Vezham movie review: Ashok Selvan, Janani Iyer and Iswarya Menon lead a below-average thriller

1.5/5

Story: I need to watch Vezham for the second time, to give you a gist of the story. But, no; I can't sign up for another migraine.

Review: There’s nothing like a good psychological thriller, full of twists, turns and suspense. But if you believe your job as a director is done creating just compelling characters, you've mistaken. Additionally, you have to keep the suspense going, organically, to keep your audience hooked until the very last moment, without suffocating them. Vezham starts on an impressive note. No doubts at all. A series of murders happen in the Nilgiri Hills. We are shown there's a pattern involved in the killing mechanism. In parallel, Sandeep Shyam tells us the story of the lead pair, Ashok (Ashok Selvan) and Leena (Iswarya Menon). From the audience's point of view, Leena gets killed. Ashok now just has one agenda: revenge.

Then, there is policeman Francis, Leena's friend. We learn about him and his association with her family, as the story goes back and forth. I wish Vezham talked more about redemption, instead, the storyline moves from one murder to another. It is unfortunate given the considerable star power, Vezham promises a lot but ultimately under-delivers. Further, if you can pick up on some of the tried and tested tropes of these solid kinds of thrillers, the killer’s identity won't surprise you one bit, in Vezham.

It's sad how Vezham is that script where Ashok Selvan, Janani Iyer, Iswarya Menon and others do more for the film than what it does to them. Ashok Selvan remains true to his character, retaining rage in his eyes and grief in his burdened gait. Iswarya Menon is teary-eyed and vulnerable all the way through. Janani Iyer's persona is too predictable for her energy and effort to be effective in any way.

Vezham is unable to remain faithful to any of the strands, be it the theme of loss, or even as a regular thriller with a deranged psychopath lurking in the background. The visual tone seems like we are witnessing something complex, but there is no intricacy in the narrative. Epic psychological thrillers leave you questioning the ordinary, but Vezham's screenplay is confusing, and you question the writer's intent, and why he showed certain things the way he did.

I wish all of these newbies learnt a thing or two about making murder mysteries from Bharathiraja's Sigappu Rojakkal (1978). It's amazing how the Kamal Haasan-starrer has a fresh appeal, when you revisit it, even in 2022.

There is tons of melodrama and sentimentality in Vezham. One is seldom allowed to engage with the characters on an emotional level. The actors are lost in the constant reveals, actions, and reactions. One could argue that thrillers are designed to generate adrenaline. But Vezham wants to be both realistic and a creepy anomaly. In the second half, the narration becomes jerkier, and the director seems to lose his grip on the story. Ultimately, Vezham, at a draining length of 132 minutes, makes for a tedious watch.

Verdict: What good is a thriller if it doesn’t take you to the edge of the seat and hold you there?