If you are a fan of time travel, crime, and mind-bending suspense then Netflix’s Bodies is perfect to binge-watch this weekend. Directed by Haolu Wang and Marco Kreuzpaintner, Bodies is based on DC’s graphic novel by Si Spencer – who has been tributed in the first episode. The story follows four detectives in four different timelines and they discover a naked man’s body with one eye gouged out, surprisingly it’s the body of the same person in different timelines!

Shira Haas and Stephen Graham in Netflix’s ‘Bodies’

The 8-episode series parallelly shows four detectives – DS Hasan (Amaka Okafor) in 2023, DS Whiteman (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) in 1941, DI Hillinghead (Kyle Soller) in 1890, and DC Maplewood (Shira Haas) in 2053 twisted in the same case discovering facts that are beyond their understanding. DS Hasan from the year 2023 discovers that the case she has been working on has happened before, not once but twice decades ago. Much to her suspicion, the evidence aligns with her own case which leads her confused more than ever.

Stephen Graham is not limited to one timeline, his intense performance deepens the storyline, leaving viewers jumpy. Amaka Okafor, Shira Haas, Kyle Soller, and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd’s distinctive acting and effective dialogue delivery are appreciated but Fortune-Lloyd deserves a standing ovation for his shining performance. Graham and Soller’s costumes and makeup are on point in the show.

Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as DS Whiteman in Bodies

With each episode comes mind-blowing twists that keep you on edge all the time. Each detective’s personal story and connection to people close to them adds more depth to their character and the choices they make. Even till the end of the last episode, the series holds your attention profoundly. Different timelines connected to one another may cause confusion at first but it only adds more fun to the story that leaves us in shock.

Now, if it reminds you of Netflix’s other popular German series Dark, directed by Baran bo Odar, then we can’t blame you. Bodies and Dark are not related to each other but they draw strong parallels to one another and it’s mainly due to different timelines, time travel, and hard-to-understand relations between the two characters. Although characters in Bodies are not connected to each other deep and twisted like in Dark but you need to keep a close eye to understand their connection. Dark, starring German actors Louis Hofmann and Lisa Vicari, is Netflix’s one of the most popular supernatural twists series and it is safe to assume that Bodies is no less than the 3-season German series.

Time Portal in ‘Dark’ vs ‘Bodies’

Stephen Graham’s Bodies is a mind-bending, thriller series full of brilliant performances. Its captivating narrative and depth keep the viewers engaged and entertained.

Bodies is available to stream on Netflix.

Martin Scorsese directing a Western crime drama starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Robert De Niro, a combination like that would immediately make this project the most highly anticipated movie of the year for most movie lovers. I have been looking forward to this project ever since it was announced to be happening in 2017, and 6 years later it is finally here.

Killers of the Flower Moon is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by David Grann and is adapted by Eric Roth. It also stars Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, and John Lithgow alongside De Niro and DiCaprio. Martin Scorsese has been delivering top-quality cinema for almost six decades now and although I didn’t love his last feature The Irishman, expectations were still high from this project, which also happens to be his first western.

Killers of the Flower Moon is set in the 1920s in the oil-rich lands of the Osage in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), a World War 1 veteran with no prospects arrives in town to live with his uncle Bill ‘King’ Hale (Robert De Niro), who claims to be a friend to the Osage people. Ernest falls in love with an Osage woman Mollie (Lily Gladstone), who sees through his greed, but a genuine romance eventually blossoms between the two.

The plot thickens when Mollie’s family starts dying under suspicious circumstances and they struggle to find justice through the local authorities. Gladstone’s performance is elegant and powerful and she shows her ability to act through her eyes for most of her screen time. She is subtle and often silent, but she makes sure to convey the exact emotions that her character is going through. Robert De Niro as Uncle Bill does what he does best. Scorsese always seems to manage to bring out the best of him. He is calculative, cunning and sharp and shines as the scheming businessman. DiCaprio also gives one of his career-best performances as the charming underling of King Hale.

Though the story is about the murderers, it keeps the romance between Mollie and Ernest at its center and for the first two acts, their relationship is the primary driving force of the narrative. The third act focuses more on the investigation and the consequences of the killings. The direction is masterful throughout and it follows similar themes from Scorsese’s previous works like greed, betrayal, and murder. The cinematography is also one of the finest of the year, with the sheer scale of the canvas a sight for sore eyes. The production design and costumes are also stellar.

A lot has been said about the runtime of the movie, which goes over the 200-minute mark, but it never feels too long. There are stretches that feel slow and could have been edited to make it crisper, but the run-time was not a major issue for me. I did feel that the screenplay did not provide enough perspective to the viewer, especially about some of the characters’ motivations. Some of the depth feels unexplored. Jesse Plemons was massively underused, while Brendan Fraser and John Lithgow feel wasted. I also felt that there was scope for blood and violence and the script also holds back on language.

Killers Of The Flower Moon is A True American Tragedy that further cements Martin Scorsese as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. He shows off his craftsmanship and delivers a riveting Western epic that is self-reflective, thought-provoking and thoroughly captivating. AppleTV and Paramount have a masterpiece on their hands with knockout performances and masterful storytelling.

Killers of the Flower Moon releases in cinemas on October 20. 

After the holiday season, we finally have some news to report in the world of film and television! According to an exclusive from Deadline, Oscar-nominated actress Ruth Negga (Loving, Passing) is set to co-star in the AppleTV+ series, Presumed Innocent along with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Negga will join the ranks of many other stars recently attaching themselves to Apple streaming series including Brie Larson, Meryl Streep, Edward Norton and Harrison Ford. Interestingly enough, Presumed Innocent is a television adaptation of the 1990 film starring the latter Ford, whose part will be played by Gyllenhaal in the series for the streamer. The series follows a horrifying murder that takes place in Chicago when the Chicago’s Prosecutor’s Office gets turned upside down when one of its own becomes the prime suspect. Negga will play Barbara Sabich, an artist, gallerist, mother and wife who is married to Gyllenhaal’s character. The role of Barbara was played by Bonnie Bedelia in the original movie.

The series, which has been a hot package since Gyllenhaal has been in discussions to star, is also set to have creative forces such as David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams behind it. Kelley will act as showrunner, writer and executive producer for the show while Abrams will also act as an executive producer. Anne Sewitsky (A Very British Scandal, Black Mirror) will direct the first two episodes. 

Negga most recently earned a Tony nomination for her role in Macbeth on Broadway alongside Daniel Craig. She also has an Oscar-nomination for her starring role in Loving. Negga last starred in Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut, Passing, in 2021 and will also star in Dan Levy’s directorial debut, Good Grief which is currently filming.