If there’s one thing that can be said about the first half of this year, it’s that we had great television. We’re talking memorable, going-down-in history TV. Whether it was the return of “Severance” and “The White Lotus,” or the arrival of new series like “The Pitt” and “Dying for Sex,” it felt like appointment television had returned, and there was something for everyone — and everyone seemed to be watching.
Fortunately, there’s a lot of great television to look forward to this summer as well. In the coming months, we’ll see returning favorites, documentaries about old favorites — prehistoric in one case, new action-packed series and shows that will simply make you laugh. And in these times, we could all use some laughter and a good distraction. So get ready to be transported to old worlds, new worlds and present ones — we’re looking forward to these escapes.
‘Pee-wee as Himself’
(HBO, May 23)
Paul Reubens appears in “Pee-wee as Himself,” a two-part documentary coming to HBO that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
(Dennis Keeley / HBO)
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“It turns out that you’re not really supposed to direct your own documentary; you’re not supposed to control your own documentary,” says Paul Reubens, who would have liked to. Nevertheless, he sat for 40 hours of interviews for this properly admiring, though not sanitized, two-part posthumous documentary. Matters of ambition, artistry and anonymity are discussed, along with certain public events and misconceptions, but above all the film reminds you what a gift Pee-wee was to the culture, and, I am ready to say, the mental health of the nation. “Death is so final,” Reubens tells director Matt Wolf, who did not know that the actor had cancer, “that to be able to get your message in at the last minute, or at some point, is incredible.” — Robert Lloyd
‘And Just Like That …’
Season 3 (Max, May 29)
Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Seema (Sarita Choudhury) in Season 3 of “And Just Like That …”
(Craig Blankenhorn / Max)
If you’re one of the many people who can’t help but wonder what a season of “And Just Like That …” will be like without Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), this is your summer. The revival may lack the charm, energy and cultural impact of “Sex and the City,” but, like Carrie chasing Big, many of us keep coming back for more of its deranged and addictive shenanigans. The third season promises something new and unexpected as we check in with the women during a New York City summer. After years of writing about her sex life and of those in her orbit, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is branching out to pursue fiction. She’s also settling into her three-floor Gramercy Park home, which includes a rat problem and a flirty next-door neighbor, while trying to figure out her complicated relationship with Aidan (John Corbett). Meanwhile, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is hitting the dating scene after her split with Che, and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is contending with her daughter Lily’s (Cathy Ang) new romance. I’m ready and seated like a supportive friend at a vent sesh trying not to judge questionable decisions. — Yvonne Villarreal
‘Walking With Dinosaurs’
(PBS, June 16)
A team unearthing fossilized bones at a dig site in “Walking With Dinosaurs.”
(Sam Wigfield / BBC)
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I love dinosaurs. It’s a childhood affinity that started with “The Land Before Time” (1988), was solidified with “Jurassic Park” (1993) and had not at all waned by the time the original “Walking With Dinosaurs” series hit U.S. TVs in 2000. The original show gave the prehistoric reptiles the nature documentary treatment, offering glimpses of a world that was ruled by dinosaurs millions of years ago through the magic of CGI and animatronics. I still remember being wowed by a stegosaurus trying to fend off an allosaurus and being sad about a T. rex that died trying to protect her babies. All that is to say, I’m looking forward to more narrated adventures of how dinosaurs lived and died in this new reimagining with updated science and CG animation. Among the dinosaurs that have been teased to get a spotlight are triceratops, spinosaurus, Utahraptors, Albertosaurus, gorgosaurus and a Lusotitan. — Tracy Brown
‘Outrageous’
(Britbox, June 18)
Nancy (Bessie Carter), Joss (Will Attenborough), Pamela (Isobel Jesper Jones) and Tom (Toby Regbo) in BritBox’s “Outrageous.”
(Kevin Baker / BritBox)
The mixed-up antics of fictional British aristocrats are nothing compared with the real-life adventures and misadventures of England’s famous Mitford sisters — some celebrated, some notorious, some just getting on with things, relatively speaking — docu-dramatized in this six-part series, set between the world wars. Meet novelist Nancy (Bessie Carter, from “Bridgerton”); country girl Pamela (Isobel Jesper Jones); fascists Diana (Joanna Vanderham) and Unity (Shannon Watson), whose middle name was Valkyrie; progressive journalist Jessica (Zoe Brough) and Deborah (Orla Hill), a duchess. Plus clothes! Furniture! Cars! — R.L.
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‘The Gilded Age’
Season 3 (HBO, June 22)
Dorothy (Audra McDonald) and Peggy (Denée Benton) in Season 3 of HBO’s “The Gilded Age.”
(Karolina Wojtasik / HBO)
As our modern times continue to become ever so unprecedented, you can find me frothing at the mouth for a star-studded period piece with low stakes and high fashion. Please, whisk me away to the drawing rooms and dining halls of 1880s Manhattan to hang out with railroad tycoons, socially ambitious women and a new generation of rule breakers, especially when they’re played by Morgan Spector, Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald and Donna Murphy. And of course, the show — from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes — continues its tradition of stacking its cast with brilliant stage actors, this time adding Phylicia Rashad, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Victoria Clark, Bill Camp and Leslie Uggams, to name just a few. My only complaint: Like the second season, the third is only eight episodes. I guess I’ll have to cope by simply restarting the entire series from the very beginning — again. — Ashley Lee
‘Ironheart’
(Disney+, June 24)
Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) in Marvel’s “Ironheart” on Disney+.
(Jalen Marlowe)
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It’s been nearly five years since the “Ironheart” series was originally announced and I have been patiently waiting for Riri Williams to get her moment in the MCU spotlight since. In the comics, Riri is an engineering genius known for making her own Iron Man-inspired high tech suit of armor. Audiences got a glimpse of Riri (Dominique Thorne) in action in the 2022 film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” where she is introduced as the whiz kid MIT student that gets pulled into the events of the film for inventing a vibranium detector and later helps build armored suits for the Wakandans. Her upcoming solo series is set after the events of “Wakanda Forever” and will dive more into Riri’s backstory as she returns to Chicago, her hometown. Within Riri’s orbit is Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos), described as a mysterious yet charming misfit who possesses a magical hood that lets him tap into the dark arts. We’ll just have to wait to see whether science or magic comes out on top. — T.B.
‘The Bear’
Season 4 (FX on Hulu, June 25)
Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) in “The Bear.”
Whether the third season of “The Bear” lost some of its mojo as one of TV’s most compelling series may be up for debate, but it hasn’t diminished our anticipation to catch up with Carmy and company in Season 4. Last season ended with several challenges: The new fine-dining restaurant receives a harsh review, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) considers leaving the restaurant, and the relationship between Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is on the outs. Those events seem to be setting up a season that can delve into the aftermath of how they’ll confront the good and the bad of restaurant life. And after making her directorial debut with last season’s stand-out episode “Napkins,” Edebiri has co-written an episode with co-star Lionel Boyce (Marcus) for Season 4. It’s a promising sign that we’ll be well-fed this summer. — Y.V.
‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’
Season 17 (FXX, July 9)
The gang from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and the crew from “Abbott Elementary” are crossing over again. From left: Jacob (Chris Perfetti), Janine (Quinta Brunson), Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dee (Kaitlin Olson) and Charlie (Charlie Day).
(Steve Swisher / FX)
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The gang from Paddy’s Pub is back for another season and this one is special for a couple of reasons: First, it’s the 20th anniversary of the series premiere — it’s the longest-running live-action comedy series — and second, we have another crossover episode on the horizon. Earlier this year, we got to see Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Charlie (Charlie Day), Mac (Rob McElhenney) and Frank (Danny DeVito) visit ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” where they put in some volunteer hours, thanks to a court order. Now, the “Abbott Elementary” bunch will be featured in “Sunny,” where we’ll get to see things from the gang’s point of view. But that’s not all. This season’s theme is “The Gang Embraces the Corporate Era,” a fitting one considering the times we’re living in, where money rules everything. I, for one, welcome them as corporate overlords. — Maira Garcia
‘Too Much’
(Netflix, July 10)
Jessica (Megan Stalter) in Netflix’s “Too Much.”
(Ana Blumenkron / Netflix)
It’s been 13 years since the premiere of Lena Dunham’s HBO series “Girls,” an era-defining show that followed a group of messy 20-something New Yorkers. And in her latest project for Netflix, Dunham is focused on the next decade of life with “Too Much.” Co-created with her husband Luis Felber, this romantic comedy series aims to show that your 30s can be just as messy but also filled with joy. It stars Megan Stalter as Jessica, a workaholic who leaves New York for London after her life unravels when her boyfriend breaks up with her, and Will Sharpe as Felix, a Londoner who becomes Jessica’s love interest. Stalter has captivated viewers with her turn as Kayla in “Hacks,” the nepo baby assistant turned partner, and this series is likely to keep her star rising. — M.G.
‘Dexter: Resurrection’
(Paramount+ with Showtime, July 11)
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in “Dexter: Resurrection” on Paramount+ with Showtime.
(Zach Dilgard / Paramount+ with SHOWTIME)
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You just can’t keep a beloved serial killer down. It certainly seemed that Dexter Morgan, the blood-splatter analyst and serial killer who headlined Showtime’s hugely popular “Dexter,” had finally run out of luck after being shot to death by his son Harrison in the 2022 reboot “Dexter: New Blood.” Michael C. Hall, who has portrayed the crafty killer with a code since 2006, clearly indicated in a Los Angeles Times interview that Dexter had met his maker, acknowledging that many fans would mourn his demise: “As upsetting as it might be, I hope audiences will appreciate the resonance of Dexter dying … at the hands of his son.” But it turns out that the end was not the end after all for Dexter, who has somehow survived the shooting by Harrison Morgan (Jack Alcott) and is returning for “Dexter: Resurrection,” a continuation of the “New Blood” sequel. The series finds Dexter awakening from a coma and discovering that Harrison has vanished. The cast includes Uma Thurman and David Zayas, reviving his portrayal of Det. Angel Batista from the original series. Also returning from “Dexter” is James Remar, who played Morgan’s father Harry Morgan. — Greg Braxton
‘Chief of War’
(Apple TV+, Aug. 1)
Jason Momoa stars as the warrior Ka‘iana in Apple TV+’s “Chief of War.”
(Apple)
Films or series about Native Hawaiians and their history have been few and far between, but this new historical drama aims to rectify that. The nine-episode miniseries centers on the story of Ka‘iana, a warrior who tries to unify the Hawaiian islands before colonization in the late 18th century. Jason Momoa leads the largely Polynesian ensemble cast that includes Luciane Buchanan (“The Night Agent”) and Temuera Morrison (“The Mandalorian”). In addition to starring, Momoa co-wrote the series with Thomas Pa’a Sibbett (“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”) and executive produces. Undoubtedly, there will be comparisons to “Shogun” because of its historical roots and battle sequences, and that’s not a bad thing, given its success. It’s also another step for on-screen representation and more inclusive epics. — M.G.
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‘Wednesday’
Season 2, Part 1 (Netflix, Aug. 6)
The Addams family is back for Season 2 of “Wednesday.” From left: Lurch (Joonas Suotamo), Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), Thing and Gomez (Luis Guzmán).
(Helen Sloan / Netflix)
It’s been three years, but our favorite sleuthing goth teenager Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is finally back, as is the rest of her clan. In this season — which is split in two parts, the second arriving Sept. 3 — Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), Wednesday’s little brother, is joining Nevermore Academy, and their parents, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luis Guzmán), will also have a presence on campus. While that development is enough to make any teenager want to die — metaphorically! — at least Wednesday will have Thing to keep her company, along with her sunny, polar opposite roommate Enid (Emma Myers) — they did embrace in the Season 1 finale, after all. Also returning is Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester and killer hyde Tyler, played by Hunter Doohan. We’ll meet some new faces too: Grandmama Hester Frump, played by “Absolutely Fabulous” star Joanna Lumley, and Steve Buscemi as Nevermore’s new principal Barry Dort. That’s plenty to keep me intrigued, and if the soundtrack is as good as last time — who can forget the dance scene with “Goo Goo Muck” — I can die happy. — M.G.
‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’
(Starz, Aug. 8)
Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) in “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” on Starz.
(Sanne Gault / Starz)
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It’s hard to believe that “Outlander,” the time-traveling series that’s practically a Visit Scotland ad, premiered in 2014. In a world where many fine shows are lucky to make it to a fourth season, that is time travel indeed. Now, in anticipation of the series’ eighth and final season, which will premiere sometime this year or next, “Blood of My Blood” offers a prequel. Following the love stories of previous generations, namely the parents of “Outlander” mains, 20th-century born Claire (Caitriona Balfour) and 18th-century born Jamie (Sam Heughan), “Blood of My Blood” toggles between World War I and the zenith of the Highland culture, making it the ultimate period drama. “Outlander” fans will get to meet younger versions of the show’s supporting characters and, one hopes, gain some insight into how Claire came to be a time-traveler. More important, we all get to go back to Scotland. — Mary McNamara
‘Alien: Earth’
(FX on Hulu, Aug. 12)
Alex Lawther as Hermit, left, Diem Camille as Siberian and Moe Bar-El as Rashidi in FX’s “Alien: Earth.”
(Patrick Brown/FX)
More than four decades after it first crept onto movie screens, “Alien” remains one of the scariest films ever made, with scenes that continue to horrify and shock even after repeated viewings. With the exception of James Cameron’s “Aliens,” none of the numerous sequels have come close to matching the power of Ridley Scott’s original, though many fans admired 2024’s “Alien: Romulus.” The vicious extraterrestrial is now set to wreck havoc in “Alien: Earth,” which will premiere this summer. In the new series, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a group of tactical soldiers discover a mysterious vessel that crash-lands on Earth. The drama is created, written and directed by Noah Hawley, who has expanded the story of the 1996 film “Fargo,” transforming it into a popular and inventive anthology series. The cast includes Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”). — G.B.
‘Fixed’
(Netflix, Aug. 13)
Genndy Tartakovsky’s animated streaming film “Fixed” features the voices of Adam Devine and Kathryn Hahn.
(Netflix)
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In this “Lady and the Tramp” for our less innocent times, the great Genndy Tartakovsky (“Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Samurai Jack,” “Primal”) animates an R-rated comedy, written with Jon Vitti (“The Simpsons”), about a dog who learns he’ll be neutered the next morning and sets off to spend the day on an adventure. This streaming film features glorious 2D animation, the best of all cartoon formats, with nods to Tex Avery and Chuck Jones. Adam Devine stars as the voice behind the targeted pup with Kathryn Hahn, Idris Elba, Bobby Moynihan, Fred Armisen, Michelle Buteau and Beck Bennett filling out the back. — R.L.
Diljit Dosanjh plays the titular character, a quirky sleuth with charm and wit. While he brings his trademark likability, the character often slips into caricature, which takes some weight away from the mystery. Diana Penty’s role feels underwritten.
French Cambodian director Rithy Panh has often cited the genocidal regime of the Khmer Rouge, which killed his family and from which he escaped, as the reason he’s a filmmaker. His movies aren’t always directly about that wretched time. But when they are — as is his most memorable achievement, the Oscar-nominated 2013 documentary “The Missing Picture,” which re-imagined personal memories using clay-figurine dioramas — one senses a grand mosaic being assembled piece by piece linking devastation, aftermath and remembrance, never to be finished, only further detailed.
His latest is the coolly observed and tense historical drama “Meeting With Pol Pot,” which premiered last year at Cannes. It isn’t autobiographical, save its fictionalization of a true story that happened concurrent to his childhood trauma: the Khmer Rouge inviting a trio of Western journalists to witness their proclaimed agrarian utopia and interview the mysterious leader referred to by his people as “Brother No. 1.” Yet even this political junket, which took place in 1978, couldn’t hide a cruel, violent truth from its guests, the unfolding of which Panh is as adept at depicting from the viewpoint of an increasingly horrified visitor as from that of a long-scarred victim.
The movie stars Irène Jacob, whose intrepid French reporter Lise — a perfect role for her captivating intelligence — is modeled after the American journalist Elizabeth Becker who was on that trip, and whose later book about Cambodia and her experience, “When the War Was Over,” inspired the screenplay credited to Panh and Pierre Erwan Guillaume. Lise is joined by an ideologically motivated Maoist professor named Alain (Grégoire Colin), quick to enthusiastically namedrop some of their hosts as former school chums in France when they were wannabe revolutionaries. (The character of Alain is based on British academic Malcolm Caldwell, an invitee alongside Becker.) Also there is eagle-eyed photojournalist Paul (Cyril Gueï), who shares Lise’s healthy skepticism and a desire to learn what’s really happening, especially regarding rumors of disappeared intellectuals.
With sound, pacing and images, Panh readily establishes a mood of charged, contingent hospitality, a veneer that seems ready to crack: from the unsettlingly calm opening visual of this tiny French delegation waiting alone on an empty sun-hot tarmac to the strange, authoritarian formality in everything that’s said and shown to them via their guide Sung (Bunhok Lim). Life is being scripted for their microphones and cameras and flanked by armed, blank-faced teenagers. The movie’s square-framed cinematography, too, reminiscent of a staged newsreel, is another subtle touch — one imagines Panh rejecting widescreen as only feeding this evil regime’s view of its own righteous grandiosity.
Only Alain seems eager to ignore the disinformation and embrace this Potemkin village as the real deal (except when his eyes show a gathering concern). But the more Lise questions the pretense of a happily remade society, the nervier everything gets. And when Paul manages to elude his overseers and explore the surrounding area — spurring a frantic search, the menacing tenor of which raises Lise’s hackles — the movie effectively becomes a prison drama, with the trio’s eventual interviewee depicted as a shadowy warden who can decide their fate.
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Journalism has never been more under threat than right now and “Meeting with Pol Pot” is a potent reminder of the profession’s value — and inherent dangers — when it confronts and exposes facades. But this eerily elegiac film also reflects its director’s soulful sensibility regarding the mass tragedy that drives his aesthetic temperament, never more so than when he re-deploys his beloved hand-crafted clay figurines for key moments of witnessed atrocity, or threads in archival footage, as if to maintain necessary intimacy between rendering and reality.
Power shields its misdeeds with propaganda, but Panh sees such murderous lies clearly, giving them an honest staging, thick with echoes.
‘Meeting with Pol Pot’
In French and Cambodian, with subtitles
Not rated
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Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Playing: Opens Friday, June 20 at Laemmle Glendale
Director Phanindra Narsetti’s 8 Vasantalu possesses attributes rare for most Telugu films lately — ambition, conviction, and a distinct sense of originality. It seeks to be a meditative tale that charts the evolution of a girl through love. Mounted on a dreamy canvas, set in a mist-laden Ooty, narrated across seasons, Nature remains witness to her story, and the film aspires to be poetry in motion.
The protagonist, Shuddhi Ayodhya (Ananthika Sanilkumar), is also a 17-year-old poet who learns martial arts from an ailing guru. The director flips the gender dynamic in an opening sequence reminiscent of a quintessential mass film. Shuddhi puts a brash US-returnee, Varun (Hanu Reddy), in his place after he claims that embroidery is a woman’s domain and martial arts are best left to men.
His sexist remark is met with a sharp thud, the message is clear. Yet, she also reminds him that real strength lies in self-restraint. And, the boy is smitten. But Shuddhi isn’t your average teenager. She’s already the author of a bestselling poetry collection and is on a two-year journey across India to write a book, a plea to the world to appreciate a woman for her virtues rather than her appearance.
8 Vasantalu (Telugu)
Director: Phanindra Narsetti
Cast: Ananthika Sanilkumar, Hanu Reddy, Ravi Duggirala
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Run time: 140 minutes
Story: An idealistic teenager comes of age, falling in and out of love
Other characters also make their presence felt. Shuddhi’s friend Karthik (Kanna) has a passion for shoe design, much to the disapproval of his orthodox father. Varun, while leading the life his father had only dreamt of, is crumbling under the pressure of fulfilling that wish, securing admission to Berklee. His father takes a loan from a friend to fund his son’s luxurious lifestyle.
Barring an underdeveloped female character named Anita, the director makes a sincere attempt to flesh out his characters’ ideals and inner worlds. While the stories of the men (Karthik, Varun and Sanjay who appears later) are endearing and display some vulnerability, Shuddhi is too idealistic, sorted, and overachieving for a teenager. Almost no setback dents her spirit.
While the plot has all the ingredients of a sweeping romance told through the lens of a woman who is worthy of admiration, the storytelling lacks grounding, and the impact is diluted by self-indulgent dialogue. Every event becomes an excuse to reinforce Shuddhi’s unwavering spirit, a pursuit that grows tiring after a point.
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It’s hard not to appreciate the pre-interval sequence where Shuddhi speaks of how her mother raised her like a queen, and why she deserves to be treated with dignity (in a breakup). Moments later, at a funeral, she questions the patriarchy, pointing out the irony of a woman, capable of giving birth, being barred from performing final rites.
Pertinent points are raised throughout the film, but they often land flat cinematically. The film finds its footing in a striking action sequence in Varanasi, where Shuddhi unshackles the beast within. All hell breaks loose as the motifs of a tigress and Durga roar to life. Her profound reflections at the Taj Mahal are potent in thought, but their impact is dulled by excess dialogue.
Shuddhi’s love stories with Varun and the Telugu author Sanjay (Ravi Duggirala) have interesting parallels. However, with Sanjay, the director goes overboard in validating his ideas and belief systems.
The metafictional subplot around Sanjay’s novel Rani Malini (about a prostitute who reclaims her agency) is ideologically compelling but disrupts the film’s momentum. The narrative eventually regains some lost ground with Sanjay’s poignant backstory, with a surprise twist, offering a nostalgic nod to the era of love letters and providing insight into the title.
Amid all the tall standards the protagonist sets for herself, it’s difficult to imagine why she would entertain her mother’s idea to marry into a wealthy family, albeit reluctantly. Despite its shortcomings, 8 Vasantalu isn’t a lazy effort. It has a surreal visual texture (cinematography by Vishwanath Reddy) and a story that has a lot to unpack; just that the balance doesn’t come through effectively.
For instance, the parallel shots of Varun and Shuddhi spending sleepless nights as they come to terms with their feelings for each other are a sight to behold. The imagery of a fallen rose petal, symbolising how love breaks and heals Shuddhi, is quietly poignant. Even the title credits, where her journey is shown in reverse, linger long after the film ends.
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Much like the director’s earlier film Manu, it doesn’t know where to stop. While his debut effort was way more cinematically rich, the bloated writing in 8 Vasantalu, where the conversations sound like discourses, dents the overall impact.
Conceptually, the film’s characters, at times, feel like figments of the writer’s imagination rather than beings of flesh and blood, ones we struggle to identify with. Though the little details that complete their world are impressive, more effort could have gone into integrating them with the narrative seamlessly. Even the visuals of Ooty, Kashmir, get a tad too touristy.
Ananthika Sanilkumar gracefully embodies the fiery spirit that Shuddhi is, making every attempt to internalise her resilience and trauma. Hanu Reddy, as the hopelessly lovestruck teenager, has a raw, captivating screen presence. Ravi Duggirala’s character graph is impressive, though his performance has scope for improvement. Kanna Pasunoori is a fine find, and Sanjana Hardageri shows promise in an underwrought part.
It’s surprising that a love story with a plethora of emotions has only two songs, composed by Hesham Abdul Wahab, as part of its album. ‘Parichayamila’, sung by K. S. Chitra, is a melody for the ages. The vibrant, varied costumes, in sync with the film’s mood, are another high point.
Despite its merits, 8 Vasantalu is like a poem that’s too conscious of its style, overstuffed at times, right in its intent but lacking in warmth.
