'The Residence', 'Mandala Murders', 'Platonic' and 'The Romantics': Our top picks for the weekend watch

The Residence | Mystery | Netflix, 1 season

A person dies in the White House, during a state dinner of all occasions, setting of alarm bells, speculations and scenarios straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. Like, for instance, everyone's a suspect. Enter Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), an eccentric but meticulous detective whose reputation precedes her, but is met with hostility from the word go.

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She must race against time for bilateral relations are at stake, while also fending off barbs from irked staffers and senior officials of the US President's official residence. There are dollops of intrigue, satire and laughter as the show winds down to its finale.

Giancarlo Esposito may have made quite the impression as the ruthless smuggler of illegal substances in Breaking Bad, and he does an encore here too, albeit in a small role.

For fans of: Mystery shows sans gore, whodunits like the Glass Onion franchise, Agatha Christie novels (or movies).

By Rajagopalan Venkataraman

Mandala Murders

Netflix | 1 season | Thriller

When superstition and supernatural collide in a small Indian town, where a series of murders echo the mysterious killings that took place decades ago, police officer Rhea Thomas is deployed to investigate matters. Here, she must deal with clues that point her to a religious cult as she deals with strange happenings; a fellow cop with his own agenda (which leads to missing evidence at times); a patriarchal society where women must live by their wits; dangerous goons out for blood; and a mysterious dream that haunts her day after day.

There are also some allusions to Frankenstein’s monster and Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. But for all that layering, this is a slow burn, so don’t get annoyed if you need to wait a few episodes to figure out what’s happening.

For fans of: tales where nothing is ever as it seems.

By Karishma Nandkeolyar

Platonic

Apple TV+ | 10 Episodes | Comedy / Drama

Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen reunite — and once again, their chaotic best-friend energy just works. In Platonic, they play former college friends reconnecting in their 40s, trying to keep things strictly platonic as they crash through each other's lives with hilarious, sometimes painfully relatable consequences. It's fast, funny, and unexpectedly heartfelt. Think midlife crisis meets party vibes — all in neat 30-minute episodes. You’ll laugh, cringe, and maybe text that one friend you haven’t spoken to in years. Season 2 drops August 6, so this is your perfect catch-up weekend.

For fans of: Shrinking, messy friendships

The Romantics

Netflix | 4 Episodes | Docuseries

With Saiyaara bringing back the magic of old-school Bollywood romance, there’s no better time to revisit the legacy of the studio that made us believe in it in the first place. The Romantics is a fascinating four-part docuseries that pulls back the curtain on the Yash Raj Films empire — one that defined Hindi cinema’s most iconic love stories. But at the heart of this series lies an even more elusive figure: Aditya Chopra. Known for never appearing on camera, he epitomises the phrase 'the man, the myth’ as the current head of YRF and the creative force behind iconic films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

And through understanding his psyche and the YRF legacy, we begin to see why Bollywood’s love stories continue to resonate with today’s youth.

For fans of: Bollywood love stories that stand the test of time

Khaleej Times Staff

webteam@khaleejtimes.com