Repeat review: A not-so-bad thriller with a few decent twists

2.5/5

Story:

Subrahmanyam, a writer, arrives at a police station in a drunken state to file a complaint about threatening calls he receives from the fictional characters of his books. While the cops ridicule him initially, they trace a connection between his upcoming novel and Pooja, a young girl who’s just been kidnapped. What connects the novelist to this case and the cops Asha Pramod and Vikram Kumar?

Review:

Thrillers are the flavour of the season so much so that it’s hard to find a Friday release without a dose of cops, crime, gore and deceit. The overkill of the genre isn’t particularly good news for the film buff and it leaves them with little chance to discover anything new in a story. Every narrative feels like pieces of the same jigsaw puzzle put together from different ends and the shock value is minimal.

Repeat, Disney+ Hotstar’s Telugu offering, is the latest victim to the ‘thriller overdose’ syndrome and falls into the 'neither good-nor-bad' category. As a narrative, it follows the basics of the genre but oversells its twists too much. In a bid to outsmart the viewer at every step, Repeat falls prey to exaggeration and sensationalises the narrative.

This is ultimately a revenge thriller with a novel twist and the premise shares a few similarities with the Korean film Montage (which was remade as Teen in Hindi). The plot feels too concocted as if the writer was ticking one item after the other on a checklist. The storytelling isn't organic.

You sense a hurry to jump from one event to the other tirelessly before you could digest the previous one. The verbal banter between the cops and the writer could’ve been imagined better in the first hour. The writing, especially with an idea surrounding two similar crimes, could’ve been smarter.

Luckily enough for the director, he picks a solid cast, comprising Naveen Chandra, Madhoo and Achyuth Kumar, that helps you overlook these niggles. Arvindh Srinivasan deserves credit for the packaging and his focused storytelling. Come what may, it’s hard to keep your eyes away from the screens. It’s so pacy that you’d wish to send the director a ‘calm down bro’ text while watching it.

A viewer with a good appetite for thrillers wouldn’t mind Repeat. If you’re overwhelmed by the rate at which thrillers are produced and consumed these days, don’t expect to be surprised by the twists. Naveen Chandra, in the form of his life, brings enough authority to his portrayal of an uncompromising cop. Madhoo gets a juicy role though her expressions feel repetitive at times.

Achyuth Kumar is as bankable as ever and so is Kaali Venkat. Smruthi Venkat, Chetan and Maria Vincent don’t disappoint in their brief roles. Mime Gopi’s role lacks meat. Composer Ghibran’s expertise in this genre makes this a cakewalk for him while cinematographer PG Muthiah uses natural locations effectively to enhance the impact of sequences.

Editor Arul E Siddharth is aware of the demands of the average ‘restless’ viewer and does everything within his resources to make the narrative sharper and edgy. It’s not an ideal scenario when a large chunk of Repeat, marketed as a straight Telugu film, feels like a dubbed release, with only Naveen Chandra’s portions shot separately (the film was simultaneously made in Tamil as Dejavu).

In the end, Repeat feels less like cinema and more like a product.

Verdict:

Repeat is a not-so-bad thriller that keeps you engaged though the twists seem too far-fetched at times. Naveen Chandra and Madhoo do enough to hold the fort while the sharp editing, impactful cinematography and background score aid the result. The film, irrespective of its problems, doesn’t bow down to commercial diktats and remains focused in its attempt. The director leaves enough room for a sequel too.