What to watch on OTT this weekend (April 20-26)

Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins wants to be masala noir...if the masala was under-seasoned and the noir forgot its mood lighting. The plot? Wobbly. The writing? Lazier than a Sunday afternoon nap. But to be fair, Saif Ali Khan as suave thief Rehan Roy and Jaideep Ahlawat as the diamond-loving crime boss do make it watchable. As one critic explained, “Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins puts other mediocre heist dramas like Happy New Year to shame,” and yes, that is saying something. Watch at your own risk, maybe when you’re in the mood for a little brainrot.

Étoile pirouettes onto Prime Video with Amy Sherman-Palladino’s signature banter and pop-culture zingers set in the elegant chaos of the ballet world. The drama follows two struggling institutions, one in Paris, the other in New York, as their artistic directors hatch a plan to swap star dancers in a bid to save their reputations. It’s part culture clash, part fish-out-of-water workplace comedy. Don’t go in expecting Gilmore Girls heart or Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-style magic. Not quite as gripping or deep but if you want something light and stylish without getting too tangled in artistic angst, this is a comfy, watch-while-folding-laundry kind of show.

You is back for its final bow, and so is everyone’s favourite creepy, murderous softboi, Joe Goldberg. Now playing reformed husband in Manhattan’s elite social circle, Joe is trading bookstores for boardrooms but don’t be fooled; he’s still a walking red flag in designer shoes. This season brings double the drama, with Anna Camp playing not one but two chaotic characters. There’s also a free-spirited playwright reigniting Joe’s bad habits, a sharp detective who sees right through him, and a few ghosts from seasons past.

The galaxy’s grumpiest rebel returns. Andor returns for its second and final season, delivering a gripping 12-episode arc that charts Cassian’s transformation from reluctant insurgent to Rebel hero. Told across four years leading into Rogue One, each three-episode block captures a pivotal moment in the fight against the Empire. It’s darker, grittier, and more adult than any Star Wars show.

Bullet Train Explosion is basically Speed on Japan’s fastest train. Directed by Shin Godzilla’s Shinji Higuchi, this pulse-pounding remake of the 1975 classic follows conductor Kazuya as he scrambles to outwit a mad bomber’s threat: if the train dips below 100 km/h, boom. With 100 billion yen at stake and Tokyo closing in, the stakes are sky-high, and the tension’s moving at Shinkansen speed.

The second instalment (and prequel) in the Lucifer trilogy, Empuraan traces Stephen Nedumpally’s rise to power from a political pawn to global crime boss. The Malayalam film stars Mohanlal and has been directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Havoc may not be revolutionary, but if you’re in the mood for two hours of Tom Hardy grumbling, growling, and punching his way through chaos with that glorious accent intact, it’ll do just fine. It follows a morally compromised cop who is forced to navigate a city’s violent criminal underworld after a drug bust goes sideways. His mission? Rescue a politician’s estranged son. But things escalate fast as he uncovers a deep conspiracy that threatens to swallow the city whole.