Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 4

Saiyaara: Raaz 2 Is Better Than This ‘Good Girl’ Fixes ‘Bad Boy’ Drama

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The much talked about Mohit Suri film ‘Saiyaara’ has made its way to OTT and like many who missed it in theatres, I figured it was time to stream it.

Sabse pehele toh, what in the ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ opening was that?! Remember Bipasha Basu’s Radhika, abandoned at the altar by jerk Raj Sharma (Ranbir Kapoor)? ‘Saiyaara’ takes it up a notch, its lead Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda) is left waiting at the registrar on her wedding day while her boyfriend bails to San Francisco, sending only his parents as messengers. He is flying off to a new job and a wealthier girlfriend. Talk about being a rotten shit-bag. All this drama in the first five minutes.

Cut to six months later, Vaani walks into a media office for what looks like her first-ever job interview, only to be offered an internship instead. So, wait, you’re telling me this young Mumbai girl is fresh out of college with a master’s in journalism, and she was already getting married? Why sister?! And mind you, we still haven’t even hit the 10-minute mark. To actor Aneet Padda’s credit, she gets the ‘heartbroken, jilted lover’ persona perfectly.

Enter hero Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday), who storms into the same office, slams a journalist’s head against a table, and screams about reporters favouring ‘nepo’ kids over genuine talent. Which, I’m guessing, is the creators’ attempt at meta humour, because Ahaan Panday is Chunky Panday’s nephew. A nepo kid. But if Krish Kapoor is such an ordinary kid, why isn’t he slapped with charges for assaulting a journalist, while there’s plenty of visual proof of the act? Bollywood delulu logic.

Anyway… ‘Saiyaara’ is a bit like ‘Aashiqui 2′ meets Notebook’, where a superstar singer in the making falls in love with a girl battling serious memory issues. The lead pair grow close after Krish reads her diary without permission (for which she really should’ve smacked him, but doesn’t), and then hires her to write lyrics. While Krish works hard to achieve fame as a singer, Vaani’s memory deteriorates, and the two stumble through a formulaic script that isn’t enjoyable or believable.

For instance, at the fifteenth minute of ‘Saiyaara’, Krish Kapoor fights with all his band members, tells them to go to high hell right before a gig. So, he headlines the outdoor gig alone, and all the shoppers drop everything and start cheering him on, an unknown singer still, as if Michael Jackson himself has woken up from his grave to go busking at a Mumbai mall. Any indie musician working in the Indian music scene will scratch their eyes out at the absurdity of the spectacle. Forget that, remember Sonu Nigam singing on the streets of Mumbai disguised as an old man, and very few stopped to listen? Yeah, that’s how reality works.

Fine, by the very first half hour of ‘Saiyaara’ we must reconcile to the fact that this is a brainless, over-the-top Bollywood love story, where shy, forgetful, Vaani Batra falls for ‘bad boy’ singer Krish Kapoor… because who knows why. Although of course, she ‘fixes’ him with her kind presence and lyrics (yeah, it doesn’t really seem like it though, he continues to have anger issues until the very end of the film). The couple’s romance gets complicated because Vaani’s jerk ex re-surfaces from America and starts messing with her head.

At least the self-centered Krish’s obsessive love for Vaani in ‘Saiyaara’ makes sense: she is a girl, and a pretty one at that. Everything else is a bonus for him, especially how she keeps forgetting things, so it’s easier for her to tolerate his obnoxious, dominant, loud, annoying personality. An alcoholic absent father is thrown in the mix to justify his behavior. Of course.

‘Saiyaara’ is largely insufferable, filled with screams, fights, twists, and yeah, some nice songs. But you can just go stream the music on YouTube without having to watch this whole film, which is over-bloated at its 2 hour 30 minute runtime. This movie’s ‘watchable factor’ is in the same league as Netflix romances like ‘Nadaaniyan’ or ‘My Oxford Year’. But hey, if that’s your jam, you do you.

I remember Mohit Suri’s 2009 horror movie Raaz 2 being more entertaining than ‘Saiyaara’ (saw it in a theater back then).

Rating: 1.5 stars on 5. Watch something else on Netflix.

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Review – The Battle Bits Are Hoot-Worthy

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“This Infinity Castle is insane!” yells protagonist Tanjiro Kamado as he races through the dizzyingly maze-like dimension in the film’s opening minutes. His exclamation perfectly conveys the jaw-dropping animation that brings the castle’s endlessly stretching realm to life. The animators at Ufotable absolutely deliver, living up to, and perhaps even exceeding, all the hype surrounding this arc. Take a bow!

Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) fans will unanimously agree that the closing cliffhanger in the Hashira Training Arc was absolutely iconic: Nakime strums her wooden biwa, plunging the entire Demon Slayer Corps into the depths of Muzan’s Infinity Castle. It set up the perfect ending to build high anticipation for this movie, which promises to deliver the mother-of-all showdowns. Non-manga readers should brace themselves for lots of flashbacks, blood, and deaths, of both demons and slayers.

With a whopping 2 hour 35 minute runtime, the ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ movie opens with a sombre flashback of Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the corps now dead Big Boss, instructing Gyomei Himejima to brace for Muzan’s attack. “You must all endure a battle until the sun rises,” Ubuyashiki warns. With no sign of the fabled Blue Spider Lily, Muzan Kibutsuji of-course wants Nezuko, the only demon in history to laugh in the face of sunlight. But the Corps won’t let that happen, not without a fight to the death.

Ufotable has chosen to adapt the Infinity Castle arc as a trilogy of films, and this installment itself unfolds in three acts. The first act follows Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho squaring off against the psychotic Doma, an Upper Rank Two demon who looks like he’s cosplaying Harley Quinn. He’s got the blonde hair, the pretty face, a red-and-black jester patterned shirt, and of course, the crazy eyes, wicked laugh, and sadomasochistic streak. Shinobu’s beef with Doma is personal: he fatally wounded her sister Kanae Kocho, the former flower hashira.

In fact, all the Hashira vs. Demon face-offs in ‘Infinity Castle’ are deeply personal. The second act centers on fan-favorite Zenitsu (the hoots in the theater at his entrance were ear-splitting) as he battles the new Upper Rank Six, Kaigaku. Once his fellow trainee under Jigoro Kuwajima, the former Thunder Hashira, Kaigaku rises to Rank Six after Daki and Gyutaro’s deaths in the Entertainment District arc. He constantly mocks Zenitsu as a crybaby, unworthy of being a slayer, only to get his ass handed to him.

What defines this film is its animation, the Infinity Castle unfolds like a living labyrinth, its fluid 2D designs so seamless that viewers feel trapped in the maze alongside the slayers, as they frantically and breathlessly run across the endless corridors. The result is a visual head rush, heightened further by flashy battle set pieces. The pacing falters during emotional flashbacks, a now-familiar device in Demon Slayer arcs, where viewers are yanked away from a brutal showdown at its most intense moments.

In the climactic act, Giyu Tomioka joins forces with Tanjiro to clash their swords against Akaza, the Upper Rank Three demon who murdered Rengoku in ‘Mugen Train’. So for Tanjiro, it’s time to avenge his beloved senior. Elsewhere, the Ubuyashiki children frantically map the labyrinth of the Infinity Castle, relying on the Corps’ shrill but indispensable Kasugai Crows, whose eyes and wings play a decisive role in the war against Muzan Kibutsuji.

Were it not for the overlong flashback to Akaza’s human days, a detour that drags like the Infinity Castle corridors, this film would have hit near-perfect pacing. The finale slows to grant the ruthless Akaza an almost heroic redemption (which felt undeserved), with his forgotten human memories flickering to life after Tanjiro’s sermon mid-battle. The contrast is kinda comical, Giyu dismisses Akaza’s chatter with cold silence, while Tanjiro gives him moral lectures.

Akaza also gets some of the film’s coolest action sequences, amplified by an electric guitar riff that faintly echoes Dragon Ball Z’s iconic ‘Rock the Dragon’ English theme song, during his fight with Giyu and Tanjiro. And seconds later, Giyu unleashes a Water Breathing form that conjures a dragon. Co-incidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

Many principal characters are sidelined to brief cameos, Nezuko, Inosuke Hashibira, and even Gyomei Himejima, the strongest of the Hashira, is reduced to simply running through the castle in search of Muzan. The demon lord himself stays hidden, orchestrating events from the shadows, leaving no doubt that the true confrontations are being saved for the remaining two films.

Overall, ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ is a treat for longtime fans. But newcomers beware, you’ll need all 63 episodes and the Mugen Train film under your belt to fully enjoy it. And if you tap out halfway, well, this film was never meant for you, my friend.

Rating: 8.5 on 10. Watch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle in theaters.

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‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’ Short Film Review

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‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’, created by Luisa Martiri and Tanya Modini, tells the story of a woman’s late-night train ride that turns sinister as a man subjects her to a chilling game of intimidation through creepy stares and subtle threats.

At just 14 minutes, the short film opens with a moody shot of moths circling a streetlight as the protagonist (Ling Cooper Tang) walks alone toward the station, where four men are already waiting. It’s the kind of scenario that would put most women on edge.

Things only get worse for Ling Cooper Tang’s character when she boards her train home, which is mostly empty, except for a handful of male passengers. One of them (played by Kevin Spink) starts to intimidate her throughout the ride, starting by deliberately brushing against her.

‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’ unfolds as a tense psychological thriller, where a lone woman grows increasingly terrified of a stranger lurking in the corner, as if waiting to do something devious. With each approaching station, the train becomes more deserted, heightening her fears and anxieties. What happens if they’re the only two people left on board?

Ling Cooper Tang embodies every woman who’s ever felt unsafe in a public space, making the viewer worry for her until the last minute. The climactic twist however delivers a swift supernatural resolution which is far too metaphorical and feels too good to be true. Regardless, this is an interesting one-time-watch that captures the daily dread of women navigating spaces dominated by men.

‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’ is on YouTube.

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Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 11 Review: Run! It’s a Killer Kaiju!

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“Momo-san, that’s no ordinary Kaiju! It’s a space Kaiju!” Okarun shrieks in the opening minute of the latest ‘Dan Da Dan’ chapter. Viewers are instantly thrown into frantic action, screams, and monster mayhem.

Quick recap of Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 10: Viewers are introduced to Kinta, a geeky newcomer obsessed with Okarun’s rising popularity with girls. His curiosity turns into stalking, which accidentally pulls him into Okarun and Momo’s search for a golden ball believed to be our hero’s lost family jewel. The hunt takes a wild turn when a Kaiju suddenly appears out of nowhere to face the trio.

Episode 11 of ‘Dan Da Dan’, comically titled “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”, kicks off with pure pandemonium, with Momo, Okarun, and Kinta running for their lives from a towering beast. With few choices left, the protagonists decide to fight back, soon realizing the Kaiju is extraterrestrial. Meanwhile, Aira and Jiji arrive on the scene, and Jiji is tasked with getting Kinta to safety, while the others face off against the space Kaiju, which Aira hilariously dubs “Barfzilla.”

The face-off is total bedlam, with Aira unleashing her Acrobatic Silky form while Momo and Okarun join forces as usual. But instead of strategizing, Momo and Aira waste most of their energy hurling insults at each other, turning the first half of the battle into a comically chaotic mess. The only thing missing was Kitty Turbo Granny, whose sardonic one-liners would have added an extra dash of madness.

The way everyone freaks out at the sight of the Kaiju is absolutely hilarious in this chapter, with the animators capturing shock, surprise, and fear in inventive, playful ways. To highlight the Kaiju’s extraterrestrial nature, they drench the scenes in eerie green tones, shifting back to regular colors whenever the monster is not around. The animation is playful, vibrant, and top notch in this edition of ‘Dan Da Dan’.

Things slow down for a few minutes in the second half, when the characters catch a break by retreating to Granny Seiko’s house to brainstorm a plan to defeat the giant. Okarun proposes a clever strategy, with Kinta, the resident sci-fi geek, finally proving useful by adding his own ideas. The resulting plan is delightfully over the top, promising plenty of fun in the next episode.

Stream Dan Da Dan on Netflix or Crunchyroll.

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Inspector Zende Review: When Catching a Killer’s a Comic ‘Picnic’

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Manoj Bajpayee slips into his inner mongoose as Inspector Zende, a Mumbai cop on a covert mission to hunt down Carl Bhojraj: the slippery snake of a serial killer who has slithered out of Tihar jail.

Directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, this crime comedy is loosely inspired by real events, and stars Jim Sarbh as Carl Bhojraj, “Interpol’s most wanted criminal,” modeled after the infamous murderer Charles Sobhraj. Dubbed as the ‘Bikini Killer’ and ‘Swimsuit Killer,’ Carl makes headlines for escaping prison. The story then follows a team of Mumbai cops, led by Manoj Bajpayee, determined to hunt him down and lock him back behind bars.

Sachin Khedekar appears as Inspector Zende’s superior, while Bhau Kadam, Onkar Raut, Harish Dudhade, Bharat Savale, and Nitin Bhajan form his undercover team tasked with nabbing Carl Bhojraj. Their pursuit takes them from Mumbai to Goa, where Carl is suspected to be roaming on a blue Rajdoot and plotting his next grand escape, this time, from India to America.

One of the cops’ biggest challenges is keeping the operation hush-hush, they don’t want to share credit with either the Goa or Delhi police if they manage to bag the snake themselves. Whenever someone asks what he’s doing in Goa, Inspector Zende’s reply is simple: “Picnic”. Manoj Bajpayee and his squad make for an entertaining bunch of bumbling cops, always a step behind, missing Carl Bhojraj by a whisker a bunch of times.

Even as a spoofed version of Charles Sobhraj, Jim Sarbh nails the role, oozing the easy charm and sly menace that once let the real-life killer to charm, manipulate, and ultimately murder his victims. He should’ve been cast to play the serial-killer in Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Black Warrant too.

‘Inspector Zende’ is most relatable when it’s emphasizing the middle-class quirks of its Mumbai cops, from the thrill of their very first flight, to Zende’s wife scrambling for a borrowed suit, to the earnest cop who tallies every chai and taxi fare for the office accounts. These touches are fun, though sometimes laid on a bit thick.

Director Chinmay Mandlekar takes what could have been a gritty noir about a serial-killer chase and spins it into a crime comedy, a gamble that pays off only in parts. The lighter tone makes ‘Inspector Zende’ more family-friendly, steering clear of sex, sleaze, or steam, though it doesn’t shy away from a few violent murders. Yet, it’s not riotously hilarious either, and the comic tone robs the story of the edge that a darker treatment could have offered.

It’s an unusual cocktail: cops who look like tourists on holiday, yet are chasing one of the world’s most wanted criminals. The result is a sunny, silly caper best enjoyed as a one-off escape.

Watch ‘Inspector Zende’ on Netflix.

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Inspector Zende Review: When Catching a Killer Looks Like a Comic ‘Picnic’

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Manoj Bajpayee slips into his inner mongoose as Inspector Zende, a Mumbai cop on a covert mission to hunt down Carl Bhojraj: the slippery snake of a serial killer who has slithered out of Tihar jail.

Directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, this crime comedy is loosely inspired by real events, and stars Jim Sarbh as Carl Bhojraj, “Interpol’s most wanted criminal,” modeled after the infamous murderer Charles Sobhraj. Dubbed as the ‘Bikini Killer’ and ‘Swimsuit Killer,’ Carl makes headlines for escaping prison. The story then follows a team of Mumbai cops, led by Manoj Bajpayee, determined to hunt him down and lock him back behind bars.

Sachin Khedekar appears as Inspector Zende’s superior, while Bhau Kadam, Onkar Raut, Harish Dudhade, Bharat Savale, and Nitin Bhajan form his undercover team tasked with nabbing Carl Bhojraj. Their pursuit takes them from Mumbai to Goa, where Carl is suspected to be roaming on a blue Rajdoot and plotting his next grand escape, this time, from India to America.

One of the cops’ biggest challenges is keeping the operation hush-hush, they don’t want to share credit with either the Goa or Delhi police if they manage to bag the snake themselves. Whenever someone asks what he’s doing in Goa, Inspector Zende’s reply is simple: “Picnic”. Manoj Bajpayee and his squad make for an entertaining bunch of bumbling cops, always a step behind, missing Carl Bhojraj by a whisker a bunch of times.

Even as a spoofed version of Charles Sobhraj, Jim Sarbh nails the role, oozing the easy charm and sly menace that once let the real-life killer to charm, manipulate, and ultimately murder his victims. He should’ve been cast to play the serial-killer in Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Black Warrant too.

‘Inspector Zende’ is most relatable when it’s emphasizing the middle-class quirks of its Mumbai cops, from the thrill of their very first flight, to Zende’s wife scrambling for a borrowed suit, to the earnest cop who tallies every chai and taxi fare for the office accounts. These touches are fun, though sometimes laid on a bit thick.

Director Chinmay Mandlekar takes what could have been a gritty noir about a serial-killer chase and spins it into a crime comedy, a gamble that pays off only in parts. The lighter tone makes ‘Inspector Zende’ more family-friendly, steering clear of sex, sleaze, or steam, though it doesn’t shy away from a few violent murders. Yet, it’s not riotously hilarious either, and the comic tone robs the story of the edge that a darker treatment could have offered.

It’s an unusual cocktail: cops who look like tourists on holiday, yet are chasing one of the world’s most wanted criminals. The result is a sunny, silly caper best enjoyed as a one-off escape.

Watch ‘Inspector Zende’ on Netflix.

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Wednesday Season 2 Review: Death Is Recession-Proof and So Is This Franchise

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram | YouTube)

Summer vacations are for traveling, partying, dancing, video-gaming, live-streaming, karaoke-ing…. but teen psychic Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is busy tracking down a serial killer from a cold case. On brand.

Directed by Tim Burton, Paco Cabezas, and Angela Robinson, season 2 of the hit Netflix series spans eight episodes and follows protagonist Wednesday as she returns to Nevermore Academy for a new semester with younger brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez). When brutal killings erupt around Nevermore and a vision warns Enid’s (Emma Myers) life is at risk, Wednesday starts to investigate the murders with Thing at her side. In a surprise, parents Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán) and Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones) move into a guest house on campus after Morticia is invited to chair a charity gala for the Academy.

Also Read: Wednesday Season 1 Review: Wickedly Good

All the elements that made me fall in love with Season 1 of ‘Wednesday’ are back in Season 2: crime, murder, violence, horror, mystery, fantasy, teen drama, and an excellent soundtrack. I was hoping for more nefarious villains, but the antagonists in the follow-up aren’t as wickedly evil as they could have been. Still, I was more than adequately distracted by a zombie! Owen Painter plays ‘Slurp’, the zombie Pugsley secretly adopts as a pet on campus.

A whole bunch of new exciting characters are added to the Wednesday universe for season 2, including new Principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi), new music teacher Isadora Capri (Billie Piper), Dr Fairburn (Thandiwe Newton) who looks after inmates at the Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, and Joanna Lumley as Wednesday’s grandmama Hester Frump. However, the standout new cast member is teen actor Evie Templeton as Agnes Demille, a new student who leads the Wednesday fan club at school.

This time, the show also delves into the rocky relationship between Morticia and her daughter, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is perfection as Mrs. Addams. For the first time, Morticia and Gomez in this live-action adaptation truly embodied the iconic cartoon counterparts I grew up watching as a kid (I loved The Addams Family on Cartoon Network, so yes, I have a nostalgic bias for this series).

Meanwhile, a side plot tracks Principal Dort trying to squeeze a donation out of Hester Frump, with some help from Bianca Barclay’s (Joy Sunday) siren abilities. Grandmama Frump, a fabulously wealthy mortuary mogul, delights in reminding people that “death is recession-proof.”

Friendship, family, and supernatural mayhem are the main themes in this season, with Wednesday’s need to protect Enid from a grisly death serving as the driving force in the tale. A lot of clues point Wednesday to the Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, where several dangerous ‘outcasts’ are patients. Hunter Doohan is also back as Tyler Galphin, kept imprisoned in the psychiatric facility, who once again gets to go on a rampage. However, they’re also new antagonists in this season, newer faces with their own private agendas, all scuttled by our nosy psychic protagonist. Fred Armisen reprises his role as the eccentric Uncle Fester, who breaks into Will Hill, to uncover its secrets and help his niece crack her latest case.

From lavish camping trips to grisly deaths, murderous crows, electric shock therapy, psychological duels, and sword fights, ‘Wednesday‘ Season 2 dials up the gothic violence. The soundtrack soars, with a standout scene in episode 4 where the new music teacher delivers a haunting piano rendition of “Zombie” by The Cranberries, underscoring bloody chaos in intercut sequences.

Episode six brings a riotous body-swap twist, with best friends Wednesday and Enid forced into each other’s shoes thanks to a meddling spirit. It’s a showcase of versatility for both leads. Jenna Ortega is hilarious as she channels the bubbly, colorful Enid, while Emma Myers nails Wednesday’s deadpan murder-eyes. Their impersonations are so convincing that, for a moment, it almost feels like they dubbed each other’s voices, but that’s not the case.

Forget romance, this season thrives on friendships and family drama, with even the villains stuck in their own messy households. One of the biggest twists grows right out of those ties. As for Pugsley? Nobody explains why he’s suddenly at Nevermore (though, sure, it’s convenient to keep both Addams kids in one school). Poor boy winds up as bait in the finale, and in classic Wednesday fashion, she seems far keener on sacrificing him than staging a heartfelt rescue.

Some fans may argue that the overcrowded cast leaves Jenna Ortega with less room to shine as the deadpan, murder-obsessed Wednesday. Still, the season closes with the promise of wilder adventures ahead, another semester ends, and Wednesday rides off on Uncle Fester’s motorcycle, ready to chase a case that’s more personal than ever.

Watch ‘Wednesday’ on Netflix.

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Coming Back Graphic Novel Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

‘Coming Back’ by Jessi Zabarsky is a slightly abstract fantasy graphic novel, set in a fictional mystical island inhabited by women with magical powers. It’s a little like Themyscira, the all-female society Wonder Woman comes from, but instead of warriors, Zabarsky’s novel is about magical shapeshifters.

The primary protagonists of the tale are Preet, one of the best shapeshifters in the village, while her partner Valissa cannot do any magic. Something strange happens in their library, which contains all the knowledge about their people, so Valissa volunteers to investigate, disappearing for an unspecified amount of time. And because this is a fantasy book, I really don’t know if she is gone for a few months or years. Because who knows how time functions in magical places?! With Valissa gone, Preet decides to have a child in secret, leading to her being exiled by the village elders when they learn about the kid. What will happen when Valissa comes back?

The artwork in ‘Coming Back’ is beautiful; it’s on the simpler side, with a pleasant pastel palette. The illustrations are the kind that would appeal most to younger readers, but this graphic novel’s themes would be lost on kids. I’d definitely not recommend it for readers younger than 15; on the other hand, it’s too simple for older readers.

One way to sum up the plot of ‘Coming Back’ is this: Preet, a young shapeshifter, decides to have a child without her partner Valissa, then turns into a tree to avoid confrontation over her decision when Valissa returns. Luckily, Valissa eventually warms up to the child, and the couple live happily ever after. That’s practically the whole story.

If you’re looking for graphic novels with queer romances and engaging artwork, I’d recommend ‘Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me’, ‘Camp Spirit’, ‘Cheer Up!’, or even the more popular ‘Heartstopper’ and ‘The Magic Fish’, just in case you haven’t read them. ‘Heartstopper’ is a series, but the other titles are standalone works.

Rating for ‘Coming Back’: 3 on 5.

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Kill to Love Review: Zhang Zhe Xu, Mi Jin Burn in Doomed Love

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“The mountains and rivers span endlessly… but only you are the freedom I long for.”

The Chinese drama ‘Kill to Love’, based on author Yi Han He’s ‘Shan He Yong Ji‘ (山河永寂), follows the ill-fated romance between Prince Xian Shu He (Mi Jin), a gentle royal, and Duan Zi Ang (Zhang Zhe Xu), a ruthless assassin bound by revenge. The story opens with revenge and political games, but soon unravels into a tragic love affair, overflowing with yearning, obsession, betrayals, violence and desire.

Spanning 12 episodes, ‘Kill to Love’ begins with Duan Zi Ang’s late mission to assassinate Crown Prince Xiao Shu Qian (Chen Fang). Disguised and deadly, he slips into the Southern Kingdom’s palace but fails in his attempt. To bide his time, he turns his attention to Shu Qian’s younger brother, the gentle Sixth Prince Shu He, not expecting to fall for the young royal.

Though Shu He repeatedly asserts has no taste for politics, dreaming instead of a quiet life of travel and zither music, he soon finds himself ensnared in the palace’s power struggles and the rival Northern Kingdom’s schemes. Fearing Shu He’s growing favor with the Emperor, the Crown Prince orders his trusted guard Huo Ying (Wang Ding) to spy on him, ready to kill at the slightest provocation. Shu He’s closeness with Zi Ang only tightens the noose.

This isn’t the kind of historical drama drowning in opulence, but “Kill to Love” wins you over with its subtle visual story-telling. The carved details of the sixth prince’s mansion, the sheen of embroidered robes, and the lilting score that underscores each glance and touch, all combine to craft a world that is pleasing to the eye. While war and violence are a core theme of the tale, the creators cleverly limit the large-scale skirmishes to quick sequences, so the budget constraints don’t stand out.

The heart of any historical romance of course lies in its leads, and here Mi Jin and Zhang Zhe Xu light up the screen with crackling chemistry as the Prince and the Assassin. Zhang Zhe Xu captures Zi Ang’s duality with finesse, embodying both the cold edge of a poisoned dagger and the tender glow of a candle willing to consume itself for Shu He. Meanwhile, Mi Jin channels Shu He with dreamy grace, his refined posture and layered performance capture a prince bred in luxury, yet visibly burdened by the moral weight of power.

Yet instead of giving their courtship time to breathe, the creators rush the romance in the first half of ‘Kill to Love’, leaning heavily on a handful of childhood flashbacks to sell the love story. The result is a stormy relationship that feels accelerated and could’ve used more breathing room. One second Zi Ang is mocking Shu He’s softness, the next second he is melting over him. But oh well, Mi Jin’s Shu He looks so gorgeous throughout the show (the posters don’t do him justice), Zi Ang’s blind devotion almost feels inevitable.

The characterization and grown of them some of the characters in ‘Kill to Love’ were uneven. Zi Ang remains relatively straightforward in his arc, while Shu He is far more complex, confusing, and often frustrating, leaving both Zi Ang and the audience exasperated. His repeated claims of wanting no power ring mostly sincere, yet his unwavering loyalty to a brother who openly seeks his death is baffling. “You love the person who hates you and hate the person who loves you!” Zi Ang screams at him in anguish, capturing the audience’s own frustration.

Shu He’s troubled relationship with his brother deserved more growth in ‘Kill to Love’. A couple of extra episodes would’ve have given the romance and palace intrigue alike the space they needed, smoothing out the story’s uneven pacing. There’s this half-hearted romantic tease between Huo Ying and Shu He’s physician that feels pointless. While it may hold greater significance in the novel, the live-action adaptation would have benefited from omitting it.

The larger arc also plays with genre expectations: rather than the familiar “enemies-to-lovers,” the story in “Kill to Love” runs in reverse. Lovers curdle into rivals as they ascend thrones of opposing kingdoms in the second half, though Zi Ang continues to cling to the hope of rekindling what they once had.

Despite small missteps, such as the unchanged costumes across a supposed five-year leap, “Kill to Love” delivers as a heartfelt period drama where palace intrigue meets burning romance. The finale delivers a gut-punch of emotion, equal parts heartbreaking and grounded, giving the protagonists a realistic conclusion. For fans of historical romances filled with intrigue and twists, this one is well worth watching.

Watch ‘Kill to Love’ on YouTube, Gagaoolala, or Viu.

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They’re Coming Tonight Short Film Review

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“They’re coming tonight. We have to be ready,” a man declares, his voice low and urgent, to a curly-haired woman in a beret who seems oddly out of place indoors. She is probably channeling Bonny from the 1967 classic.

Who is coming, how does this man know they’re coming, why and what are they going to do? We know nothing. But that mystery is part of the charm of the grainy black-and-white short horror film ‘They’re Coming Tonight’ by John Bonner.

Actors Gabriel Burrafato and Gabriella Gonzalez Biziou star as a couple under siege from a mysterious group of strangers. As the minutes tick by, they brace themselves, whether for discovery or attack remains uncertain, leaving viewers unsure of what’s to come.

Running under ten minutes, ‘They’re Coming Tonight’ plays like a retro slice of 1960s noir. The actors embrace heightened theatrics in their exchanges, while the score steadily builds suspense over their looming fate.

Are they outlaws? swindlers? Maybe just tax cheats? You won’t know until the closing moments spill the secret. The darkly comic twist at the end pays off, making the slightly uneven build-up worth the wait.

Watch ‘They’re Coming Tonight’ on Alter’s YouTube channel.

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