Weekend watchlist: 10 TV shows and movies to check out

Nine Perfect Strangers (Amazon Prime Video): After reading the book I was very excited when this show was released. The American drama streaming television miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers is based on Lianne Moriarty’s 2018 novel of the same name. Nine strangers from the city are brought together for a ten-day vacation at Tranquillum House, a health and wellness resort in the fictional town of Cabrillo, California. This retreat promises to transform and heal its visitors. However, the resort is not what it appears to be, and the visitors are going to learn a lot about each other as well as Masha, the facility’s owner.

Kate (Netflix): Just when assassin Kate is about to walk away from her life of blood and gore, she is fatally poisoned. She spends the next few days finding out who did it and getting revenge. If you like Japan, deadly kung-fu moves, a lot of action — and a woman kicking butt, this is the movie you need to click on this weekend.

The Circle (Netflix): This reality TV show where players can interact through chats but cannot meet is so bad that it’s good. There’s a whole lot of strange personalities, catfishes and twists with each episode, so keep the popcorn handy for it is DRAMA time.

Pavitra Rishta 2 (Zee 5): For all those who missed out on the original TV show about love in all it complicated glory, here’s your chance to catch up on its capsule reboot. The web series on Zee5 marks the return of Ankita Lokhande as Archana and actor Saheer Sheikh takes on the heavy legacy left behind by late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Sheikh plays Manav and from what gather, their relationship also gets a modern update. In the web series, Lokhande is a young working woman who finds herself falling in love reluctantly.

Friendship (cinemas): We all know that Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh can bowl you over with his sporting prowess, but are you curious to know if he’s equally lethal as an actor? You can find out this Thursday as his sports comedy ‘Friendship’ in Tamil releases. It’s his acting debut and also features actors Arjun, Losliya Mariyanesan, and Sathish in crucial roles. The film is being peddled as a full-on entertainer filled with comedy, drama, and romance.

Scenes From A Marriage (OSN): The five-part limited series from HBO reimagines Ingrid Bergman’s classic series for modern times and the first episode is now available to stream in the UAE. ‘Scenes From a Marriage’ follows Mira (Jessica Chastain), a confident, ambitious tech executive left unfulfilled by her marriage, and Jonathan (Oscar Isaac), an accommodating, hyper-intellectual philosophy professor desperate to keep their relationship intact. New episodes drop every Monday.

On The Verge (Netflix): French actress, screenwriter and director Julie Delpy (‘Before Midnight’) is behind this new Netflix series about the intertwined lives of four 40-somethings who are all mothers. A chef, an anxious job seeker, an heiress and a single mum dig into love and work, with a generous side of midlife crises, in pre-pandemic Los Angeles. Expect a healthy dose of reality and lots of laughs.

The Card Counter (Cinemas): The revenge thriller from director Paul Schrader tells the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler (played by Oscar Isaac) haunted by the ghosts of his past. William Tell’s (Isaac) spartan existence on the casino trail is shattered when he is approached by Cirk (Tye Sheridan), a vulnerable and angry young man seeking help to execute his plan for revenge on a retired military major. Tell sees a chance at redemption through his relationship with Cirk.

Nightbooks (Netflix): If you missing seeing the talented and sassy Krysten Ritter on screen then you’re in luck. She stars in the new film on Netflix, which has been conjured up from the mind of Sam Raimi. Two kids set out to prove that scary stories can have their happy ending too. Sure they can.

Manifest (Starzplay): The drama, which stars Josh Dallas, follows a lost plane that returns five years later with the passengers not having aged a day and having no recollection of what went down during that missing time.