Obsession (2025)

 To understand the plot of the movie "Obsession (2025)" - all you need to do is watch the trailer. It's one of the few horror films I've seen that doesn't have a plot twist. What I will say, is that it's unsettling, creative and masterfully scripted. 

In the movie, we meet Bear. As his name suggests, "Bear" is a seemingly innocent young lad who works at a record store. He works with a girl called Nikki, whom he has a crush on. At the prodding of his friend Ian, Bear tries unsuccessfully to tell Nikki how he feels about her. Upon failing to do so, Bear uses a "one wish willow" - a gadget he buys from a store - to make Nikki love him more than anything else in the f******* world. Now did Bear expect this to come true? No. And neither did we (unless you watched the trailer). 

------ SPOILERS AHEAD (if you will)... 

What proceeds is quite unique. I would've expected Nikki to sort of remain the same, like what Bear had in mind (right??) 

But instead, we see Nikki act completely unnaturally and change her whole personality. She "needs" Bear and wants him at all costs. She at times walks backwards, watches him sleep and demonstrates psychopathic behavior when he questions whether she's real. In one painstaking scene, she stands in the same spot in the living room for hours waiting for him to come home while smiling eerily, urinating on the floor. 

Her actions grow gruesome and quite disturbing, but there's one thing that's most disturbing of all: and that's the fact that Bear takes no pro-active steps to reverse his wish until it's too late... 

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Unlike what my spoilers suggest, Obsession isn't completely serious. There's an element of humor mixed into the uncanny, and the actors do a brilliant job playing to the mood. I also enjoy Indie Nazarette's performance as Nikki. She forms many micro-expressions to reveal what might be happening underneath the surface as she's possessed. 

As for the movie as a whole, Obsession makes us question the true motives of its characters - for example, does Bear truly want love, or attention? It's easy to get mixed up between the two, especially when there's a lack of true love (or respect) for oneself. 

Challengers (2024)

Challengers, is an interesting sports film about tennis... or is it really about tennis? 

The story follows two male tennis players, Art and Patrick, who start as best friends passionate about the game. Their dynamic changes when they encounter Tashi Duncan (played by Zendaya), a teenage tennis superstar they both become obsessed with.

Tashi is a formidable player with a singular focus on winning. As both friends slowly fall deeper into their obsession, they lose sight of their own friendship and start become obsessed with winning. Specifically, winning Tashi. 

SPOILERS AHEAD 

Art eventually marries Tashi, though complications arise. Patrick becomes entangled in their lives through various "challenger" tournaments, and Tashi positions herself as his "prize" to be won. 

Tashi's true motivations are ambiguous, adding to the film's complexity. She might be a slight sociopath driven solely by a need to win and dominate. However, not everything is within her control.

SPOILERS END 

Both men’s love for Tashi is flawed and somewhat toxic. Art is so in love with her, that he'll continue playing competitive tennis at the cost of his own happiness. Patrick's deep infatuation with her brings him to do immoral things so he can run into her again. 

In a way both men "lose" their way in trying to win her. Trying to win her love, and her approval. Tennis ceases to be about the sport and becomes a means to win her.

Tashi embodies the paradox of human desire: the constant drive to win and compare, even though the satisfaction of victory is fleeting and only fuels further desire.

The film masterfully reveals how an obsession with winning can consume us, leading to a satisfying conclusion. It suggests that while our desire to win and achieve can be powerful, true fulfillment comes from appreciating the journey and recognizing our genuine connections.

Bend it like Beckham (2002)

Bend it like Beckham attempts to answer the age-old question plaguing many second-generation Indians growing up in Western countries: am I Indian, or Western? The movie responds in a way that doesn’t simplify anything but connects the dots beautifully: you’re both.

The plot centers on Jess (short for Jassminder), a young Punjabi girl who is extremely passionate about football (soccer). She spends all her spare time thinking about it and fancies playing with some of the guys in her neighborhood. Her sister nudges her to be more like a “normal” girl and wear makeup, tight clothes, and get a boyfriend. Her parents are distraught at seeing her playing with the guys. Yet, she relents and keeps playing.

Jules, another young soccer player, observes Jess on the field and invites her to try out for the women’s (I suspect juvenile women’s) national soccer team. Jess tries out and impresses the earnest/initially skeptical coach (Joe) and makes it onto the team.

There’s only one problem: Jess’s parents don’t know that Jess is playing for the women’s soccer team. And they’d rather she stick to being a “good” Punjabi girl and learn how to make aloo gobi instead. Like many Indian communities, her family wants to maintain a good face in their own community, and we soon find out from Jess’s dad’s past experience: being Indian in any non-Indian sports team could come with its fair share of risk (racism, etc.).

Yet, what follows in Jess’s life on the soccer field are many fruitful things: a strong friendship with Jules, a genuine romantic connection with Joe, and the joy of playing soccer, an activity she loves. The soccer field is like a second home, with Joe, Jules, and her teammates being another family in addition to her own. It becomes more and more difficult to choose one home, and the reality that the movie weaves until the end is that she needs both to feel truly fulfilled.

Many Indian Americans and Indian Europeans, I’m sure, have felt this crisis before: doing something that feels against their parents’ values and upbringing, yet what feels like the best thing to do for themselves. Bend it like Beckham beautifully addresses these topics by highlighting the importance of communication and honesty between parents and their children, and the belief that there can, in fact, be a bridge between both cultures that could lead to a better future for all.

Barbie (2023)

Barbie is a cultural phenomenon, to say the least. I've spoken to many who've seen the movie based on word of mouth. A large poster ad of Barbie hangs down from a skyscraper. I notice this every time I walk over to my sister's place. 

The movie is very thought provocative. At first glance, it seems like a family/kids movie about Barbie making things right: a film with a clear good against a clear bad. However, as the movie unfolds, there's a lot more hidden beneath the layers of pink and perfection. 

*** SPOILERS AHEAD *** 

Barbie was introduced as an alternative to baby dolls. And if you take a microscope and examine the lifestyle and lure of Barbie, there's quite a bit to admire, especially from the perspective of not just a little girl, but any millennial/pre-millennial woman who has grown up playing with a barbie.

Barbie owns her own home, has her own car, and lives in a world with other Barbies. Where barbies (women with model-like figures) run society with smiles, hugs, empathy and feminine intelligence. 

It's a world where women run the show - a utopia for most of us. 

However, just as how the real world sexualizes women, Barbieland sexualizes men. There's no equality in Barbieland just as there is no equality in the real world. 

Everything is put into perspective when Ken (Barbie's supposed boyfriend) flips things upside down in Barbieland: with Barbieland turning into Kendom, and Kens running the show, while Barbies get brainwashed into being bimbos. The only thing that ironically saves the barbies from giving up their independence and intelligence to the kens is hearing from other women how difficult it is to be a woman. In other words, empathy. 

Empathy, death and the meaning of perfection are all themes that come up in Barbie. And as you hear them, you realize that Barbie isn't just about Barbie. It's about all of us, who crave to be perceived, admired and deemed perfect by society. 

And at the end, what Barbie chooses is indeed surprising and satisfying. 

I'd highly recommend watching this film. The acting is pretty good, and the story doesn't fall into a standard action movie with a predictable plot. Instead, it retains its human element, asking honest questions about life, society, and well barbie.

Six (Broadway show)

 Just came back from the wonderful, powerful Broadway show "Six", which shows six strong women with six incredibly strong voices representing the ex-wives of Henry VIII. 

I love the modern twist in style and song that the show places in each of their stories. 

Without giving too much away, I would say that what I LOVED about the show were the vocals and the diversity of voices they cast. I LOVED the people of color representation, and I've heard some of the best solos I've heard in my entire life on that stage. 

What I thought could improve was the reckoning at the end. It's true that the six wives reclaimed their glory by spinning the take to say Henry VIII was in fact remembered because of how distinct and powerful their stories were, but I would have almost liked the show to connect these powerful and somewhat traumatic stories to the day to day. How can a woman living in a society now who maybe hasn't faced such a traumatic story connect to the message? 

There were some deep opportunities to connect their experiences to a deeper meaning that I felt was lost. 

Overall though I would still see the show. The glitz, soul, glamor, and love just poured through and all the actresses were absolutely amazing!!! 

Would HIGHLY recommend it!

Never Have I Ever (Season 2) - 2022

 Never Have I Ever (Season 2), is perhaps one of the best TV shows with Indian American representation that I've seen. The cast is superb, and the themes are certainly relatable.

The show touches on trauma (with loss), adolescence, identity crisis (being Indian vs being American), sexism, and heartbreak; all with a splash of comedy. 

It's masterfully written and there's a certain sense of warmth to the show that makes it overall just a must-see. 

Some of my favorite scenes (spolier below) 

• When Devi tells Paxton that his meltdown was important because it showed him how much he values school inside 
• When Devi tells Paxton that he's not truly doing his best and that he needs to go above and beyond 
• When Devi listens to video recordings of her dad to calm her heart down because of the built-up anxiety and tension 

It's tremendous how great this show is and I would highly recommend!

Lovebirds (2020)

As a somewhat standard romcom  film involving a bizarre murder, Lovebirds (2020) sure carries some of its own beat and authenticity. A lot of the film's spirit comes from the film's two stars: Issa Rae (playing Leilani) and Kumail Nanjiani (as Jibran) playing a couple on the brink of break up. 

The film had a lot of potential, but overall as some of the other reviews I've read said: the movie doesn't quite add up to the sum of its parts.  

It starts out extremely realistic with the couple having fun and starting what seems to be a perfect relationship, only for it to turn into a spiral of arguments 4 years later. The arguing moves from trivial things (like scheduling "freaky sex") to more serious things like questioning each others' character.

Right when they've come to the breaking point of their relationship, they hit a bicyclist who looks like he's being chased down. There's a "cop" that soon requests to take over their car to follow the bicyclist, with both of them in the passenger's seat. Soon the couple find themselves witness to a murder and have to spontaneously think of how to extricate themselves from it. Especially since they've been suspected by a couple of bystanders. 

"The woman happens to be african american and the man happens to be a person of color too. But I'm not racist, they actually did perform the murder", the bystander says. 

With a couple of minority main characters, the film does touch upon the effect of race in relation to the police. Neither Leilani nor Jibran think their chances are high of convincing the police that they're not involved in the crime because of the color of their skin, which prompts them to try to figure out the mystery of the murder on their own. 

What comes after that seems to be a movie that is trying too hard. 

The events that spiral afterwards are a bit random, and I feel like there were parts of the film that didn't quite reach the height of comedy like they could have. The couple was really likable but I wish that the film paid them more justice. Some of it felt extremely contrived to just turn the movie into a slapstick comedy, and we only see the couple have moments with each other in between heists; and the moments seem like an afterthought. There are definitely more pensive moments needed; and clever ones with the storyline to tie it all together, because from what I saw, the story seemed like a hodgepodge of complete randomness.

Overall though, I'd recommend the film for a few laughs. And I'm happy at how diverse we're becoming!