Ramblings of a 20something girl

It's July of 2025, and it's time for my annual review of movies I watched last year. The movies released last year were extremely interesting. No points for guessing which Indian film industry shone through last year ( hint: it's not the Hindi film industry :p) Honestly, there were so many good movies I watched last year, it took me a lot of effort to pick just a few for this list due to space constraints. Anyway, if you don't find your favorite movie here, don't fret. I might have watched it, or I will in 10 years :p  Now that it's here, read on!  Malayalam Of course, I will start with the Malayalam film industry (it's my bias, I know). The Malayalam film industry went through an absolute whirlwind last year, with its back-to-back record-breaking successes. Were there bad movies too? Oh, absolutely! But here's my list of movies that made me laugh, cry, and go through all sorts of emotions!  1. Premalu    I didn't like this film (JK!). It's a mo...

Firstly, I know it's July 2024, and I'm terribly late with my list of 2023 movies. But it's not like you all were waiting for this list :p. So now that it's here, read on :) 2023 was a great year for movies (2024 is already better, I cannot wait to write my 2024 list, hehe). The Malayalam film industry has taken the mantle up once again, but I have to say that Hindi films were pretty good too, if not better.  So, in no particular order, here are my favorite movies from 2023. 1 . Romancham For someone who does not like watching horror movies because they're very boring (and not because I'm a coward in real life okay?), and also because I have not seen a lot of good horror comedies (Stree, 2018 is an exception), Romancham came as a pleasant surprise and what I would call a brilliantly set-up horror comedy. Jithu Madhavan, in his directorial debut,  traces the real-life story of himself and his friends back when they used to live in Bangalore as young 20-year-olds....

There are a few movies that come along once in a while and really sweep you off your feet. "Laapata Ladies"  (2023) is one of them. An absolute gem directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan films, this movie is easily one of my favorites from this year. Heads up, there may be spoilers ahead! Set in 2001 in India, this story revolves around two girls (Ladies, if you will) who get caught in an accidental swap and embark on a journey of self discovery. The movie starts with Deepak and his wife, Phool who board a train to go to his family's house. Phool wears her traditional lehenga and covers herself with the veil, as married women are not supposed to show their faces to non- family members. The day they board the train is considered very auspicious; hence, it is crowded with other brides and grooms (all married on the auspicious day), going to their respective houses . At night, when they reach the station, Deepak in a hurry, takes Phool's hand and exits the trai...

Cunk on Earth is a five-episode mockumentary series about human civilization that takes viewers on a hilarious and thought-provoking journey through history, offering a delightful blend of wit, absurdity, and astute observations.  At the center of the show is Philomena Cunk (played by Diane Morgan), a brilliant clueless reporter with a deadpan expression throughout the series. She travels the world (as much as the budget of the show allows her), and asks questions to historians, professors, academicians and other experts that will look stupid at the first go, but often provokes intriguing thoughts.  Obviously, the experts are all in the act. But one wonders how many takes it would have taken them to answer each of her questions without laughing.  Take for example questions like, "How did Egyptians build the pyramids? Did they start at the top and work down?” or "Were numbers worth less back in ancient times?" or my personal favorite when in an interview with composer an...

At the start of this year, I had promised myself  (let's call it my New Year resolution, :p) that I would try to watch more movies. Not just watch more movies, but in fact, watch movies that were not just Rom-Com, and venture into other genres as well. At the end of this year, it's safe to say that I have aced the challenge (almost :p). While it's impossible to pen down all the movies I watched this year, here's a list of my 10 movies of 2022. (They're in top 10 according to me based on the different genres. okay? okay.) 1. Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey (Malayalam) This movie is 10/10 getting the top place.  Released in October, this movie has definitely created uproar in Kerala. As it should.  Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey is a 2022 Malayalam film directed by Vipin Das and stars Darshana Rajendran, Basil Joseph, Aju Varghese in the lead roles.  Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey is a reflection of the society around us. If you've seen The Great Indian Kitchen, you'll have an ide...