Monica, O My Darling (2022). Three men from a robotics company honour an agreement to eliminate blackmailer and murder-suspect Monica. Turns out, she is not the killer but is fatally poisoned with snake venom. After endless twists, just when you thought Netflix’s neo-noir crime thriller is coming to a straight-fire end, director Vasan Bala delivers a cliffhanger. Jayant is confronted by cobras as he tries to retrieve the murder agreement. Will he be fourth time lucky in dodging death? Guess.
Drishyam 2 (2021, 2022). We know who the villain is. But by the end, we don’t know whose dead body was swapped with Varun’s and how it was done. What happened here? Will Georgekutty (Vijay Salgaonkar in the Hindi remake of the Malayalam thriller) and his family be plagued by the cops again for the accidental murder of the IG’s son, even as our hero outsmarts the law? Director Jitu Joseph left viewers with a series of unanswered questions. Hope Drishyam 3 has the answers.
Anatomy of a Fall (2023). Sandra, accused of throwing her husband off the balcony, is on trial. There were no witnesses (except her visually impaired son Daniel) and her character is being picked apart. There are some damning audio clips of a previous fight. In flashbacks, all we see is Sandra and her husband just trying to making a relationship work. There’s a verdict at the end, Sandra is acquitted. But did she actually do it? Director Justine Triet leaves that bit hanging.
Triangle of Sadness (2022). When a luxury yacht sinks, leaving some guests and staff marooned on an island, the power dynamic flips. It’s Abigail, the boat’s toilet manager, who has better survival skills, and becomes their leader. She and model-influencer Yaya discover a luxury resort on the island – safe at last! But being rescued means Abigail is no longer the boss. She lifts a rock, intending to kill Yaya. That’s when director Ruben Ostlund ends the movie. Sort it out in your fantasies, folks.
Haseen Dillruba (2021). There’s been an explosion. Rishu is dead. His wife, Rani, is the prime suspect in what the police believe is murder. There’s an interrogation, an investigation, flashbacks of a tumultuous marriage, an affair, a diabolical scheme. But new data only blurs the truth more. Who did the killing? Is that even Rishu? The tangled web extends to a 2024 sequel, in which the cat and mouse chase continues.
The Little Things (2021). Deputy Sheriff Joe and detective Jim are hunting a serial killer. They zero in on a creepy loner, repairman Albert Sparma, who seems to know police procedures a little too well, and enjoys taunting the duo. They kill him. But was he the serial killer after all, or was he framed? We never know. Instead, director John Lee Hancock gives audiences a painfully close look at what it’s like to track down evil.
Alien: Romulus (2024). Six space colonists plan to navigate to an idyllic planet Yvaga III, from an abandoned space station Renaissance. They encounter several attacks from facehuggers and xenomorphs (alien parasites). Finally, survivors Rain and her android-humanoid brother Andy make the journey on, though androids are restricted there. Director Fede Alvarez leaves a question-mark on the duo’s fate. The story is of the journey, not the destination.
Aftersun (2022). Everything looks better in sun-soaked childhood memories (and grainy camcorder videos) as 31-year-old Sofie reflects on the last days she spent with her father Calum during a vacation to Turkey. What she sees, 20 years after his death, is that Calum struggled with depression and anxiety. What caused him to end his life, and leave the daughter he loved so dearly? What was behind all those smiles? We’re never meant to know the truth about our parents, are we?
Dune 2 (2024). Paul Atreides is the new emperor of the Known Universe on planet Arrakis. Leading the desert-tribe Fremen, he initiates an interstellar jihad against the Great Houses who refuse to acknowledge his ascension. He’s betrayed Chani in the process. She’s out for vengeance. Plus, it’s so dusty – who knows what secrets are hidden? The cliffhanger ending sets up the lore for sequel Dune Messiah.
The Green Knight (2021). In this Arthurian legend, Sir Gawain beheads the supernatural Green Knight and must receive the reciprocal blow from the knight (who survived the beheading) a year later. In the closing scene, Gawain removes his protective green girdle and bravely confronts the knight, who says, “Now off with your head.” The screen cuts to black and viewers are left in limbo. Did he survive? That’s another legend, for another day.
From HT Brunch, June 06, 2026
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