If your holiday mood is less Hallmark meet-cute and more “I need something with a plot”, this watchlist has you covered. For anyone not in the mood for small-town bakeries or magical Christmas princes, consider this your alternative. These are shows and films you can sink into between long lunches, late nights and post-dessert naps. From glossy drama and sharp reality TV to horror, thrillers, and comfort background watches, there’s something here for every kind of festive energy.
Comedy for people who read the room
‘I Love LA’ on JioHotstar
Think Girls but filtered through TikTok, therapy-speak, and Los Angeles delusion. I Love LA follows a group of Gen Z-coded creatives navigating friendship, ambition, identity, and the constant need to be perceived online. The show captures LA as both playground and pressure cooker, where every brunch doubles as networking and every breakdown feels vaguely content-adjacent. Self-aware, chaotic, and deeply referential, it understands how Gen Z moves through the city—ironically sincere, emotionally articulate, and always one DM away from a life pivot.
‘Too Much’ on Netflix
In Too Much, Lena Dunham sends a heartbroken New Yorker (Megan Stalter) to London for a fresh start—both romantic and professional. Here, she falls for a brooding musician played by Will Sharpe (the new patron saint of sad pretty boys). Inspired by Dunham’s own life, the show is part romcom, part millennial angst, with a parasocial obsession with her ex’s new girlfriend (Emily Ratajkowski!), steamy sex scenes, and the kind of messy feelings you can’t mute. It’s less ensemble than Girls but way more intimate.
‘The Studio’ on Apple TV
Seth Rogen plays a film exec who dreams of making great cinema. Too bad his actual job is selling out. With his cutthroat boss breathing down his neck and Hollywood egos running wild, he’s stuck pitching Kool-Aid Cinematic Universes and dodging Scorsese’s calls. It’s The Office but with more A-lister cameos and a cast so beautiful you can’t stop watching (think Charlize Theron, Olivia Wilde, Zac Efron, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, and of course Martin Scorsese as Martin Scorsese).
‘Materialists’ on Netflix
Celine Song’s Materialists brings together a very internet-breaking trio—Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal—in a razor-sharp look at love in the age of status and soft launches. Johnson plays a matchmaker who treats romance like a high-stakes marketplace, while Evans and Pascal represent two very different ideas of value, stability, and desire. When the film premiered, the internet promptly swooned over Pedro Pascal (once again), turning him into the emotional support crush of the moment. Smart, glossy, and quietly cutting (though not quite as Song’s debut, Past Lives), Materialists asks whether modern love is really about connection—or just choosing the best deal available.
‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ on Netflix
Aryan Khan’s much-awaited directorial debut has finally dropped, and critics are already calling it a wild, wicked ride. Part satire, part action-comedy, and full chaos, The Ba**ds of Bollywood follows industry outsider Aasmaan Singh and his crew as they claw their way into the film world’s glittering (and shady) corridors. With Lakshya, Bobby Deol, Sahher Bambba, and a parade of cameos from Bollywood royalty—including a tiny SRK moment—Khan proves nepotism isn’t the only story worth telling here.
Soft emotions, hard truths
‘The Girlfriend’ on Prime Video
At its core, The Girlfriend is about a young woman trying to build a life with her partner and the mother who refuses to let that happen. When she enters a mother-son dynamic fuelled by emotional overinvestment and quiet control, things spiral fast. This is the internet’s favourite horror subgenre: boy moms who think no one will ever be good enough for their precious sons. Glossy, tense, and deliciously uncomfortable, the show turns passive aggression and family dinners into psychological warfare, exposing entitlement, possessiveness, and the politics of love inside the home.
‘Sirens’ on Netflix
Sirens follows a circle of obscenely wealthy people whose perfect lives start slipping into chaos. Set against luxurious backdrops, the show leans hard into the rich-people-acting-kooky genre, where excess breeds boredom, paranoia, and bad decisions. What begins as stylish escapism slowly reveals something darker beneath the silk and champagne—power games, moral rot, and emotional decay. Campy, unsettling, and sharply funny, Sirens understands that nothing is more entertaining than watching privileged people unravel while insisting they’re absolutely fine.
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ on Prime Video
‘Saiyaara’ on Netflix
Remember those memes? The ones about people completely losing it in theatres watching Saiyaara—crying, screaming, fainting—making you wonder if it was a grand PR gimmick or not? If you missed it on the big screen, here is your second chance. Directed by Mohit Suri, the romantic drama stars Ahaan Panday as Krish, a tortured musician, and Aneet Padda as Vaani, a shy poet with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Their love story unfolds through music, poetry, and heartbreak, all wrapped in a soundtrack that lingers. Whether you sob or scoff, it is available for streaming now.
Dramas that expect your attention
‘Adolescence’ on Netflix
Adolescence on Netflix feels like Black Mirror met Making a Murderer in a British high school, except this isn’t some distant dystopia—it’s terrifyingly real. What starts as a routine arrest of a 13-year-old boy spirals into a gripping deep dive into social media toxicity, masculinity, and the dark pull of incel culture. In an age where teenage boys binge-watch Andrew Tate and manosphere rants, this show serves as both thriller and warning.
‘Dept. Q’ on Netflix
Dept. Q follows a deeply flawed detective pulled out of professional exile to head a neglected cold-case unit...essentially a basement department for crimes everyone else would rather forget. As he and his mismatched team reopen long-buried cases, the show leans into slow-burn tension, moral ambiguity, and the psychological toll of unresolved violence. Gritty, atmospheric, and quietly absorbing, Dept. Q is less about flashy twists and more about obsession, guilt, and the uncomfortable truth that some cases refuse to stay buried, no matter how inconvenient they are.
‘Weapons’ on Apple TV
If 2025 belongs to any genre, it’s horror, and Weapons is proof. Leaning into the year’s gothic, deeply unsettling streak, the film starts with a nightmare setup: an entire classroom of children disappears on the same night. From there, it spirals into a multi-thread horror story that blends dread, grief, and communal paranoia. Dark, moody, and deliberately disorienting, Weapons fits right into a moment where horror is doing its smartest work—less jump scares, more slow-burn unease, and a lingering sense that something is fundamentally wrong beneath everyday life.
‘The Pitt’ on JioHotstar
The Pitt marks Noah Wyle’s return to the medical drama, decades after ER made him a household name. Led by the Emmy-nominated actor, the series unfolds over the course of a single, relentless 24-hour shift inside a chaotic emergency department. Each episode piles on ethical dilemmas, burnout, and life-or-death decisions without pause. Gritty and unsentimental, the show strips away the gloss usually associated with hospital dramas and focuses on exhaustion, urgency, and survival. Wyle brings lived-in gravitas to the role, grounding the chaos. With a second season on the way, The Pitt proves the genre still has plenty of pulse.
‘Pluribus’ on Apple TV
In Pluribus, Gilligan trades drug empires for alien viruses and the apocalypse for absurdity. The show follows Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), a cranky bestselling author of cheesy romance novels, who suddenly becomes one of only a handful people around the world who are immune to a mysterious hive-mind infection sweeping the planet. The rest of humanity turns creepily cheerful after exposure, forming a global collective that’s all smiles and zero free will. Between mourning her girlfriend, dodging psychic chain reactions that can kill millions, and plotting to save the world, Carol might be the grumpiest (and funniest) last hope humanity has left.
Fighting demons (inside and out)
‘Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1’ on Prime Video
While Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 continues to roar at the box office, fans can now also stream it at home. A prequel to Rishab Shetty’s 2022 phenomenon, the film explores the origin story of Berme, a young man blessed by the deities Panjurli and Guliga. As his tribe thrives in peace, a ruthless king’s greed sparks an epic clash of faith and survival. With stunning visuals and an arresting soundtrack, this chapter deepens the mystical lore of the Kantara universe. Whether you’re a returning fan or a newcomer, this divine saga is too powerful to skip.
‘Lokah’ on JioHotstar
One of the biggest Malayalam blockbusters ever, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra stars Kalyani Priyadarshan as Chandra, an immortal vampire drawn from Malayalam folklore who hides her powers in modern-day Bengaluru. When she uncovers a violent organ-trafficking network and a corrupt cop gaining dangerous supernatural powers, she’s forced to rise and fight back. Blending myth, fantasy, and high-stakes action, the film marks Malayalam cinema’s first female superhero story. Packed with some of the industry’s biggest stars, it’s the beginning of an ambitious cinematic universe where ancient legends meet modern chaos.
‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ on Netflix
Part animated fantasy, part full-blown pop phenomenon, K-Pop Demon Hunters follows a chart-topping girl group who moonlight as literal demon slayers when they are not selling out arenas. What started as a fun genre mashup turned into an unprecedented hit, thanks in no small part to ‘Golden’, the biggest chartbuster of the year. Bright, emotional, and wildly addictive, the film has become this generation’s Frozen, complete with songs that refuse to leave your head. Beneath the glitter and choreography is a surprisingly heartfelt story about friendship, fame, and saving the world between soundchecks.
‘Superman’ on JioHotstar
‘Sinners’ on JioHotstar
Set in a jazz-soaked underworld, Sinners blends vampire horror with noir-style tension and mood. Michael B Jordan plays twin brothers whose lives take a dark turn as they are pulled into a world of blood, temptation, and dangerous secrets. The film uses music, atmosphere, and moral conflict to drive its story, letting dread build slowly rather than relying on shock. Stylish and confident, Sinners feels like a fresh take on the vampire genre, one that leans into character, rhythm, and unease while giving Jordan space to flex in a striking dual role.
‘Frankenstein’ on Netflix
Horror’s having its glow-up era, with haunting new indies and fancy revivals like Nosferatu and now Guillermo del Toro’s long-dreamed adaptation of Frankenstein on OTT. In Frankenstein, Oscar Isaac plays a brooding Victor Frankenstein, a scientist obsessed with conquering death, who stitches together a living being from corpses. Mia Goth is delightfully eerie as Elizabeth, and Jacob Elordi plays the tragic monster who is abandoned by his creator and spirals from longing for love to vengeance (for everyone saying he has no range, the man is trying!).
‘Andor’ season 2
If you’ve ever wished Star Wars leaned more Succession than space opera, Andor is your wish granted. This slow-burn, Emmy-winning prequel to Rogue One follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he evolves from petty thief to reluctant revolutionary, showing how rebellion actually begins—with bureaucracy, betrayal, and quiet acts of courage. Gone are the Jedi and Skywalker drama; this is grit, politics, and moral grey zones at their best. It’s a masterclass in world-building, and easily one of the smartest, most human stories in the Star Wars galaxy.
Films that stay with you
‘Homebound’ on Netflix
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, now streaming on Netflix, is a deeply moving drama based on the real journeys of migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown. Produced by Dharma Productions and starring Ishaan Khatter, the film follows a young man forced to travel across states on foot as cities shut down and survival becomes uncertain. Told with restraint and empathy, Homebound captures exhaustion, dignity, and quiet resilience, focusing less on spectacle and more on human cost. It is a stark reminder of how the pandemic exposed class divides while centring migrant lives often pushed to the margins.
‘Humans in Loop’ on Netflix
Humans in the Loop explores the invisible human labour behind artificial intelligence, following data labelers whose work trains the very systems meant to replace them. Set between India and the global tech economy, the film looks at how automation still depends on underpaid, unseen human effort. Quietly sharp and unsettling, it flips the AI conversation away from shiny futures and back to present realities. Instead of robots taking over, this is about people stuck inside the loop, doing repetitive digital work so machines can appear seamless, smart, and fully autonomous.
Real people, real chaos
‘Love is Blind’ season 9
At this point, Love Is Blind knows exactly what it is, and season nine fully leans in. Strangers date through walls, propose wildly fast, and then reality crashes the fantasy. It is messy, spicy television engineered for group chats and hot takes, where every episode delivers new red flags, shocking reversals, and questionable decisions. Romance is the hook, chaos is the payoff. You are not watching for love to win. You are watching to see how spectacularly it might fall apart.
‘With Love, Meghan’ season 2
With Love, Meghan season two is peak background television in the best way. Equal parts lifestyle, wellness, and gentle aspiration, it is the kind of show you put on while folding laundry or making dinner. Meghan floats through curated moments of calm, hosting, and soft reflection, offering an aesthetic version of everyday life rather than anything high-stakes. Low drama, low commitment, and soothing to the point of being ambient, it is comfort viewing designed to exist pleasantly in the background.
‘Sean Combs: The Reckoning’ on Netflix
Sean Combs: The Reckoning takes a hard look at power, fame, and accountability, unpacking allegations and controversies surrounding one of hip-hop’s most influential figures. The documentary moves beyond mythmaking to examine how systems protect powerful men and silence others. Heavy, unsettling, and very much of this moment, it asks difficult questions about legacy, culture, and what happens when icons are forced to face scrutiny they once seemed immune to. This is not nostalgia. It is confrontation.
