One/4 Movie Review: Venkatesh Peddapalem's crime drama is strictly for a few thrills

• One/4 Review: Venkatesh Peddapalem impresses in this patchy crime drama. The thriller has been directed by Rajamouli's associate Palani

One/4 Movie Review

One/4 Story

Kiran (Venkatesh Peddapalem) is a simple and kind-hearted young man who lives happily with his family. His life changes when he befriends a group of four local mechanics. Believing them to be harmless, Kiran shares some intimate information about his neighbour, Pavithra (Heena Soni), who lives alone. This careless act by Kiran puts Pavithra in danger. The rest of the film is about how Kiran realizes his mistake and fights to set things right.

One/4 Review

One/4 has been written and directed by Baahbali Palani, an associate of SS Rajamouli. He has chosen a new team and penned a crime thriller that has a very amusing backdrop. The story is such that it can happen to any one of us, and such crimes are rampant in our society these days.

The film is about a simple guy and how he takes a wrong route by befriending a group of locals and how they land him in crazy trouble with a woman who is his neighbour. This aspect is quite interesting, but to come to the main point, the director adds so many unwanted scenes just to elevate the hero.

There are fights, songs, and dialogue delivery that are not needed one bit, but Palani adds them all. But when the plot comes to its core point, it makes things interesting. The so-called thrills have been handled well, and the key twists in the turn are executed on an engaging note.

But what makes things a bit dull is the lack of solid experience from the supporting cast. Barring Temper Vamsi, Aadukalam Naren, and a few others, the rest of the cast is new and does not bring much to the table.

The film is set in Vizag, and the way crime is set in this city is quite realistic. One/4 might have a new cast, but the basic theme is good. There was a lot of chance for the drama to be elevated, but the makers chose fights and unnecessary hero elevation scenes, which dampen the viewing for the most part.

Newcomer Venkatesh Peddapalem makes his debut, and he is decent. He looks a bit rustic in the beginning, but as the film moves forward, he is at ease. Heera Soni, who plays the role of Pavithra, is also neat in her character. Though she fumbles in the emotional department, Heera manages to hold on in all the key scenes.

The best of the lot is Temper Vamsi, and he excels in his negative role. Though he has done such roles in the past, when it comes to One/4, he goes a step ahead and is quite lethal. With time, he has matured a lot and does well in his negative role.

Aparnna Mallick, who plays the female lead, is just about okay and does not get to do much. The rest of the cast is okay. Subhash Anand's music is not that great, but his BGM is quite effective. The camera work by Guna Sekhar is also very good as he superbly showcases the bylanes of Vizag. The drone shots, in particular, are very good in the film.

The dialogues, action blocks, and thrills have been edited well. One/4 has a good story, but it takes forever to get to the point. Once it does, the thrills are interesting. If the film had more emotional balance and avoided commercial elements, the output would have been even better.

One/4 Verdict

Overall, One/4 is a crime thriller that starts slow and takes time to reach the main point. Once it does, the mid portions and pre-climax are engaging. Those who enjoy social thrillers with a message can give it a watch, but with low expectations.

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