We are back with our monthly report on the SonyLIV streaming platform. In June 2023, the streaming service bestowed five entries. Kafas was the only original project from SonyLIV’s arsenal this month. The rest were licensed projects.
Here Today (Movie/Licensed) – Miss
Living (Movie/Licensed) – Hit
2018 (Movie/Licensed) – Hit
Psi Cops (TV Series/Licensed) – Hit
Kafas (TV Series/Original) – Miss
Let’s have a look at them!
Here Today (June 1, 2023)
Here Today is a story about veteran comedy writer Charlie Burnz (played by Billy Crystal), who gradually starts losing his connection with reality due to dementia. Despite his disease, he befriends Emma Payge (played by Tiffany Haddish), a young street singer from New York. Their unique but heartfelt bond of friendship shatters all myths about the generation gap and redefines the meaning of trust and love. Crystal also helmed this project. This one has noble intentions and fine performances from the leading duo. However, their on-screen chemistry and overall humour did not connect well with viewers. The script also received criticism from critics.
Living (June 2, 2023)
Serving as an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 Ikiru, Living revolves around Rodney Williams (played by Bill Nighy), a seasoned civil servant residing in London. Mr Williams is an important member of the city’s bureaucracy as it endeavours to rebuild and recover from the events of World War II. This all changes after Williams receives a devastating medical diagnosis, forcing him to look back at this life and grasp some sort of fulfilment before it becomes too late. Nighy delivers one of his best acting performances in this one. He also received a nomination for Best Actor at this year’s Academy Awards for his breathtaking performance in the film.
2018 (June 7, 2023)
2018 is a disaster flick set during the 2018 Kerala floods, where people from different backgrounds endured the disastrous consequences and united in their struggle for survival, displaying their collective efforts to ensure their survival from the calamity. It stars Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Narain, Asif Ali, and many more talents. Both critics and audiences heavily praised the cast’s performances, screenwriting, cinematography, and direction. It emerged as the highest-grossing Malayalam movie of all time.
Psi Cops (June 12, 2023)
The duo of inseparable buddies and coworkers, Kydd (Chris Nielsen) and Felixx (Bart Batchelor), are one of the top detectives in the paranormal agency, Psi Cops, specialising in investigating eerie and paranormal cases and supernatural crimes. The show has received a fantastic response from viewers, who loved its stupidity, rapid-fire banter, breakneck speed, and belly-aching humour. It is an outrageous and LOL riot. A must-watch!
Kafas (June 23, 2023)
Kafas is a tale of power and privilege overpowering the values of justice and truth. The narrative follows a middle-class family whose celebration of their son’s once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity turns into a haunting nightmare after learning a shocking truth. This scenario puts them against the influences of power and the complexities of morality. The leading duo of Sharman Joshi and Mona Singh disappoints in this one. However, Mikhail Gandhi and Tejasvi Singh Ahlawat save the show from being a lacklustre watch by delivering top-notch performances. The series fails to take proper advantage of its intriguing premise. Its critical subject needed better handling.
SonyLIV did not offer a single original entry to viewers in May 2023. And in June this year, the streaming platform delivered only one original show, Kafas. This scenario clearly shows the lack of original entries on the streaming service. This scenario limits SonyLIV’s growth opportunities and adds more woes to its ongoing struggle to differentiate itself from the likes of Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and more in the Indian streaming market.
SonyLIV’s success score in June 2023: 60% (based on the quality of shows/movies)