Blockbusters, thrillers and chills: What’s streaming and showing in UAE cinemas this week.
The heat is finally starting to ease, the weekend is almost here, and there’s plenty to watch this week. There’s a romcom set in the world of lab coats, a Netflix mystery designed to keep you guessing, Thanos returning to the big screen, and a horror film that arachnophobes may want to steer clear of.
So grab the popcorn — or the karak — and let’s get started.
STAY IN: Streaming picks
The Love Hypothesis · Prime Video · Out now (September 23)
If you like fake-dating romances, this one is for you. Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman lead the cast in the first screen adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling BookTok favourite.
Olive is a brilliant PhD student who realises her best friend Anh has fallen for her crush, Jeremy. To prove she has moved on, she impulsively kisses Adam Carlsen, the most intimidating professor in the department. What starts as a panicked gesture of friendship soon turns into a fake relationship, complete with rules and a deal that suits them both. You can probably guess how it ends.
Claire Scanlon directs from a script by Sarah Rothschild, and the grumpy-professor-meets-sunny-student setup delivers exactly the kind of easy, feel-good viewing a Wednesday night calls for.
The film runs for just under two hours and carries an R rating, making it one to save for after the kids are in bed.
Shaque: Trust No One · Netflix · From Thursday, September 24
Parineeti Chopra makes her series debut in this mystery thriller, which follows a mother’s nine-year search for her missing child.
The supporting cast includes Jennifer Winget, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Soni Razdan, Anup Soni, Harleen Sethi and Sumeet Vyas. Rensil D’Silva directs and co-created the series with Siddharth P. Malhotra.
The title says it all. The show explores the thin line between trust and suspicion, and between love and obsession. D’Silva has described it as a thriller in which every answer raises another question. Clear your weekend — this looks like one made for a binge.
GO OUT: In UAE cinemas from Thursday, September 24
Heart of the Beast (English)
Brad Pitt stars as Special Forces officer James Belmont, who is stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash with his combat dog, Odin.
Directed by David Ayer (Fury), the film promises grit, freezing conditions and, potentially, a few tears. It may be a survival thriller, but at its heart, it is a story about a man and his dog. J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe also star.
Bring tissues. And let’s hope Odin is okay.
Avengers: Endgame — Encore (PG13, English; also in Infinity Vision)
It’s back. The universe is in ruins following Infinity War, and the surviving Avengers assemble for one final attempt to undo Thanos’ snap.
Whether you missed it on the big screen in 2019 or simply want to relive the “Avengers, assemble” moment with a packed cinema, this is your chance. For maximum goosebumps, opt for an Infinity Vision screening.
Crawlers (15+, English)
From John Wick producer Basil Iwanyk, this horror thriller follows a spider infestation that forces an apartment building into lockdown under police quarantine — while the creatures keep multiplying.
Building manager Serena, played by Matilda Lutz, may be the only person who can save everyone, provided she can confront her deepest fear.
You’ll probably be checking your shoes for spiders for the rest of the week.
Bloody Tennis (18+, English)
Sophie wins a place at an elite tennis academy in southern Europe, but things soon take a sinister turn. Part sports drama and part psychological horror, the film explores how much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice to become the best.
Game, set, scream.
Shish Dou (PG15, Arabic)
This is our pick of the week for anyone who likes their comedy dark. Over one chaotic night, two cash-strapped middle-aged friends kidnap an unconscious rich kid for ransom. Predictably, things go very badly.
When a powerful local fixer gets involved, the film becomes a sharp and absurd satire of class and power.
Enna Vilai (18TC, Tamil)
Nimisha Sajayan stars in this courtroom drama about a Rameswaram fisherman whose lucky find — a gold pendant washed ashore — leads to false accusations.
A fearless lawyer takes on his case and challenges a corrupt system in what becomes a stirring underdog story about dignity and justice.
The Paradise (18+, Telugu)
Nani and Mohan Babu headline this period drama set in 1980s Secunderabad. A marginalised tribe faces discrimination and fights for citizenship under an unlikely leader.
It’s ambitious, political and emotionally charged — the kind of film that is likely to stay with you after the credits roll.
