Ajay Devgn's Raid, Palme d'Or winner The Square, 7 Days in Entebbe, Gringo: Know Your Releases

This week’s releases are an eclectic mix of genres that make for a true cinematic experience. While Raid belongs to Ajay Devgn’s ‘I-am-a-tough-and-honest-officer’ drama genre that usually works well for both the actor and the audience, Hollywood’s 7 Days in Entebbe is a gripping thriller. At the same time there’s Oscar-nominated The Square that has received high praises among critics and audiences abroad, along with the Nash Edgerton-directed black comedy Gringo. Raid

What’s it about: Raid is set in the 1980s. The movie revolves around a famous income tax raid in Uttar Pradesh and is based on real life incidents. Who is in it: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D’Cruz, Saurabh Shukla Why it may work: When it comes to the tales of the righteous officer setting things right in a corrupt world, Bollywood’s go-to actor has been Ajay Devgn. And there’s no doubt it works fine both for the National Award winning actor as well as the audience. Also co-actors Ilean D’Cruz and Saurabh Shukla are powerhouse performers and hence it will be interesting to see these actors together weave a gritty tale. Raid is directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. Gringo

What’s it about: A dark comedy with some elements of thriller and action, Gringo is a tale of a simple businessman (played by Oyelowo) who gets embroiled in a situation where suddenly he becomes a wanted criminal from being a law-abiding citizen. Who is in it: Joel Edgerton, Charlize Theron, David Oyelowo, Thandie Newton, Bashir Salahuddin, Glenn Kubota, Melonie Diaz, Amanda Seyfried **Why it may work:**Dark comedies are tricky, with a film turning out to be a fabulous piece of entertainment or a complete disaster. Gringo, with a stellar cast might get it right, although the reviews of the film in the West haven’t been quite great. Gringo is directed by Nash Edgerton. The Square

What’s it about: The film revolves around a museum curator who hires a PR agency to create hype around an upcoming art exhibit. Meanwhile his personal life becomes a bit unsteady. With the passing days, his professional life, situations around go awry to an extent that both he and the museum land up in an existential crisis. Who is in it: Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West, Terry Notary Why it may work: The Square has received rave reviews across the world wherever it has been screened at film festivals. The film was declared the winner of Palme d’Or of Cannes Film Festival 2017. It was even nominated at the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category. But whether Indian audience is ready for a film like this remains to be seen. The Square is directed by Ruben Östlund. 7 Days in Entebbe

What’s it about: The film is based on 1976’s Operation Entebbe, a rescue operation conducted by the Israel government aimed at bringing back hostages from a gang of feared terrorists who had hijacked an Air France flight en route to Paris from Tel Aviv. Who is in it: Rosamund Pike, Daniel Brühl, Eddie Marsan, Ben Schnetzer, Lior Ashkenazi, Denis Ménochet Why it may work: Thrillers, specially when based on a true-story, work well with viewers. 7 Days in Entebbe is directed by José Padilha.