Weekend watchlist: 10 TV shows and movies to check out

‘The Contractor’ (UAE cinemas): Chris Pine stars as a special forces sergeant who is involuntarily discharged from the Army. He ends up getting being contracted for a private underground military force, however, his very first assignment goes awry. After this, the soldier finds himself hunted and on the run.

‘The Adam Project’ (Netflix): This much anticipated action movie features an all-star cast of Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldaña and more. It’s about time-travelling fighter pilot Adam Reed who accidentally crash-lands in 2022. He then teams up with his 12-year-old self for a mission to save the future.

‘The Desperate Hour’ (UAE cinemas): Naomi Watts stars as a mother who is mourning the loss of her husband. She goes on a jog in the woods and soon finds her life thrown upside down when she finds out that a shooting has taken place at her son’s school.

‘Juvenile Justice’ (Netflix): What happens when the only reason you want to take on a job in law enforcement is because of hate? Apparently you get really good at it. In this legal drama set in South Korea, a judge, Sim Eun-seok, who handles the cases of teenage delinquents, really, really wants to punish them for their heinous crimes – unfortunately for her, her integrity and need for fair play drive her to always seek the real perpetrator, who may not be the person in the stands. This is a ‘Judge Judy’ meets ‘Castle’ situation – just much, much darker.

‘Coda’ (Apple TV): In this coming-of-age movie, golden-voiced Ruby has a rather unusual problem — she doesn’t know if she can sing. This is because in her (often too tight-knit) family no one besides her can hear. The movie follows Ruby as she discovers who she is and why music means so much to her. In doing so, she also gives her family a gift – freedom, for they stop relying on her to talk to the ‘hearing ones’ and try to assimilate into society.

‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein’ (Netflix): When a woman belongs to a political family with underworld leanings and she takes an unhealthy interest in a person’s so-called wellbeing and feelings, the individual and his loved ones (girlfriend included) have something to worry about. It’s worse when the person of interest baulks at the thought of conformity and tries to use his wits to get away from the situation, leading to life-threatening events.

‘Motherly’ (Apple TV): When a woman and her daughter move into a house deep in the hills, they stay away from the locals. They are there to recuperate after a harrowing death in their home for which the husband/dad has been incarcerated. When the parents of the girl who was murdered sneak into their home and begin to terrorise them and as we see more and more flashbacks, the true evil of what transpired will come to the fore.

‘Decoupled’ (Netflix): In this hilarious series that sees a couple ‘consciously uncoupling’ while living in the same home, all the good, bad and ugly of relationships are on full display. With stellar acting by R. Madhavan and Surveen Chawla, and relatable dialogues, this one is a must-binge.

‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (Apple TV): While this movie, based on an Agatha Christie novel, is interesting and has some stunning visuals, it does call for expectation management – at least for me. It’s not because Kenneth Branagh isn’t a good actor or anything, it’s just that Poirot for me will always be David Suchet. Still, it is entertaining to see the add-ons to the character, including the moustache holder for naps.

‘Solace’ (Apple TV): In this thriller, a psychic (Anthony Hopkins) pits his wits against a clairvoyant serial killer (Colin Farrell) as he battles his own guilt. As the film progresses and the killings become more frequent and the balance of morals more unstable, one can only wonder, what’s the end game here?