Certain films may not appear to be excellent in the trailer yet end up being incredible. You might even argue that 2021 has provided more surprises than any other year. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sony Liv, Zee 5, and Disney+ Hotstar have all delivered some unexpected mind-blowing films across several genres. While we wait for all of that Oscar bait to make its way to theatres, let's take a look back at some of the year's biggest surprises thus far.

International Business Times presents you with the top five movie hits that surprised the audiences.

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Home

This film now holds a 9 rating on IMDb.

Indrans, Sreenath Bhasi, Naslen K, and Manju Pillai star in this family drama directed by Rojin Thomas. The Amazon Original film has been appreciated by reviewers and audiences alike.

The entire film is relevant to a large number of families of this generation. Members of a family who live in the same house but are estranged from one another, having meals at the same table but with their hearts and thoughts elsewhere.

Oliver, the father, has been unable to adapt to new technologies. This technologically handicapped father makes a desperate attempt to bond with his young boys.

Mental health, millennials and Gen Zers living their lives on social media, the rise of cellphones in modern society, the way we humans take for granted those closest to us while going above and beyond for others, the generational frustration patterns – all of this is effortlessly woven into the storey without feeling cluttered or strained.

In addition to the film's universally attractive narrative, viewers are raving about the film's surprise twist-read finale. A personal event prompted Rojin to write the film's finale. His father prompted him to write the flashback sequence where Indrans tells his kid an inspiring story. It was genuine.

A heartwarming film with basic yet effective comedy. The film's message was very clear: HOME is a place where you can do anything and your family will still accept and love you. With an excellent premise and a tale that appeals to viewers of all ages, this film has grabbed fans' hearts.

 

Dial 100

Dial 100 is a Bollywood thriller, suspense drama film that is now streaming on ZEE5.

"While Dial 100's cynical message is spot on," Film Companion's Rahul Desai said, "the film's gimmicky execution guarantees that the film is about as unexpected as a traffic congestion in Andheri East."

The film, directed by Rensil D'Silva, demonstrates how parents will go to any extent to protect their children. In this ZEE5 Original, Officer Nikhil gets a frantic woman's suicide call. Nikhil realises the woman's objectives as the call develops. Officer Nikhil is trying to calm her down when he finds she has acquired a pistol.

The movie stars Manoj Bajpayee, Neena Gupta and Sakshi Tanwar in the lead roles.

Manoj Bajpayee plays a middle-class person who has failed as a spouse and parent. Neena Gupta's unexpected Seema Pallav has you shivering from the start but simultaneously emotionally engaging you as a heartbroken mother who wants vengeance for her son's tragic death.

A good, engaging film. At a time when young people are being drawn into the world of drugs and other vices, the movie is a must-see for parents and their adolescent children. There is a shocking lesson for all of us there.

 

Welcome Home

Welcome home rated 7.5 on IMDb, is based on actual events.

This crime, drama, and horror film follows Anuja and Neha as they attempt to complete a basic task set by their work and find themselves taken captive by a family of vicious psychopaths who live alone in the middle of nowhere. With no way out as they attempt and fail again, there is only one path forward: murder or perish trying.

This film is a completely new idea for Bollywood. Indie slasher flicks are rare. This film is scared to expose reality. The movie portrays fantastic feminism and filthy patriarchy.

It's melodramatic and theatrical, especially in the first half, but it becomes stronger in the second. The musical score is the show's lifeline. The screenplay and pace get us all into the narrative. The excellent narrative keeps us on the edge of our seats. An impressive set, makeup, and costumes.

The Pushkar Mahabal film also adds patriarchal dimensions to the lives of Anuja (Kashmira Irani), Neha (Swarda Thigle), and Prerna (Tina Bhatia). Both are being kept against their will, while the third has lost her sense of individuality. The leads make at least some poor choices that they subsequently regret.

Welcome Home is now available on Sony Liv.

 

Shiddat

This film, directed by Kunal Deshmukh, has an IMDb rating of 8. This romantic drama is currently available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

The enchantment of love is the purity of commitment and loyalty to a cause, which is what this film's narrative is all about.

Shiddat is a film about a young guy who goes to extraordinary lengths to reunite with his love. He travelled thousands of kilometres by air and water to marry his true love. This film reminds us that distance is irrelevant when one is in love. This film urges us to join with our spouses via understanding and compromise at difficult moments in our relationships.

Radhika Madan, Sunny Kaushal, Mohit Raina, and Diana Penty star in the film. Sunny's JAGGI role is quite charming and energetic, and one can connect with him in the majority of the situations.

The film's song Akhiyan Udeek Diyan is a version of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's 1993 qawwali song of the same name. Yohani, a Sri Lankan singer who gained prominence for her performance of the song 'Manike Mage Hithe,' made her Hindi cinema debut with the female version of the title tune.

 

Blood Red Sky

Blood Red Sky arrived on Netflix with little hype but quickly rose to the top of the Top 10 rankings in July 2021 due to good reviews, which is surprising given that it is a German- and English-language picture with no well-known stars in the United States.

The supernatural drama takes place onboard a hijacked international aircraft, but the hijackers are unaware that one of the travellers is not fully human. This unexpectedly decent film is filled with bloody horror and shocks.

Vampires on a Plane is surprisingly powerful and fun. The primary cast is well-developed, with distinct personalities and motives. Like Train to Busan, it also shows how greed and the "evil that lurks within" may condemn others and oneself in disastrous situations.

A dark comedy about human connections, the extent we'll go to seek love, and how the selfish and anxious destroy everything for everyone else.

Twists and turns throughout ensure that nothing is as it appears, keeping you on the edge of your seat for the duration of the film. From one moment to the next, you never know what to anticipate.

Peri Baumeister, Dominic Purcell, Kais Setti, and Graham McTavish star in the picture, which is directed by Peter Thorwarth.

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