A still from Thug Life
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

This week, two Indian cinema titans attempt to recapture their magic with Thug Life, though the results are mixed. Meanwhile, Succession creator Jesse Armstrong delivers a sharp satire on the digital age with Mountainhead, and the gritty indie thriller Stolen proves there’s still life left in edge-of-your-seat storytelling. Just when you thought hope was out of fashion, Tourist Family offers a tender, borderless view of belonging. Let’s unpack.

Hype check

Two critics — from different generations — caught the much-awaited Kamal Haasan–Mani Ratnam collaboration Thug Life on the opening day and recorded their reactions for The Hindu (full video online).

So, how did that go?

To sum up Shilajit Mitra’s thoughts : “Thug Life is all vibes — gun-toting gangsters flipping on shades while Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam sprint around in a cinematic candy shop of their own making. But the result is bloated, disjointed, and crusted with clichés. The film’s ambition to become an emotionally immersive gangster drama is undercut by its eagerness to fit the pan-Indian blockbuster bill. The action sequences, in particular, are poorly directed and performed — a shocker, given the talent involved. The film’s saving grace is the beautifully composed ‘Aanju Vanna Poove’ and Malayalam actor Joju George, who brings a warm, bearish presence to an otherwise dull and draining experience.”

Most critics at the first show seem to agree.

In Thug Life, Kamal Haasan plays a version of Santa Claus who hands out death as a present. Mani Ratnam, meanwhile, seems to be Benjamin Button-ing as a director — growing younger and more amateurish with time. This feels like his amateur phase: a filmmaker still figuring out character consistency and basic continuity.

One moment, four parties are battling it out in Goa. The next, Kamal calls one of them to meet — not nearby — but in Delhi, as if location logistics are optional for climactic showdowns.

While some believe in aging gracefully, Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan are rebels who want to go out all guns blazing — even if they’re firing blanks.

The delulu land

A still from Mountainhead
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Succession creator Jesse Armstrong returns with Mountainhead, a satire on tech billionaires and their delusional realities. It arrives at a moment when these men increasingly shape the world. Starring Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, and Jason Schwartzman, the film nails a world where a meme tweeted by the guy who bought Twitter becomes a government department. It drops just as Elon Musk’s Neuralink trials turn science fiction into reality. Mountainhead leans into that post-human anxiety.

It’s sharply written, uncomfortably relevant, and filled with exquisitely profane humour. Don’t read spoilers. Just dive in — it’s rare to find a film this timely and this funny.

The thrill isn’t gone

Set over one night, Stolen (on Prime Video) begins at a railway platform where two brothers witness a baby being taken. What follows is a spiralling nightmare where each decision tightens the noose. Abhishek Banerjee delivers a shape-shifting performance in a lean, anxiety-fuelled thriller that never loosens its grip.

A still from Stolen
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Fasten your seat belts. This is a car crash you’ll be glad to witness from the safety of your couch.

Hope, humour and heart

Remember how Schitt’s Creek refused to empower homophobia and instead built a world of kindness? Tourist Family treads similar ground. In the very first scene, a policeman detains the members of a refugee family for deportation but lets them go after being called “brother”. The tone is clear: this isn’t about oppression. It’s about belonging.

Watch it if you want hope without sentimentality, humour without cruelty, and family without borders — with a touch of Rajkumar Hirani’s brand of utopia.

From the hottest shows to hidden gems, overlooked classics to guilty pleasures, FOMO Fix is a fortnightly compass through the chaos of content. Expect timely recommendations, spoiler-free insights, and an honest heads-up on what to not miss.