Streaming Guide: Movies, shows to watch on April 17

Mrs. America is a Hulu miniseries created by Desperate Housewives and Mad Men alum Dahvi Waller. Starring Cate Blanchett in the lead, the series is set in the 1970s 'United States and is about the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment or ERA by second-wave feminists.

Set after the events of Return of the Jedi, this space western follows a bounty hunter, played by Pedro Pascal. This is the first series of the Star Wars universe on Disney’s web platform. The series has already been renewed for a second season. Read More.

Perhaps the greatest film trilogy ever, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films are available to watch in their full glory. Relive the nostalgia, or if you haven't seen them, discover a stunning new world full of colourful characters and creatures and a classic tale of good vs evil with themes like friendship underlying the whole thing.

This brilliant, and little-known, Showtime miniseries, starring Benedict Cumberbatch deals with a traumatic childhood, substance abuse and also with recovery and redemption.

Ryan Murphy’s anthology game remains strong. The Assassination of Gianni Versace was a worthy followup to The People v. O. J. Simpson.

This FX series has everything in its favour - colourful characters, dark humour, varied settings (every season takes place in different places and times), and excellent writing. Cops face solo gangsters or gangsters with families and your sympathies are dragged all over the place. You think things like -- why did this charismatic rascal had to be a bad person, inherently? There is a character played by David Thewlis in the third reason who is the repelling-yet-compelling sort -- a perfect representation of the show as a whole, I think.

Doctor Who is one TV show in which the change of actor for the title role does not feel jarring. When the titular Doctor's body is too damaged, he can transform himself into a new body. The iconic long-running British science-fiction series returns this year and this time the Doctor is a female - a first for the series. Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch, Black Mirror) wakes up as the Doctor in Peter Capaldi's costume. Along with her companions (also new) she is all set for new adventures in time and space in the TARDIS.

This post-apocalyptic film features one of Will Smith's finest performances. He is a man left alone in New York after a deadly virus ravages most of the population and turns some others into bloodthirsty creatures. But these are not mindless zombies, and at least one of them has the capacity to think and plan. 

The French historical drama, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The film is set in the late 18th century and revolves around the forbidden affair between an aristocrat and a painter commissioned to paint her portrait.

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. 

Netflix show Tiger King has ended up becoming one of the biggest shows during this lockdown period. The documentary focuses on a feud between wild cat owners in America, which makes for a bizarre but entertaining watch. 

Written and directed by Park Hoon-jung, this South Korean horror-action film is about a young girl who escapes a government facility that conducted experiments on kids 10 years ago. What happens when strange people start entering her life forms the rest of the plot.

Watch this South Korean drama for its performances and gripping narrative. The makers have announced that the show will be returning for a second season some time this year, so make sure you don’t miss it.

Soodhu Kavvum is an important movie in Vijay Sethupathi’s career. This is the one 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.

If you are looking for a fun movie to watch, then be sure to check out Detective Pikachu.  Ryan Reynolds stars as the adorable Pokemon who teams up with a teenager, Harry, as they attempt to uncover the mystery of Tim's father Harry's disappearance.

Shala is a Marathi web-series steaming on YouTube. It is a story of three school friends and how they tackle every day issues that come their way. It is a beautiful coming of age story, which will give you a peek into the lives of students in the interiors on India.

Directed by Mysskin, the film has no heroine and no songs. It is a neo-noir thriller filled to the brim with dark humour and raw emotions. OA, which stars Mysskin himself and Sri of Vazhakku Enn 18/9 fame in the lead roles, is the tale of a man trying to redeem himself in society. The movie brilliantly shows society in its cruel, unforgiving form. And the suspense element holds up right until the end of the film.

Directed by Bryan Fogel, Icarus won the Oscar award for Best Documentary Feature in 2017. The film follows Fogel as he dabbles in doping for an amateur race. Things heat up when he digs deeper and finds a Russian link who can help him get by undetected. The Russian has been responsible for many athletes going unnoticed.

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.

It marked the debut of director Karthik Subbaraj. The film came at a time when small-budget movies were receiving a lot of love from the audience. And this horror-thriller made a dent at the box office and gave Vijay Sethupathi his first break.

This dystopian sci-fi film, directed by Steven Speilberg, is set in the year 2045 when a virtual reality game, OASIS, is part of everyone’s lives. The story follows an orphaned teenager Wade Watts, as he tries to stop a powerful corporation from taking control of OASIS’ ownership.

A dark fantasy anime, Tokyo Ghoul explores a world where ghouls live in secrecy alongside human beings. The ghouls are essentially creatures who look and behave like humans but they have to eat human meat to survive. As you can imagine, the show is visceral and grotesque but it is also one of a kind. And if you move past the violence and gore, there is actually a very touching storyline that explores humanity in all of its grey shades.

The Indian Express' film critic Shubhra Gupta praised the film and called lead actor Sanjay Mishra’s performance “faultless”. In her review she wrote, “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.” Click here to read the full review.

Samantar stars Swapnil Joshi and is just what we need when we are locked down during the coronavirus outbreak. The web-series was originally made in Marathi and later dubbed in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. Directed by Satish Rajwade, Samantar is a thriller based on the book by the same name by Suhas Shirwalkar. It also stars Nitish Bhardwaj and Tejaswini Pandit.

A haunting adaptation of Shakespear’s Hamlet, Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider shines an unflinching light on the insurgency and violence in Kashmir. The firebrand Tabu plays the mothership, a complex and conflicted ‘half widow’ who nearly steals the film from her son, Haider (Shahid Kapoor).

This documentary examines the life and work of Hollywood director Steven Spielberg. With interviews of Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, JJ Abrams, Tom Hanks and Daniel Day Lewis among others, this documentary is a deep dive into Spielberg’s super successful career. Here, we get a glimpse into the genius’ mind and how he created masterpieces like Jaws, ET, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan among more.

Love Death and Robots showcases a whole new world in the best way possible. The show is a collection of 18 stand-alone episodes that spans various genres like science-fiction, fantasy, horror and explores post-apocalyptic worlds and alternate histories. 

The second season of Four More Shots Please! Is set to begin streaming on April 17. The show, which revolves around the story of four best friends who love each other fiercely, stars Sayani Gupta, Maanvi Gagroo, Kirti Kulhari and Banji J in the lead roles.

Also read | Four More Shots Please Season 2 first impression

Netflix’s dark comedy Hasmukh features Vir Das in a never-seen-before avatar, where he plays the role of a stand-up comedian and a serial killer. The show premiers on Netflix today.

Also Read | Excited as a producer because we have great talent in Hasmukh: Vir Das

This French documentary follows two filmmakers who want to know how North Koreans actually live their day-to-day lives. Since the two are being closely watched by authorities, they try to delve deeper into the workings of the city and also interview some defectors.

If you are looking for pure fun and some adrenaline rush, watch this DC flick starring Game of Thronws fame Jason Momoa. To know more about the movie, click here. 

This highly-rated German show is a mystery series about what happens when mutiple children go missing in a town. Kind of like Stranger Things minus the whole exaggerated science-fiction angle. 

This is your quintessential Karan Johar family drama; complete with NRIs, helicopters and big stars. 

Balancing work and home is not everyone's cup of tea. And Manoj Bajpayee's character in Raj and DK's web show The Family Man struggles to achieve that kind of harmony. However, his profession as a spy makes it somewhat tricky for him to do what he wants. 

Also read | The Family Man review

An intriguing tale of two female detectives, Eve and Villanele -- the show's first season was created by Fleabag's Phoebe Waller Bridge. Its third season, which recently hit the small screen, has been receiving great reviews. Read more here. 

Featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta in the lead, this romantic comedy still remains an audience favourite even after all these years of its release. 

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 more here. 

Mr Fox finds it hard to control his animal urges to steal and eat. However, his ways one day lands him into a deep sea of trouble which results in him getting trapped by some goons. Will he able to find his way out?

This Marvel Cinematic Universe's movie was declared one of the biggest hits of all times post its release. Not only the film featured an-all black cast, but spoke about representation, conservation of natural resources among others things.  

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!

Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young star in this romantic thriller about an unsuccessful journalist and a mysterious man by the code name Healer. 

In this BBC drama, Martin Freeman stars as Doctor Watson, while British star Benedict Cumberbatch plays the brilliant and eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes. The show is currently streaming on Netflix. 

In this battle of water supply set in the post-apocalyptic world, Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron star. It has been directed by George Miller. 

Hasan Minhaj's stand-up special is heartwarming, witty and will make you want to visit your native place ASAP!

This comedy special by Karunesh Talwar is brutal, hilarious and speaks truth like no one else's business. Talwar covers topics like gender inequality, patriarchy and the concept of an arranged marriage among other things in the show. 

A Scottish princess without a prince? Yes, it happened in Disney's 2012 beloved film Brave, where our heroine Merida is shown as the 'atypical' woman who loves her independence above all.  

Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly wages a battle against the Equal Rights Amendment movement during the 70s. The show features Oscar winner Cate Blanchett in the lead. You can now stream the first three episodes of the show!

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.

For those of you who have seen Hanna the film, Hanna the web series will come as a pleasant surprise. It starts slow but builds carefully and precisely. The series delves deeper into Hanna’s psyche, or at least that’s how it looks like in the first couple of episodes.

This documentary on Netflix will surely send chills down your spine as you see the story of Jan Broberg Felt, who was kidnapped by her neighbour Robert Berchtold on two separate occasions. The backstory of the kidnapper, his relationship with the pre-teen girl and his relationship with her parents are simply shocking and will make you question the so-called ‘sane’ adults in the picture.

Gully Boy was inspired by the life of rappers Divine and Naezy Starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role of Murad, the film was India’s pick for the Oscar submission in 2019. The Zoya Akhtar directorial also stars Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin and Siddhant Chaturvedi.

Just as the name suggests, Gilmore Girls is about the Gilmore Girls – Lorelai and Rory who live in a little town called Stars Hollow. Lorelai had Rory when she was still a teenager, and since she is still single, the two have their ups and downs whilst also dealing with the fractured relationship between Lorelai and her parents – Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop). Read More.

Sex and the City is about four women in their 40s as they navigate their life in New York City. Of course, these are all privileged well-to-do women who live in fancy apartments and wear couture but what SATC stresses upon through most of its run is, that this is a story of friendship. Read More.

Starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff in lead roles, War is the story of two agents who will go to any lengths to serve their country. But what happens when one of them goes rogue? Watch this Siddharth Anand directorial for a great filmy experience.

Penned by Kanika Dhillon and directed by Prakash Kovelamudi, Judgementall Hai Kya is the story of Bobby (Kangana) who is a voice-over artiste and gives her house on rent to cunning Keshav (Rajkummar Rao). In her review, Shubra Gupta noted, “This is the kind of movie which will sharply divide audiences. And that’s as it should be. Once I began seeing it as the murmurings of a different mind, I bought it as a caper, as burlesque, where nothing is as it is. I had problems with some of it, but I really liked the rest of it.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Aww..This really brings out the crazy in us. I've always wondered what it would be like to step into The Simpsons world and now we're a step closer! I don't know who needs to hear this, but all 31 seasons of the Simpsons are streaming & I can't wait to watch the latest one with my kids. Goodbye responsibilities, hello couch! @DisneyPlusHotstarPremium #TheSimpsonsAreHere

A post shared by Twinkle Khanna (@twinklerkhanna) on Apr 15, 2020 at 4:13am PDT

Masterchef Australia Back to Win, which is the 12th season of the cooking reality show, is already streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. The episodes will be available soon after the telecast in Australia. 24 contestants from the past 11 seasons are competing for the trophy this time.

 

 

 

 

 

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Some days I feel like Marge and some days Lisa. Most days I just feel like watching The Simpsons! Good bye sleep. This is the marathon I've been waiting for! Thanks @DisneyPlusHotstarPremium for 31 seasons of pure fun to combat the lockdown blues! #thesimpsonsarehere

A post shared by Radhika (@radhikaofficial) on Apr 15, 2020 at 1:08am PDT