The best binge-worthy movies for a fun night in

As the curtains closed on 2024, the entertainment world delivered a lineup that didn’t just meet expectations—it smashed them. From gripping space dramas and long-awaited sequels to biopics that redefined storytelling, these releases had us glued to our screens and packing theatres. Whether it was Timothée Chalamet’s transformation into Bob Dylan, the chaotic hilarity of Welcome to the Jungle, or the thrilling return of Squid Game, these titles proved that some things are worth the wait. Here’s a look back at the biggest hits that ended the year on a high note.

Mickey 17

January 31, In theatres

 

Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite follow-up is based on Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7. The Robert Pattinson-starrer space- drama is about protagonist Mickey Barnes, an employee on a mission to colonise a freezing planet. He is cloned so he can continue the dangerous task, and 7 is a reference to the number of times he dies (Joon-ho killed him 10 times more just for the fun of it). The cast also includes Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.

A Complete Unknown

December 25, In theatres

 

This time, Timothée Chalamet is trading off his bouncy hair and cheekbones for a guitar and harmonica as he gears up to play Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s upcoming biopic. And the man didn’t just skim through a Wikipedia page—he spent three and a half years learning to play the guitar and has been covering hits such as Like a Rolling Stone in the readers. Chalet’s gone full method here(watch out, Jeremy Strong)!

Welcome to the Jungle

December 20, In theatres

 

Despite all the rumours of it being shelved, this much-hyped multi-starrer is finally dropping this December! With a massive production scale, the Ahmed Khan directorial has so many big names— Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Disha Patani, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, and Paresh Rawal— that it might make the Om Shanti Om song look like a small gathering. It is the third of the Welcome franchise, and it’s about to serve up more chaos and comedy than we know what to do with!

Squid Game 2

December 26, On Netflix

Ending on a cliffhanger back in 2021, the popular K-drama is gearing up to make a comeback on our screens. Get ready for the pink-suited guards—who will be anything but demure; the Front Man—back at his control desk; and the poor Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung- jae) who will still be rocking that unlucky 456 tracksuit. To jog your memory, it is the show of desperate times calling for desperate measures. People participate in deadly games for a shot at life-changing money—or, you know, horrific consequences. This season, expect familiar faces, some new players, as the stakes get even higher!

The Sticky

On Amazon Prime Video

 

The words ‘maple syrup heist’ might sound like some kind of joke. But trust me when I say that it really went down in Canada’s Quebec—about 12 years ago (look up: the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist). Prime Video has turned this sticky situation into a six-episode dark comedy starring Margo Martindale, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Guillaume Cyr. Oh, and The Bear’s Jamie Lee Curtis is executive producing as well as guest starring in the show—all the more reason for us to watch it. Keep those pancakes ready, people!

Pushpa 2: The Rule

In theatres

After bagging many National Awards, including Best Actor for Allu Arjun, the Pushpa team is ready for round two! It’s dropping in six languages, too—Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada, and Bengali. With its non-theatrical rights already raking in a jaw-dropping 420 crore, this sequel is MASSIVE. Directed by Sukumar, the movie stars Allu, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, and a stellar supporting cast.

Small Things Like These

 

The Internet’s favourite Irish and Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy’s upcoming movie is anything but small. The movie is directed by Tim Mielants, known for his work on Peaky Blinders, and the story is set in the weeks leading up to Christmas in 1985. It follows Bill Furlong (Murphy), a coal merchant living in a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church. Things take a turn for the worse when Murphy uncovers dark secrets hidden within the local convent, forcing him to confront his past and the community’s long-standing silence.

Mismatched 3

TBD, On Netflix

 

Prajakta Koli (Dimple) and Rohit Saraf (Rishi) are here to tug at our heartstrings again! After what felt like forever, the romantic-drama actors took to Instagram to say that shooting for the upcoming season has wrapped up—though they’re keeping the release date under wraps. Directed by Akarsh Khurana and Nipun Dharmadhikari, the show is about Rishi, a hopeless romantic, and Dimple, well, not so much. With season 3 on the horizon, fans seem to be eagerly waiting for what’s next!

Images: IMDb.com and Instagram/rohitsaraf

This piece originally appeared in the November- December print edition of Cosmopolitan India.

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