Top 10 Hollywood, Bollywood and other films and shows to watch this weekend including Karan Johar's Koffee With Karan and Timothée Chalamet's 'Wonka'

The weekend is upon us and it's time to roll out our movie and show recommendations that's likely to spruce up your two-day break. From re-visiting the hilarious sitcom 'Brookly Nine-Nine' to pay homage to late actor Andre Braugher who died earlier this week, to drinking in Manoj Bajpayee's brilliance in 'Joram', we have you all covered. Here's our top ten movie and series picks for this week.

Joram (UAE cinemas): If you have been scarred by Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’ and you are wondering why films steeped in misogyny and toxic masculinity are money-spinners, it could be because the audience are not willing to give riveting films like Manoj Bajpayee’s ‘Joram’ a fighting chance. This visceral cinematic experience is about an immigrant labourer, Dasru, played with searing brutality and honesty by Bajpayee, on the run with his three-month-old baby after his wife gets murdered. The gritty thriller, which doubles up as an edge-of-your-seat survival story, transports you into a world where violence and unrest rules. As always, Bajpayee delivers a knock-out performance as a tribal with a murky past. And let’s put it out there that supporting good films over bombastic blockbusters is one way to boost content-driven movies in cinema.

Role Play (UAE cinemas): Kaley Cuoco of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ fame and David Oyelowo star in this spy thriller. Cuoco plays Emma, who seems to live this suburban blissful life with a loving husband and two kids in New Jersey. Things were looking up, until this married couple decide to spice up their marriage and indulge in a bit of role play. But the game takes a dark turn when the husband realises that his wife leads a secret life as an assassin for hire. Directed by Thomas Vincent, this film has enough to keep you hooked for a one-time watch.

Wonka (UAE cinemas): The musical fantasy tells the origin story of Willy Wonka, a character in the 1964 novel ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ by Roald Dahl. Watch the aspiring magician, inventor and chocolatier, played by Timothée Chalamet, realise his dreams, but not before fobbing off evil characters like Mrs Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) and discovering that he’s up against a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

The Boy and the Heron (UAE cinemas): A semi-autobiographical fantasy from writer and director Hayao Miyazaki, the film is a must-watch for lovers of all things animation. It tells the story of young Mahito who, prodded by a heron, stumbles into a world shared by the living and the dead, while yearning for his mother. At its premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro likened Miyazaki to Mozart composing symphonies. Watch to see if you agree with del Toro.

Marita (UAE cinemas): This Tagalog language horror from writer-director Roni Benaid is based on an urban legend of a jealous actress who hung herself in front of a shocked theatre audience. As a theatre group works towards opening night, strange occurrences, attributed to Marita’s vengeful spirit, take place. Will they make it?

Barbie (Prime Video): This was the film that, along with 'Oppenheimer', gave Hollywood something to cheer about, post pandemic. And now, with ‘Barbie’ leading the Golden Globe nominations as well as the Critics’ Choice Awards, maybe you’d like to revisit Ken and Barbie’s world and see what happens when they step into the world of humans.

Dhootha (Prime Video): This eight-episode series, led by a raft of compelling talents including Parvathy Thiruvothu and Naga Chaitanya, is an intriguing paranormal thriller which does not depend on lazy writing, cheap thrills, or jump scares to do the talking. Chaitanya plays a high-profile investigative journalist who sees his life unravel before him. A mysterious newspaper clipping warning him over the impending doom and how his life careens out of control forms the crux of this series. Dhootha, which means messenger in Telugu, hits the bulls eye when it comes to keeping you hooked. Chaitanya’s acting may seem coltish in the beginning, but he finds his footing in the later episodes. Thirovthu, who plays the investigating officer on call to investigate the murder of Sagar’s peer, and actress Prachi Desai, who plays a fellow journalist, are in good form here. Watch this if you are in the mood for a thrilling horror that takes a swipe at corrupt journalists and a morally bankrupt police force.

Dhak Dhak (Netflix): Directed by Tarun Dudeja, this feel-good movie is about four women – mostly conservative – embarking on a road trip on their bikes. Their journey is not just about covering distances and unknown places, but also a journey of self-discovery. Actors Ratna Pathak Shah, Fatima Sana Sheikh, Dia Mirza, and Sanjana Sanghi have enough chemistry and on-screen camaraderie to steer this earnest film with a noble heart. While some scenes may feel like a cinematic manifesto of women’s empowerment, the story of four women getting emboldened as they embark on a memorable trip never grows stale.

Koffee With Karan (Disney +): Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor, who hasn’t made much noise since his 2021 release ‘Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar’, is a constant guest in every season of the celebrity chat show ‘Koffee With Karan’ and he’s now back on that couch that has seen some interesting revelations from stars. This time around, he’s with Bollywood hunk Aditya Roy Kapoor. The two single lads cover a lot of ground in this show that’s fuelled by industry gossip, hook-ups, and ‘conjecture’, the host Karan Johar’s favourite buzz word.

Brooklyn Nine Nine (Netflix): Earlier this week, the world woke up to the tragic news that actor Andre Braugher, who played the no-nonsense and stoic Captain Raymond Holt in this wicked sitcom, has died. He was 61. While it may be bitter-sweet to re-visit this hilarious comedy about a band of clownish-yet-competent comic series, it’s also a fitting farewell to Braugher and his acting prowess. The bunch of goofballs, led by a gravitas-filled Braughar, continues to have the power to make you laugh out loud. Watch this to witness this actor’s heft at doing comedy with a straight face.