Weekend watchlist: 10 TV shows and movies to check out

‘Hridayam’ (UAE cinemas): If you are in the mood for a coming-of-age drama of a young man in the throes of a quarter-life crisis, then ‘Hridayam’ will get your pulse racing. ‘Hridayam’, which means heart, features Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan, and Darshan in crucial roles. It’s episodic in nature and charts the life of Arjun’s life and times as a young college student and how he learns to navigate life after he graduates. Directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan, this film has all the features of an entertaining feel-good film.

‘Bhoothakalam’ (Simply South and Sony Liv): This is one of the eeriest Malayalam-language psychological thriller that we have seen this year. Starring Revathi and Shane Nigam, the story is set in a modest rented home where a mother and a twenty-something son are grappling with the death of a close family member. They begin to hear some strange noises, but is it coming from their heads or from their rented home? Both Revathi and Nigam are in brilliant form in this scary feature that is chilling to the bone. Don’t watch it alone. Murky topics such as mortality, mental-health, isolation, and desolate existentialist angst is tapped into with great vigour.

‘After Life’ (Netflix): The third season of this British black comedy premiered on January 14 and it’s a good time to catch up on this witty and sardonic series if you haven’t done so yet. Ricky Gervais — who has written, produced, and directed the series — is in blistering form as a man grappling with the death of his beloved wife. He’s a hot mess and he’s trying to make sense of life after the tragedy. The jokes land and it’s a fun watch.

‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein' (Netflix): There’s something incredibly appealing about wicked and warped love triangles. But the narrative sees a gender-swap. Instead of the usual guy doing all the chasing, there’s Purva — played well by Anchal Singh — as the diabolical firebrand who is obsessed with a young man from her town. She’s rich, while his father works for her father and the economic divide stack the odds against him. Tahir Raj Bhasin plays the desperate dude who can’t turn down Purva’s amorous advances. He’s in love with the doe-like Shikha, aptly played by Shweta Tripathi Sharma, and they both try to find their own happiness even with another insane woman hot on their heels. This is not for the faint-hearted.

‘Them’ (Amazon Prime Video): This series is gripping and suitably eerie. A black family moves from North Carolina to an all-white Los Angeles neighbourhood in 1953, where their idyllic home becomes a target for malevolent forces. Starring Deborah Ayorinde, Ashley Thomas, Alison Pill, and Ryan Kwanten, the series is compelling and engaging.

‘Archive 81’ (Netflix): Prepare for goosebumps and a very unsettling feeling while watching ‘Archive 81’. It follows archivist Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie), who takes on a high-paying job restoring a collection of damaged videotapes from 1994. As he watches the tapes, which are taken by documentary filmmaker Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), he discovers her investigation of a cult at the Visser apartment building. The story shuttles between the past and present and they form a mysterious connection.

‘The ‘80s: Top Ten with Rob Lowe’ (National Geographic): Here’s a blast from the past that’s perfect viewing over the weekend. Host Rob Lowe and the Emmy Award-winning team at Nutopia bring the best of pop culture and historic moments from the ‘80s. The six-part series will have weekly episodes airing every Friday. Lowe revisits the moments, gadgets, toys, fast foods, commercials and streetwear of the iconic decade. | American businessman Steve Jobs (left), Chairman of Apple Computers, and John Sculley, Apple's president, pose with a Macintosh personal computer.

‘The Royal Treatment’ (Netflix): We love a classic rom-com and this one sounds like the perfect movie for a winter weekend. It follows strong headed hair dresser Isabella who gets the chance to work at the wedding of Prince Thomas, who is marrying for duty rather than love. Soon sparks start to fly between the two of them. Will they follow their destiny?

‘Ozark’ (Netflix): Actors Jason Bateman and Laura Linney return for season four of this acclaimed and much-loved crime thriller. The new season will release in two parts consisting of seven episodes each. If you need a primer on the show, it’s about a financial planner who relocates his family to the Ozarks after his money-laundering scheme goes wrong. As they try to settle into their new lives and replay their debt to a cartel, their past keeps coming back to complicate matters.

‘As We See It’ (Amazon Prime Video): Three roommates on the autism spectrum — Jack, Harrison and Violet — try to figure out their 20s, which includes getting a job, making friends, falling in love and dealing with all the responsibilities that come with adulthood.