Vetrrich_Chelvan

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.

Approximately a year ago, I watched the much-celebrated Oppenheimer. I did not like it. I wish I liked it, but these documentary-type slow-burn movies or series are not really my type. I wish I had known that before I started watching Mindhunter.

The series follows two characters - Holden and Bill trying to get into the mind of serial killers, a groundbreaking research of its time, comes with its own obstacles. I did not hate watching Mindhunter but I wish it had something to hook me up but unfortunately we just witness the lives of these characters passing by in front of us.

Not much emotional, or informational, or dramatic, Mindhunter is like a breeze, you can and should watch it as a background drama while you are doing household chores. I liked the characters, the production quality, and direction, but the screenplay could have been written more entertainingly as Netflix suggested Fincher.

I could not and will not complete watching this series as I have shelved it for now but I hope I finish it someday.

With Sankatam, Vettrrich Chelvan NETFLIX150625.