Sherr Movie Review: The slow motion takes repeated shots to get to the point of you probably already have all the information you need about Sherr. Each blow, each look, each entrance into the film’s dramatic scene is a little too extended; as if the movie is trying to tell the audience that its hero scenes are more significant than they really are. But behind all the commercial packaging lies a quite deserving crime thriller plot of organ trafficking, corruption and a system that is supposed to protect a monster in plain sight.
The movie has been directed by Prasiddh and in his hands the film seems to do best when it goes off the chase for style and lets its darker themes thrive. Kiran Raj does improve considerably here, playing emotionally, but not sacrificing likability or authenticity, while Chriss Rodriguez gives all the energy in the back half. Unfortunately, the film’s quick solutions and slow start don’t let it turn into the brutally intense thriller it was meant to be.
The story is about Shivu who is an orphan raised in an orphanage with other orphans. He eats what he can, finds work in odd jobs and somehow makes a living and lives a simple life even in adverse circumstances. It all changes when he unwittingly enters an organ mafia serial killing network. After that, the movie turns dark with elements of leadership, corruption, clandestine operations and nefarious characters running the show in the background.
What I liked about the script was the fact that it’s not strictly relying on the hero’s elevation, but also incorporating other methods of elevating the characters at regular intervals. An attempt to make a bigger world around the criminal network and I could clearly see the ambition behind the writing. Yet the film barely probes these themes, and does not go into as much depth as they deserve.
Kiran Raj pleasantly surprised me in this role. I’m often more inclined to think of him performing in more disposable and cuter ways, but he definitely plays this one here. His body language, delivery of his dialogue and even his “action” presence is suitable for the role. But Shivu as a character has ups and downs and Kiran does a pretty good job in holding the transitions together. Though the screenplay turns predictable, his honesty makes many scenes at least watchable. I really liked his calmness at the emotional parts, he didn’t over play it.
Namrita Malla, the key female characters, proves herself to be much more screen presence than commercial entertainers give their actresses. I was glad that the movie wasn’t just about her singing and the romantic scenes. She received some space, but I did have a few moments where the romance didn’t feel believable to me. In order for the emotional connection between the leads to come to life, more writing and believable interaction was needed.
The best supporting cast was Chriss Rodriguez (Gilli) for me. His elevation around his character is very natural and the culmination of that elevation is believable. His scenes have a certain rawness which is useful in the second half of the film. But, in fact, the second half is much more effective than the first half of the film.
I wish to complain about the first half pacing with Sherr, as it was the biggest problem I had with them. The film drags on too long towards its central issue. The tension or urgency which a thriller on serial killings and organ trafficking should summon I did not feel until the pre interval stretch. The story gets more focused after the second half, and really gets into the meat from there. It’s definitely an improvement in the viewing experience, but I wanted the film to have gotten there much sooner.
The movie, on a technical level, isn’t too bad. Gummineni Vijay’s background score adds just the right amount of emotion to some action and emotional scenes. The BGM provides the film with much needed intensity when the screenplay slows down. Unfortunately, the songs don’t leave a strong impression. When I left the theatre I could hardly recall any track and none of them were very exciting at the screening.
I also liked the action choreography as it was more grounded. The fights have absolutely no excessive fantasy, and they seem quite to be in the film’s world. Concurrently, the excessive use of slow motion makes the impact less. Nearly every major action beat is repeated and recut in slow motion and eventually it becomes more of a relic than a style. I think the guys could have just relied on the choreography a bit more, without relying on the visual exaggeration as much as they did to make it feel like modern action.
The other problem is related to the structure of the screenplay. The film is too resolution-oriented in solving conflicts. Shivu is often in dire straits, and the answers come as a surprise before the audience can get a handle on the tension. This makes the emotional impact of the experience never truly felt or felt at the level it deserves. The characters of the police were also confusing, when I saw them. They are not consistently malevolent, or even benign, but rather it is never determined whether they are being corrupt or are actually being helpful, or simply incompetent; this makes the film’s use of a few dramatic moments less effective.
I can’t say that Sherr is a completely disappointing watch, despite all these shortcomings. I do like what I saw in terms of the subject which I felt had potential, and the effort to blend commercial storytelling with dark criminal elements. The world building, performances and set up are able to keep the audience engaged to a degree. This could have been a much more powerful thriller if the script was more fleshed-out and more emotionally satisfying. Rather, it takes its place in the space of a one-off watch that looks pretty good in bits but never quite matches what it promises to be.
Rating: 2.75/5
