Weekend watch list: Top five Bollywood, Hollywood, and Pakistani films and dramas to check out like the glossy White Lotus and Sinners

Dubai: From spy thrillers and supernatural horror to post-apocalyptic heartbreak and homegrown Emirati drama, this week’s releases cover a lot of emotional ground — and not all of it is comfortable.

Whether it’s Michael Fassbender brooding over a betrayal in Black Bag, or Pedro Pascal navigating a brutal, infected world in The Last of Us Season 2, one thing’s clear: Nobody’s getting a peaceful week.

Throw in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, where Michael B. Jordan plays not one but two tortured souls, and The White Lotus Season 3, which continues to serve dysfunction on a silver platter (with a side of viral Southern accents), and you’ve got television and cinema that aren’t just entertaining — they’re emotionally loaded. And if all that sounds a bit intense, Mountain Boy offers a quieter, deeply heartfelt story from the UAE that reminds us why local storytelling matters. Here are five new releases worth checking out this week —each wildly different, but all offering something to talk about.

Michael Fassbender returns to form in Black Bag, a stylish, slow-burn espionage thriller that doubles as a devastating relationship drama. Directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh, the film follows George, a methodical MI6 officer whose world begins to unravel when he suspects his wife Catherine — played with icy precision by Cate Blanchett — might be leaking secrets to the enemy. Rege-Jean Page (Bridgerton), Marisa Abela (Back to Black), and Pierce Brosnan (The Thomas Crown Affair) round out the impressive ensemble cast. But the emotional heart of the film lies in the quietly crumbling marriage between George and Catherine, as paranoia, longing, and betrayal intersect. Fassbender, known for Shame, 12 Years a Slave, and Steve Jobs, delivers a magnetic performance — tense, internal, and heartbreakingly restrained. Soderbergh keeps the direction lean and immersive, with minimal takes and sharp visual storytelling, including a pivotal ensemble dinner scene that crackles with unspoken tension. On the surface, Black Bag is about espionage, but at its core, it’s a study of love eroded by mistrust. It asks: What if the person you love most is also your greatest threat? Smart, sleek, and emotionally rich, Black Bag is a must-watch for fans of intelligent thrillers.

Pack your bags — and your emotional baggage — because The White Lotus is back, messier, meaner, and more morally murky than ever. Set in a lavish resort in Thailand, the third season serves up slow-burn drama, spiritual crises, and enough dysfunction to fill a luxury infinity pool. Creator and director Mike White leans into the show’s real strength: Gloriously flawed humans making terrible decisions. The internet’s new obsession is actress Parker Posey and that honey-drizzled Southern accent. She’s a meme, a moment, a legend. Not every subplot lands, but when The White Lotus goes for emotional realism over shock value, it absolutely slays. Fewer laughs, more layers — and still completely addictive. The twists cut deeper, the satire is sharper, and paradise has never felt more precarious. Check in for the chaos and drama.

Ryan Coogler is back — and he’s not here to play it safe. The man behind Black Panther and Creed brings us Sinners, a brooding, genre-blurring thriller that creeps under your skin and refuses to leave quietly. Michael B. Jordan pulls double duty — and pulls it off — as twin brothers trying to leave their past behind. But peace isn’t on the menu. Instead, they return to a hometown that’s darker, more twisted, and pulsing with a malevolence that goes way beyond old wounds. Trauma? Check. But something more sinister is lurking in the shadows — and it wants them both.

Hailee Steinfeld is impressive as the morally torn sheriff, while Wunmi Mosaku and Jack O’Connell bring tension to every frame. But this is Jordan’s show — one brother scarred, the other shattered — and he gives Sinners its raw, emotional core. It’s eerie and elevated horror done right.

This heartfelt Emirati drama tells the story of Suhail, a young boy with autism, who decides to leave home after being rejected by his father. Blamed for his mother’s death during childbirth and misunderstood for his quiet determination, Suhail escapes to the Fujairah mountains in search of peace, purpose, and family. What follows is a moving journey of self-discovery as Suhail, accompanied by his loyal Saluki dog Barakah, sets out to find his late mother’s family in Abu Dhabi. Along the way, he encounters kindness, obstacles, and moments of connection that slowly shape his view of the world, and ours. Naser Salah gives an impressive performance as Suhail, capturing the character’s innocence, intelligence, and quiet resilience. The film also stars Reem Salah, Ahmed Al Jasmi, and Majid Al Jasmi, who each bring emotional weight to this family-focused story. Shot across the UAE’s mountains and desert landscapes, Mountain Boy is a simple, sincere story about acceptance, belonging, and the strength to keep going when the world misunderstands you. If you’re looking for a homegrown film with heart, this one is worth watching.