What to watch on OTT: Queer, Bad Genius and more

Luca Guadagnino’s Queer has sparked a lot of interest since its world premiere at Venice International Film Festival, 2024. Available to stream from January 31, Queer is based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs and is set in the 1950s Mexico City. William Lee, (Daniel Craig) an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), an expat former soldier, shows him that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection.

The film is written by Justin Kuritzkes, with music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, cinematography from Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, edited by Marco Costa and costume design from J.W. Anderson. The cast also features Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Omar Apollo, Andra Ursuta, Andres Duprat, Ariel Shulman, Drew Droege and Michael Borremans.

The Snow Girl S2
Netflix

The Snow Girl 2: The Soul Game (releasing on January 31), the second adaptation of Javier Castillo’s novel series, begins with the return of Miren Rojo, once again starring Milena Smit. Following the events of the first season of The Snow Girl, Miren investigates this time an elite school that seems to be at the center of the disappearance and murder of two young girls. She will do it together with Jaime (Miki Esparbé), an investigative journalist who arrives at the Sur newspaper fleeing from his past and trying to recover his lost reputation. Joining Miren is Jaime, played by Miki Esparbé, a new colleague of Miren’s at the newspaper Sur. Aixa Villagrán and Marco Cáceres reprise their roles.

Bad Genius
Lionsgate Play

Sometimes, the smartest game is the most dangerous. Directed by JC Lee, Bad Genius returns with a thrilling new chapter, diving into the high-stakes world of academic fraud and deception. A group of gifted students, led by the cunning and brilliant Lynn (Callina Liang), mastermind an elaborate cheating scheme with global implications. As the heist escalates to new heights, friendships fracture, and the line between right and wrong blurs. This is an American remake of the 2017 Thai film Bad Genius and it will stream from Friday. This has been remade as ‘Farrey’, a Hindi-language film directed by Soumendra Padhi and featuring Alizeh Agnihotri as the lead.

Mo: S2
Netflix

The first season introduced viewers to Mo Najjar (co-creator and executive producer Mo Amer), a Palestinian refugee desperately trying to keep his life — and family — together in Houston, as he attempts to secure asylum. The heartfelt comedy series, inspired by Amer’s own life, is a rare show that mines the difficulties of interfaith relationships and immigration struggles alongside the comedy of finicky cat owners. Mo’s new season brings its hero’s journey for asylum to an end, with Amer reprising his role as Mo, alongside Teresa Ruiz (Maria), Farah Bsieso (Yusra), and Omar Elba (Sameer), who are back as series regulars.

The new episodes find Mo stranded across the border and desperate to get back to Houston before his family’s asylum hearing. But as a stateless refugee without a passport, he’s gonna need all the hustle and charm he can garner. Little does he know that the journey home is just the start of his troubles, and there’s a new guy in town ready to steal both his longtime love, Maria — and his falafel taco recipe.