Top 8 Hollywood and Bollywood movies, series to watch this weekend including Devgn's 'Shaitaan', Kate Winslet's 'The Regime'

Wondering what to watch in the cinemas this week or the series that you must give your time to during your down-time? Sweat not - we have you covered. We have done the leg work for you as we put together a list of mostly new shows and films that will make you weekend exciting.

The Regime (OSN+): Two words: Kate Winslet. She plays the mercurial Chancellor Elena Vernham of a Central European country with such impressive command, that you are hooked from the word go. She’s no regular politician in this geo-political series, her style of governance is all about being emotional towards her subjects and being completely exploitative/narcissistic . Her charisma as this dictator is palpable and the scenes in which she’s manipulative in one and vulnerable in the other is a masterclass in great acting. It’s a six-episode series, with one episode dropping each week every Sunday.

Murder Mubarak (Netflix): Director Homi Adjania’s glossy whodunit ‘Murder Mubarak’ is a perfect watch if you are in the mood for a silly and farcical whodunit. But don’t expect it to be nippy and fast-paced. This Hindi-language murder mystery is meditative, meandering, and maintains a languid pace, akin to a podcast series. Actor Pankaj Tripathi portrays the seemingly benign police officer, ACP Bhavani Singh, called to investigate a series of sudden deaths in an elite Delhi club’s gym. The motley group of well-heeled members of this exclusive ‘Delhi Royal Club,’ played by Sara Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Sanjay Kapoor, and Karisma Kapoor, naturally become suspects in this murder investigation. While the climax is a tad predictable, stay with them and the pay-off isn’t too murky.

Shaitaan (UAE cinemas): R Madhavan and Ajay Devgn are in top form in this super-natural thriller, directed by Vikas Bahl. The movie kicks off with a family letting in a stranger into their farmhouse and how that outlier begins wielding an unusual and creepy control over their teenage daughter. He’s playing a warped game, and they become the reluctant players to his obnoxious power games.

Manjummel Boys (UAE cinemas): This Malayalam language survival thriller, directed and written by Chidambaram of ‘Janeman’ fame, is about a bunch of twenty-somethings from Kottayam in Kerala who go on a boys’ trip to Kodaikkanal. These band of boys from Kottayam – who have grown up together -- decide to try their hand at exploring a restricted spot called Guna Cave. It’s the location where Tamil icon Kamal Haasan had shot his iconic song ‘Kanmani Anbodu’ from the 1991 film ‘Gunaa’. But things go disastrously wrong as one of their mates slips and goes plunging down a crevice. It’s based on a true-life story. Starring the incredibly talented Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, and Balu Varghese, this film on their misadventures is high on suspense and thrills. The cinematography is also compelling. And did we tell you that this is one of the highest Malayalam film grossers of the year. It has already clocked 273,310 admission in the last four weeks.

Ae Watan Mere Watan (Amazon Prime Video): First things first, Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan is being viciously panned for her dialogue delivery and acting for this film. But it’s not wholly fair to write off an entire project over a miscast. Set in the pre-Independence era, it’s a patriotic tale of the unsung heroes who fought for their country’s freedom. While we have seen a glut of jingoistic fares in Bollywood lately (Akshay Kumar, please take a bow here), this one doesn’t stray far from the formulaic route of evoking chest-thumping nationalistic pride. The film chronicles the life of Usha Mehta (Sara Ali Khan) who launches a radio station called Congress Radio in her fight against the British rule. The movie also features Emraan Hashmi in a crucial role of Ram Manohar Lohi.

Abraham Ozler (Disney +): Seasoned Malayalam actor Jayaram plays the veteran cop Abraham Ozler who sets out to hunt down a serial killed. Jayaram is in top form in this police procedural and has enough twists to keep you invested.

Poor Things (Disney +): Emma Stone’s Oscar-winning performance in this fantasy-meets-Frankestein drama revolves around a young woman created by a demented surgeon (Willem Dafoe). Stone plays Bella Baxter in this incredible and fantastical tale who’s brought back to life by the brilliant and unconventional scientist Dr Godwin Baxter. This is the most inventive spin on Frankenstein and is artistically daring.

Apples Never Fall (OSN+): Based on Liane Moriarty’s New York Times bestselling novel, “Apples Never Fall” (who also wrote "Big Little Lies"), revolves around the seemingly picture-perfect Delaney family from Florida. Former tennis coaches Stan (Sam Neill) and Joy (Annette Bening) have sold their successful tennis academy and are ready to embark on what should be the golden years of their lives. As they anticipate spending quality time with their four adult children (Jake Lacy, Alison Brie, Conor Merrigan-Turner, Essie Randles), the dynamics shift dramatically when a wounded young woman, Savannah, portrayed by Flood, unexpectedly appears on Joy and Stan’s doorstep. The stranger injects a newfound excitement into their lives. However, when Joy mysteriously disappears, her children are compelled to reassess their parents’ ostensibly flawless marriage, leading to the unearthing of some family’s darkest secrets. This is a seven-episode series and deals with seemingly perfect, but mostly damaged folks.