Night Drive Movie Review: After making superstar blockbusters like Pulimurugan and Madhura Raja, director Vysakh goes 'smaller' with his latest offering, Night Drive. A thriller set in the course of a night's events, the movie stars Roshan Mathew, Anna Ben and Indrajith Sukumaran in the lead. Does the 'experimental' attempt work for the filmmaker known for his massy entertainers that are aimed for the frontbenchers? Night Drive definitely feels fresh in the director's filmography, but is let down by its weak writing and strange character turns. Naradan Movie Review: Tovino Thomas and Anna Ben’s Film Is a Well-Acted Uncompromising Take On Newsroom Politics.

Riya Roy (Anna Ben)  is a hotshot journalist working for a news channel whose relentless investigation has put a corrupt minister (Siddique) under NIA investigation. Her boyfriend Georgy (Roshan Mathews) is an Uber driver working his way for a Gulf visa. On the night leading to her birthday, Georgy proposes to take Riya for a night drive. While returning, they are stopped by the patrolling police officer Benny Moopen (Indrajith Sukumaran), and Ria clashes with him over latter's high-handed attitude. Little does the couple know that the cop will re-enter their lives that very night but with more serious consequences.

Watch the Trailer:

The premise of Night Drive has quite some interesting elements. There is a couple with contrasting personalities where the female is the more hot-headed one while the male is more pacifist in nature. There is an accident with a nearly dead victim who has a bag of 18 kilos of gold. There is a cop with a vendetta and a minister with a desperate agenda, and of course, Time is running out for some of the characters before they are doomed forever. After a decent first act that sets in place the course track for the night events, and the participants in it, the middle portions of Night Drive are its most engaging sequences. The acerbic equation between Benny and the couple add to the tensed moments. Neelavelicham: Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal, Roshan Mathew, Shine Tom Chacko In Aashiq Abu’s Film; Shooting To Commence From April.

That effect on you doesn't last long, though. As the screenplay trudges ahead, Night Drive turns out to be a very predictable thriller, that refuses to make us believe that its protagonists are in any real danger. Georgy becomes more and more of a hero you expect from a typical Vysakh movie - he even gets a slo-mo action sequence, that feels totally out of place in what was supposed to be a very restrained film from the director. The movie even gives Georgy a shocking and a tragic backstory, because why not! It hurts even further when the bolder Riya doesn't get much to do, except keep a straight face, mouth some sassy lines and be put in a situation where she needs to be rescued. So much for the film trying to attempt an empowered female protagonist.

It is not just that the characters are undone by the writing, but even how the protagonists solve the crisis of their present situation carries plenty of convenience. From a harangued couple facing a flawed cop, the movie later becomes a trio of heroes now facing paper-thin villains. Pada Movie Review: Kunchako Boban and Vinayakan’s Malayalam Film Is Bold, Arresting Callback to a Revolt Against Systemic Indifference.

Still, the lead actors make you want to stay with them till the end of this drive. Especially Roshan Mathews who is getting stronger and stronger as a performer, and this time, he even tries to get a massier appeal. Anna Ben has by now shown that she can deliver punchlines with elan, if only she had more to do in the second half. Indrajith does his character really well, even though even he also faces the risk of getting sidelined by the hero in the latter part of the movie. Siddique as the main antagonist performs as per requirements. Alexander Prasanth is added for comic requirements, but he annoys after a point.

Yay!

- The Main leads

- The Middle Act

Nay!

- Gets Contrived After a Point

- Sidelining of Anna Ben's Character

Final Thoughts

Night Drive is a case of a director veering off a successfully mapped route with a set of fine actors, which is a refreshing change indeed and yet the end-result doesn't fire all cylinders. The thriller is streaming on Netflix.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 12, 2022 07:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).