Justice, revenge, romance, tears, take your pick from Sukanya Verma's OTT recommendations for the week.
The Trial of Chicago 7
Where to watch: Netflix
Language: English
Writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s fiery treatment of the actual 1968 trial of seven anti-Vietnam war activists charged of conspiracy and inciting riots by the US federal government is brimming in relevancy and eloquence.
The upshot is an instant classic.
Halal Love Story
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Language: Malayalam (with subtitles)
A religious organisation’s movie project ropes in a real life married couple to portray an on screen marriage in Zakariya Mohammed’s part feel-good space, part coy political commentary.
Start-Up
Where to watch: Netflix
Language: Korean (with subtitles)
The professional and personal challenges of a woman who dreams of becoming the next Steve Jobs and a guy who starts his own start-up to pay off debts become the focus of this sparkling new K-drama streaming on Netflix.
Putham Pudhu Kaalai
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Language: Tamil (with subtitles)
In this fascinating five-segment anthology, directors Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon, Suhasini Maniratnam, Rajiv Menon and Karthik Subbaraj pitch in the message of healing and hope around the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
A Fantastic Woman
Where to watch: Mubi
Language: Spanish (with subtitles)
Winner of the Best Foreign Film at the 90th Academy Awards, the Chilean drama closely studies a transgender nightclub singer’s (played by a riveting Daniela Vega) emotional struggle and social scrutiny following her boyfriend’s death.
Clouds
Where to watch: Disney Hotstar
Language: English
There will be waterworks in Disney’s moving adaptation of Laura Sobiech’s memoir, Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom's Small Prayer in a Big Way, which honours her teen son Zach’s efforts to create a hit single while battling cancer.
La Révolution
Where to watch: Netflix
Language: French (with subtitles)
Fans of South Korea’s Kingdom will dig this richly reimagined take on the French revolution wherein a deadly virus spurs murderous instincts among aristocrats towards commoners.
Historical accuracy it has none to offer but entertainment? Aplenty.
Someone Has to Die
Where to watch: Netflix
Language: Spanish (with subtitles)
Set in the 1950s, this three part Spanish-Mexican thriller is about the brewing trouble and raised eyebrows after a young man returns to his conservative hometown and family with a ballerino in tow.
Nocturne
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Language: English
A perfectly serviceable horror about twin sisters engaged in music where one outshines another until the discovery of a dead classmate’s diary has supernatural implications.
Mandy
Where to watch: Netflix
Language: English
While on the subject of horror, not-so-fainthearted also check out Nicholas Cage at his raging best as he embarks on an ultra-violent killing spree, chainsaw et al, in this bizarre, bloody, over-the-top revenge drama.
