Giant monsters Godzilla and Kong joining forces to battle a new enemy isn’t the only big draw at theatres this week. New releases this week also include a women-centric heist comedy featuring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon, a survival drama, an actioner about a contract killer, a suspense thriller and a political drama. Here is a look.

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire (English)

Directed by: Adam Wingard

Cast: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns and Fala Chen

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and the fifth instalment in the MonsterVerse series, portrays Godzilla and Kong joining forces against an enigmatic threat from the depths of the Hollow Earth. Additionally, it delves into the previously undisclosed origins of the Titans and Skull Island. The trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire opens with a seismometer registering increasing activity, showcasing glimpses of ancient pyramids with mysterious entities emerging from beneath them. Finally, a hand resembling that of a primate clad in armour bursts through the ground, crashing onto the sandy terrain.

Aadujeevitham (Malayalam)

Directed by: Blessy

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Amala Paul, Jimmy Jean Louis

Aadujeevitham, also known as The Goat Life, is a cinematic adaptation of the acclaimed Malayalam novel The Goat Days penned by Benyamin in 2008. Drawing inspiration from a real-life event, the movie revolves around Najeeb (Prithviraj Sukumaran), a migrant worker from Kerala who is compelled into servitude as a shepherd on an isolated farm in Saudi Arabia. The film portrays how Najeeb tries to flee from the life of slavery.

Crew (Hindi)

Directed by: Rajesh Krishnan

Cast: Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon, Saswata Chatterjee, Rajesh Sharma, Diljit Dosanjh and Kapil Sharma.

Crew is a heist comedy jointly produced by Ekta Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Digvijay Purohit under the banners of Balaji Motion Pictures and Anil Kapoor Films & Communication Network. The film follows the story of three friends who serve as cabin crew for Kohinoor Airlines: Geeta Sethi (Tabu), Jasmine Rana (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and Divya Bajwa (Kriti Sanon). Their mundane lives take a dramatic turn when the trio become entangled in a gold-smuggling racket.

Knox Goes Away (English)

Directed by: Michael Keaton

Cast: Michael Keaton, Al Pacino, Suzy Nakamura, James Marsden and Ray McKinnon

After being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, a rapidly progressing dementia, contract killer John Knox (Michael Keaton) vows to use his remaining time to atone for his past sins by protecting his son (played by James Marsden). Amidst the chaos of a contracted job, he unintentionally kills his partner, Thomas Muncie (Ray McKinnon), and leaves a trail of bodies behind. Now, Knox is thrust into a desperate race against both law enforcement and the relentless advance of his deteriorating mental faculties.

Beline (Bengali)

Directed by: Samik Roy Choudhury

Cast: Paran Bandyopadhyay, Sreya Bhattacharya, Tathagata Mukherjee

Paran Bandyopadhyay plays a retired old man leading a life of solitude in Samik Roy Choudhury’s suspense thriller Beline. His character lives in a decrepit one-room apartment, and his mundane routine involves watching TV, eating and sleeping. However, a phone call from an unknown number turns his life upside down. He hears the voice of a woman (Sreya Bhattacharya) in distress on the other side and learns about a threat to her life. What he will try to save her life forms the rest of the story.

The Red Files (Bengali)

Directed by: Kingshuk Dey

Cast: Mumtaz Sorcar, Kinjal Nanda, Soumendra Bhattacharya, Bidipta Chakraborty, Deboprasad Halder and Shyamal Chakraborty.

Bantala, West Bengal, witnessed the brutal rape and murder of three women in 1990. However, insufficient evidence and pressure from political and bureaucratic circles led to the suppression of the case files. This incident serves as the inspiration for Kingshuk Dey's political drama The Red Files. Kinjal Nanda and Bidipta Chakraborty take on the roles of lawyers, while Mumtaz Sorcar portrays a high-ranking police officer in the film. The director himself has penned the story, dialogue and script.