Anuraj Chaudhuri

One might get mixed feelings about this show. The plot appears to be somehow far-fetched. Unlikely reflexes have been shown by some characters. The protagonist's power of deducing with the help of minimal circumstantial clues are at times quite unconvincing and indecipherable. And the questions that come to your mind quite often are, why would the Vicar even do that? Why was it so tough for him to reveal the truth in the beginning itself? Why is the journalist so involved in this? Why was Janace so unconvincingly stubborn? But, despite all these loopholes, the pace of the show and the buildup of suspense make you binge-watch the show. The creators have wonderfully created the sense of foreboding that shakes your heart. The story tells us how bad choices sometimes lead us to our doom. Being pro actors, all major characters have done outstanding jobs. David Tennant, Lyndsey Marshal, Dolly Wells, Louis Oliver have given such convincing and bone chilling performances. Others have not been bad either. Watch it, you will not be disappointed.

It's a simple yet very compelling movie that explores people and how their emotions work. The movie doesn't generalise people or stereotype them. You find a bunch of very realistic characters. Watch it for the performances of all lead characters and most of the supporting cast. Watch it for the simplistic yet very realistic storytelling. And watch it because it does not preach you or anybody else about what is right and what is wrong or who is right and who is wrong. What I liked in this film is how the media is presented and how the police system is explored. Here it stands in stark contrast with how the media was presented in the 2021 movie, Dhamaka. Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah have given stellar performances. Vidya Balan never has ever disappointed me. She always lives the character she plays and this was not an exception either. Shefali Shah is emerging as the OTT queen I guess. After Delhi Crime and Human, Jalsa will definitely add a feather to her crown. But who will definitely catch your eyes is Surya Kasibhatla. He has cerebral palsy in real life and in this movie, he will certainly amaze you with his acting skills. Rohini Hattangadi as Vidya Balan's mother and Shrikant Yadav as Police Inspector More have been good too. This is why I say that you should watch this movie just for their performancec. Another surprising element that might interest you is how compellingly the sound effects are used in this film. It makes you have chills run down your spine. As I have already said, the story isn't much complex, but it is not the story that you should watch the movie for, you should watch the movie for how that simple story is told and how the characters are developed to fit in that story. I would give the movie 4 stars.

Absolutely outstanding. So relevant and accurate. That's how the movie made me feel. The movie is loosely based on the infamous killing of T1 who was responsible for the deaths of 13 villagers. Nothing over the top. You feel as if you are experiencing everything firsthand. Character portrayal is so real that it doesn't look like a movie at all. No catchy dialogues, no jump scares, no effort to make the jungle look surreal. There is rather a sense of authenticity about it. The raw nature of the jungle and the problems are presented before you with no added spices. It is true that the movie poses itself as a satire of Indian political system, however, you don't feel it to take the helm and overshadow the real issue of the conflict between man and nature. I adore Vidya Balan and it was treat to my eyes to see her in a relatable role after a brief period of recess. However, Vidya Balan is not the central character here, the tussle between man and nature is not only the soul but also the shell of this movie. How the bureaucracy and politics bat a blind eye to nature and wild animals has been so astoundingly presented that you feel helpless at times and angry at others. Vijay Can, Brijendra Kala, Neeraj Kabi to even the extras have acted so well that the movie is worth watching just for the acting. Sharat Saxena in the role of Pintu Bhaiya, the hunter, is rather used as comic relief and the representative of all those who take advantage of the vulnerability of nature for their recreation. In this age of over the top dramas with fifty year old heroes flaunting VFX and and dating teenage heroines, this movie will certainly restore your faith in Indian movie industry. You should definitely give it a try so that more such movies are made. I give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 stars.

When first try making slow-mo videos, you often become obsessed with them and start applying the effect on every video on your phone. The director seems to be suffering from that slow-mo syndrome. After spending one of the most boring 90 minutes of my life, I am still trying to process why the director did not go for a short film. The story of the movie could be summed up in a short film of 9 minutes or so. The story : A woman escapes from an arranged marriage and gets engaged into a chasing game with the people she is escaping from. Losing her parents, she gets lost in the Mayan jungles near the border of mexico and eventually meets with a group of mexican rubber collector. They captures her and then starts a long slow walk through the jungle. The jungle with all its intensity and sombre atmosphere brings out the exploitative nature of the men who individually try to objectify the woman for their own pleasures and meet with their deaths eventually. The movie felt like a philosophical commentary on the nature of men, how they objectify and exploit women, and how there is scope for women to fight back. However, the slow pace does not allow you to properly comprehend the intense chord the movie tries to pull. You feel so bored to watch it that you eventually lose interest and don't bother about the plot or where it is taking you. You don't care what message the movie is trying to convey. The complete lack of expression on the face of the protagonist makes you rather disturbed and uninterested. The ending explains why she was so expressionless, but most people won't wait for the ending because they will be bored to death halfway through the movie and might not finish watching it. However, the foreboding nature of the jungle has been brought out skillfully by the director. The dark atmosphere and the raw presentation of the jungle sometimes make you feel uncomfortable and that is the only noticeable and memorable thing from the movie. Watch it if you wish to be bored or have nothing else to do.

The trailer was interesting, the movie isn't. That sums up the experience of watching the movie. An unknown global catastrophe turns the world insomniac leading to their insanity and eventual death. A little girl is an exception and is now the centre of a lot of people's attention, some fanatics, some scientists who will eventually turn fanatics. What is the mystery behind her being an exception? Sounds interesting? Well, my summary will prove to be more interesting than the movie itself. The basic storyline is fine, but its execution on screen is quite unconvincing and boring. The escalation from a regular everyday life in a township to the chaos initiated by an unknown catastrophe was quite abrupt and indigestible. And then there was nothing; a sudden drop in the intensity and the story falls flat. Everything that happens afterwards is absolutely unconvincing and childlike. It seemed the script writer suddenly left his work and let his child write the rest only to pick it near the end to give a final touch, which by then had had lost its purpose. Acting was good, I must admit. The little girl, Ariana Greenblatt, has given a stellar performance though the movie did not do justice to such fine acting. Editting is okay. I am happy that the movie was barely 90 mins long. If it were longer, I would definitely not finish it. I would give two stars (**). One(*) for the beginning and editting, and one(*) for the acting.

My decision to watch the movie turned out to be a big disappointment. Everything about the film seemed off, from acting to plot to character development. A lot of questions will certainly arise in your mind. Why was it needed for the Drug Dealer to get the boy killed? Why was the boy killed in broad day light in front of customers and why did the killer come riding a bike that would not be so tough to find out in a small town? Why was the police so reluctant to solve the case? Why did they even forged a false story of a black person being the killer? Why was Addison so obsessed to solve the case? Nothing in the movie shows that he was a great and close friend of the killed boy. Ansel's acting was not convincing enough to make you feel the trauma that might cause his obsession. Even his obsession was not convincing enough. Why would the drug dealer involved reveal the name of the killer when that could lead to him? There was no chemistry between Ansel and Chloë. Their awkward romance between them was an eyesore. I think the director was confused regarding whether to make a romance or a thriller and ended up making none.

Viewers on Google have given the movie such good ratings and that was enough for me to give the movie a try, but I must admit, I didn't find the movie so intriguing that it would hook me to my seat. The movie deals with such a strong issue like child trafficking, but the countless 'stereotypes' could not let me feel the gravity of the issue. stereotype 1 : The vigilante is a typical revenge seeker with her blood boiling with rage. Stereotype 2 :The lead character is a typical vulnerable police officer common in this genre where the lead investigator is always shown to have his or her vulnerability turn into strength. Stereotype 3 : Corrupt Government officer/minister who is just corrupt. A villain who is just a villain is good to watch in a melodrama or a fairytale. If this movie has to deal with a subject line child trafficking, it mustn't have such a weakly developed negative character. Stereotype 4 : Middle Eastern sheikhs are all pedophilic predators who prey on young girls exported to them by corrupt ministers of poor countries. Stereotype 5 : A reluctant and disbelieving superintendent (Captain George) who is always on the edge. He is always grumpy, always irritated, always at the verge of losing his temper, and loses his temper at everything too. Why? No proper explanation again. No character build up led me to feel nothing for the characters. They are as flat as the earth of flat-earthers all throughout the movie. Halfway through the movie, you already know what is going to happen in the end. And your vulnerable lead character suddenly becomes a slick superwoman who can go any length to finish a job somebody else started. And yes, they could have worked on the wound marks on the victims' chests. They looked so unreal that I literally felt disgusted. I expected watch a movie, not a stage theatre, for God's sake. You may give it a try. If you get bored within half an hour, just leave it. By that time you will already guess what's going to happen. It will save your time.

A woman wakes up in a pod with oxygen level going down fast leading to her imminent death. She doesn't remember who she is. She fights against all odds to survive. Well that's the synopsis. The entire movie features a single character's struggle to survive and everything happens inside the pod with regular flashbacks that gradually reveal the back story. It gives you the vibe of the film 'Gravity'. There is the right amount of suspense that keeps you hooked and you eagerly wait for the answer to the question whether she will survive. The pace of the movie I must say is tiresome at points. The editors could easily reduce the duration to 85 or 90 mins. I often felt like fast forwarding to get to the next scene. The acting is on point. The lead actress, Mélanie Laurent, is just the right choice in this role. She portrayed both vulnerable and determined sides of her character really well. You feel her helplessness and her agony. The space scenes were not so captivating. They could have worked on them. Overall, you won't be disappointed if you go for this one. A good weekend watch especially if you are under lockdown and have nothing exciting to do.

Spoiler Alert: This movie is basically Disney Tangled with a different touch, more intense, more intriguing. The plot though predictable to some extent hooks you up to your seat. You wait for the evil mother (was she?) to face the consequences of her actions, and the ending does justice to that. Both the protagonists have done wonderful job. Sarah Paulson as the psycho mother and and Kiera Allen as the deceived daughter have played their roles really well. Editing is wonderful and the background score is perfect. Even the gloomy setting was exactly what you wanted. You should definitely give it a try.