INDIA: Exploring the romantic and lover boy side of Kartik Aaryan, we’ve seen many Bollywood films. Freddy is completely another side of the coin, which explores more of his serious and gripping performances that literally sends chills down the spine.
This week plethora of films has arrived on big screens, and given the OTT release, it also has tonnes of features waiting for our viewership. Amidst a mixed bag of movies, Disney+ Hotstar brings Freddy, which easily stands out in its own game and definitely grabs our attention.
Without diving deep into the story, let’s dissect the film on the basis of essential elements that form a perfect recipe for a psychological thriller.
Freddy puts Kartik’s chilling role on OTT screens with multitude of twists
Shashanka Ghosh’s directorial Freddy places Kartik Aaryan and Alaya Furniturewala at the center stage, forming the crux of the story. Kartik’s serious side on the performance level forms the soul of the film. He has managed to pull out a variety of expressions suitable to each scenario.
Especially his dance, which has also been featured in the trailer, forms layers of this physiological thriller. There are some disturbing scenes, especially where Kartik’s character rips out the teeth of certain characters forming a menacing atmosphere that is fueled by his smorgasbord of acting skill.
Without a doubt, Kartik Aryan’s performance in Freddy is his career’s best, eating out the screen presence of numerous film characters. On a Kartik-centric film, Alaya Furniturewala manages to steal the show in certain scenes. Alaya’s character also sets the story into motion which propels through her performance.
Talking about Shashanka Ghosh’s directorial vision, it is not something out of the box but a decent one that forms a recipe for the story. Parveez Shaikh has penned the story and he has also set the game with a plot brimming with twists.
Parveez scatters one twist in the story, and just before we manage to come out of its shock value, he puts another twist, and this continues till the climax. The entire chain of twists in Freddy manages to glue us to our seats.
The climax of Freddy hits us according to our perceptions. For those who love to be deeply merged in the psychological thriller, the ending is icing on the cake. For those who are not into such type of genre, the conclusion will provide an unengaging value.
What could have been better?
Freddy takes time to build the pace, which is evident from the slow first half that may test the patience of some viewers (not aware of psychological thrillers). This might be the only reason why the film has been directly released to the OTT.
The essential factor for psychological thrillers is a piece of gripping background music that sets the atmosphere, especially a chilling one. In the case of Freddy, it lacks a suitable BGM. Yes, it has Clinton Cerejo and Pritam managing the BGM and music department, but it doesn’t fill the gap of a thrilling score.
Besides Kartik and Alaya, not a single character has formed the base of the story. The seriousness of the film is also spoiled at some points due to unnecessary characters brimming in the plotline.
Verdict:
Freddy pulls out Kartik Aaryan’s best performance, dipped in serious and psycho elements which form the beating heart of the storyline. The lack of thriller BGM and supportive characters forms a gap in the screenplay, which drags the first half. It’s a must-watch for those who have a craving for something unique and chilling to watch.
Transcontinental Times ratings: 3.5/5
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