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5 OTT Releases You Can’t Miss This Week

It’s a miracle that we just started April and there are already a few amazing releases to binge. This week, from 1st to 7th April, has a diverse range of movies and TV series to choose from. Add these to your next watchlist!

Parasyte: The Grey (5 April 2024)

Based on the sci-fi horror manga, Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Parasyte: The Grey is a South Korean live-action adaptation that strays away from the main plot of the manga. Long-time fans of the original manga might hesitate to watch the series. However, South Korean entertainment has a stronghold in the horror genre, especially when it comes to depicting supernatural monsters. Parasyte: The Grey is directed by Yeon Sang-ho, who previously created the famous zombie horror Train to Busan (2016). His style and writing have the creative potential to do Parasyte justice.

Coming soon on Netflix!

Ripley (4 April 2024)

Ripley is a crime psychological thriller designed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Starring Andrew Scott as the titular character, this series is based on Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955). This will be a short and sweet 8-episode series about Tom Ripley (Scott) stepping into a life of deception, fraud and murder.

Coming soon on Netflix!

Farrey (5 April 2024)

Initially released for theatre on 24 November 2023, Farrey is a thriller-heist film by Soumendra Padhi. This film is the official Indian remake of the Thai movie, Bad Genius (2017). Alizeh Agnihotri is stunning in her role, starring as the main character – Niyati. Some viewers have described the vibe as straight-up horror rather than a thriller so buckle in!

Finally releasing soon on Zee5!

How to Date Billy Walsh (5 April 2024)

How To Date Billy Walsh is a fluffy British romantic-comedy, directed by Alex Pillai. It revolved around the childhood best friends, Amelia (Charithra Chandran) and Archie (Sebastian Croft), the latter of whom has a crush on her. When he plans to confess, Amelia falls for Billy Walsh (Tanner Buchanan). Archie plans to sabotage this new love but ends up comedically bringing them closer. If you want something light to watch, How to Date Billy Walsh is perfect.

Coming soon on Amazon Prime Video!

Star Trek: Discovery – Season 5 (4 April 2024)

Originally piloted in 2017, Star Trek: Discovery is still going strong. This series follows the crew of USS Discovery, their journey beginning a decade before the events of the original Star Trek. You witness the fall and eventually rise of Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, and her crew. Season 5 sets a more adventurous tone with their goal of finding an ancient power but they aren’t the only ones. Star Trek: Discovery is a great start to your Star Trek journey!

Back soon on Amazon Prime Video!

Netflix’s Damsel: Subverting Expectations with Nothing

Damsel is Netflix’s latest fantasy film that didn’t quite hit their maximum potential. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, the movie starts by informing the viewers it isn’t the typical “damsel in distress” trope. For the most part, they kept their promise but at the cost of an inspiring ending. Their main selling point is that their leading lady, Elodie, is played by Millie Bobby Brown. Brown nails the role given to her in every way possible but it only makes the audience want more out of the movie.

Marriages and Rituals

Damsel follows the engagement of Elodie and Henry, played by Nick Robinson, after receiving a proposal from the Queen of Aurea and Henry’s mother, Queen Isabelle (Robin Wright). She and her family set course to Aurea to scope out the kingdom and also help their poverty-struck community. Henry and Elodie don’t hit it off right away until they discover their shared love for travel. However, not all seems rosy as Lady Bayford (Angela Bassett) instinctively feels something is off.

Elodie, despite her stepmother’s advice, does not break off the engagement but everything takes a turn when she is deceived into a deadly ancient “ritual” deep in the mountains. It strikes a series of thrilling events where she has to successfully evade and survive against a dragon looking for her next sacrifice. The dragon is voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo, whose deep, gravelly voice brings a hint of terror to the story. Brown’s performance is the saving grace of the movie’s overall lack of nuance.

So What Went Wrong?

The biggest criticism of the movie is that every aspect had wasted potential. The harsh environment could have been utilised more effectively or at least emphasised and explored. The characters deserved fleshed-out arcs with better chemistry. More than that, the ending of the film was predictable and boring. Brown’s performance was inspiring to young girls who need a strong leading female protagonist of their age. However, the overall message the ending conveys is nothing short of lazy. The poor writing choices and inability to fully employ the creative freedom the fantasy genre allows you are disappointing.

Netflix ends password sharing in India

Netflix users had grown accustomed to sharing their passwords with friends and family in India. It was a rather common phenomenon for one user to pay for the subscription and other members chipping in their contribution. I got my first ever Netflix account with three of my friends chipping in to get it for a cheaper price. Netflix was well aware about the password sharing amongst its subscribers for years and even promoted it once on Twitter writing ‘Love is sharing a password.’ However, the era of Netflix password sharing has now officially come to an end in India.

Netflix India ends password sharing

Netflix India announced yesterday that it is bringing additional restrictions on account and password sharing in India. The streaming giant has been tirelessly working on the password sharing crackdown globally for a while now. This restricts users from sharing passwords from people other than their family members. Netflix recently shared a press note which reads as following –

“Starting today, we will be sending this email to members who are sharing Netflix outside their household in India.

A Netflix account is for use by one household. Everyone living in that household can use Netflix wherever they are — at home, on the go, on holiday — and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices.

We recognise that our members have many entertainment choices. It is why we continue to invest heavily in a wide variety of new films and TV shows — so whatever your taste, mood or language and whoever you are watching with, there is always something satisfying to watch on Netflix.”

The company will start sending out emails and informing the users a Netflix account is meant for a single household. Members outside the household can either get a separate subscription or transfer their profiles to a new account. Netflix identifies password sharing by tracking the user’s IP address, device ID and account activity from devices signed into the account. The company’s IP address tracking makes it difficult for users outside the primary household to use the account. While the crackdown of password sharing has led to positive outcome for Netflix as it has witnessed a growth in subscriber numbers, the Indian users definitely have different viewing and spending habits. The effect of the password haring crackdown could easily result in a backlash from Indian users with people ending their subscriptions entirely. It will be interesting how this new effort from Netflix to end password sharing results in the long run for the Indian market.

Netflix Reportedly Planning To Cut Spending by $300 Million

Netflix is known to spend a big chunk of its money on content generation which has been wildly criticized by both the trades and fans over the years. Netflix dropped $200 million for the film Red Notice which featured Ryan Reynolds and The Rock in prominent roles back in 2021 making it the most expensive direct-to-stream film of that year. This was followed by The Gray Man which was yet another humungous project budget-wise with its $200 million budget in 2022. Now, it looks like Netflix is finally getting a hold of its expenses and winding down its spending for 2023.

Netflix cuts costs

Netflix is reportedly planning to implement extensive budget cuts in 2023 in order to make the streaming platform more profitable. It was not long ago when Netflix revealed that it will be taking down the password-sharing option in order to increase profits. The Wall Street Journal reported that the streaming mogul is planning to cut down its spending by $300 million in 2023. The cost-cutting methods are limited to just cutting down expenses for now and the company is not expected to venture out to any layoffs at least for now.

Back in 2022, Netflix lost a sizeable chunk of subscribers amounting to 1 million which has prompted the company to cut costs and maximize profits. The streaming giant’s recent actions towards the password-sharing crackdown hints that the company is still seeking an increase in subscriptions.

The company’s decision to cut down costs means that the platform will likely produce lesser original content this year. Netflix has already been in troubled waters over canceling fan-favorite original shows. Halting or canceling shows furthermore in order to cut costs could result in greater fan scrutiny. Netflix stands at an interesting spot right now with increasing fan disappointment and decreasing costs for production. It undoubtedly has to charter these troubled waters with efficiency in order to go past this phase.

Netflix wants you to stop sharing your password with people outside the household

They say sharing is caring, but Netflix believes in the opposite. Earlier, people were allowed to share their Netflix passwords with friends, colleagues, relatives, etc. However, according to the new rule, sharing your Netflix password with people outside the household can be hailed as a criminal offence.

Sharing a password with others is not new; even the platform creators know about it. Netflix, being one of the top most OTT platforms in the world, is already tasting a subscriber loss in the last couple of years, and that’s the sole reason the platform is testing a new way of allowing account sharing, but for an additional fee.

The platform addressed the issue long ago, but they only looked into it seriously once they started noticing a revenue fall. The company lost a massive number of subscribers for the first time in 10 years and realized the need to end password sharing for their benefit. As per reports, to stop password sharing, the company might start charging per head.

Netflix has been testing the new password-sharing option in some countries and charging $3 (₹250 approx) for people who wish to use their friend’s Netflix account. The company has not revealed its plan to start the same in India yet, but the day is not far when you’ll have to pay an additional amount for consuming Netflix content from your friends’ accounts.

Netflix is trying its best to cover the loss by initiating new schemes, and charging people for account sharing is one of them. Recently, they started a new affordable ad-supported plan in the US, and the results are positive. In India, Netflix offers four plans – mobile-only plan @₹149, basic plan @₹199, standard plan @₹499, and premium plan @₹649.

Top OTT Shows of 2022

Cubicles S2

Where to watch – Sony LIV

Hope you’ve already experienced the simplicity of storytelling with the second season of TVF’s Cubicles. Just like its name, the series takes us through fundamental ironies that exist in every corporate employee’s life. The lighthearted series attaches you with its characters, especially to the lead, portrayed by Piyush Prajapati, as he struggles to strike a work-life balance.

Rocket Boys

Where to watch – Sony LIV

Sony LIV came out from the shadow and fetched the limelight with Scam 1992, but since then, nothing much appreciable has been released on the platform. With the release of Rockey Boys, which depicts the efforts of Indian scientists Dr Homi J Bhabha and Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the drought ended as the series became one of the most viewed OTT shows of 2022.

Panchayat S2

Where to watch – Amazon Prime

TVF has a knack for creating shows that stay with us for a long time, and Panchayat is one of the best from them. The 2nd season of the show continues from where it left off and takes us into the happening life of people from Phulera town. The show makes you laugh as well as cry, and you will only end up relating with every character while saying, “Dekh raha hain Binod?”

Hostel Daze S3

Where to watch – Amazon Prime

Add engineering to anything, and it will never disappoint you. Hostel Daze is a series based on engineering students’ life in a hostel and is known for maintaining its quality content. The third season of the show depicts the story of the guys entering into the third year of engineering, and with the cleaver one-liners, even without Adarsh Gaurav, it manages to hit the sweet spot.

Modern Love: Mumbai

Where to watch – Amazon Prime

Modern Love: Mumbai is the counterpart chapter based on the popular American anthology Modern Love: New York. When they decided to add Mumbai to the title, beautiful chaos automatically entered the storyline. The anthology series illustrates six love stories in the city, and in the end, they all merge into one, of course, in the final episode of the show.

Stranger Things S4

Where to watch – Netflix

What we believe is numbers, and if you look at the numbers, the 4th season of the sci-fi horror show Stranger Things is the best of all. Over the years, along with the audience, the characters have become more mature, overcoming some stereotypes they would’ve been associated with in the previous seasons. The season will go down in history, especially for the acting.

Wednesday

Where to watch – Netflix

The coming-of-age supernatural horror comedy is all about Wednesday Addams, a teenage girl who struggles to connect with her schoolmates due to her cold and emotionless personality. The protagonist, Wednesday, played by Jenna Ortega, with psychic powers, single-handedly saves the show with her brilliant performance.

1899

Where to watch – Netflix

Another mindblowing show from the creators of one of the greatest web series of all time, Dark. The horror mystery show with a sci-fi edge takes place on a passenger ship, where people from different countries are on board, along with at least one hidden secret. The series shows a lot of time travel, flashbacks, creepy children and secret portals, which forces you to binge-watch.

Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Where to watch – Netflix

We have seen many movies and shows depicting the story of the serial killer, but Dahmer stands right at the top as the series shows the most accurate rendition of what happened. The show is based on the life of a serial killer, Jeffery Dahmer, beautifully portrayed by Evan Peters not only shows how he did it but dives deep into the whys and creates a surge of dread in your spine.

The Boys S3

Where to watch – Amazon Prime

Nothing to say about The Boys Season 3, it’s the only OTT show we’ve included in the list, and most of you must have already watched it. If you haven’t, grab a bowl of popcorn this weekend and finish it as soon as possible. The show is developed by Eric Kripke for Amazon Prime Video and will satisfy you as it shows the dark and political side of the superheroes.

Tech companies cut jobs as revenues plummet

Many employees working in tech companies will have to face a cold winter as the industry is cutting down jobs left and right. Job layoffs in the tech industry are piling up as more and more companies adjust to the new reality of plummeting revenues. While Meta and Twitter’s layoffs led to a number of headlines around the internet, there are many other tech players who have downsized their workforce. Broadly, the tech industry has experienced a string of layoffs in 2022 due to volatile economic conditions. Here is a look at the tech giants who ordered mass layoffs in 2022 –

Coinbase

Back in June, Coinbase announced that it will cut down 18% of its employee strength translating to a reduction of 1100 people. As the crypto market takes a nose dive, Coinbase too has lost over 80% of its value in 2022 itself. Those laid off received a minimum of 14 weeks of severance pay. The company’s announcement also revealed that it provided four months of mental health support to laid-off employees globally.

Microsoft

It was only back in October when Microsoft confirmed that they have let go less than 1% of its employees. The layoffs affected less than 1,000 employees according to reports going around on the web. The announcement by Microsoft came after the company witnessed its slowest revenue growth in more than half a decade in the third quarter of 2022.

Netflix

Netflix announced two rounds of layoffs in 2022. Back in May, the streaming giant eliminated 150 jobs after it witnessed the first subscriber loss in a decade. Then in June 2022, Netflix announced another layoff of 300 employees. Netflix’s stock has dropped below 50% in 2022.

Twitter

Shortly after Twitter was brought by billionaire Elon Musk, he cut around 3700 employees from the company. Musk stated that the company did not have any choice but to lay off a considerable chunk of employees as Twitter is losing over $4 million per day. Twitter has offered three months of severance pay to its laid-off employees.

September 2022 – Top 10 releases of the month

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Release Date – 2nd September (Disney+ Hotstar)

Developed by – J. D. Payne & Patrick McKay

Two film series will always have a place in our hearts – Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings as most of us grew up from kids to teenagers while watching these two. The fantasy television series is based on the novel ‘The Lord of the Rings and its appendices’ by English Writer J. R. R. Tolkien. The forthcoming series is set thousands of years before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer

Release Date – 7th September (Netflix)

We were lucky enough to watch the most bone-chilling and blood-curdling true crime story of the cold-blooded murderer of Delhi on our screens and not in real life. After the successful first edition of the Indian Predator series featuring The Butcher of Delhi, released on 20th July, Netflix is back again with another bizarre documentary- Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer.

Brahmastra

Release Date – 9th September (in Theatres)

Directed by – Ayan Mukerji

Being made on a massive budget of over Rs 300 crore, Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva is one of the most awaited Bollywood releases of 2022. The movie is the first instalment of the trilogy and part of India’s first original universe – Astraverse. Helmed by Ayan Mukerji, the film stars the real-life couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, and Mouni Roy.

Siya

Release Date – 16th September (in Theatres)

Directed by – Manish Mundra

The movie is a heart-wrenching story of a small-town girl who decides to fight for justice against all the odds. The trailer of the film appears to be promising as it didn’t unveil too much, unlike the trailers of most movies we’ve seen lately, and the acting of both the lead characters is spot on. The directorial debut of Manish Mundra stars Pooja Pandey and Vineet Kumar Singh in the lead.

Jogi

Release Date – 16th September (Netflix)

Directed by – Ali Abbas Zafar

Starring Daljit Dosanjh in the lead, Jogi is an emotional roller-coaster ride set in 1984 Delhi, which depicts the story of friendship and courage in times of misfortune. The movie also stars Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Kumund Mishra, Hiten Tejwani and Amyra Dastur. The gripping tale of bravery, hope and everything in between is directed by celebrated director Ali Abbas Zafar.

Babli Bouncer

Release Date – 23rd September (Disney+ Hotstar)

Directed by – Madhur Bhandarkar

When was the last time you saw Tamannah acting in Hindi Cinema and a movie directed by legendary director Madhur Bhandarkar? Perhaps you must have forgotten their last released Hindi films. The actress and the filmmaker are coming together for the first time to entertain the audience with their upcoming release, Babli Bouncer, which will be released simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Avatar

Release Date – 23rd September (in Theatres)

Directed by – James Cameron

When they released Avatar in 2009 – we witnessed one of the well-made movies of the 21st century. However, for some reason, if you’ve missed watching it in the theatres, then you’ve got a chance to see the magic of Avatar on the big screen. The makers are re-releasing the iconic film in Indian theatres ahead of its highly anticipated sequel release.

Blonde

Release Date – 28th September (Netflix)

Directed by – Andrew Dominik

Ana De Armas is coming to prove everyone wrong who said, “no one can play the role of Marilyn on-screen better than Marilyn herself,” and to show the world how Marilyn was only watched by the world but seen by none with her upcoming Netflix flick ‘Blonde’. The movie depicts how the Hollywood sex symbol struggled in her flourishing life and what she had to face on the way.

Vikram Vedha (Hindi)

Release Date – 30th September (in Theatres)

Directed by – Pushkar–Gayathri

What happens when two of the most-anticipated and loved actors work together? We get to see a classic movie like Vikram Vedha, which starred R. Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi. However, when it was released in 2017, most of us were unaware of what was happening down south. And to show the magic of Vikram Vedha again, the makers are all set to release the remake of it in Hindi, which stars Saif Ali Khan And Hrithik Roshan in the lead.

Don’t Worry Darling

Release Date – 30th September (in Theatres)

Directed by – Olivia Wilde

The pop sensation Harry Styles released his much-awaited album “Harry’s Home” a few months ago, and now the singer-turned-actor is all set to thrill us with his acting skills through his upcoming release “Don’t Worry Darling”. Along with Harry Styles, the psychological thriller stars Florence Pugh, Gemma Chan, Olivia Wilde, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Chris Pine.

Evolution of OTT Platforms

With the advancement of technology and the emergence of the digital era, on-demand video streaming services have snowballed in recent years. With the Covid-19 outbreak and the ensuing shutdown, OTT services among Indian customers has increased. Unlike most businesses, the Covid-19 outbreak changed the media and entertainment industry forever. If the previous decade saw the rise of movie theatres, 2020 proved to be the year of OTT culture, with cineplexes and movie theatres closing for most of the year. The pandemic caused widespread devastation throughout the world.

People were forced to stay home and enjoy entertainment and other media through over-the-top (OTT) services when sporting events, theatres, and other public places were closed. These service companies experienced tremendous growth during the lockdown. Despite the sluggish return to normalcy, this expansion will continue for many years. According to industry and internet search statistics, viewing on OTT platforms grew in April 2020, particularly in smaller towns and cities. Although net viewing has been significantly more significant than in the months preceding the epidemic, the initial effect has not been successfully sustained across all platforms.

People are drawn to social media and OTT services to keep themselves occupied. According to industry analysts, the lockdown has increased the viewing of OTT players like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Voot Select, Hotstar, and Eros Now. The number of new consumers has also risen. There are now over 30 OTT players and 10 music streaming applications available to meet various entertainment and media interests.

As the internet streaming viewership grew beyond millennials and urban centres, and homemakers and retirees became OTT consumers, regional streaming applications that cater to non-Hindi and non-English markets proliferated. Many regional portals, such as Oho Gujarati, Hoichoi, Aha, and NeeStream, have witnessed a significant increase in demand for regional content.

Dil Bechara, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, had the highest opening ever on Disney+ Hotstar in July. This was just one of several web platform success stories this year. Similarly, Kay Kay Menon’s Special OPS, Sushmita Sen’s Aarya, and Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, Manoj Bajpayee’s Family Man were among the most popular web series on OTT. The Indian OTT market is estimated to reach Rs 237.86 billion (US$3.22 billion) by FY25, up from Rs 42.50 billion (US$576.73 million) in FY19.

Top 10 OTT Releases of this Month

Rudra – The Edge of Darkness:

Ajay Devgn, Esha Deol, and Raashi Khanna starrer released on March 4 on Disney+ Hotstar. In and as Rudra, Ajay plays the role of a police officer hunting highly intelligent criminals, making it a psychological thriller to watch.

No Time To Die 007:

The 25th film of the James Bond franchise made its digital premiere on March 4 on Amazon Prime Video. The movie stars Daniel Craig, Lashana Lynch, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux and Ana de Armas.

The Adam Project:

Netflix Original series starring Ryan Reynolds in the lead and Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, and Walker Scobell. The story revolves around a man who time travels to his past to take help from his younger self. The show went live on March 11.

Jalsa:

Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah starrer is releasing on March 18 on Amazon Prime Video. The story revolves around a celebrated journalist, her cook, and their conflict. Also starring Manav Kaul and Iqbal Khan.

Bloody Brothers:

Story of two brothers who live contrasting lives unless a tragic accident creates a rift and changes their destinies. The show stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Zeeshan Ayyub in the lead roles, releasing on March 18 on Zee5.

Moon Knight:

Marvel’s mini-series revolves around Marc Spector, a former boxer who gets involved in mysteries connected to Egyptian Gods. Played by Oscar Isaac, the show is all set to release on March 30 on Disney+ Hotstar.

Bridgerton (Season 2):

After a successful season 1, the show is back with yet another season 2 revolving around Lord Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest Bridgerton sibling and Viscount on a journey to find love. Releasing on March 25 on Netflix.

Pieces of Her:

Andy Oliver and Laura Oliver are stuck in a series of events when mother’s dark past comes into the limelight. Making it a thriller watch, the show was released on March 4 on Netflix.

Undekhi (Season 2):

The show is back with its season 2 is crime drama inspired by real-life incidents. Released on March 4 on SonyLIV stars Ram Kapoor, Harsh Chhaya, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Nandish Sandhu, Ankur Rathee, and Surya Sharma.

Sutliyan:

The show’s storyline revolves around family drama. The unresolved conflicts and emotional baggage from the past returns, taking them on the road to emotional and spiritual cleansing. Sullivan stars Ayesha Raza, Plabita Borthakur Vivaan Shah, and Shiv Pandit, released on March 4 on Zee5.