Streaming Guide: Movies, web series and TV shows to watch on May 15

Flames revolves around a young teenage couple Rajat and Ishita, who try to manage their relationships with the family along with their career goals, their journey, and more.

Here is the first ever comedy special of arguably one of the greatest stand-up comics ever, wherein George Carlin talks about monopoly, flying in aeroplanes and everything under the sun.

Forgotten is South Korean a mystery-thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seats throughout its 109 minutes run. The film follows Jin Seok who witnesses his brother’s kidnapping. Although the brother returns after 19 days with no memory, Jin Seok starts to realise that his entire family is acting strange, which leads him to seek the truth. It’s a very dark and tragic movie, but the plot twist is guaranteed to blow your mind. I highly recommend it.

The war of sexes has never been so entertaining. The tale of a headstrong lady going on a rampage after being spurned by the man of her dreams never gets boring. Of course, it is Rajinikanth who sold the tickets, but the movie belonged to Ramya Krishnan. Before Sivagami Devi, she ruled the screens as Nilambari.

Anushka Sharma’s debut production venture, NH10 starring her, Darshan Kumar and Neil Bhoopalam is a film about a woman’s survival in a world devoid of law and order and her journey to escape the barbaric civilization along with her husband.

Horror The Terror's season 1 adapts Dan Simmons' 2007 novel of the name. Jared Harris stars as Captain Francis Crozier, Ciarán Hinds as Rear Admiral Sir John Franklin and Tobias Menzies as Commander James Fitzjames. They are all naval officers in a failed expedition to the Arctic. The actual expedition (yes, the novel is a fictionalised account of a real expedition) was led by Captain Franklin (played by Ciarán Hinds in the show) and did not come back. Not one man among 129 who went came back. Dan Simmons's novel gave a supernatural reason behind the doom, so does the series. It is a slow burn horror thriller that ends with a narrative crescendo.

Deadwood: The Movie is a sequel film to HBO’s iconic western TV series Deadwood created by David Milch that ran for three seasons from 2004 to 2006. The best part about the movie, like the series, is the writing and acting. The huge cast of talented actors (led by an impeccable McShane) get a chance to shine due to a compelling story and dialogues.

In the first season, the audience saw Anuj and Gaurangi (played by Sharman Joshi and Asha Negi) falling in love and getting married. And now, they will witness the roller coaster journey of the couple as they face hurdles in their relationship.

This intriguing series chronicles the rise and fall of one of the most deadly and popular drug-lords of the world - Pablo Escobar. It also shows us how the cocaine trade began in Columbia and the efforts of DEA cops to stop them for wreacking havoc. It is one of the most popular web-series in the world and will keep you hooked right till the end.

Four More Shots Please! revolves around the story of four best friends who love each other fiercely, played by Sayani Gupta, Maanvi Gagroo, Kirti Kulhari and Banji J in the lead roles. Both the seasons are streaming on Amazon Prime Video, 

This American adult animated web television series tells the story of BoJack Horseman (voiced by Will Arnett), a washed-up star of a 1990s sitcom who plans his return to celebrity relevance with an autobiography. The show is regarded by some as one of the greatest animated television series of all time. It stands out for its realistic take on dealing with depression, trauma, addiction, self-destructive behavior, racism, sexism, sexuality, and the human condition. The makers of the show decided to end the series with the sixth season and it is a definite must-watch. Fair warning: It gets very real.

This Saurabh Jain and Pooja Sharma show is another retelling of the Hindu epic Mahabharat. If you don't compare it to BR Chopra's saga, this one will surely be able to engage you from the word go!

Marathi film Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi can never be too old to be watched and rewatched. This Ashok Saraf, Lakshmikant Berde and Sachin Pilgaonkar (Sachin also directed the film) starrer is seen on TV quite frequently, but if you have missed watching it, please do it now. The comic timing, the dialogues and the performance, it will all keep you hooked.

There are few good shows on pirates, and Black Sails sits pretty on the top. Although the first season was marred by more talking than action, Black Sails picks up from second, gets better in third, and goes out with a bang with its fourth and final season. The story is the prequel of Treasure Island, classic adventure book by  Robert Louis Stevenson.

This documentary follows Alex Honnold as he prepares to climb El Capitan in Yosemite. For those who don’t know much about solo climbing, it’s climbing a mountain without any gear. The documentary is a perfect example of a film where you are engrossed in the protagonist’s journey, even if you know nothing about them or their sport. Free Solo won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2019.

High Time is a six episode dark comedy web-series streaming on YouTube channel Karvanda Nirmitee. The show stars Aashutosh Gokhale, Kshitish Date, Sainath Ganuwad, Shddjarth Mahashabde, Ketaki Narayan and Tanvi Kulkarni. It is a story about four friends who explore their lives and failures together, and yet promise for a better tomorrow which depends on strengthening their friendship and never giving up on each other.

Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan together bring to table a gem of a family drama. The movie has been helmed by Shoojit Sircar.

Read | Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan’s ‘Piku’ review: has delightful laugh-out-loud moments

By far the best thing on Quibi, When the Streetlight Go On is about a high school teacher and a teen girl murdered in cold blood. A boy goes on a quest to solve the mystery. It is Stranger Things, turned down a notch. Here is one series that uses the bite-sized format very well.

Untouchable traces the rise and fall of disgraced Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein, and the sexual harassment charges around him. The docu-series also shows us interviews with Weinstein’s accusers, including Rosanna Arquette, Paz de la Huerta, and Erika Rosenbaum.

Sumeet Vyas is back on the OTT platform with this new series. Official Bhootiyagiri, touted to be a drama-comedy with parts of horror, takes off when Dilwar Rana is asked to manage a hotel that is rumoured to be haunted. Will things take a turn for the worse when the rumour actually comes true?

Based on an intriguing what-if premise, The Man in the High Castle is an alternate reality show. In this world, the Axis powers won and the United States was carved up between Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. Common Americans live under two foreign, oppressive regimes and they are resigned to their fate... until the people come across another reality -- our reality -- according to which things could be better.

Starring Aamir Khan,  Ayesha Jhulka, Deepak Tijori, Pooja Bedi, Mamik Singh and Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar is a cult sports drama that was released in 1992. Whether you are watching it for the first time or rewatching it, the movie is sure to leave you inspired. Click this link to check out more films from the 90s.

This neo-noir web series, starring Neeraj Kabi, Gul Panag, Jaideep Ahlawat and Abhishek Banerjee, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The crime-drama is said to be a Inspired by the ancient realms of Swargalok (heaven), Dharti Lok (earth), and Patal Lok (netherworld).

Also Read | Paatal Lok: Journey to the dark side

This coming-of-age film revolves around a group of expatriate Korean teens who visit Seoul for a government-funded camp to learn about their culture. Set in the 80s, Seoul Searching addresses issues like race and identity in a comic but hard-hitting manner.

Full Metal Alchemist, which has been adapted from the Manga of the same name, follows the adventures of two brothers who are searching for the Philosopher’s Stone so they can regain the bodies they lost in a failed attempt to bring their dead mother back to life. The show is set in a fictional world where “alchemy” is the dominant science. With 64 episodes, it is a massive show but the pacing of the story is so fast that you can’t help but get hooked to the story. If you love this one, make sure you don’t miss the reboot, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Director Nalan Kumarasamy’s dark comedy is the movie that told us that Sethupathi is here to stay and he’s not just a two-film wonder. The comedy of errors involving a group of amateur kidnappers will leave you in splits.

Set in 13th century Japan, this fantasy-film is action-packed and depicts the “struggle between the animal gods who protect the forest and the humans who want to cut it down to mine iron.” The film showcases a lot of dark elements, graphic violence, and there is also a strong environmental message. It’s a must-watch for its feminist lead, Lady Eboshi, and how she wrestles with her own conflicts.

Shajahan, starring Vijay, showed the 1990s kids the methods to approach a girl: make eye contact, don’t hesitate to seek help if needed, and tell all your friends about your crush just to weed out the competition and be patient. It taught us not to rush and do something stupid that we may regret our entire life. The subtext dealt with the issue of consent.

This is the movie that everyone has been talking about. Prithviraj and Biju Menon trying to kill each other is everything you need to stay in high spirits.

Kaale Dhande is a Marathi comedy web show starring Mahesh Manjrekar, Sanskruti Balgude and Shubhankar Tawde. Surprisingly bold, this show is a new age comedy. The story revolves around Vicky, a young photographer and how his life changes because of various unforeseen situations. Desperate to put things in order, he gets entangled into further mess. Manjrekar plays a baddie and makes this show a total entertainer.

If you are craving a bit of everything, then this drama should be your go-to. It has action, some thrill and the lead pair share a great chemistry. The show is currently streaming on Netflix.

Phoebe Waller Bridge to the rescue again. Six Twenty somethings live together in a non-functional hospital. There's relationship, drama, romance and humour. Written and created by Phoebe Waller Bridge, Crashing is a sweet coming-of-age tale set in the UK.

This Oscar nominated film by Quentin Tarantino is a love letter to the old Hollywood, the one which Tarantino witnessed as a youngster. It has elements of an epic movie, a historical drama and a thriller and packs quite a few moments of dark humour, Tarantino style. It features Leonardo di Caprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie and a host of other well-known names of the industry in special appearances. 

Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd is a film that ably links six stories and multiple characters together. The movie marked the Bollywood debut of filmmaker Reema Kagti. While the film may not have found many takers, the movie, in hindsight, has been praised for its performances and creativity. It featured Boman Irani, Shabana Azmi, Arjun Rampal, Kay Kay Menon, Sandhya Mridul and Abhay Deol among others. 

This Parvathy and Dulquer Salmaan starrer film is unique in its treatment of subject, cinematography and performances. Everything stands apart and how! Part road trip, part love affair; Charlie brings out the best in its actors. 

This highly acclaimed variety show and its host, John Oliver, take everything from politics to social issues head on. Witty and brilliant, Last Week Tonight boasts of a very personable host and extremely tight writing. The episodes are also available to stream on YouTube.

Taapsee Pannu starrer and Anubhav Sinha directed Thappad is winning accolades for its story and performances even as we write this. So it seems an apt time to watch the duo's 2018 hard-hitting drama Mulk. The film revolves around one joint Muslim family whose honour is at stake after a family member takes to terrorism. Set in the Indian heartland, Mulk also features Rishi Kapoor.

Rajinikanth plays a loyal servant, who can fly his horse-powered chariot between mountains, deliver an impromptu performance on stage and do a lot more. Not enough? There is also the father (Rajinikanth, again), the gold-hearted millionaire, who becomes a sage after being betrayed by his relative.

Schitt’s Creek is a critically acclaimed comedy about a shallow, filthy rich family who lose their fortune and are forced to live in a small town they bought as a joke, in 2015. All 6 seasons of the beloved show are now streaming on Netflix.

This surprisingly sweet film boasts of everything that makes a road trip movie great. Despite using the same old tropes (different personalities travelling together reluctantly), the cast (Paul Rudd — ’nuff said) does a great job of making a strong script and clever dialogues come alive.

Pyaar Ka Punchnama is a story of three bachelors who fall in love, but their relationships are no cakewalk. The girls with whom they fall in love with, don’t love them but are with them for their selfish reasons. The film stars an ensemble cast of Kartik Aaryan, Raayo S. Bakhirta, Divyendu Sharma, Nushrat Bharucha, Sonnalli Seygall and Ishita Raj Sharma. Directed by Luv Ranjan, the 2011 romantic comedy was a sleeper hit, and gained so much popularity among the audience that it got a sequel.

Set during the Cold War in the 1980s, The Americans is a show about two Russian spies who have been living as Americans in Washington DC since the 1960s. Starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys in lead roles, The Americans is a spy thriller that holds your attention from the pilot episode and forces you to binge-watch through its six seasons. Read More.

The Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta gave the film a 2-star rating. In her review, she wrote, “The remake of B R Chopra’s 1978 hit has a ready-made template, not that marital infidelity or of any other kind, needs one. This version manages to pull off the same ‘mofussil’ feel, tracking between Kanpur and Lucknow (currently hot Bollywood flavours ), but overall it has the same flavour of boys-will-be-boys, and men will stray, poor fellows, what else can they do.”

Created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, Death Note is the story of a genius teenager Light Yagami who comes in contact with a notebook called Death Note. Upon discovering it, Light realises that he can simply write anyone’s name in the notebook and that person will die. Light starts using this power as he plans to rid the world of all evil but problems start arising when he turns into a megalomaniac. Read More.

Vicky Kaushal played the role of Deepak, a boy from a lower caste, whose family cremates dead bodies by the ghats in Varanasi. He falls in love with Shaalu (Shweta Tripathi), a girl from an upper-caste family. Masaan also tells the story of a daughter (Richa Chadha) ridden with guilt after her intimate encounter gets recorded.

Headlined by Kay Kay Menon, Rana Daggubati and Atul Kulkarni, The Ghazi Attack is the story of the immense courage and patriotism of the men aboard the Indian submarine S-21 who destroyed the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi when it ventured into Indian waters with the ambition of destroying INS Vikrant and conquering the Visakhapatnam port on the eastern coast of India in 1971.

Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera is loosely based on O Henry’s short story The Last Leaf. The film has Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha essaying intense roles of star-crossed lovers. It is a cinematic treat set in the 1950s with Dev Anand music playing on the radio but loses its grip over the viewers in the second half. The major problem with the film is its pace because at times it gets boring. However, despite a few shortcomings, the film cannot be missed if you like watching love stories.

Set during the Great Depression in America, Mildred Pierce is the story of a divorced woman who is trying to run her restaurant business while also dealing with her difficult daughter Veda. Directed by Todd Haynes, the show stars Kate Winslet in the titular role. Watching Winslet’s Mildred come to terms with her new economic reality as she tries hard to like her daughter is nothing short of brilliant. Read More.

This ALTBalaji series tries to demystify the circumstances surrounding Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s death. It borrows its narrative from Indian author and former journalist Anuj Dhar’s book titled India’s Biggest Cover-up. The director-actor combination of Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao weaves magic yet again in the web series. If you like shows that have a cliffhanger ending, watch Bose: Dead/Alive.

Shahid, a biopic, is based on the real-life story of slain human rights lawyer Shahid Azmi. He fought cases for the poor and innocent who were jailed or arrested on the charges of being terrorists. In 2010, he was gunned down while defending Fahim Ansari, accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Even though Azmi was a hero for the innocents he saved, Mehta doesn’t portray him as a hero or a saint in the biopic. Shahid is a must-watch for its gripping narrative and effective performance.

Fleabag opens with a woman who is wandering through life as she experiments with her sex and dating life. We never learn her name but conveniently start calling her Fleabag because that’s what she thinks of herself. Read More.

BoJack Horseman is a show set in the glitzy town of Hollywoo (with the D missing) where animal-people and regular people co-exist. With the business of entertainment as the backdrop, BoJack explores the dark themes of existentialism and loneliness. BoJack Horseman is a tragedy in the garb of a comedy show. We see funny things happen on screen and of course, we laugh at those, but more often than not, BoJack leaves us feeling hollow. Read More.

Sriram Raghavan’s Badlapur is counted as one of the best films in Varun Dhawan’s filmography. It is the story of Raghu (Dhawan) whose wife and son are accidentally murdered, and he plans to avenge their deaths. Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays an able villain and it is a total delight to see his character change colours. Towards the end, you might find yourself feeling sympathetic for the wrongdoer instead of feeling bad for the victim of the crime. The film also stars Vinay Pathak, Radhika Apte, Divya Dutta and Huma Qureshi.

Gilmore Girls was the story of a mother-daughter, who are more like friends to each other. The relationship shared between Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) soon became so aspirational that viewers started tuning in just to live through the fantasy of having a near-perfect relationship with your mother. Read More.

In 2010, Ranveer Singh’s Bittoo Sharma and Anushka Sharma’s Shruti Kakkar, with dialogues like “break pakode ki kasam”, “Jiske saath vyapaar karo, usse kabhi na pyar karo”, sneaked their way into our hearts. Their relatable characters gave a much-needed break from many fictionalised characters on celluloid at that time.

In this Rohit Shetty directorial, Shah Rukh Khan’s Rahul was back to spreading arms and Deepika Padukone was a surprise as the daughter of a south Indian gangster. Critics panned the movie, but if you are a fan of Bollywood masala films, you can watch it for its beautiful locations, Deepika-Shah Rukh chemistry, colourful song sequences and well-choreographed action sequences.

Starring Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal, the 2018 release is a refreshing and unconventional take on modern-day relationships. This one is the least violent film from brand Kashyap with no heads being banged and bullets being shot.

The Indian Express critic Shubhra Gupta gave the film 3.5 stars and wrote in her review, “Kaamyaab is a moving, consistently engaging portrait of an artiste as a weathering, weathered man. And Sanjay Mishra is faultless as the lead character - always the bridesmaid, never the bride; an insider but always on the outside.” Read More.