Page 33 - Masala Lite Issue 156 December 2023

In the mood to

Net-Flicks and Chill?

Ayush Madan picks the most binge-worthy releases on Netflix,
Prime, Disney+, and HBO GO.

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS (DISNEY+)

Rise up half-bloods! Erase from your memories the
cinematic disaster that was the Percy Jackson: Sea
of Monsters (2013) movie and get ready to embrace
the much-awaited, fan-petitioned return of Percy
Jackson. The first season of the show adapts the
first book, The Lightning Thief, following the world-
famous 12-year-old demigod whose powers have
just awakened. When he is accused of stealing Zeus’
lightning bolt, Percy (Walker Scobell) goes on a
journey with his friends Grover (Aryan Simhadri)
and Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) to find the bolt and
return it to Mount Olympus before the gods rain
their wrath on the mortal world.

RELEASE DATE: 20 December

THE ARCHIES (NETFLIX)

Continuing the trend of reinventing source material,
now that Riverdale (2017) has ended with a whimper
of a final season, Zoya Akhtar, the director of
Bollywood hits Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and
Gully Boy (2019) has crafted her own adaptation of
the timeless Archie comics. Set in 1960s India, this
live-action musical comedy follows the familiar
cast of characters Archie (Agastya Nanda), Betty
(Khushi Kapoor), Veronica (Suhana Khan), and
Jughead (Mihir Ahuja) as they try to save their
neighbourhood park from the developers trying to
destroy it. Expect elaborately-choreographed dance
numbers, beautifully-decorated, period-accurate
sets, and of course, young love.

RELEASE DATE: 7 December

REACHER SEASON 2 (PRIME VIDEO)

Based on Lee Child’s hit novel series, Reacher, a show
that follows a veteran military police investigator
when he is falsely accused of murder, enters its
second season. This season, Jack Reacher receives a
coded message telling him members of his former
US army unit are now being targeted and brutally
killed. Reacher (Alan Ritchson) must pause his life
on the move, and reunite with his teammates Francis
(Maria Sten), Karla (Serinda Swan) and David (Shaun
Sipos) to find the person who is behind the killings.
Using his wit and his braun, Jack Reacher will stop at
nothing until his mission is accomplished.

RELEASE DATE: 15 December

SWIPING AMERICA (HBO GO)

Reality dating programs like FBoy Island (2021-
2023), Love is Blind (2020- ), and Too Hot to Handle
(2020- ) are some of the most watched and talked about
shows streaming today. However, as audiences rapidly
consume season after season of dating drama and will-
they-won’t-they, the story arcs have become somewhat
predictable. Emmy winning producers Johnnie
Ingram and Stephen Warren have a solution and
have invented a new genre of television in the process.
Swiping America is an eight-part romcom/documentary
following four New Yorkers – Ash, Kesun, Kris and
Reagan – who have been professionally thriving but
lacking in romance. There are no preplanned twists or
gimmicks, and the producers do most of the swiping
and curating. This leaves the cast to organically get to
know their potential matches and decide if they want
to pursue them. With a creative spin, real friendships between the main cast, and all
new locations every episode, Swiping America is a must watch for fans of documentaries,
travel, and romance.

RELEASE DATE: 7 December