‘Aaro’, starring Joju George and Anumol in the lead, takes you through the streets of Thrissur, constantly reminding us of the city’s beauty and soul. After all, Thrissur has a certain charm to it, thanks to its slang, free-flowing dialogues, and the perky characters. ‘Aaro’ too rides on this charm and delivers a decent first half, introducing us to various nuances of the town and its people.
Anumol plays Thamara, a single mother who sells flowers in the Sree Vadakkumnathan Temple compound for her livelihood. She boldly stands up against the men in her colony who never miss a chance to harass her. Her son Shiva is independent and kind, though he runs into trouble with the police often for his involvement in petty theft cases.
Despite the interesting setting, what ails ‘Aaro’ directed by debutant Kareem, is its weak writing and execution. Though the makers try to create some intrigue in the first half by focusing on a stranger Murugan (Kichu Tellus) who tries to reach out to Thamara, the film does not offer anything new or interesting in the second half. The makers also try to introduce a twist at the climax, but it fails to create an impression on the audience, especially due to its old-school treatment.

Director Kareem, who has also co-written the story along with Rasheed Parakkal, seems to be a fan of Mammootty, throwing in references from the veteran actor’s previous films, including the 2010 film ‘Pranchiyettan and the Saint’. Kalabhavan Navas, who plays a hopeless lover in the movie, serves as a spoof character and is often spotted wearing Mammootty T-shirts.

Joju George plays a police officer in the film, though he does not have a full-fledged role. He is a constant presence in the town, gaining the people’s trust through his soft demeanor. Though his character is extremely under-written, it is still a joy to watch the actor onscreen, given the intensity with which he portrays his character. Joju has essayed cop roles multiple times, but he still retains freshness in all his cop characters.
Anumol, who has often portrayed female-centric characters in films like ‘Padmini’ and ‘Rockstar’, pulls off Thamara well. Jayaraj Warrier, Sunil Sukhada, Kichu Tellus, Sudheer Karamana also did justice to their roles, though it is the young boy who played Anumol’s son who stood out for his performance. The songs by Bijibal don’t make much impact on the film, which is largely story-driven.

The shot clock is ticking down on Warner Bros. Discovery in its effort to land a new media rights deal for the NBA.

Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav said Thursday the company continues negotiating with the league to retain its package of NBA contests, a marquee attraction for its TNT cable channel, but offered no clue on where the discussions would end up.

“We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to reach an agreement that makes sense for both sides,” Zaslav told Wall Street analysts on the company’s first-quarter earnings call. “We have had a lot of time to prepare for this negotiation and we have strategies in place for various potential outcomes.”

Zaslav added that the company has the rights to match offers from other companies. But the executive took no questions about what could be a game-changing deal.

Comcast reportedly has a $2.5-billion offer in with the NBA for a package of games to air on its Peacock streaming service and its broadcast network NBC. Amazon’s Prime Video is said to have a deal for exclusive NBA games as well, adding to the streaming service’s growing portfolio of sports properties.

With Disney’s package for ESPN and ABC expected to remain in place, the focus has been on whether anything will be left on the table for Warner Bros. Discovery. There has been speculation that the company could end up with fewer games under a new arrangement that takes effect after the 2024-25 season.

Losing the package would bring long-term ramifications for Warner Bros. Discovery’s carriage arrangements with cable and satellite operators, who pay fees to carry its channels. The company would have to negotiate
its next round of deals for TNT and other channels without offering the NBA, at a time when such talks are increasingly contentious.

Despite strong continued growth for its direct-to-consumer streaming business, the first-quarter earnings picture for Warner Bros. Discovery was mixed. The company missed Wall Street’s expectations on revenue, which declined year-to-year by 7% to $9.96 billion. Analysts expected $10.2 billion.

The company posted a net loss of 40 cents a share, compared to 24 cents a year ago.

The direct-to-consumer business added 2 million subscribers in the third quarter. Streaming ad revenue grew 70%.

Sales for its linear TV networks, which include TNT, CNN and Discovery, fell 8% to $5.13 billion. Soft demand for TV commercials pushed ad revenue down by 11%.

The company’s studio division saw a 13% year-to-year drop in revenue to $2.82 billion. Zaslav cited the delay in the movie pipeline due to last year’s work stoppages by writers and actors. The unit was also hurt by the poor box office performance of “Suicide Squad.”

Zaslav said the company is dedicated to improving the studio’s performance by taking advantage of its existing film franchises such as “Harry Potter.” He said the studio has begun script development on a new “Lord of the Rings” film, produced by Peter Jackson.

Warner Bros. Discovery announced Wednesday that will offer consumers its Max streaming service in a bundle with Disney’s Hulu and Disney+. The package will be available in the U.S. starting this summer and can be purchased through any of the three streaming platforms’ websites.

Zaslav said the new offering will increase retention of subscribers. Pricing has not been disclosed.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock traded slightly higher Thursday morning at $8.02 a share.

Review: Directed by Mathieu Turi, ‘The Deep Dark’ is a claustrophobic thriller set in the shadowy confines of a subterranean cave. The film opens in 1856 with an explosion that causes a tragic collapse, hinting at the dangers that await a new group of miners tasked with recovering valuable artifacts. The story centers around professor Berthier (Jean-Hugues Anglade), who leads a team of young men into a mine with the promise of riches. However, the team’s collective greed and the professor’s insistence on going deeper into the cave result in a landslide, trapping them inside. As they attempt to find a way out, they awaken a deadly creature that was best left undisturbed.

One of the film’s most striking features is its use of black and white cinematography (by Alain Duplantier), which effectively underscores the dark theme and creates a sense of claustrophobia. However, the monochrome visuals can be tiring over time, and you might find yourself craving a splash of color to break the monotony. Turi’s direction emphasizes the eerie atmosphere of being trapped in an enclosed space with threats lurking around. The film’s slow-burn approach allows for a gradual build-up of tension, but the real action doesn’t kick in until later, which can test your patience.

Once the killing starts, however, ‘The Deep Dark’ delivers relentless bloodshed with some of the most gruesome and creative slayings seen in a horror film. That said, faster pacing of this Lovecraftian horror with more spooky action and less talk would have been ideal. Performances are decent but Amir El Kacem as Amir and Diego Martín as Miguel stand out. Also, because their characters have been fleshed out better than the others. The film relies heavily on jumpscares and special effects, with mixed results. The creature design is appropriately grotesque, but it at times feels gimmicky rather than genuinely terrifying. Despite this, the overall atmosphere and the sense of impending doom keep the audience on edge.

‘The Deep Dark’ succeeds in its primary goal of creating a tense and unsettling horror experience, though it struggles with pacing and character development. Once the action gets going, the film becomes a relentless bloodbath, leaving the audience gasping for breath and longing for daylight. While it’s not without its flaws, Turi’s commitment to a dark and suspenseful narrative makes it a decent addition to the horror genre.