This week’s OTT releases have thriller elements at the very core. Whether it is JioCinema’s crime mystery Murder in Mahim – based on the plight of homosexuals in India – or Apple TV’s sci-fi series Dark Matter, you’ll be glued to your screens in anticipation of what follows next. The former carefully dissects the homophobia-ridden social fabric of our society, and the latter delves deep into the endless possibilities of how our lives could have turned out.
Hotstars’ Doctor Who Season 14 serves wit, humour, suspense, and mystery. With decades of material to compare with, this nascent instalment has a lot to prove.
Another big pick is SonyLiv’s Undekhi, returning for a third season. It explores the dark underbelly of being drunk on wealth and power, with an influential family at focus. The first two seasons were quite a hit amongst the audience, making this revival much anticipated.
If you are looking for something in non-fiction, you can go for Netflix’s newest true crime documentary, Cooking Up Murder: Uncovering the Story of César Román, which explores the intriguing murder case of a Spanish chef who built a successful career over a web of secrets and false identities.
You could also go for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (if you haven’t already binged the period drama). The show was the second most-watched non-English TV show on Netflix globally this week, with 4.5 million views between April 29 and May 5.
If you want to skip intense dark genres, you can opt for Prime Video’s latest German series, Maxton Hall — The World Between Us, a feel-good high school drama with a millionaire student and a scholar at crossheads.
Top OTT Releases This Week
With that, here are the top OTT releases of the week which have made it to our weekend binge-watch list!
Murder in Mahim
When: Now Streaming
Where: JioCinema
Murder in Mahim is a crime thriller based on homophobic honey-trapping sex crimes, where a gay sex worker is murdered in Mahim railway station’s washroom. The show stars Vijay Raaz and Ashutosh Rana, a police officer and a former journalist, who are working on solving the case. The eight-episode long series is set in Mumbai in 2013, back when homosexuality was a crime.
While the show seems a bit overstretched and predictable with beaten plots, tested loopholes, and the obvious social commentary at the beginning, it soon grows into an unmissable piece of art with powerful performances. If you are a little patient with Murder in Mahim, at least until the third episode, you are in for a cinematic delight that effortlessly takes up even the trickiest of themes, such as the father-son relationship.
Undekhi Season 3
When: Now Streaming
Where: SonyLiv
Undekhi follows the Atwals, a powerful and wealthy clan of Manali, which is now more vengeful and violent than ever. After evading the grips of law after the head of their family, the foul-mouthed Papaji killed a dancer, Undekhi starts working on his succession plans. As he is forced to face the demons of his past, chaos unfurls in the already disoriented family.
In the third season, buried secrets resurface, kickstarting thrilling encounters, emotional roller coasters and more drama. Among the lead characters are Harsh Chhaya, Surya Sharma, Anchal Singh, Ankur Rathee, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya.
Dark Matter
When: Now Streaming
Where: Apple TV+
Apple TV’s latest Sci-Fi series follows Jason Dessen, a physicist, professor and ordinary family man who is abducted into an alternate version of his life one night. Stuck amidst the possibilities of various diverse lives he could have lived, and his previously mundane life turns into a hellish nightmare. The rest of the series follows the panicked physicist trying to reunite with his real family, who, interestingly, now has the biggest threat in the form of himself. Based on Blake Crouch’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Dark Matter stars the likes of Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, and Jimmi Simpson. Two episodes have been released on the platform, and the rest will drop every Wednesday.
Doctor Who Season 14
When: Now Streaming
Where: Hotstar
Doctor Who, one of the longest-running and most popular sci-fi tropes of all time, is back with yet another instalment. The show follows extraterrestrial Time Lords called Doctor Who, who travels the universe in a time-travelling spaceship, often with companions.
This season is touted as the fifth series led by Russell T Davies as head writer and executive producer, the fourteenth to air following the programme’s revival in 2005, and is the fortieth season overall.
The new season stars Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as his vibrant new sidekick. The duo embarks on journeys through time and space, meet remarkable allies and confront formidable adversaries.
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