FireFly

Alright, another one for the 'interesting but ultimately mixed bag' shelf of Kannada indie cinema. FireFly (2025), caught it on OTT, and yeah, it fits right in with recent films like Edagaiye Apaghatakke Karana, Nodidavaru Enanthare, and Agnyathavasi - a mixed bag of fresh ideas that just didn't quite hit the sweet spot. (If you've got time, check out my reviews for the last two films on IMDb.)

So, the director of FireFly clearly binge-watched Wes Anderson's entire filmography, then threw in some Mumblecore angst and a dash of Bertrand Blier/Quentin Dupieux absurdity for good measure. The result? A film that looks gorgeous, with a tone that's surprisingly confident for a debut. Seriously, the visual grammar alone deserves a shout-out.

But here's the thing: a pretty picture can't always make up for a flimsy story. The absurd comedy mixed with past trauma never quite gels. It needed a far more interesting screenplay, something that felt less like a bunch of cool scenes strung together and more like a cohesive narrative. And those forced romantic angles and comedic bits were just bland and clichéd. The whole bit with the middle-aged boozer felt like directorial self-indulgence - visually exciting, sure, but narratively pointless. All the grand retrospective themes the director aimed for felt, well, a bit amateurish in the writing. Better actors might have salvaged some of it, but as is, it's a bit of a Luddite's lament. Honestly, only Achyuth Kumar and Sudharani as the lead parents, and Sheetal Shetty, delivered some genuinely good acting.

A crisper runtime would've been nice. Even the action sequence felt like it needed a severe trim. And actor Shivarajkumar's cameo? While he's been on a roll lately with his choices, this one was just... okay. Needed more punch, more integration into the main narrative.

In the end, 'Firefly' lands just above average. It's not a disaster, and for the attempt at something fresh in Kannada cinema, it's worth a casual watch if you keep expectations in check.

Vicky loses his parents in an accident and falls into coma. Post recovery, he is unable to cope up with the loss of his parents and that pulls him deep into depression. He struggles to figure out a solution as he doesn't try to find a purpose for his life. He is sleep deprived and all his attempts are to treat his symptoms only. He finally learns to seek external help and during that journey of self heal, he finds the right path. How does he find the right path and get control of his life, forms rest of the story.

Vamshi Krishna Srinivas and his team, especially the art director and cinematographer deliver a film that is technically brilliant. The set pieces and the camera angles give a distinct identity for this film and it is rare to see such a work in Kannada film industry. The film is definitely worth a watch for this aspect alone. What the film needed was the balanced writing with right amount of emotional scenes. This is where the director falters a bit in his depiction of loneliness as the first half gets too repetitive and thus unengaging.

Story wise the screenplay takes off late in the second half and the creatively shot scenes try hard to elevate the scenes. I wish the focus was equally given on the emotional aspect during the first and second act instead of repeating the scenes with the same humor. It is the final act where the film's writing get some weightage. Shivanna's cameo is fun but less impactful despite the final reveal. Vamshi is the new talent to look out for and hopefully he will polish his writing skills to deliver a film that is true to his ability.