One of the downsides of streaming services is the ‘original’ content, the films that are only available to stream on that platform, meaning that unless you subscribe you’re unlikely to have the chance to watch.
An obvious example is the brilliant White Tiger on Netflix, this adaptation of the 2008 novel can be described as the Delhi Parasite but has its own distinct feel.
We follow Balram as he leaves his village and becomes the driver to a wealthy landowner’s son. Balram proves adept at learning the tricks needed to escape poverty, showing a ruthless streak when necessary.
His master, Ashok, simultaneously welcomes him as an equal while always keeping him in his place.
When Ashok’s wife causes a tragic accident that her husband’s family ask Balram to take the fall for, his eyes are opened to their true opinion of him and he acts to secure his own future at any cost.
Its canny use of flashbacks and other narrative devices means it starts fast only slows an hour in, when it becomes a more character based film.
The film carries through the central message that underneath our civilised veneers, people will do anything to survive, vividly demonstrated in the way Ashok and his wife quickly shed their liberal beliefs when threatened. If you’ve never tried Netflix before, this one is well worth the cost of a month’s subscription.
Although you can stream or rent 2019’s Bad Education, it’s mainly available in the UK via a NOWTV subscription.
Hugh Jackman leads as Frank Tassone, the superintendent (headmaster) of a large US school, attempting to cover up embezzlement.
Jackman gives the best performance of his career in a smart and quite moving film about fraud, both financial and personal.
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