Idiot Box Recommendations

The Imitation Game is a historical drama based on the life of the genius British mathematician Alan Turing who played an important role as crypto analyst in deciphering the Enigma machine- an encryption device used by the Nazis during WW2 to transmit code messages. The script stretches over 3 time periods: Alan’s school life- where he was bullied and where he met with the tragic loss of his love interest, his life at Bletchley Park and the post war period where he was punished for his homosexuality that preceded his suicide (Homosexuality was a crime then). Historians estimate that breaking Enigma shortened the war by more than two years, saving over 14 million lives. Turing's work inspired generations of research into what scientists called "Turing Machines". Today, we call them computers. Unfortunately Alan Turing was never acknowledged enough and for 50 years his work was kept secret. His character is played by the immensely talented Benedict Cumberbatch who blends well with the roll of Alan Turing. Keira Knightley is superb in her role as- Joan Clarke, a lone female involved in deciphering enigma. Although this movie combines facts with fiction, it is an impeccable thriller with an emotional roller coaster attached and with a pace that keeps you hooked throughout. . Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more.

WW2 in color (2009) depicts the major events that took place during the WW2 right from the rise of Hitler to the Japanese surrender in east. What makes it an interesting watch are the fabulous archived footages of the war in color, portrayed in a rather detailed manner with vivid graphics. Robert Powell’s narration is satisfactory. WW2 was magnificent in terms of arms, ammunition, military and unfortunately the amount of human lives sacrificed which have been illustrated in beautiful details in this documentary. This series has actual footages of the thrilling battle scenes and the most horrific moment of world history- The Holocaust. I cried my heart out for a good 10 minutes after watching it. Did you know that an estimated total of 70-85 million people perished during WW2 which was about 3% of the 1940 world population! . Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more.

Jack has turned 5 and is seen jumping around greeting good morning to every object in a tiny room yet there is nothing normal with this! Born to a 24 year old Joy Newsome (Brie Larson) who was abducted at the age of 17, raped repeatedly and kept in confinement in a tiny shed with locked doors and only a small overhead window for light. The duo etch upon a plan and manage to escape. Little jack is now astonished and struggles to cope with the real world. Mother and child relationship undergoes many ups and downs portrayed in an extremely beautiful, overwhelming and emotional manner. Jack’s innocent and simple view of the world will captivate you and you are forced to contemplate at the complexity that you have created around yourself. When joy expresses doubts about herself as a mother, Jack instantly answers “but you are Ma” Several such moments in the movie which will leave you in tears. Jacob Tremblay has done an incredible job as Jack. Brie Larson won the academy award for best actress fairly deserved. . Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more.

Family Man is an espionage thriller starring Manoj Bajpayee as Shrikant a simple, middle class man working as a secret agent for Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell (TASC) – an organization which surveys and identifies terror threats. In the beginning of the show 3 ISIS terrorists are captured from the sea in Kochi and submitted to Shrikant and his team for questioning, this being just the tip of an iceberg. What follows is a larger terrorist conspiracy and a wild cat and mouse chase for a rather unknown enemy. Our Family man here is actually struggling to save his crumbling marriage, proving worthy to his children who consider him a looser while dedicating himself to this highly demanding job and completely ignoring his health. This show manages to pack in sharp, sarcastic humor amidst a thrilling plot. It is a well-executed show inspired by true events. It exhibits how communal violence, mob lynching and radicalization give births to home grown terrorists. Watch this show for Manoj Bajpayee’s stellar performance. If you are a fan of spy shows, you would definitely love this one. . Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more.

Plot: In 1989, a 28 yrs old white female is brutally attacked and raped while jogging in Central Park, New York. Five young black kids aged between 14-16 years are interrogated for 7 hours in the absence of their parents by corrupt officials and coerced to accept the crime which they never committed. Only 12 years later the actual perpetrator confesses and the kids are released loosing most of their youth in prison. Opinion: Based on a true story, Emmy award nominee Ava Du Vernay is the writer and director of this gut wrenching and emotionally draining show. Jharrel Jerome portrays Korey Wise, the only person to be tried in an adult court, exceptionally well. I experienced anger, frustration and breakdowns throughout the show but the floods rolled down when 16 year old Korey Wise takes brutal abuse and beatings several times by the adult criminals in prison. . Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more.

Instagram @idiotboxrecommendations A Multi Million-Dollar Historical Drama. They are the most famous people in the world and yet very little is known about them- the British monarchy. There is so much more to them then what meets the eye. ‘The Crown’ describes the chronicles of ‘Queen Elizabeth II’ and provides a sneak peak into her personal life right from her marriage to prince Philip and her unexpectedly early coronation as the queen after the sudden demise of her father- King George VI. At a tender age, her young shoulders were burdened with the massive responsibility of the crown and as decades pass she evolves from this naïve young lady to a strong women revered across the world. She faces constant conflict between her duty to the crown and her role as a wife, daughter, sister and a mother. Huge sacrifices are made to preserve the integrity of the crown. Perpetually under public scrutiny they hardly enjoy any privacy. Everything the royals say or do becomes a matter of public discussions and sometimes their actions are followed by a huge impact to the public. Pretty stringent, conservative rules are set and they are expected to behave in a certain way and hence they are surrounded by brilliant and experienced men who provide advises regarding what to say, eat, wear or even marry! As years pass, the queen faces major historical crisis affecting the world, engages in world politics while simultaneously coping with a number of personal crisis too. Claire Foy who plays the queen is absolutely brilliant and beauty to watch. Olivia Coleman succeeds her in season 3 fits seamlessly into the character and was an absolute delight as the queen! I Loved Matt Smith as the charming prince Philip. The 100 million production budget is seen in the lavish sets and costumes of the show.

Inspired by the 1996 academy award winner film, directed by Coen brothers of its namesake, Fargo is a crime drama anthology with 3 seasons, each season being a different story, having different characters except for a few overlaps. With each season being a mini-series in its own, the pace is sufficiently satisfactory. Although you might find season 3 a bit slow, the ingenious plot totally makes up for it. Honestly I found this series quite easy to binge watch. The story line is tight and absolutely unpredictable with marvelous surprises and number of twists thrown in your way as it makes its way through snow clad ‘Minnesota nice’. Bloody, gruesome murders with bodies being disposed in large meat grinders, violence, drugs, FBI hostile takeovers, quirky, eccentric characters- everything you expect in a crime show and everything that surpasses these expectations blended with some dark comedy and yet with a totally unanticipated plot is what Fargo unravels. The cast is super talented and their performances are top notch. Billy Bob Thornton is amazing as the malicious serial killer-Lorne Malvo, Kirsten Dunst, Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, David Thewlis are just a few names from the enormous and highly talented

David Aames (Tom Cruise) is a 33 year old American, heir to his late father’s magazine house and lives a flamboyant lifestyle with two love interests- Julianna (Cameron Diaz) and Sophia (Penelope Cruz) when all of a sudden his life changes drastically when his face gets disfigured in a gruesome car accident. Tom Cruise is drool worthy and his performance is outstanding in this movie. David and Sophia’s chemistry definitely manage keep the temperatures soaring. With its nonlinear narration this movie suddenly changes its genre from romance to a psychological thriller which keeps resonating. It really messes up with your brains and its left open to the audience for interpretations. It is so thought provoking that it kept me obsessed over it for quite a few hours and I looked up for its different interpretations and advice you to do the same after u watch it. It implores the concept of the power of the subconscious mind which is used sometimes to escape reality but what happens when u get trapped in it so much so that the lines between them become permanently blurry and everything is just a lucid dream? . Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more.

Walter white is a family loving, well-mannered, responsible high school chemistry teacher with a loving wife-Skyler and a disabled teenage son. His life alters drastically when diagnosed with a terminal lung cancer. In order to secure the family financially and to pay for his treatment, Walter decides to cook and sell methamphetamine using the help of his former student Jesse Pinkman. With a profound knowledge for chemistry Walter manages to cook meth with an unmatched purity and instantly gains recognition for his ‘blue meth’. Initially earning a few thousand dollars Walter gradually builds an empire worth $80million but the drug trade is never easy and Walter has to resort to gruesome murders, violence and deceit in order to save his empire and his family. Ironically Walter’s brother in law is a DEA agent and Walter effectively manages to hide is true identity under the name ‘Heisenberg’ which turns into the most dreaded name amongst the drug lords. Walter and Jesse undergo massive character transformation. From this simple non-violent guy, Walter transforms’ into a greedy and a dangerous criminal which eventually leads to his family abandoning him. Aaron Paul is deep into the character of Jesse Pinkman and will make you fall in love with him. It will break your heart to see Jesse always at the receiving end of injustice. The show constantly resonates between high and low moments. Probably the best fiction show I have ever seen so far. . Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more,

This is a true story about a boy named William Kamkwamba – an ingenious boy who harnessed wind energy by building a turbine to salvage his village from extinction, a village affected by floods, famine and hunger, a village with no electricity or running water supply. This is truly a heartbreaking story about the inordinate sufferings faced by an African country- Malawi, but the relevance is found in many such countries affected by global climate change, yet it’s a story of inspiration and courage- courage to break the shackles that bind you to extreme grief and poverty against all odds. Many a times we take our privileges for granted without even taking into consideration that there are families who are unable to meet even basic needs. With only 1 meal/day, William’s family was on the verge of death by starvation. His strong determination regenerates hopes not only for his family, but also for his village. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more