Vetrrich_Chelvan

I instead asked chatgpt to tell me the story and read through. The screenplay is dead slow and the unraveling of the mystery doesn't pique any kind of curiosity. I was able to predict the mystery behind the new priest easily and again the entire episode is one long snooze fest. If you made it till the end, congrats. Here's your award for being the patient human on Earth.

Kuberaa (2025) Bilingual (Telugu/Tamil) Socio-Political Thriller Runtime: 182 minutes (3 hours)

Shekhar Kammula takes on a subject most of us ignore every day - begging and homelessness - and carefully weaves a political thriller around it, exposing corrupt politicians and greedy corporates.

The writing in the first half is meticulous - intricately detailed, like a work of art - with Dhanush carrying the entire film on his shoulders. But as a fellow writer, I know the first two acts are always easier than the third.

You can tie as many knots as you want in the thread of a storyline, but even a slight tug on the wrong knot can unravel the entire plot. And sadly, that's what happened with Kuberaa.

I wish Shekhar had seen this coming. Had he trimmed the three-hour runtime and written a stronger third act, Kuberaa could've ended on a high. Instead, it's the disastrous climax that lingers in memory.

Still, Sekhar Kammula has a good heart. I'll tell you that.

With regret, Vetrrich Chelvan.

Forgotten (2017) Korean language psychological thriller Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes Watched on Netflix Reviewed on 20th July 2025 (Sunday)

I'm a fan of films with gray characters - morally ambiguous, psychologically fragile, utterly messed up people. But building an entire screenplay around such characters comes with its own risks.

Jin-Seok moves into a new home with his family. His brother gets kidnapped and returns after 19 days - but he's not the same. Neither are their parents. If they're not his family, then who are they? And why are they doing this to him?

Eventually, you realize this isn't really Jin-Seok's story. It's about a five-year-old boy caught in a murder scene. But what does Jin-Seok have to do with the murders?

Nothing.

Jin-Seok has no agency in the story. Fate takes over. Coincidence distorts everything. And by the time the film ends, you're left wondering: what exactly did I just watch?

I wish the story hadn't contorted itself so much just to deliver a tragedy. Ironically, it made me appreciate the simplicity of clear heroes and villains.

With indifference, Vetrrich Chelvan.