Merry Christmas review: Katrina Kaif, Vijay Sethupathi's film is a slow thriller with not so merry experience
By Rishika Khanna | First Published Jan 12, 2024, 9:00 AM IST'Merry Christmas' succeeds in playing mind games with its audience throughout the murder mystery but can be irksome during certain prolonged moments.
Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi, two big stars of the Indian film industry collaborated for the first time on a film and the result is not very good. Reflecting the deliberate pacing characteristic of director Sriram Raghavan, whose last directorial venture was the 2018 film 'Andhadhun,' five years later, 'Merry Christmas' unfolds in a manner that aligns with his slow storytelling style. Although the plot of the story has suspense and thriller, the film gets lost somewhere.
Premise
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'Merry Christmas' is based on a French novel and revolves around Christmas Eve when an uneventful day turns the world of two people upside down. As Vijay endeavors to unravel the unfolding events, the narrative takes a dramatic turn, entwining him in a murder mystery that is linked to Katrina Kaif's character.
The film
While the film boasts nail-biting suspense and tension-filled moments, Vijay Sethupathi's character and dialogues inject a humorous element. Despite the initial monotony of the first half, where anticipation for the story to unfold may wane, the narrative gains momentum in the second half with unexpected twists and turns that will keep the audience glued to their seats.
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Performances
Although Katrina and Vijay gave outstanding performances, their unclear dialogue delivery, possibly due to their limited proficiency in Hindi, made it difficult for a significant part of the audience to understand their lines. On a positive note, Sanjay Kapoor and Vinay Pathak excelled in their limited screen time, contributing significantly to the film's allure.
What worked and what didn't?
In conclusion, while the storyline exhibited perfection, there was a sense that Sriram Raghavan's direction became somewhat indulgent, leading to a loss of focus in the plot to elongate the film. 'Merry Christmas' succeeds in playing mind games with its audience throughout the murder mystery but can be irksome during certain prolonged moments. With an overall average rating, it might be worthwhile to await its release on OTT platforms.
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Cast: Katrina Kaif, Vijay Sethupathi
Duration: 2 hours
Ratings: 2.5 stars
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