Devil Movie Review

Devil Click to look into! >> Read More... is a Tamil horror drama written and directed by Aathityaa. R Radhakrishnan and S Hari have co-produced this film. This film is distributed under the combined banner of Maruti Films, H Pictures, and Touch Screen Entertainment. Karthik Muthukumar Karthik Muthukumar is an Indian-origin cinematogra >> Read More... is the cinematographer, while S Elayaraja is the editor of this film. This film stars Poorna in the lead. The supporting cast of this film includes Vidharth, Thrigun, Subhashree, Rama, Mysskin, etc. The film got a theatrical release on 2 February 2024.  

Plot

Hema is attracted to Alex. But only days into her marriage, she discovers that he is not as charming as claimed. An accident draws her closer to Roshan. However, Hema discovers there is more to Roshan than what meets the eye.

Star Performances

For all the flaws, there are a few saving graces to this film as well.

Poorna as Hema does a fine job with her performance. She was one of the few actors who was devoted to her responsibility.

The camerawork behind this film is equally great as well. If not by script, the film is at least aesthetically attractive.

Analysis

Some films let the content speak for themselves. Some films must spoon-feed their message to the masses. However, ‘Devil’ is mysteriously sandwiched between both, confused about which path to take.

On the surface, ‘Devil’ seems like an extramarital affair gone wrong. Then, as you proceed with the plot, it seems like a weird cocktail of a murder mystery and adultery. However, with each passing moment, the viewers are ultimately left with their heads scratching at the nonsense proceeding on screen.

Writer cum director Aathityaa looked like he wished to make a supernatural drama that has multiple shades. However, in execution, he messed it all up. For all the aesthetical pleasure, this film suffers from a serious identity crisis, utterly confused about the narrative to move forward on. Much of it has to do with the lopsided editing of many crucial scenes.

However, does that mean that this film was a complete failure? Not really. The acting performances are not reflective of the bad screenplay. If the narrative was even remotely engaging, Poorna’s performance would have been more than enough to salvage the film for good. The other actors also did some justice with their respective roles. Even the camerawork was fair.

What's There?

• Good camerawork by Karthik Muthukumar
• Decent performances by Poorna, Thrigun, and the supporting cast

What's Not There?

• Haphazard editing of crucial sequences
• Narrative suffering from identity crisis
• Confusion in the approach of the director

Verdict

‘Devil’ is a film that could have worked wonders, if the director’s vision matched his execution. However, that didn’t turn out to be the case. If not for the efforts of the cinematographer and the lead star cast, the film could have sunk midway. Watch it only if you are an admirer of Poorna or Thrigun’s performances.