The latest instalment in a popular horror franchise. An award-winning relationship drama. A murder mystery thriller. Adaptations of literary classics. A Japanese anime film. A variety of films are hitting theatres this Friday. Here’s a look.
Past Lives (Korean, English)
Directed by: Celine Song
Cast: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro
Past Lives is a story about two childhood friends, Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) and Nora (Greta Lee), who reunite after many years. Nora, formerly known as Na Young, moved to Toronto, while Hae Sung completed military service and moved to China. They reconnect online but struggle to commit to meeting in person due to their respective commitments. Nora meets Arthur (John Magaro), whom she eventually marries, while Hae Sung begins dating someone else. Years later, Hae Sung visits New York, and tensions arise between him and Nora. They discuss their past lives and what their relationship would have been like if things had turned out differently.
Insidious: The Red Door (English)
Directed by: Patrick Wilson
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins and Rose Byrne
Set almost a decade after the events of Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), Insidious: The Red Door begins with Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) dropping off his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) at a prestigious university. Unfortunately, Dalton's aspirations for a fulfilling college experience turn into a terrifying nightmare when horrors from his past resurface unexpectedly. In order to end the suffering, Josh and Dalton find themselves compelled to revisit the eerie realm called Further. Rose Byrne reprises her role as Renai Lambert in this horror thriller.
Neeyat (Hindi)
Directed by: Anu Menon
Cast: Vidya Balan, Ram Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Shahana Goswami, Neeraj Kabi, Amrita Puri, Shashank Arora, Dipannita Sharma and Prajakta Koli
Vidya Balan reunites with Shakuntala Devi helmer Anu Menon in Neeyat, an Agatha Christie-styled murder mystery. Vidya plays Mira Rao, a detective called in to investigate the murder of billionaire Ashish Kapoor (Ram Kapoor) at a party in the Scottish countryside. The list of suspects include his family and friends — played by Neeraj Kabi, Amrita Puri, Shashank Arora, Dipannita Sharma and Prajakta Koli. Each of them harboured resentment against Ashish and thus had reasons to murder him.
72 Hoorain (Hindi)
Directed by: Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan
Cast: Saru Maini, Aamir Bashir, Pavan Malhotra, Rasheed Naz and Ashok Pathak
72 Hoorain portrays how terrorist organisations manipulate young Muslims into becoming suicide bombers with the promise of rewards in the form of jannat (paradise) and companionship with hoorain (virgins) in the afterlife. The movie aims to highlight the repercussions of engaging in violent extremism.
Mayaa (Bengali)
Directed by: Raajhorshee De
Cast: Rafiath Rashid Mithila, Tnusree Chakraborty, Kamaleswar Mukherjee, Koneenica Banerjee, Ronita Das, Devlina Kumar and Sudiptaa Chakraborty
Loosely based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Mayaa marks the Tollywood debut of Bangladeshi actress Rafiath Rashid Mithila, wife of filmmaker Srijit Mukherji. Mithila plays the titular character in the film, which revolves around the journey of a rape survivor.
Mahanagari Theke Dure (Bengali)
Directed by: Sweta Basu, Ayaan Sen
Cast: Bhaswar Chatterjee, Joy Sengupta, Shraboni Ghosh and Lily Chakraborty
Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's Streer Patra, Mahanagari Theke Dure revolves around Shimul (Shraboni Ghosh) who leaves her husband Abhik (Joy Sengupta) to live with her lover Pramit (Bhaswar Chatterjee). However, fate brings her face to face with her husband once again. Will Shimul have the courage to leave Pramit and return to Abhik, or will she choose to embrace her love?
The First Slam Dunk (Japanese)
Directed by: Takehiko Inoue
Voice Cast: Shugo Nakamura, Jun Kasama, Kenta Miyake, Jun Kasama and Shin'ichiro Kamio
The First Slam Dunk delves into the journey of Ryota Miyagi (Shugo Nakamura), the talented point guard of Shohoku high-school's basketball team. The storyline revolves around their intense encounter with the Sannoh High School team during the inter-high tournament. As the team members converge on the court, their individual accomplishments, personal histories, and diverse perspectives intertwine and clash in a dramatic fashion.
