Honestly, I am not a big fan of sequels, and those released recently have only strengthened my opinion. This Friday, we saw another big release, Housefull 5. Since Day 1, this film has created a lot of buzz and excitement among fans who genuinely enjoyed watching the first few OG films of this franchise. Also, Housefull 5 came with an addition of being a murder mystery along with comedy and a cast bigger than before. But despite all this, did Housefull 5 stand up to the expectations of giving us a good time at the movies? Not really, and I have so many reasons for this. Read the rant before booking the tickets so you save your time, money and energy!
FYI, Housefull 5 has two different endings, 5A and 5 B, and I watched the first one. I am sure, B would have been no different! Stepped into the theatre for a morning show to watch a three-hour-long film that had promised us a murder mystery with an overdose of comedy, but I came out feeling frustrated, angry and disappointed, big time.
It’s been a long time since I watched a funny Hindi film that made me laugh hard at every punchline and scene. Cool, I will still accept a film that failed to amuse me with its humour. But talking about Housefull 5, there was neither comedy nor class. In the name of comedy, this film served us double meaning and sexist jokes. Well, that was not enough, so we also get to see actors exaggerating their expressions and being overdramatic with funny background noises that desperately wanted to evoke laughs and gags. Does this work? No! The characters, their quirks and the chaos felt tiring, stretched and done to a point where I wanted to walk out of the theatre.
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Also, ladies and gentlemen, in 2025, we have a film that objectifies and s*xualises women in ways beyond our thinking. There are scenes that not just left me feeling uncomfortable but also disgusted. A top shot of actresses slipping through the vent, men trying to take a glance at the woman’s body while she is picking up something, and so many more examples of characters behaving like perverts. Was it supposed to be funny? TBH, I was not surprised, but it’s high time we ask, is this male gaze in film still a thing we do?
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I have anyway stopped finding logic in most films nowadays, but it’s just testing my patience now. Housefull 5 is a weirdly constructed whodunnit comedy that goes against the concept of logic, place, time, manners, and filmmaking. To add a callback and reference from Housefull 1, monkeys appear on the cruise in the middle of nowhere. The entire film shifts between a murder mystery and comedy, and both genres lose the plot from the beginning. To the rescue were songs sandwiched into the movie with hopes that it would save the already sinking ship! Nah, again, did not work!
Not sure about the fun, but Housefull 5 certainly reiterated thoughts like- why was this sequel made, how was it funny to the ones who saw it first, why was such a big cast needed, but most importantly, why were such good actors wasted? Why was the film so largely dependent on the male gaze for fun? Why were the female characters stooped to being eye candy? Does the film expect its audience to have no sense of humour, knowledge, understanding, choice or voice at all?
If I had a choice, I would rather have started my morning by watching brainrot reels that have more humour, logic and sense to them than a 2-hour 70-minute-long high-budget, instantly forgettable whodunnit comedy.
Convice nahi karna tha but I am sure aap ho gaye!