4 min readBengaluruJul 17, 2026 11:14 AM IST
What to watch on OTT: From action spectacles and historical epics to intimate to emotionally charged family stories, this week’s streaming slate spans continents, languages and genres. The lineup offers everything from prestige cinema and star-led entertainers to heartfelt dramas and high-concept thrillers. Here’s our pick of the titles.
Maa Inti Bangaaram
JioHotstar
Headlined by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Maa Inti Bangaaram is created by Raj Nidimoru, directed by B. V. Nandini Reddy. The film follows a former assassin who is forced to return to her ways after her new family is threatened by past figures. The film, which has emerged as the highest-grossing female-led Telugu film, also features Gulshan Devaiah and Diganth Manchale.
The Secret Agent
Prime video
One of the most talked about movies of 2025, Oscar-nominated The Secret Agent is directed and written by Kleber Mendonça Filho. The movie follows Marcelo (Wagner Moura), an academic and technology expert, who moves to Recife under an alias to escape a complicated past. He discovers that his new refuge is teeming with corrupt police, tracking neighbors, and state-sanctioned hitmen, leaving him relying on the underground resistance to help him escape escape Brazil with his young son during the height of the military dictatorship in 1977.
The Map of Longing
Netflix
The miniseries tells the moving story of Greta (Alicia Falcó), who claims she was born with the purpose of saving her sister Lucy (Georgina Amorós), who suffers from leukemia, through her stem cells. However, events take an unexpected turn and Lucy passes away, leaving Greta with a deep existential void. Before departing, Lucy creates “The map of longing,” a game that challenges Greta to face her grief and discover her own path. On this journey, Greta will meet Will (Pablo Álvarez), an enigmatic young man with a haunting past. The series arrives on July 17.
Ride or Die
Prime Video
The series follows lifelong best friends Debbie (Octavia Spencer) and Judith (Hannah Waddingham), whose seemingly ordinary friendship is upended when Debbie discovers that Judith has secretly been working as an international assassin. After a mission goes disastrously wrong, the two are forced to go on the run across Europe, pursued by dangerous criminals, fellow assassins, and law enforcement.
Desert Warrior
Lionsgate Play
The emperor’s decree is simple: every princess in Arabia belongs to him. When Princess Hind flees into the desert with her father, she hunted by a merciless imperial army and forced to place her trust in a legendary bandit who works only for money. Set in seventh-century Arabia and inspired by the real Battle of Dhi Qar, a clash that sent shockwaves through the Sassanid Empire, Desert Warrior is the most expensive film ever produced in Saudi Arabia. The film is directed by Rupert Wyatt and the cast features Aiysha Hart, Anthony Mackie, Ben Kingsley and Sharlto Copley.
Heartstopper Forever
Netflix
The story of Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) returns as a feature film. The couple is inseparable. But, Nick prepares to leave for university and Charlie finds new independence at school. The reality of a long-distance relationship begins to weigh on them. Doubts take hold, and their relationship faces its biggest challenge yet. Meanwhile, Nick and Charlie’s friends too are navigating the ups and downs of love and friendship. The film is written by Heartstopper creator and graphic novelist Alice Oseman. The film arrives on July 17.
