What to watch on OTT this week: Deadpool and Wolverine, Freedom at Midnight

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The Lost Children: Netflix

Directed by Oscar-winner Orlando von Einsiedel (The White Helmets, Virunga), with Colombian Jorge Durán and British-Peruvian Lali Houghton, this is the amazing survival story of the Mucutuy siblings, and the heroic quest to bring them home. Four Indigenous children, ages 13, 9, 4 years, and 11 months are forced to survive 40 days in the Colombian jungle after a tragic plane crash kills their mother, and the other adults on board. This documentary features first-hand testimonies and extraordinary archive material from those who risked their lives to search for them, including the Colombian Army, Indigenous volunteer rescuers, and the children’s family.
“It’s always crucial to treat stories involving painful human tragedy with the deep respect and sensitivity they deserve. I was drawn to this particular narrative because it was clear that within it were many glimpses of incredible human resilience and strength,” says von Einsiedel.

Deadpool & Wolverine: Disney+ Hotstar

Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, the highest-grossing Rated-R film of all time, is now streaming in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The cheeky synopsis, which calls it Marvel Studios’ “most significant mistake to date” read: “A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life. His days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. When his home world faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit up again with an even more reluctantlier… reluctanter? Reluctantest? He must convince a reluctant Wolverine to… oh hell, just watch the movie.” Directed by Shawn Levy the film features Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively.

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Against The Tide:MUBI

After being screened at a number of film festivals, this winner of the Special Jury Award for vérité filmmaking at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival is now streaming on MUBI. The acclaimed documentary revolves around Bombay fishermen Rakesh and Ganesh, who are inheritors of the Koli knowledge system of harvesting the sea following the moon and the tides. Rakesh has kept faith in the traditional fishing methods; Ganesh has instead embraced technology. The film follows their deep friendship and rising resentment against the backdrop of an increasingly hostile sea because of climate change. The documentary had its Indian premiere at the 2023 Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, where it won the Golden Gateway Award. It also earned a nomination for Best Documentary at the Gotham Awards last year.

Paithani: Zee5

With the emotional story of a mother-daughter at its heart, this new series throws the spotlight on the cultural and artistic significance of ‘Paithani’ saris. The series tells the inspiring story of Godavari (Mrinal Kulkarni), a mother and master weaver of traditional Paithani sarees. As she confronts the impending end of her illustrious career due to tremors in her hands, her unwavering spirit is brought to life by her determined daughter, Kaveri (Eisha Singh). Determined to honour her mother’s legacy, Kaveri plans to gift her the final saree Godavari weaves. However, there are several hurdles that she has to overcome before that.

Cross: Prime Video

Cross is a crime thriller series that follows Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge), a decorated DC homicide detective and forensic psychologist who faces a sadistic serial killer leaving a string of bodies strewn around the city. As Alex and his partner, John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), track this killer, a mysterious threat from Cross’ past appears, aiming to destroy what he’s done to keep his grieving family, career, and life together. Ryan Eggold, Alona Tal, and Johnny Ray Gill also feature in the show with Ben Watkins as its showrunner.