Impressive ride: My quick take on the Malayalam movie “Night Drive” (Netflix)
They've done it again; the people in the Malayalam film industry never cease to amaze me. I'm envious of the wealth of talent these men possess, particularly in terms of creating exceptional content, and I don’t think there is any mediocre actor in this industry.
It's a story of two close friends taking a long night drive on Cochin roads on the eve of Christmas to celebrate her birthday, and how a simple lengthy journey turns into a nasty experience is the simple plotline of the film. The talented Roshan Matthews portrays an Uber driver who is in love with Riya, played by Anna Ben, a TV reporter and a well-known face on television. They are on a 'night' date drive that ends in a bumpy ride and scary events that change the tone of the story as well as the night.
Full marks to the writer and director for cramming so many twists into the story. Indrajeet Sukumaran as an egoistic cop who wants to settle a score with Lady Arnab like a newsreader because she trampled on his tail in a public spat is really remarkable, and he complements the brilliant writing. Siddique, a veteran actor, plays an unscrupulous politician willing to go to any length to save his skin, and he's fantastic in his dark garb. The plot takes place at night, and the cameraman has captured the splendor of Cochin at night (but I must confess that God's own country is even more gorgeous at night).
But for longish setting up of the plot (it takes nearly 30-40 mins) which could have been trimmed a bit as the plot canters at a snail’s pace in these initial 30-40 mins, but after that, the drive is in overdrive and movie just takes off. The climax of the movie is a bit “Filmy”, maybe the director Vysakh who is known for commercial potboilers (I’ve seen his Pullimurugan) wanted to prove that he has not lost his Midas touch and can make movies for the masses too, hence he presents the hero Roshan Mathews in a feisty avatar in the climax which can make Bhaijaans and Thallaivas happy
Good story, great direction, short and crisp screenplay (it’s a story of just one night), compelling and convincing performances, unusual twists and turns, make it a must-watch movie (if you love such thrillers).
Hence fasten your seat belts and embark on this ride.
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