Coolie X reviews: ‘Poor writing and execution’; netizens pan Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Rajinikanth starrer
Coolie X reviews: ‘Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie fails to live up to the hype, despite a good cast lineup. Anirudh is the saving grace, say audiences
Last Updated: 03.24 PM, Aug 14, 2025
Superstar Rajinikanth’s much-awaited Coolie released in theatres today, and if the buzz on social media is anything to go by, Lokesh Kanagaraj’s film is unlikely to set major box office records. The film’s been receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews from neutral audiences, who blame Lokesh’s poor writing and execution for the ‘disaster’ talk. Fans have been looking for silver linings, like, for instance, the de-aged flashback portions of Rajini and Anirudh’s background score, but that is not going to be enough to sustain the initial momentum the film got.
Coolie: Massive step down for Lokesh Kanagaraj
"Coolie average as per Loki standards! Dude has set the bar so high that this feels meh! Climax/pre-climax worked out well but I certainly missed classic Loki storytelling”, “Dir Lokesh as disappointed. The movie runs flat for the most part. Don’t know why Nagarjuna character has been hyped so high”, “Technical and visual standards are not lokesh level, no big locations and no big action. Normal revenge drama, not lokesh range movie. Leo 1st half is Hollywood level, after that mve - coolie looks like a normal mass movie”, among others have flooded social media.
Overall audiences felt that Coolie is the weakest film by Lokesh, a tried and tested, formulaic rehash of countless films from the past with no high moments. Some audiences added that Malayalam actor Soubin Shahir tried to elevate the proceedings but that he was let down by poor writing. The much-talked about Aamir Khan cameo had zilch impact, while Nagarjuna was not a compelling antagonist. The film’s disjointed narrative was also cited as a major dampener. Some even said that the Coolie Audio launch event was better than the film.
Lokesh’s only success was in keeping a tight lid on the story until the film came. Although several likely plots were circulated online, none came close to what actually transpired onscreen. If the de-aged version of Rajini is the most talked about element of Coolie, that should give an indication that the bar has been set very low by the filmmaker.
