Over the past couple of years, I’ve surprisingly gotten interested in crime thrillers even though I used to skip them completely. Last night I finally sat down with Stephen, the new Tamil psychological thriller directed by Mithun Balaji and starring Gomathi Shankar and Smruthi Venkat in the lead roles and here’s my honest take on it. Read on!
Plot
Stephen starts with a simple idea where there is a soft-spoken man who walks into a police station and directly makes a confession of killing nine young women after he lured them with fake acting auditions. The case looks done and dusted until a psychiatrist is brought in to decide if he is mentally fit for trial. From the very first session, the film turns into a battle of minds and the more questions she asks, the more ground-shaking things she gets to know. What happens next? No spoilers here!
Performances
Gomathi Shankar carries the film on his shoulders as Stephen. He speaks softly, smiles politely, and still manages to make your skin crawl. One moment he looks broken and the next moment he is having a gala time. So, it is hard to take your eyes off him.
Smruthi Venkat is amazing as the psychiatrist. She is confident and sharp but you can slowly see fear and doubt growing in her eyes. There are no big emotional scenes but her face says everything. Furthermore, Stephen’s parents also leave a nasty taste whenever they appear. They feel real and deeply uncomfortable in the best way.
Verdict: Performances Steal The Show But The Film’s Predictable Story And Loose Ends Let It Down!
Let’s start with what I liked the most. The background score deserves special mention here because it is just not just noise – it elevates the impact of the film. Also, the way the film was shot is good. It almost feels like you are present in the chilly room with them. There are many simple shots but it looks nice on screen. But the film is not perfect. The film moves slowly and sometimes too slowly and a few twists feel predictable long before they arrive. But when the final revelation finally comes, it looks clever but out of place. It ends on an open note and hints at a second part. Some people might like it, while others feel annoyed with it.
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Overall, Stephen is an uneven movie filled with loose ends but is a one-time-watch kind of movie. It looks aesthetically pleasing (sorry, because it’s a crime drama) and features mindblowing performances. The topics about trauma, truth, and manipulation were covered nicely in this film. If only the pacing were tighter and the twists were shocking, this could have been outstanding and extremely memorable to watch. However, it is a good film because sometimes it will raise your eyebrows and will frustrate you. But I’m hoping that the second part is more exciting and filled with mind-boggling twists and moments.
It is available to watch on Netflix.
Are you going to watch it?