Manasa Hegde

Sags in the middle but the finish earns it back.

A quiet, understated film that trusts its audience more than most recent releases have. No dramatic score cues telling you how to feel — the performances do that work instead. Some viewers will find the deliberate pace frustrating, and that's a fair criticism. The final act payoff justifies the patience it demands from you earlier on. Cinematography is restrained in the best way, letting scenes breathe without over-directing them. This won't be for everyone, but for the right audience it'll stick with you long after the credits.

Sags in the middle but the finish earns it back.

One of those films the whole hall was invested in.

First-day-first-show energy in the theatre made this twice as fun as it probably deserved to be. Whistles and claps through the entire second half, the crowd was fully locked in. Judging this purely on script terms would be unfair — this is a theatrical experience first. The interval block is one of the best I've seen this year, genuinely well staged. Second half loses some steam once the initial high wears off, but recovers for the climax. Music is serviceable, a couple of tracks will probably grow on me after a few more listens. For the FDFS crowd energy alone, this was worth being there for.

Sharp writing, and it trusts the audience to keep up.

One of those films the whole hall was invested in.

The lead performance is doing an enormous amount of work here.

Sags in the middle but the finish earns it back.

The score elevates every scene it's in.

Sags in the middle but the finish earns it back.