This holiday season is the perfect time to curl up on the couch with hot cocoa and enjoy some great films.
We've dug into our archives to pull together movie recommendations across several genres - from intriguing political thrillers that will have you on the edge of your seat, to fascinating documentaries exploring science, wildlife, sports, and more. Whether you're interested in biopics about pioneering scientists, want to learn about the wildlife of Karnataka, or relive some of the most inspirational sports stories, there's something here for everyone.
So pop that popcorn, pour a hot drink, and get ready to binge some of the best films we've encountered.
Happy viewing!
Political thrillers
We curated this list in November 2020 with Jaydeep Shetty, when election results in the US and in Bihar dominated the airwaves. Politics is once again in the air with four state elections just concluded and as India heads into the crucial general elections next year.
Raajneeti
This 2010 political potboiler, co-written, directed and produced by Prakash Jha, draws from both the Mahabharata and The Godfather to reveal the machinations and intrigue of party politics and fraterical strife. Supported by an ensemble cast of Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee, Ajay Devgn, Katrina Kaif, Nana Patekar and Naseeruddin Shah, the film went on to become a blockbuster, unlike Jha’s next political thriller Chakravyuh two years later, set deep inside Naxal territory, which won rave reviews from critics, but wasn’t able to grab audiences.
Science
The biopic Oppenheimer, on ‘the father of the atomic bomb’, was the talk of the town this summer. You can revisit our list of books and movies on the nuclear age.
And our curated list of movies on men of science who defined this age of seminal scientific advancement—from Stephen Hawking, to John Nash, Alan Turing, Neil Armstrong, Richard Feynman, and Albert Einstein. This list also includes some exceptional documentaries.
The Age of AI
Conversations around AI are often abstract, intellectual, jargon-ridden, and opinionated. The Age of AI makes it fun (It's anchored by Robert Downey Jr, who, by playing Iron Man, has become a public and popular face of AI). And more importantly, it humanises the technology by talking about real people, and the real emotions they feel—the pain on the face of a man who breaks his bionic leg, the joy on the faces of parents upon hearing their son’s voice (which was damaged by ALS).
More science flicks and documentaries
Wildlife
Ramki Sreenivasan, a wildlife photographer and conservationist, curated this list of must-watch documentaries that point to nightlife in a jungle, what an octopus might teach us, Karnataka’s wildlife, a panther that stalks Kabin.
Virunga
This one is Number One. It is also the most intense and tragic conservation battles I have seen.
'Conservation is war', as the filmmaker aptly puts it, reflects our experience in India. Documentaries about iconic species inspire awe, but when set against the backdrop of a heroic story of a band of four rangers standing up to a multinational giant amidst a civil war and incessant poaching, they evoke a wider range of emotions—anger, heartbreak and a deeper empathy for the species.
No one can watch this documentary about the courage and determination of the rangers of the Virunga National Park, home to the last Eastern Gorillas, and not be left teary-eyed.
Sports
Our introduction to this list read: “As fans, we engage with sports at two levels. At one level, we watch it live, to witness the beauty on display, experience the adrenaline rush, and to feel bonded with something larger than us. When the live event is over, we move to the second level and attempt to recreate the emotions it evoked.” Relive some of the iconic legends and moments through these ten documentaries from a range of sports.
Take the Ball Pass the Ball
Xavi Hernandez is despised all over the internet football community (Reddit, Twitter etc.) for making pompous claims about the Barcelona 2008-12 team, saying that only they played “pure football”, the way it was meant to be played. But it is tough to argue against that point. With a midfield of legends including Iniesta, Fabregas, Busquets, and Xavi himself, and speared by the greatest false 9 experiment ever in recorded football history involving Leo Messi, this team was simply unstoppable. They won 14 titles in 4 seasons, and played the most beautiful one-touch tiki-taka football, coached by the magician Pep Guardiola. If the director simply cut together some clips of their game, this documentary would already be scintillating. Add to that, insights from the legends themselves, and you’ve got yourself one of the best football documentaries to ever be made.
Oscar-worthy movies
Ronaan Roy curated a list of Oscar worthy films in 2022, and another one with his predictions for the Oscars in 2023. As Ronaan says, they “make you think broader, or feel deeper”.
Supernova
Like Herself, Supernova tragically lost out its chance at the Oscars by being in the grey area of eligibility both this year and last year. But it is head and shoulders a better picture than any of this year's Best Film nominations. It is a story of a long-time couple, the enchanting and fiercely intelligent Stanley Tucci character who suffers from dementia (but outwits anyone who thinks he’s losing it) and the worried and weary Colin Firth character, who is keeping it all together, while simultaneously falling apart. The two approach love with a mature but intense chemistry that shows us that love is not the first meeting at a park bench, but the passionate embrace even as the light of a supernova decays.
