Netrikann Movie Review

Milind Rau’s earlier film in Aval had its strength in portraying violent scenes which would make the audience flinch, with its horror theme intact. In his next film Netrikann, the director picks up a similar space without any supernatural elements and blends in a very good thriller that is acceptable in both pace and sense. The film may not have the biggest shakes that you would want in such a thriller, but it does keep the ball rolling and provides an engaging ride from start to finish.

Netrikann takes off by introducing us to Durga (Nayanthara) a cop from the CBI who brings out her brother from a party, where he is getting used to drugs. However, a freak conversation between the two turns to the worse, as an accident kills her brother and turns her blind. As she recoups with life, Nayanthara runs into a serial killer who senses her skills and tries to take her down. The rest of the film is about the cat-and-mouse game between the two, and about who ends up on the winning side.

Netrikann’s first half is well slotted, there is not much to complain about as we are introduced to the world of the film and its characters. The way the film sets itself up in the first 20 minutes makes us feel for Nayanthara’s character, and the proceedings run ahead at a very good pace right until the halfway mark where there is a spectacular scene at a metro station. The second half however, pales in comparison to the first and only shines in parts. There are a couple of good scenes at the clinic and in a chase, but the film lacks surprises which does not count in for a good final stretch.

Nayanthara once again delivers a tough and strong performance, offering variety to the audiences after her lovable role in Mookuthi Amman. The film really benefits from her presence, giving us solid mass scenes that are coupled with the voice that helps too.

Ajmal is the film’s weaker link though, and the presence of a better adversary would have aided the thrills higher. Saran Shakti has a fine presence, while Manikandan really makes another strong impression as a quality actor and does his job very well.

The music and the visuals in the film are functional. Girish’s songs are lovely, but the score does not match up to the film’s strength and bogs down the narrative. The editing by Lawrence Kishore is apt though, he has put together the scenes in a manner that isnt confusing to the audiences.

Totally, Netrikann is a finely made thriller that could have had a tighter second half but does not entirely realize its potential. Nayanthara spearheads the film and makes this worth a watch.  Netrikann Movie Review by Siddarth Srinivas

Netrikann Movie Review Rating: 3/5