What to watch in UAE cinemas and OTT this week: Ranabaali, Jailer 2 to Carrie

Whether you’re heading to the cinema or settling in on the sofa, this weekend is packed. On the big screen, Rajinikanth returns in Jailer 2, Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna lead a famine-era rebellion, and a gripping courtroom drama revisits some of India’s most defining trials. At home, The Diplomat is back with more political fireworks, Stephen King’s Carrie gets a chilling modern reboot, and a K-drama romance generates real sparks. Here’s everything worth your time.

Language: Telugu
Starring: Rashmika Mandanna, Vijay Deverakonda, Arnold Vosloo

Set in 1870s South India during the great famine, Ranabaali follows a rebellious warrior who takes on a British commissioner to protect his land and people. Expect sweeping period spectacle, high stakes, and a rare onscreen reunion of Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, with Hollywood’s Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) as the face of colonial power.

Watch it if: you love epic historical action with a cause worth fighting for.

Language: Hindi
Starring: Jaideep Ahlawat, Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi

This courtroom drama goes inside some of India’s most consequential criminal trials through the eyes of public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. It traces his role in the legal battles that followed the 1993 Bombay Blasts and the 2008 Mumbai train attacks. With Jaideep Ahlawat and Rajkummar Rao leading the cast, the performances alone make it worth the ticket.

Watch it if: gripping legal thrillers and true stories are your thing.

Language: Nepali
Starring: Keki Adhikari, Deepak Raj Giri, Jitu Nepal, Rabindra Jha, Deepa Shree Niraula

Nepal’s hit comedy franchise is back, and the drama has moved into the home. Two rival families’ bitter feud spills into domestic life, and when marriage collides with small-town politics, Deepak Raj Giri ends up caught in a messy love triangle between Keki Adhikari and Sanisha Bhattarai. Add a pregnancy twist and sharp social satire, and you have the week’s most chaotic laugh.

Watch it if: you want a crowd-pleasing comedy to enjoy with family or friends.

Language: Telugu
Starring: Rajinikanth, SJ Suryah, Vidya Balan

Tiger Muthuvel Pandian has hung up his keys, but the underworld won’t let him rest. When a new threat shatters his peaceful retirement, the retired jailer returns to his ruthless ways to protect his family and his legacy. Rajinikanth swagger, mass moments and SJ Suryah as a formidable addition: this is the event release of the week.

Watch it if: you want whistles, cheers and a packed theatre on opening night.

When and where to watch: 15 October, Netflix

Kate Wyler is back, and the stakes have never been higher. Keri Russell returns as the sharp, unflinching US ambassador in the fourth season of Netflix’s addictive political drama. With Allison Janney’s Grace Penn now sitting in the Oval Office, Kate has a new power dynamic to manage on top of international crises and alliances that shift by the hour. And then there’s Hal (Rufus Sewell), as brilliant and maddening as ever, keeping the Wyler marriage just as volatile as the world stage.

Watch it if: you like your politics fast-talking, high-stakes and laced with marital fireworks.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Stephen King’s very first novel is getting a modern makeover, and this time the torment doesn’t stop at the school gates. Summer H. Howell stars as Carrie White, a sheltered teen raised under the suffocating watch of her fiercely protective mother (Samantha Sloyan). After her father’s sudden death, Carrie is thrown into high school, where the bullying is relentless and the harassment follows her online. Then comes a revelation that changes everything: she can move things with her mind.

Watch it if: you love coming-of-age stories with a slow-burning, terrifying payoff.

Where to watch: Netflix

Talk about electric chemistry. Kim Young-kwang plays Baek Ho-rang, a wealthy heir whose life depends on an artificial heart. Chae Soo-bin is Na Bo-bae, a writer whose touch sends out powerful electrical shocks. When a chance encounter reveals that her strange gift can recharge his heart, the two strike a deal: a three-month contract relationship. It’s purely practical, of course, until it isn’t.

Watch it if: you love a K-drama contract romance with a quirky, fantastical spark.