While most theatres are running to packed shows, there are a bunch of fans who are eagerly looking forward to catching the latest blockbusters on OTT platforms like Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime, ZEE 5 in May 2022. And the platforms are not going to disappoint anyone because along with films that have had theatrical releases, they are all set to showcase original content. Some recommendations, in the order of release:
May 5
The Pentaverate (Netflix)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
‘Saturday Night Live’ superstar Mike Myers will be seen in a TV series for the first time in more than a decade in The Pentaverate.
A spin-off of Myers' the romantic black comedy So I Married an Axe Murderer, this six-episode series is set around a secret society that has been trying to influence world events - ostensibly for the greater good - since the Black Plague of 1347. However, a Canadian journalist feels that something is being hidden from the world and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth.
The Pentaverate also stars Jennifer Saunders, Jeremy Irons, Richard McCabe, Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Lydia West and others.
May 6
Jhund (Zee5)
Genre: Biopic, Sports
The Big B starrer sports drama, helmed by Nagraj Manjule, is set to premiere digitally in the first week of May. Apart from Amitabh Bachchan, ‘Jhund’ (with a 9/10 IMDB rating) also features Akash Thosar, Rinku Rajguru (of Sairat fame) and Ankush Gedam in pivotal roles.
The Wilds Season 2 (Amazon Prime Video)
Genre: Drama
The 10 episodes of Season 1 - filmed across New Zealand, and released in early December 2020 - were a little like Pretty Little Liars and The Society. While the first season was about the lives of a group of high school students who get stranded on an island after a plane crash, the second introduces more test subjects who also have to fight for survival. The cast includes Sarah Pidgeon, Erana James, Mia Healey, Shannon Berry, Jenna Clause, Reign Edwards, and Sophia Ali. Rachel Griffiths will reprise her role as Gretchen Klein, the puppet master.
Thar (Netflix)
Genre: Crime thriller, Action
This Netflix-backed thriller will see father and son (Anil Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor) sharing screen space for the second time after AK vs AK. Directed by Raaj Singh Chaudhary (also directed Shaadistan) this one is set in Rajasthan in the 1980s and also stars Fatima Sana Seikh, Satish Kaushik, and others.
Home Shanti (Disney+Hotstar)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Directed by Aakanksha Dua and created by Posham Pa Pictures, this slice-of-life drama stars Supriya Pathak and Manoj Pahwa and debutants Chakori Dwivedi and Poojan Chhabra as the new generation of Joshis. The relatable family drama series revolves around a Dehradun-based, middle-class couple with two kids, who have a long-harboured dream of owning a house and aspire to build their home in cooperation with their children. Home Shanti marks the lead actors’ first project after Manoj’s son Mayank tied the knot with Supriya’s daughter Sanah.
The Takedown Movie (Netflix)
Genre: Action, Comedy
A sequel to the 2012 French film De l’autre côté du périph, (On the Other Side of the Tracks) Lupin‘s Louis Leterrier’s directorial has a screenplay by Stéphane Kazandjian. The story follows two cops Ousmane Diakité (Omar Sy) and François Monge (Laurent Lafitte) from different backgrounds who reunite for a new investigation in France. The investigation was supposed to be a simple case, but the unlikely pair find themselves involved in an extensive criminal case.
The Matrix Resurrections (Amazon Prime Video)
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
After opening in theatres across the country on December 22, last year, the Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss starrer film is all set for its OTT release. Our very own Bollywood star, Priyanka Chopra stands out in this long-awaited fourth film in the ground breaking franchise of The Matrix.
May 11
Our Father (Netflix)
Genre: Documentary
A woman's at-home DNA test reveals multiple half-siblings and she discovers a shocking scheme involving donor sperm and a popular fertility doctor. This gripping documentary is from Emmy-winning producer Jason Blum whose earlier ‘The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst’ was a documentary miniseries (about New York real estate heir Robert Durst, a convicted murderer).
Modern Love Mumbai (Amazon Prime Video)
Genre: Romance, Drama
The desi version of hit US anthology Modern Love, will showcase six stories, Raat Rani, Mumbai Dragon, Baai, My Beautiful Wrinkles, I Love Thane and Cutting Chai, and star a host of actors including Fatima Sana Shaikh, Tanuja, Pratik Gandhi, Ranveer Brar, Yeo Yann Yann, Meiyang Chang, Naseeruddin Shah, Sarika, Ahsaas Channa, Tanvi Azmi, Masaba Gupta, Ritwik Bhowmik, Prateik Babbar, Aadar Malik, Dolly Singh, Chitrangada Singh, Arshad Warsi and many others. Prominent Bollywood filmmakers including Vishal Bhardwaj, Hansal Mehta, Shonali Bose, Dhruv Sehgal, Alankrita Shrivastava, and Nupur Asthana will be helming the amazing stories of profound love in this six-part series.
May 13
Sneakerella (Disney+Hotstar)
Genre: Musical comedy, Family
The classic fairy tale of Cinderella has seen multiple reinterpretations and last year Amazon Prime released their version. This May, Disney Plus Hotstar has all set to premiere a gender-swapped take on the classic. Director Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum’s Sneakerella stars Chosen Jacobs, Lexi Underwood, John Salley, Devyn Nekoda, Juan Chioran, Bryan Terrell Clark, Kolton Stewart, Robyn Alomar, Yvonne Senat Jones, and Hayward Leach. Set in the avant-garde street-sneaker subculture of New York City, the musical is a feel-good story about an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens who works as a stock boy in the shoe store that once belonged to his late mother.
The Kashmir Files (Zee5)
Genre: Historical drama
Vivek Agnihotri's blockbuster is about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus from the state, following systematic killings, murders of people from the community by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi and Darshan Kumaar play pivotal roles. This film was released in theatres on March 11 this year and will be available on the OTT platform in multiple languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.
The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix)
Genre: Crime, Mystery
After a decade of The Lincoln Lawyer debuting in theatres across the USA, bestselling novelist Michael Connelly’s book has been adapted into an original series by Netflix. The 10-episode series is touted to follow the same plot as the book and the subsequent movie. Created by David E. Kelley, the cast includes Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller, Neve Campbell as Maggie McPherson, Becki Newton as Lorna, Jazz Raycole as Izzy, Angus Sampson as Cisco and Christopher Gorham as Trevor Elliott. It is about a lawyer defending a wealthy man who begins to believe his client is guilty of more than just one crime.
May 18
Who Killed Sara Season 3 (Netflix)
Genre: Thriller
Creator of the Mexican mystery series, Who killed Sara, José Ignacio Valenzuela is a Chilean screenwriter. After spending 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Álex Guzmán, bent upon finding out who killed his sister Sara and wants to avenge the Lazcano family who wronged him. The last episode of season 2 of the series ends on a major cliffhanger and the questions fans ask are ‘How are Nicandro and Dr Alanis responsible for Sara's death if Marifer, who is actually Sara's half-sister, was the one who cut the parachute? What is Nicandro hiding?’.
May 20
Escaype Live (Disney+Hotstar)
Genre: Crime, Mystery
This first-of-its-kind social thriller chronicles the realities of social media in today’s time. Starring Jaaved Jaaferi, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Siddharth the series explores the different journeys of six people as they struggle to win fame and fortune on the app called Escaype Live that promises big money to the winning contestant. Creator-director Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s show also has actors Swastika Mukherjee, Plabita Borthakur, Waluscha D Souza, Ritvik Sahore, Sumedh Mudgalkar, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Jagjeet Sandhu, Rohit Chandel and child actor Aadyaa Sharma among others.
May 27
Stranger Things Season 4 (Netflix)
Genre: Science fiction, Thriller, Horror drama
After almost a three-year hiatus from the small screen, the supernatural, horror sci-fi series, will release its fourth and much-awaited season in two parts - Part 1 this month and Part 2 after five weeks. This season is touted to be the most expensive one in Netflix; more expensive to make, than Game of Thrones and The Mandalorian combined! The show's main cast will continue to consist of Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Cara Buono and Brett Gelman.
KGF: Chapter 2 (Amazon Prime Video)
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Helmed by Prasanth Neel and starring Yash, Sanjay Dutt, and Raveena Tandon in pivotal roles, this blockbuster shattered every box office record when it got a theatrical release on April 14, 2022. It will be available in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)
Genre: Action-adventure Science fiction
Star War fans are waiting with bated breath for this six-episode limited series. Directed by Deborah Chow, who had earlier worked on The Mandalorian, this series is set between Revenge Of The Sith and A New Hope and will see familiar characters too. The series will follow Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi as he watches over a young Luke Skywalker on Tatooine.
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