C U Soon (2020)

I was completely floored by this one! To be honest, I was a little afraid that it might come off as gimmicky due to all the hype surrounding it last year, but thankfully that was not the case at all. I don't know how to describe it, but it felt reassuringly realistic for a film that exists on various computer/mobile screens. Maybe it's the pandemic that makes me feel this way: 90% of relationships have occurred on one screen or another since March 2020. This movie felt like an honest document of our times, in that sense. The first (and probably the finest, once Bollywood gets its hands on this format) of its kind, C U Soon is both invigorating, and something that offers a sense of relief.

However, it's not just the format that works here: the narrative works superbly as a thriller, and after a long time, I saw something that made me lose touch with reality for a hot second, because I was too busy being engaged with the twists and turns happening here. Fahadh Faasil is in good form as Kevin, and the best part is that he gets better as the movie goes on. Roshan Mathew is terrific as Jimmy, the well-intentioned but ultimately selfish protagonist. The choices he makes drive the story forward, and as shitty as they were (eliciting a "no, don't do that!!" from me on multiple occasions), Mathew does full justice to them. Darshana Rajendran completes the main trio- her performance as Anumol Sebastian is what the narrative ultimately hinges on, and she does a decent job. I wish it could have been a bit more moving, but that's probably a "me" thing. 

In conclusion, I might finally be entering a FaFa stan phase, and I really don't have any problems with that. C u soon bby.