You Season 4 Series Analysis: Penn Badgley shines again

Compelling chemistry between Penn Badgley and Ed Speleers, with lovely performance by Tilly Keeper, but a flawed narrative with an average Part 1.

Directed by : 

• John Scott (3 episodes)
• Harry Jierjian (3 episodes)
• Rachel Leiterman (2 episodes)
• Shamim Sarif (1 episode)
• Penn Badgley (1 episode)

IMDb link: You Season 4 (2023) - IMDb

"All I have ever wanted is to love and to be loved completely. I should have fought harder. I was born to give you that. That's all that matters. You. Just You."

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Spoilers ahead...

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Joe Goldberg Becomes Professor Jonathan Moore

Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) has now become Professor Jonathan Moore, teaching literature at Darcy College of London. One day, his colleague Professor Malcolm Halding (Stephen Hagan) invites him to Sundry House, where Malcolm and his rich friends usually hang out, mostly to get high. The rich friends include Kate Galvin (Charlotte Ritchie), Lady Phoebe Borehall-Blaxworth (Tilly Keeper), Rhys Montrose (Ed Speleers), Adam Pratt (Lukas Gage), Sophie Soo (Niccy Lin), Blessing Bosede (Ozioma Whenu), Roald Walker Burton (Ben Wiggins), Connie (Dario Coates), Simon Soo (Aidan Cheng), and Gemma Graham-Greene (Eve Austin). The next morning, as Joe wakes up from the hangover of the party, he notices Malcolm's dead body on his dining table. His first doubt is that he committed the murder, but soon a series of phone texts suggest one of those rich friends is the killer, who soon becomes famous as the 'Eat the Rich' Killer. Now, Joe has to find that killer before he/she reveals his/her real identity.

Joe Goldberg's Commentary Keeps it Engaging

At the halfway mark or the end of Part 1, it made me believe this might be the first time when You won't work for me and be a disappointment. No, it's not boring thanks to Joe's regular commentary; even these 5 episodes pass by easily. Enjoyable comments like "Which of these people would I hate the most?" and "Joe feeling Kate would easily be anyone's first suspect for murder," or one in Part 2 where he says, "Meeting up with Connie for lunch to assess him for framing ability."

From the trailer, I was excited because it felt like it would be fun watching Joe get his own medicine when he's trying to find the killer who's set to reveal his identity to everyone. As he himself says, "I have found myself in a whodunnit."

'Eat the Rich' plot and Kate Galvin Fall Flat

The question is, "Could they have made it more engaging?" I feel yes, by either making the Sundry House members likable or worthy of being not killed, because every time Joe says, "please drop a bomb on them" or "just kill these rich douchebags," you just feel like agreeing with him. I still can't believe Adam wanting to buy an egg for such a big amount or Lady Phoebe playing the 'killer' game at Hampsie House when their friends are getting killed.

It made the whole whodunnit very uninteresting. Rather than being interested in finding who the killer is, I wanted them to just reveal it, get it done with, and then tell where Part 2 is leading to. Gemma and Simon especially were way too irritating to like. I did enjoy Phoebe the most, and also liked the character arc Adam gets; for a while, I was rooting for him to change, but then it had to be a sad ending for him. His golden shower scene was very gross to watch.

Another main issue is the lead character Joe gets paired with, i.e., Kate. In the past, I have loved both Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti); even Marienne Bellamy (Tati Gabrielle), whose story didn't fully click for me in Season 3, wasn't boring or irritating. But Kate is such an uninteresting character; she is the kind of person you don't want to be around, way too rude and way too unfriendly. Even though I am not the right person to talk on this, rather I should be siding with Kate, but that's how I felt all the time watching her. Yes, we do learn why she is the way she is, even then it never made me like her; maybe this was supposed to be the best possible match for Joe, not Beck or Love or Marienne.

Turning Point: Part 2 - Rhys Montrose and Joe's Split Personality

Part 2 changes everything, especially the final 3 episodes. There was a tiny part of me that wanted this to be not about Rhys Montrose but something else; I wasn't sure what, maybe Rhys to be linked to someone Joe knew in the past. But to learn that it was Joe always, and it's his split personality at play was a genius thing; mind you, it wasn't perfect. More on the flaws later.

Knowing Joe isn't that routine serial killer, a reason why we always rooted for him in the past 3 seasons, it doesn't come as a surprise when the writers pull off the 'gone insane' to the level of split personality where he lets his dark side out believing that way he would be able to peacefully live life as Jonathan.

It's good because we see the side effects Joe is having, wanting to be loved and unable to keep a relationship lasting due to his obsessive nature, and now in desperation, he is trying to shut off that dark side of him only to actually make it worse. And I am happy the writers didn't go for a redemption or 'Joe has changed into a better person now' plot.

Episode 8 is a total season-stealer. The way Marienne is referred to as Nightingale and Joe as Fox, how we finally learn that Joe actually never let Marienne depart from that train, still obsessed over his relationship with her, and then that brilliant use of the song 'Bells in Santa Fe' where Marienne forms a habit of living in a cage daily.

Also, for the first time, we see Joe fixate himself on a guy, not in a love way but more for the relation he feels with his story and the troubled childhood of Rhys connection. I would have actually liked more scenes on how he was getting attached to Rhys; maybe the 8th episode could have been even more special with 20-30 mins extra length.

There are a few things, however, that didn't make sense to me, maybe because I don't have a clear understanding of how split personality works. Two of such instances would be, one where Joe puts Phoebe's Hampsie country house on fire; not really sure how he did it while being chained? And then that camera clip he watches where he sees himself behaving like Rhys which we didn't see earlier. I think I know the answers to both these scenes, just not sure if it's accurate or not!

Elizabeth Lail and Victoria Pedretti Cameos in Penn Badgley-Directed Episode

I loved the brilliant cameos of both Beck and Love in episode 9, which is directed by Penn Badgley himself. I may come across as a fan of Victoria Pedretti, which I don't mind, when I say that her few minutes cameo was way more enjoyable than the entire Kate plot in this season.

The photographer sub-plot of erotomania was a great add-on. Like most others, I fell into the trap thinking she's someone from Beck or Love's season out to get Joe's real identity revealed. But boy, she being herself part of a mental issue that Joe is going through was a very perfect idea and I didn't feel cheated in any way at all. Rather, I felt sorry for her to be gone behind bars as the 'Eat the Rich killer.'

Season 4's Repeating Mistakes: Joe Goldberg Remains Untouchable

Two things this season again got wrong sadly. One is a supporting character Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman), who we see all the time as the smartest student in the class and yet fails miserably to reveal Joe's identity while having her boyfriend killed and landing herself in jail. Yes, you can complain that she was such a nosy character and got what she deserved, but that's what writers made it look like. Felt déjà vu of many old characters that have had the same fate at the hands of Joe. It would have been nice to see Nadia escape; that way, Joe would be nervous knowing she is out somewhere and also unaware that Marienne is alive too.

Then there's the cop angle. Why don't they ever behave like cops when around Joe? It's not like he is some big rich figure which actually at the end of the season he has become, so cops not doing their job in the final season would be understandable. But till now, they were supposed to be much more active and find the clues left behind by Joe. Instead, we again see Joe as a helpful guy helping detectives figure out who may have killed Malcolm or Simon.

New Characters: Tilly Keeper Steals the Show as Lady Phoebe

Among the new characters, I liked Adam, Roald, and Nadia (till Part 1). Lady Phoebe (an excellent Tilly Keeper) is of course the best one of all, while it stays a mystery as to what Joe told her during their first meeting at Sundry House. What makes Phoebe lovable is her innocence and how she tries to see the good in others, even though there are shades of a rich spoiled girl probably because of the friend circle she is part of. I was so happy to see her reject Adam when he proposes to her and later gutted to see how she fell into his trap. Still love how things finally turned out for her.

Adam and Roald, though not likable characters, are played well by Lukas Gage and Ben Wiggins respectively. Simon (Aidan Cheng) was a typical artist figure we see in almost all whodunnit plots, so nothing fresh there.

Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman) was so good till Part 1 and maybe the first 2 episodes of Part 2; you really feel she might become one of the rare supporting characters to actually survive Joe's hunt. Sadly, they give her a cliched ending by the finale.

I am happy Marianne didn't have to die. It was smart of her to not let Joe know about the sleeping pills while she was put in the cage and how she makes use of Nadia in her grand escape.

Rhys is indeed the best new addition to the You universe, thanks to Ed Speleers' charismatic performance, who also has excellent chemistry with Penn Badgley. It’s fun watching him play the dark side of Joe; all the time way he encourages Joe to do the needful including the parting moment ‘I love you’. He will be missed if Joe has truly accepted himself in the end.

The Ending: Joe Goldberg's Return to New York

I love the ending a lot because for first time, we finally see Joe accepting himself for what he is, that entire walk when his conversation ends with Nadia, is pure evil with that background music, and so is his final words with that smile. I just hope they don't play the 'I am good' angle anymore as the mirror reflection of Rhys gave a slight hint of it. Maybe we would see a more impulsive Joe in final season which would also be a reason for his downfall with all the loose ends from past catching up on him. Interestingly, the cop angle may not affect him initially with all the money and power he has got due to Kate, but the question is did he tell Kate all the truth about his past or that he killed her dad? If not, then Kate may turn up against him anytime. Whatever it is, I have got a strong feeling the final season will live upto the expectations. 

Verdict on You Season 4

Overall, Season 4 of You is enjoyable but has its share of flaws, especially with the 'Eat the Rich' plot. It's still a must-watch for fans, primarily because of the great twist involving Joe's split personality and some excellent performances. The chemistry between Penn Badgley and Ed Speleers is a highlight, and the cameos of Elizabeth Lail and Victoria Pedretti add a nostalgic touch.

Rating : 6.5/10

 

Also, Check out Series Analysis of You Season 3

Shehzada Movie Analysis: Another Messy Remake of South Film

A mess of a south remake thanks to average script, while Kriti Sanon goes missing for majority of the 2^nd half.

Directed by : Rohit Dhawan 

Imdb link -> Shehzada (2023) - IMDb

"Hum gareebo ke paas ek hi cheez thi - dukh. Woh bhi tum ameero ne le liya."

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Spoilers ahead...

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South Film Remake Starring Kartik Aaryan

Bantu has been living the life of a servant's son for 25 years until, by accident, he finds out that his father Valmiki (Paresh Rawal) actually isn't his real father. Instead, he belongs to a millionaire rich family for whom Valmiki works, the Jindals: Randeep (Ronit Roy), his wife Yashoda (Manisha Koirala), their son Raj (Ankur Rathee), and father-in-law Aditya (Sachin Khedekar). Will Bantu reveal Valmiki's lie to the Jindals, or will he keep quiet and continue living the life he has?

Shehzada's Weak Story: Similar to 80’s & 90’s Era Movies

Not having seen the original, the story of Shehzada evokes a sense of nostalgia from the 80s era (the part where, at birth, kids are replaced intentionally or not) and partially from 90s movies like Govinda's "Hero No. 1" (where he tries to sort out all the issues the family members are facing). The former part is not utilized much in the narrative, and the latter happens too easily for my liking.

Ronit Roy, Manisha Koirala, Sachin Khedekar wasted

There's just no emotional connect to any character in the Jindal family, which is sad because the trio of excellent veteran actors - Ronit Roy, Manisha Koirala, and Sachin Khedekar - are underutilised.

Is Kartik Aaryan’s Performance Likeable ?

I think I prefer Kartik Aaryan in low-budget movies (Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Akaash Vani) over this Kartik Aaryan (Shehzada, Bhool Bhulaiyaa). He may provide some laughs in these movies, but they are very few and far between. In straight words, I would say it's too early for him to take on such lead roles that demand him to shine over an average script. The action scenes felt okay; I would rather prefer him to do more such roles before dismissing him as an action hero. In the comedy scenes, he actually reminded me of Varun Dhawan.

Expected More from Paresh Rawal

Rajpal Yadav is fun to watch in the only scene he gets in the movie. Paresh Rawal is okay; you expect more from him, but it's just a non-likable character. In fact, if the tone of the movie wasn't comical, there was a case for him to go more grey in this role, which would have worked better. I would have liked him to team up with Raj, who otherwise felt too childish in behavior.

Gorgeous Kriti Sanon: Missing in the 2^nd Half.

The only part that I enjoyed was the one involving Kriti Sanon, who looks gorgeous as always with a great screen presence. I feel Kriti and Kartik share very good chemistry (despite a very silly way to get them in love), which is a pity because the screenplay has Kriti missing for most of the second half.

Shehzada's Songs: Badly Placed but Provide Some Relief

The songs, while not at chartbuster level and their placement is questionable (but would you complain if the movie isn't working?), were pleasant to the ears, especially "Munda Sona Hoon Main." The reason to compose "Character Dheela 2.0" is a huge mystery to me. Neither the story has Bantu playing a playboy nor does Kartik have such a personality in real life. It just shows the lack of originality these days when a remake film requires another film's song to be remade.

Final Verdict on Shehzada

Overall, Shehzada is just another mess of a remake from the South that, even with another actor cast in the lead role, wouldn't have made any difference.

Rating: 3.5/10

Also, Check Out Movie Analysis of Uunchai

Uunchai Movie Analysis: A Lovely but Flawed Tale of Friends

Enjoyable Sooraj Barjatya movie that explores ideas out of his comfort zone, 2^nd half is a major let-down.

Directed by : Sooraj R. Barjatya 

Imdb link -> Uunchai (2022) - IMDb

"Kehte hai ki everest pe har sawaal ka jawaab hai."

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot of Uunchai: 4 Friends and a Tale of Overcoming Life Hurdles

Three close friends - Amit Shrivastava (Amitabh Bachchan), Javed Siddiqui (Boman Irani), and Om Sharma (Anupam Kher) who are all senior citizens decide to trek to the Everest Base Camp because the 4th member of their circle, Bhupen (Danny Denzongpa), has recently died, and he always wanted to go there. The rest of the story is all about the physical struggle, the adventure and the secrets each of them learn as they battle to climb the Everest of their day-to-day life.

Neena Gupta Can Make a Dull Scene Look Awesome

Had a smile on my face for the majority of the first half, especially during the entire car journey from Delhi to Agra to Kanpur to Gorakhpur with all the rest stops, mainly food breaks, and the conversations between Amit, Javed, Om, and Shabina Siddiqui (Neena Gupta), playing the wife of Javed. Neena Gupta is such a brilliant actor that even the dull-looking scenes feel so alive with her presence.

Parineeti Chopra Sub-plot Felt Forced

The entire trek training montage felt really useless because at the completion of 2 months, you could say that none of them were fit enough to still go on the trek. No, I don't belong to those stereotypical old-fashioned people who believe that 60+ people should stay at home; I prefer them to be active. The issue here is this training montage shows no improvement in their physical abilities, so it's a total waste of time. It would have worked better if the 2 months were skipped directly to the day they start the trip, with a small conversation hinting that they haven't done much but are hopeful to reach the Everest Base Camp. That would have been ideal.

The main issue, though, was the second half and the entire trek sequences. Firstly, Shraddha Gupta (Parineeti Chopra), the trek instructor/guide, felt like a forced inclusion in terms of the story, especially how they show Amit is indirectly linked to her and all her family issues. Rather, some other actor who was just there to help with the trek with no backstory would have gone nicely. I also didn't understand how they create a total mess at the bridge crossing rather than waiting for the rain to stop or at least slow down. Does it happen in real life, so carelessly? Bit too much in the name of cinematic liberties!

Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, and Anupam Kher With Stand-out Performances

There's one department where I have no complaints, and that's the acting (minus Parineeti, of course, as mentioned above). Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani, especially, give top-notch performances, while Anupam Kher provides humor to the narrative effectively as always. I loved the scene where they are sitting on the Ghat and playing the song "Yeh Jeevan Hai, Iss Jeevan Ka," a very well-directed emotional moment. Sarika Thakur was also a good addition, initially as a mystery woman, and later provides more to Bhupen's reason for the love towards the Himalayas or that poem he had written.

Bit sad to see Danny Denzongpa get a very small role; he is yet so lovable. Loved it when he in a friendly tone criticizes the work of Amit, telling him that his best book is yet to come.

2^nd Half Falters Despite Fewer Sooraj Barjatya Tropes

The message of standing tall to any difficulty or circumstance life poses at you is well and clear. A tighter second half and better writing would have made it more effective. It's a little disappointing because the usual tropes that we see in Sooraj Barjatya's family drama movies are at a backseat; rather, he uses them as small conflicts and moves ahead without consuming the whole narrative, whether it's Om's view regarding his brothers related to the handling of Haveli, or how Shabina's daughter reacts at her mom's surprise visit when she and her husband have a birthday party planned already, or how Amit feels guilty for the condition his wife (Nafisa Ali in a cameo) is in.

The songs, while not memorable, still feel fresh because we have Amit Trivedi doing music for Sooraj Barjatya for the first time. "Keti Ko," "Haan Kar De," and "Ladki Pahadi" are all decent tracks that work fine with the narrative.

Final Verdict on Uunchai

Overall, Uunchai is definitely a positive step for Sooraj Barjatya after that disastrous Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. Good to see him stay in his elements and yet try something different, even with flaws, the heart seems to be in the right place, making the movie a good watch.

Rating: 6/10

Also, Check out Movie Analysis of Jersey (Hindi)

Jersey Movie Analysis: Doesn't work like the original did

A decent watch but poses no competition to the brilliance of the original version with the lack of emotions.

Directed by: Gowtam Tinnanuri

Imdb link -> Jersey (2022) - IMDb

"Noor na rukhtey, saah vi na mukkdey.. ke agg bann gaya hai lahu mera.”

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot Completely Resembles Original Jersey Version

The story is the same as the original version of Jersey (starring Nani). The only major difference here is that Arjun Talwar (Shahid Kapoor) lives in Chandigarh and plays for the Punjab team. Also, Arjun's son Karan 'Kittu' Talwar is played by Ronit Kamra, who was also in the same role in the original.

Another South Remake that fails to live up to the expectations

I had seen Mili without watching the original, and it worked really well for me. This begs the question: if I saw this version of Jersey first, would I have enjoyed it a lot more? Or maybe it's just a case of the original being too good that the remake feels less engaging. Remakes are something I enjoy very rarely, and when it’s a scene-to-scene, situation-to-situation, and at many places even dialogue-to-dialogue copy, you gotta ask, 'What's the point of such a movie?' What's even more frustrating is that the director didn’t care to at least work on the weak links of the original movie.

Shahid Kapoor couldn’t match Nani’s original performance

As much as I want to say Shahid Kapoor tries his best, two factors spoil his act. One is, of course, it was tough to match Nani's original performance, and the other is the shades of Kabir Singh you felt in his looks and nature at various places. The swag was missing, especially in the 1986 sequences. I did enjoy him in the father role a lot better. Also, the Punjabi dialogues coming from him didn’t feel natural at all.

Mrunal Thakur (Vidya Talwar), playing the wife of Arjun, is pretty good in a supporting role.

Enjoyable Performances by Ronit Kamra and Pankaj Kapur

Coming to the best parts of the movie, I loved Ronit Kamra. He is again excellent as Arjun’s son. The innocence, the proud smile when a friend tells him about his dad’s photo in the newspaper, the guilt he feels for the ongoing fight between his parents, or how without any thought he says he feels his dad looks like a hero when he bats.

Then, there's coach Baali Sir (Pankaj Kapur). This track works firstly because of how good Pankaj Kapur is and the fact that it's a real father-son duo of Pankaj-Shahid, giving a lot more chemistry to the narrative, especially that hug scene when Baali Sir says not to get hopes too high of getting selected. Why did they cut the scene where Arjun goes to Baali Sir's home to give the happy news of being selected?

Jersey's Music: Mehram and Jind Meriye standout tracks

Lastly, the music is really good. My personal favourite is 'Mehram,' which I would say is nicely used but could have been a lot better. I also loved 'Jind Meriye,' another great emotional track about unfulfilled dreams.

Final Verdict on Jersey

Overall, The Hindi remake of Jersey struggles to capture the emotional depth of the original. Still, it’s a decent watch and will most likely work a lot better if you haven’t seen the original.

Rating: 5.5/10

Also, Check Out Movie Analysis of Hit- The First Case

Mili Movie Analysis: Janhvi Shines in This Survival Drama

A gripping survival drama thriller with standout performances by Janhvi Kapoor, Sunny Kaushal, and Manoj Pahwa.


Directed by: Mathukutty Xavier
Imdb link -> Mili (2022) - IMDb

"thande aansun peena hoga, phir bhi tujhko jeena hoga..”

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot of Mili: A True Story of Survival in Tough Conditions

Based on true events, the story is about Mili Naudiyal (Janhvi Kapoor), a 24-year-old girl who works at Doon's Kitchen in a Pacific Mall of Dehradun. One night, after the end of her shift, she accidentally gets locked in the freezer room with no one outside to rescue her. Knowing she has to survive at least 6-7 hours, if not more, before the kitchen opens in the morning, she must find a way to stay alive somehow in a temperature as low as minus 17 degrees.

Manoj Pahwa and Janhvi Kapoor Delight to Watch

Having not seen the original 'Helen,' I won't make any comparisons. The initial portions of the movie are fun to watch because of the great father-daughter bonding between Mili and her father, Niranjan Naudiyal (Manoj Pahwa). The use of 'Aap' and 'Hum' while talking to each other is something I really like. Some might find it old-fashioned or criticize that no one talks like that, but I personally enjoy it since the 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' days.

Amazing Build-Up: Mili’s Emotional Low Point

Before the scary incident happens, I like how the emotional drama is built up, leaving no stone unturned, making everyone affected by what is to happen really angry at themselves for behaving like that. We see Mili's father not talking to her ever since he learned about her affair with a different caste guy, Sameer Kumar (Sunny Kaushal), and some embarrassment faced while getting her home from the police station. Mili isn't willing to talk to Sameer anymore because of his irresponsible attitude that landed them in the police station the previous night when he drove without a helmet and had consumed some alcohol. On the day Mili gets trapped in the freezer room, she gets scolded by the manager and later taunted by him again for eating food, which she then throws away, not knowing that energy would have come in handy later on.

All of this is very good writing and makes you feel more for Mili and her well-wishers when they are all trying to find her. The entire freezer scenes are beautifully handled. I won't question a single thing that Mili tries to free herself because, honestly, if I got stuck in there, I would lose my mind even in 5 degrees cold. It was very tough to watch the part where she injures her foot and tries to use her nursing experience to help herself. I also enjoyed the little bonding she has with the rat, trying to keep it alive for as long as she could.

Issues in Mili: Irritating Inspector and Forced Conflicts

Some unwanted hiccups spoil the movie. There seem to be a few hallucination scenes because clearly staying even one hour in over -10 degrees would lead to the mind going blank and insane thoughts arriving. The inspector part was overdone; it felt unnecessary to see him not send the location just to show how corrupt some policemen can be or to let a certain cameo of Jackie Shroff come in, which felt so out of place.

Conflicts are necessary in survival-based movies, but there are too many here. If the bad cop wasn't enough, we see Sameer, who knows where Mili is stuck, go through an accident to delay saving Mili further. Also, when they all find Mili in the freezer room, it was poorly written to show none of them had the sense to quickly take her out of the room before checking if she was alive, as she was fighting the cold and needed to be out of it ASAP.

Janhvi Kapoor with Another Impressive Performance

Performance-wise, Janhvi Kapoor delivers another good performance, even though it's not at the level I felt in Gunjan Saxena. It's a very challenging role, and I like that she is taking up such movies. In fact, she hasn't yet done a routine masala genre movie, which many new actresses love to be part of.

Sunny Kaushal is also very good in the supporting role. I have seen him in just 'Gold' before this. It's good to see Vikram Kochhar in a slightly different role; he still gets some comic moments. Sanjay Suri is efficient in the final act of the film.

AR Rahman Music: Not Great, But Works with Narrative

The music of AR Rahman, even though not as special as we are used to, still fits well with the narrative, especially the 'Jeena Hoga' track that shows Mili fighting until her last possible breath. I also like how the 'Hum Bhi Raahi' song is used in the opening credits, where we see an ant freely moving until it accidentally falls into the ice-cube tray, a metaphor for what Mili is soon going to face. The background theme that runs when Mili is locked inside the freezer room is pretty good too, though not 'Trapped' level good.

Verdict on Mili

Overall, 'Mili' is a very good survival thriller movie with performances from Janhvi Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa, and Sunny Kaushal lifting the narrative even more. Some flaws aside, I quite enjoyed it.

Rating: 7.5/10

Also, Check Out Movie Analysis of Nope

Nope Movie Analysis: Jordan Peele’s Alien Story Attempt

Jordan Peele's decent attempt at an unconventional alien invasion story, but weakened by a lackluster third act.

Directed by: Jordan Peele

Imdb link -> Nope (2022) - IMDb

" What's a bad miracle? ”

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot: Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer Discover a UFO Ship

The Haywood siblings—OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer)—discover a UFO encounter over their ranch in Agua Dulce Valley, California. Eager to capture the 'Oprah shot' and earn fame and fortune, they have little idea of the alien ship's true intentions.

This sci-fi horror mystery explores themes of exploitation and human greed throughout the narrative. The Gordy 'Chimp' story is particularly effective. The movie begins with a birthday TV show event that turns chilling with background noises suggesting an attack on everyone present. It's creepy, with most details wisely left unseen.

It's ironic to see Ricky "Jupe" Park (Steven Yeun), a survivor of the Gordy incident, now exploiting his own tragedy for money. During his live show 'The Starlight Lasso Experience,' he faces another beast—an alien—feeding it horses he bought from OJ. Jupe believes he's protected by God again, unaware he just got lucky the first time.

Expectedly, there's a character, Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott), who gets greedy for the fame shot, resulting in his demise. Meanwhile, Angel Torres (Brandon Perea) plays a supportive role, intelligently taking precautions to avoid the hungry alien (or extraterrestrial creature).

Issue in Nope: Oprah Shot Subplot is Too Long

The alien plot is a mixed bag. Initially, it maintains a mysterious feel, but once revealed, the entire ship as a single alien behind a stationary cloud, the following scenes lack the expected intensity. The 'Oprah shot' subplot drags too long. A more thrilling final act, focusing on escaping the alien's havoc, would have been better.

The movie's social commentary on human carelessness and greed, reminiscent of 'Don't Look Up,' highlights the tendency to exploit dire situations for personal gain rather than ensuring safety.

Verdict on Nope

Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer complement each other perfectly in contrasting roles—Kaluuya as reserved and observant, Palmer as talkative and sometimes silly. Despite their differences, they support each other when it matters most.

Overall, 'Nope' is a likable movie with some trademark Peele-style horrific moments. However, the third act could have been executed differently. I prefer 'Us' and 'Get Out' over this one. Still, I appreciate Peele's unconventional ideas and enjoyed this unique take on aliens, even if the execution wasn't fully satisfying.

Rating: 6/10

Also, Check Out Movie Analysis of Murder Mystery 2

Hit-The First Case Movie Analysis: Pacy but Flawed 2nd Act

A decent watch thanks to Rajkummar Rao and a pacy narrative, but a weak 2nd act and final reveal lets the movie down.

Directed by: Sailesh Kolanu

Imdb link -> Hit: The First Case (2022) - IMDb

" Tujhse sach kabhi chup hi nahi sakta.."

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot: Rajkummar Rao as an Investigator Cop

Vikram Jai Singh (Rajkummar Rao), who is suffering from PTSD, on advice from his doctor and girlfriend Neha Mehta (Sanya Malhotra), goes on a few months break from his police duty. A few weeks later, he’s informed about Neha going missing, and soon Vikram realizes that the case is connected with another girl, Preeti Mathur (Rose Khan), who was kidnapped a few months earlier.

Pacy Whodunnit with Rajkummar Rao as Lead

A fast, really fast-paced whodunnit crime drama is always great to watch. There are very few distractions; the romantic angle is actually underdone, while the songs never feel unnecessary, plus they are used in small portions only. Rajkummar Rao, as the lead, plays this character with a past we are never fully told about, making him a cop that is all the time risking his mental health while trying to solve cases. He does a great job in each and every frame.

Weak Writing and Climax in Hit: The First Case

It’s the small choices that the writing team makes that spoil the movie, and I am not yet talking about the big reveal in the end. For instance, why would a neighbor divorcee, Sheela (Shilpa Shukla), who’s been friendly with Preeti, suddenly decide to get attention by sending a handwritten note about the body? Are some people so out of order that they would risk police torture just to get some limelight?

Then, there was that unnecessary death of Ibrahim (Milind Gunaji), who’s been one of the main suspects all along, which I felt was brilliantly done in the screenplay (even the trailer cut suggests that he may be involved). Yet, in that night rain scene, we see him for no reason go missing only to come back and get hit by a bullet. If that wasn’t enough, we see this other cop, who has always been boring you with the rivalry, suddenly appear out of nowhere to save Vikram’s life.

Coming to the climax, I felt the reason for the murder and the murderer both were good, and even the motive was understandable. For me, she didn’t appear silly; people can be obsessive, and in love, that obsession can lead anywhere. She even kills her accidentally. Where it misfires is that the character in question is seen so little in the narrative, which feels like cheating. Most of the best whodunnits feature the character who commits the crime present at least 70% of the time on screen, so you can’t guess it right.

Sanya Malhotra also gets very little screen time, and her character is mostly used to confuse the narrative rather than to do anything else. Dalip Tahil and Akhil Iyer are good in their supporting roles.

Verdict on Hit: The First Case

Overall, Hit: The First Case is decent because of its pace and the strong lead acting of Rajkummar Rao, but the writing issues are apparent throughout the narrative, especially in the second act, with the final reveal only making it worse.

Rating: 5.5/10

 

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