In movie review: Deepti Sati’s psycho crime-thriller tries too hard and ends up being a dull affair

2/5

Story: A killer is on the loose, who sneaks into rich houses and spends time there after he commits the crime. While the police are on the case, journalist Jennifer is also trying to crack the case by herself. 

Review: There are thrillers that engross the viewers from the get-go and there are ones that just try too hard and end up being bland, unattractive and plain boring. Deepti Sati-starrer titled In falls under the second category. The movie ends up trying way too hard and loses the plot along the way, making it convoluted because it adds unnecessary information, characters and subplots.

In starts off on a promising note, taking us to a family that has just returned home after a trip. They soon learn that somebody has been in their home and might still be there. Before the parents can notify the authority, the movie’s sociopath villain takes their lives. While the opening sequence gives a sense of a promising thriller, everything from this point is a let down. 

The movie follows the pattern of a lot of thrillers, where there is a crime and there are two parallel investigations. The police force, headed by DySP Ayyappan (Madhupal), who is nearing retirement, is running the case while Jennifer (Deepti Sati), a journalist, is trying to find out the truth behind the murders. People soon realise that it is indeed a serial killer on the loose and the stakes keep getting higher. 

The movie’s villain is pretty questionable, and to make things worse, his backstory feels like a decision taken in a matter of minutes. The character does not have any real menace, apart from just the mild suspense. His intentions are never really established, despite the screenplay trying to provide half-baked information. 

Coming to the performances, there isn’t a lot of scope for the actors to put on a masterclass. Despite this, some of the scenes become a bit vanilla, especially where a lot of emotions have to be conveyed. Technically, the movie has nothing special to offer, and this also grounds the movie from taking off. Having said this, even with prime quality making, this movie would still be ordinary because of its ordinary screenplay and execution. 

Verdict: In is a less than interesting thriller because of its weak screenplay, mediocre acting and very ordinary making. The only thing that works for the movie is its runtime, which is only about 80 minutes.