishwak Sen) runs a car garage and faces clashes with his father while recounting his past romance and dealing with unexpected challenges. The story takes a dramatic turn in the final act, revealing a smart thriller beneath its mass entertainer surface.
❤️ The last hour delivers engaging twists, elevating the narrative with smart storytelling.
❤️ Shraddha Srinath’s performance in the climax is a standout.
❌ The initial portions, filled with generic romance, comedy, and songs, feel uninspired.
❌ Missed potential in focusing more on its thrilling elements over crowd-pleasing tropes.
Mechanic Rocky shines in its final act but could have been more engrossing with tighter pacing and fewer cliches.
Sorgavaasal: A Dense Prison Saga That Falls Short
Platform: Netflix
Director: Sidharth Vishwanath
Cast: RJ Balaji, Karunas, Selvaraghavan, Saniya Iyappan
Plot & Review: Sorgavaasal (2024)
Set in Madras Central Prison, Sorgavaasal intertwines the lives of inmates and officers through a labyrinthine narrative spanning decades. The story follows Parthiban (RJ Balaji), a wrongly accused man navigating the prison’s violent power dynamics while seeking redemption.
❤️ Impressive world-building and uniform visual tone create an immersive prison setting.
❤️ The narrative bravely addresses issues like gender identity and justice.
❌ Overcrowded storytelling leaves characters and key arcs underdeveloped.
❌ Rushed pacing dilutes emotional depth and the impact of critical moments.
While Sorgavaasal has flashes of brilliance, its hurried execution and lack of focus turn an ambitious premise into an uneven drama.
Kadha Innuvare: A Disconnected Love Saga
Platform: Manorama Max
Director: Vishnu Mohan
Cast: Biju Menon, Methil Devika, Nikhila Vimal, Anusree, Anu Mohan
Plot & Review: Kadha Innuvare (2024)
A hyperlink narrative intertwines four love stories: a middle-aged romance between a peon and a senior officer, a childhood crush, a liquor shop worker’s affection for a mysterious woman, and a college romance entangled in religious dilemmas.
❤️ The middle-aged couple’s practical love story stands out but lacks depth.
❌ Weak writing and forced character arcs fail to engage emotionally.
❌ The contrived climax and overuse of religiosity undermine the film’s impact.
Despite its ambitious structure, Kadha Innuvare struggles to deliver genuine emotional connections or memorable storytelling.
Bandish Bandits 2: A Melodic but Uneven Symphony
Platform: Prime Video
Director: Anand Tiwari
Cast: Ritwik Bhowmik, Shreya Chaudhry, Sheeba Chaddha, Divya Dutta
Plot & Review: Bandish Bandits Season 2 (2024)
The second season sees Radhe Rathod (Ritwik Bhowmik) and Tamanna Sharma (Shreya Chaudhry) face personal and professional conflicts as they navigate a world of clashing musical traditions, rivalry, and redemption.
❤️ Powerful performances from Sheeba Chaddha and Divya Dutta add emotional depth.
❤️ Brilliant music underscores the show’s core themes of tradition and rebellion.
❌ Overstuffed subplots dilute the narrative’s focus and emotional impact.
❌ Predictable arcs in the ‘championship’ phase weaken the storytelling.
While Bandish Bandits 2 hits some high notes with its music and performances, it falls short of being a perfect symphony due to its scattered plotting.
Dream Productions: Inside Out’s Dreamy Spin-Off
Platform: Disney+
Director: Mike Jones
Cast: Paula Pell, Richard Ayoade, Maya Rudolph
Plot & Review: Dream Productions (2024)
Set in Riley’s dream world, Dream Productions showing us the quirky studio behind her nighttime visions. As Riley (Kensington Tallman) approaches puberty, dream director Paula Persimmon (Paula Pell) teams up with daydream director Xeni (Richard Ayoade) to keep her dreams relevant while tackling workplace chaos and a looming school dance.
❤️ Richard Ayoade steals the show with his artsy, hilarious portrayal of Xeni.
❤️ Creative touches like Paula’s sleep-inducing pet, Melatonin, add charm, overall a feel good vibe is there.
❌ Lacks the emotional depth and brilliance of Inside Out.
❌ The rushed climax and irrelevant cameos from Joy and the gang feel unnecessary.
Despite its fun moments and witty satire, Dream Productions doesn’t live up to its iconic predecessor but works as a lighthearted feel good.
Despatch: A Fractured Tale of Journalism and Crime
Platform: ZEE5
Director: Kanu Behl
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Shahana Goswami, Rii Sen, Archita Agarwal
Plot & Review: Despatch (2024)
Inspired by the murder of journalist J Dey, Despatch showing us the murky world of investigative journalism. Joy Bag (Manoj Bajpayee), a crime reporter driven by passion and ambition, navigates a morally ambiguous media landscape while uncovering dangerous truths about smuggling, hawala networks, and corporate greed.
❤️ Manoj Bajpayee’s layered portrayal captures audacity and vulnerability.
❤️ Immersive camerawork and sharp character studies bring depth to the narrative.
❌ The fragmented storytelling leaves the plot feeling disjointed.
❌ Gender dynamics and some character arcs may feel problematic.
Despatch shines as a character-driven crime drama but falters in cohesively tying its intricate threads together.