An array of English, Hindi and Bengali films — right from animated adventure-fantasy to comedy drama and murder mystery to supernatural horror — are set to hit the cinemas today. Here’s all you need to know about the new movies that you can watch in theatres this weekend.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (English)
Directed by: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black and Keegan-Michael Key
Based on the popular Mario video game franchise, The Super Mario Bros. Movie revolves around Mario (Chris Pratt), a struggling plumber from Brooklyn, who accidentally gets transported to the Mushroom Kingdom. He befriends Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) who informs him that his brother Luigi (Charlie Day) is being held captive by the evil King Bowser (Jack Black) in the Dark Lands. Mario takes the help of Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, to rescue his brother and foil Bowser’s plans to conquer the world.
The Pope’s Exorcist (English)
Directed by: Julius Avery
Cast: Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe and Franco Nero
The Pope’s Exorcist is a supernatural horror movie inspired by the real-life experiences of Father Gabriele Amorth, former chief exorcist of the Vatican. Russell Crowe slips into the titular character in this Julius Avery-directorial, which follows Amorth as he investigates the possession of a young boy. As he digs deep into the case, Amorth uncovers a disturbing secret that the Vatican has kept hidden for centuries.
The Lost King (English)
Directed by: Stephen Frears
Cast: Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, and Harry Lloyd.
The Lost King is a comedy drama based on the book The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III, written by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones. It follows the story of Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins), who after attending the play Richard III, becomes obsessed with Richard. She has visions of him and even initiates a search for Richard’s remains in a car park in Leicester. Steve Coogan plays Langley’s estranged husband in the movie, while Harry Lloyd plays Richard III.
Gumraah (Hindi)
Directed by: Vardhan Ketkar
Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Mrunal Thakur and Ronit Roy
A remake of Magizh Thirumeni's 2019 Tamil film Thadam, Vardhan Ketkar’s Gumraah follows a murder investigation by inspector Shivani Mathur (Mrunal Thakur), who finds herself in a quandary after coming across two lookalike suspects (both roles played by Aditya Roy Kapur) oblivious to each other’s existence. ACP Dhiren Yadav (Ronit Roy) helps Shivani untie the knots in the case.
August 16, 1947 (Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, English)
Directed by: N.S. Ponkumar
Cast: Gautham Karthik, Pugazh, Richard Ashton and Revathy
India attained freedom from British rule on August 15, 1947 but the residents of one small village in the hinterland of Tamil Nadu were kept in the dark by British officers about the Indian independence. Oblivious to the news of their emancipation, the villagers faced torture at the hands of their colonial masters until they had no option but to fight back and win their freedom.
Akorik (Bengali)
Directed by: Tathagata Bhattacherjee
Cast: Victor Banerjee, Rituparna Sengupta, Master Ankan Mallick and Anuradha Roy
After being screened at the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival last year, Tathagata Bhattacherjee’s family drama Akorik is all set for a theatrical release. The film explores the relationship between an old man (Victor Banerjee), who grew up in a traditional joint family, and a boy (Master Ankan Mallick), who lives with his single mother (Rituparna Sengupta). Although they belong to two different generations, the old man and the boy develop a strong emotional bond.
