Sacred Games

Season : 1
Genre : Crime Thriller
Language : Hindi
Network : Netflix

Police Inspector Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) receives a phone call from gangster Ganesh Gaithonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui),with the message that Mumbai will get destroyed in 25 days.
Sartaj traces the call and reach Gaithonde's hideout.But he kills himself in front of Sartaj.
Now before times run out Sartaj must put the pieces together and save the city.

'Sacred Games' is the first Indian Netflix series.

Spanning through two time periods it tells two stories - The story of rise and fall of Gaithonde in 1980s and the story of Sartaj Singh,an honest man,who is tired of the corrupt system,who must act immediately before it is too late.

Anurag Kasyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, as always,creates a bold,brutal and disturbing show with brilliant performances from Siddiqui ( this guy is born to play the gangster),Khan ( perhaps his best performance after 'Omkara') and Apthe (nicely done) and an equaly talented supporting cast.

And last but not the least,Sunny Pawar..what a way to make a comeback.....

'BREATHE' was a start,but this one is a game changer.

Excellent watch..

Waiting for Season 2

Breathe

Genre: Crime/Thriller
Language : Hindi
Network : Amazon Prime

What will you do if your little son is slowly dying in front of your eyes ? Will you pray to the God and wait for a miracle or will you make your own miracle?

Danny Mascarenhas (R.Madavan) choose the second option.In order to save his little Josh,he decided to kill the organ donors,so that Josh will get a transplant.This is the story of a loving father,a normal physical trainer,who transformed into a serial killer for his kid...

Kabir Sawant (Amit Sadh) a police inspector identifies the similarities in the killings.As he puts the clues together,he realizes the next target maybe his wife,Riya (Sapna Pabbi).But he must stop drinking and move on from his haunting past,to catch the killer...

First Indian series with brilliant performances and thrilling story (maybe Kabir is inspired from Sam Alex from 'Memories')

Good watch..

Reborn

Creators: Mark Miller,Greg Capullo
Genre : Science Fiction/Fantasy
Published by : Image
Status:Completed

Bonnie Black was a sick old lady waiting in a hospital bed,afraid of death.One day she died after a stroke.Bonnie never believed in Religion.
She thought it's the end.
She was wrong.

Bonnie reborn in a magical land,in her twenties,where people she knew were waiting for her.Now along with her father and pet dog Bonnie must fulfill a prophecy and save the day.

Mark Miller and Greg Capullo takes the reader to a wonderful new world .This is not a superhero story,this is the story of a woman who always did the right thing,even-if it means breaking her heart.

Beautiful story..Beautiful art..
Great read...

Leave No Trace

Director : Debra Granik
Genre : Drama
Language:English
Year : 2018

Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) lives with her father,Will (Ben Foster) in a Forest Park.They sleep under a tent and grows their food.They contacts the outside world only when they need to buy the supplies.They live in perfect harmony with the nature.But one day people finds them.They are taken outside the park and are forced to live a normal life.What is normal to others is not comforting for the father and daughter.How will they cop with the situation?

This is a film which  is emotional and beautiful.Foster and McKenzie are perfect as father and daughter.
Beautiful watch.

Sanju

Director :Rajkumar Hirani
Genre : Drama/Biography 
Language:Hindi
Year : 2018

Sanju is the retelling of the story of Sanjay Dutt,one of the  beloved Bollywood star of modern time.Hirani tells the  story in his own style,backed by the brilliant performances of Ranbir Kappor,Paresh Rawal and Vicky Kaushal,along with others.

More than anything,the film explores the father son relationship of Sunil Dutt and Snajay Dutt.A son who failed to live upto his father's legacy,but a son who loved him more than anything in the world.Also,it is shown that what friendship can do to a man's life -  a fake one will destroy him while a good one will always support him.

The film also focuses on the controversies in the life of the star including his relationships with underworld,arrest during Mumbai explosions etc.However,they are told as events that occurred due to certain circumstances,not by his fault.Also, a lot of blaim is put on the medias,which spreads fake news to make money.

We don't exactly know the real events that occured. Howerver,as a film Sanju connects with the viewer.It is the biggest hit of 2018.

Good watch.

Castle Rock

Season : 1
Genre : Horror/Mystery
Language : English
Network : Hulu

Attorney Henry Deaver receives an anonymous call from his hometown delivering the message that someone needs his help.Henry returns to Castle Rock,despite his dark past,to find the truth.Someone was waiting for him - a man who was imprisoned for more than a decade -a man who was imprisoned because someone thought he is devil incarnated.......

Welcome to the world of horror,mystery and dark secrets....
Welcome to Castle Rock.....

A captivating series inspired by the books of master writer,Stephen King...

Great watch..
Waiting for S2. .

Altred Carbon

Season : 1
Genre : Science - Fiction / Mystery
Language : English
Network : Netflix

The story is set in the future world.A world where rich people are immortal.They just need to save their memories into an electronic chip and they can upload it to sleeve ie a body they select.

Takeshi Kovac is an envoy - a member of a group of rebels who fought to stop the uprising.But they failed and the Protactarates put him on ice.

250 years later,he woke up in the sleeve of a police officer.He got an offer from Laurens Bankroft,a rich man. Tak has to investigate a crime and if he solves it,he will be a free man,with a lot of money.

Tak has to deal with his own demons and find the culprit and he has to solve the mysteries related to the real person whose sleeve he is wearing.And solving mysteries is not that easy,especially when you wake up into a new world after centuries.

An engaging sci fic action thriller with brilliant performances and stunning visuals, 'Altred Carbon' is a love letter to the nerd in you.

Totally loved it..
Excellent watch.

Norse Mythology

Writer :  Neill Gaiman
Genre : Fantasy
Language : English

Enter the world of Asgard.
Look closer into the world of Gods..
There you will see the All Father Odin who looks at u with his one eye,while listening to his Ravens..
See the Mighty Thor with long red beard,complaining about not having a good fight in long time.
And that guy with that dirty smile is Loki,,the clever of them all,but cunning as well...
Then come back to Midgard and realist you are just dreaming.....

Neil Gaiman tells the stories like the wordsmith he is known to be,and all we will do is read and read until it is finished.It was an awesome experience to read the real myths which inspired the Marvel versions,and well,they are pretty epic.

Excellent read..

And the Mountains Echoed

Writer :  Khaled Hosseini
Genre : Drama
Language : English

My second book by Hosseini.
Unlike 'The Kite Runner' which followed two main characters,here there are many characters who are all connected to each other brilliantly by the writer.He tells the story of human emotions more than anything else and that exactly is what makes this book beautiful.

Spanning through decades ,'And the Mountains Echoed' shows the life of people of Afghanistan, their struggles and survival.The characters are going to stay,even after finishing the book..

Beautiful read.

The Kite Runner

Writer :  Khaled Hosseini
Genre : Drama
Language : English

"And that's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too."

I saw the above quote in news feed - from a page dedicated to books (I don't remember which) - and instantly felt connected.I am not a big fan of fiction novels. Doesn't mean I had never read one.I have read books by Paulo. But usually I read fantasy,myths or thrillers.Now I felt I MUST give this book a try because I thought this writer - the one with a long name - is some one good - all because of that single quote.That's the thing about quotes - they tell a lot through very little words

It started slow and then it began to spread it's magic - I was sitting in the chair inside my room one minute and in next I was running with Amir and Hassan,through the soil of Kabul,chasing a beautiful kite.I saw them in my mind's eye -Amir,Hassan,Baba,Rahim Khan- every character formed as abstract images - every situation imagined - and every emotion transferred into myself.

Are you familiar with the feeling when there is something heavy inside your mind - something powerful -something that will make your 'I am so happy' mask transparent ?

Something that gives you a cry that will come up to your throat and stay there?
That something which spreads a sadness.....

A sadness that was always there - hidden inside me -sleeping.I always pretended it is not there -covering it with stupid jokes and fake smiles and sarcasam. I never wanted it to wake up.But this book - The Kite Runner - this was like an alarm and it woke up..

I read and as I stared for the next words,I felt the tears in my eyes.I realized the screen is blurring and I need to hide the tears (because I was not in my home but at my workplace and I usually spend my free time drawing or reading )
This is first book that made me cry like a child.

The story is soul breaking - it is going to mix up your emotions and create a storm and by the time you finish you will be a different person.
I finished today and I can feel it...

Even if there is history of Afghanistan and it's people,end of the day,for me, it will be a book about human emotions - friendship,brotherhood,betrayal,love,guilt,hope,forgiveness - and characters with whom I connected - perhaps more than real people around me.

Khaled Hosseini - another magician found .... There are many more works by him...waiting for me...and there is a happiness in that thought itself.... (And I need to get an original copy)

That is how I am ...... always falling in love with things that will break me - sometimes books...
sometimes people....

Animosity

Creators: Marguerite Bennett,Rafael De Latorre
Genre : Science Fiction
Published by : Aftershock
Status:Ongoing

First, there was the mankind - exploiting all the other life forms,making the earth their own,destroying anything that stood in the way.

Then,one day everything changed.The animals - all of them - ranging from the mighty beasts to tiny honeybees - woke up.They started to speak -They started to evolve and they decided to take back their share of the world.
The event is called 'The Wake'

Sandor,is a bloodhound.He lived with the Hernandez Family All his life he has loved only one person- his master's little daughter - Jesse.Life was good and then one day he woke up and the world as he knew it ended.

Five years has passed since 'The Wake'.The animals and humans fight each other to survive.The world is a place filled with death and destruction.

Jesse's parents are dead.Sandor is the only one left in the family.He must take Jesse to her brother in California.He must take her to a safe place,before it is too late.

The plot may sound like a child's story.But it is not.Marguerite Bennett weaves a brilliant tale of love,loss,courage and ultimately hope.He deals with topics of religion and meaning of life and sprituality.

The characters are strong and evolving with each issue.Jesse - a girl with the heart of an angel.Even in the middle of grief and destruction,she is a symbol of hope. Sandor -a loyal dog,who will face anyone to protect his master's daughter.There are many more,with their own tales to tell.

The art by Lattore is simple and beautiful.

Brilliant stuff from Aftershock

Harrow County

Creators : Cullen Bunn , Tyler Crook
Genre : Horror
Published by : Dark Horse
Status:Completed

Emmy always had nightmares - a woman hanging down from a tree and people burning her...creatures that looked scary... She thought they were just bad dreams....She thought she is going to lead a normal life with her Pa and looking after the cows and farm...But she was wrong...Her nightmares were the reflections of a scary past .... They were real, and so was the hanged woman......And the evil that lurked in the shadows......Emmy will find out everything on her eighteenth birthday....And her world will never be the same again.....

Welcome to the world of Witches and Haints....
Welcome to Harrow County..

Bunn and Crook has together created a horror masterpiece - It catches your attention from the first panel till you finish the last one....
I am not fan of horror comics,but this one got me hooked so much that I finished the whole thing within one week....

The story is the real strength with it's secrets and unexpected twists.Art by Crook is equally captivating......

It's like a thing elders told us never to do...But we did it any way....It's dark....It's bloody and it's beautiful.

Nocturnal Animals

Director : Tom Ford
Genre : Drama/Mystery
Language:English
Year : 2014

Susan: Why are you so driven to write?
Edward: I guess it's a way of keeping things alive.
You know,saving things that will eventually die.
And if I write it down,then,it'll last forever.

Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) is a successful art gallery owner living with her handsome second husband.(Armie Hammer)But this is not the life she wanted with him.It's not really working for her.Then a manuscript of a novel written by her first husband ,Edward Sheffield ( Jake Gyllenhaal)arrives, which is dedicated to her.It tells the story of Tony,who has to meet with a tragic incident in West Texas.As she reads the novel,Sussan remembers her life with Edward and the dark truths from the past comes back to haunt her.

This is a movie where there is a story with in a story-a beautiful and brutal revenge story.There are two types of revenge -physical and psychological.The movie portrays both brilliantly.Everything is connected and both stories are weaved together beautifully.

Jake is brilliant as always,both as Edward and Tony.This guy,is so good at playing the tough roles.( As far as I remember Prince of Persia is the only movie where he actually smiled).It's just a treat to the eyes.Amy Adams is also good as the struggling Susan.Special mention to Michael Shannon who played the badass cop

The end is confusing at first,but brilliant once you understands it.
"When you love someone,you can't just throw it away"

The Haunting of Hill House

Season : 1
Genre : Horror / Mystery
Language : English
Network : Netflix

This is the story of Crane family who lived in the most hunted house in America.

The Cranes along with their five children went to the house in the hope of renovating it and to sell it for a good amount.But the house belonged to the earlier residents -The Hills - those who died a long time ago but who never left.Everything went wrong and it ended in a tragedy

Two decades later, another tragedy will bring together the siblings and their father.
And when the ghosts from the past calls them back to the demonic house,they are not able to resist it......

The series is a modern retelling of the novel by Shirley Jackson.Created and adopted to screen by Mike Flanagan,this is one of the best series produced by Netflix in recent times.

Mixing past and present,horror and emotions,this is a must watch series,backed with great performances

Her

Director : Spike Jonze
Genre : Romance
Language:English
Year : 2014

Theodore Twombly ( Joaquin Phoenix) is a letter writer who writes romantic letters for his customers. He is really good at it and people love his work.He has a good job which offers him financial security and he is trying to enjoy life by playing video games and talking to women through various sites.But deep down he is a lonely man who miss his wife,(Rooney Mara) who is moving on with a divorce.Everything changes when he buys an operating system (Scarlett Johansson)  which is designed to meet the needs of it's user.

'Her' is a film which deals with the emotions in a beautiful way.It tries to explain how the feelings of love,lose,happiness,sadness and forgiveness works in a relationship.More than everything else it shows the need of a human being to be wanted by another one,and when it didn't happen how mind will desperately try to escape reality by trying to find the lost love in someone or something else,here,in an OS named Samantha which is both someone and something.'Happiness is real only when it is shared' and this movie shows us how true the saying is 

 Phoenix excels as the lonely Theodore,while  Johansson conquers minds as the magical voice of Samantha.Amy Adams,Chris Patt etc are perfect in the supporting roles.Spike Jonze,the director has created a great tale of love and given us a movie gem.

The Graveyard Book

Writer :  Neill Gaiman
Genre : Fantasy
Language : English

Nobody Owens, nick named Bod, is not a normal kid.He grew up in a Graveyard, raised by the Ghosts and his mentor,Silas, is a man who walks between the world of living and dead.The Graveyard is the safest place in the whole world for Bob ,because if he go outside into the real world,somebody is waiting for him - The Man Jack - a mysterious man who murdered his family.

Bod grew up,learning the secrets of Graveyard and other things,getting ready to face his enemy one day.This is the story of Bod and his friends.

A beautiful masterpiece work with well crafted characters and situations,this one was an awesome read.It even made me cry by the end and when that happens it is beautiful..it means it has connected emotionally..and there was this lines..

"Face life..
In its pain,its pleasure..
Leave no path untaken"

Great read.....

Klaus

Creators : Grant Morrison,Dan Mora
Genre: Fantasy
Published by : Boom Studios
Status:Completed

The small town of Grimsvig is ruled by the cruel lord Magnus.He forces his subjects to work in the coal mines day and night.There is no joy in the walled town.

A hunter enters the town from the forest .A long time ago,he belonged there.Now,after seeing the injustice,he decides to help the poor people.A hero is born - a hero who will become a legend.

Morrison re imagines the tale of beloved Santa in a magnificent manner.He mixes a Knight with Batman and places him in a land of magic and evil.What we will get is an epic series with breathtaking art by Mora.

Loved it...

Coraline

Writer :  Neill Gaiman
Genre : Fantasy
Language : English

Coraline Jones just moved it to the new house with her parents.Everything was going fine until she opened a locked door.It was her door to the other house and there was her other mother.

With black buttons in the place of eyes and long clawed fingers,all she wanted from Coraline was one thing - To stay with her.When she refuses,the other mother makes her real parents disappear,and now along with a black cat who talks,she must fight her other mother and save her parents.

A dark fantasy from the master storyteller,one which will capture the imagination of all ages.
Beautiful read.

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