Netrikann Movie Review: Once Again, Nayanthara Saves a Predictable Thriller With Her Commanding Performance (LatestLY Exclusive)

Netrikann Movie Review: Nayanthara plays the lead in this week's big Tamil release, coming straight on Disney+ Hotstar. Produced by Vignesh Shivn and directed by Milind Rau, Netrikann is a thriller revolving a blind woman being pursued by a relentless serial rapist. RD Rajasekhar is the cinematographer, Lawrence Kishore is the editor while  Girishh Gopalakrishnan has scored the music for Netrikann. Netrikann: Did You Know Nayanthara's Thriller is a Remake of Korean Film Blind? Here's Where You Can Watch the Original!

The movie is an official remake of the South Korean thriller Blind, which interestingly also serves an inspiration for an upcoming Hindi release, starring Sonam Kapoor. Nayanthara plays Durga, a name that should have left the villain wary if he had bothered to ask. A former CBI officer, Durga had lost her eyesight in an accident that also cost the life of her younger brother. While she has lost her eyes, the rest of her sensory abilities have amped up, and so is her guilt of being responsible for her sibling's death.

Meanwhile, the city is plagued by the kidnappings of young girls by a sadistic (Ajmal Ameer) who strips them nude, tortures and rapes them brutally. One rainy night, his eyes fall on Durga who is waiting for a cab. While Durga barely escapes from that encounter, from thereon begins a terrifying cat-n-mouse game between the two. Only if he knew that when not starring in a Rajinikanth or a Thalapathy movie, Nayanthara can be quite a hard nut to crack!

Watch the Trailer:

Thrillers revolving around psychopaths is a genre that Tamil Cinema absolutely loves, and the successes of films like Raatsasan and Psycho are proof enough. But with films being churned out in the genre almost every quarter, there is a sense of tiredness creeping in. Nayanthara herself has done her share of such films like Kolaiyuthir Kaalam and Imaikka Nadodigal. Yes, there is a different trait given to her that she is playing a visually impaired character in Netrikann, but even that isn't new per se for Kollywood. See what Psycho does to Udhayanidhi Stalin. Netrikann Twitter Review: Nayanthara as a Blind Woman Gets a Thumbs Up But the Film Offers Nothing New, Feel Netizens.

Netrikann isn't bad. It is competently directed by Milind Rau, and nicely photographed by Rajasekar. Nayanthara breathes fire into her role, ably switching from being a hounded victim to a gutsy hero within the matter of a single scene. She has some awesome dialogues that if Netrikann had released in theatres, would have elicited claps. Especially in the interrogation scene, where she calls out on the pervert's so-called excuse of social morality when it choosing their victims.

A couple of the scenes are quite thrilling, especially the chase from the metro station to the mall, and later, when Durga confronts the villain at his abode. Ajmal Ameer renditions the despicable antagonist using the cliches we are used to cinematic portrayals of such characters, like creepily smelling the hair of his victims, and keep craning his head here and there. But he does impose a terrifying figure that works in most parts.

It also serves the film well that Durga isn't burdened with a romantic track. There are two men helping her out, but they never come across as knights in shining armour or showing an infatuation with her. Manikandan and Sacchin Nachiappan, who serve those roles, do their parts well.

The trouble is Netrikann keeps churning predictable twists and tropes, and some very questionable loopholes that it is hard to feel concerned for the protagonist's plight after a point. Like, why there has been no CCTV capturing of the villain despite him chasing a victim in public places? Or the film's ridiculous use of the psychoanalysis. Also, what's up with his backstory that throws a twist about his obsession with Durga (that was never felt earlier), but never actually follows up on that?

Netrikann, like most of Tamil potboilers, doesn't really know where and when to end, and thus become bloated. The third act feels unnecessarily extended as the villain chases Durga in her own house which goes on and on, as if the scene is on a loop. Seeing the gratuitous bloodshed on display, at times, I felt like the movie is also obsessed with violence like its serial  pervert. When we know how the events will turn out, and the movie exactly goes that route, isn't it better to prune some of that runtime to cut that chase short?

Yay!

- Nayanthara

- A Couple of Thrilling Scenes

Nay!

- Very Predictable

- A Tiresome Third Act

Final Thoughts

Nayanthara once again commands a thriller with a strong performance. Netrikann is arresting in places, but it comes across as predictable and long-winding towards the end. The film is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2021 04:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).