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Sardar Movie Review : Sardar is a solid spy movie, nothing more nothing less

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Sardar - Official Tamil Trailer

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Sardar | Telugu Song - Senaathipathi Nene

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C NAVEEN CHANDERASEKAR 1 269 days ago

Good movie nice message and BGM��

Karthikeyan 25 404 days ago

MOVIE: SARDAR MY RATING: 4.5/5 SARDAR MOVIE IS A SPY THRILLER THAT WILL DEFINITELY A WORTH WATCH FILM THE MOVIE STORY IS QUITE UNIQUE AND A GOOD SOCIAL MESSAGE IS THERE IN THE FILM.THE MOVIE EXECUTED VERY VELL.AND COMMING TO PERFORMANCES ALL DID A GOOD JOB TO THEIR ROLES IN PERFORMANCES KARTHI GIVEN A VERY TERRIFIC PERFORMANCE MOSTLY IN SARDAR ROLE HE LIFTED WHOLE MOVIE IN HIS SHOULDER WITH IS FABULOUS PERFORMANCE AND DIRECTOR PS.MITRAN HANDLED THIS SPY THRILLER IN WONDERFUL WAY.AS WE TALKED ABOVE THE EXECUTION OF MOVIE IS WONDERFUL.AND THE BGM IS TOPNOTCH.AND FINALLY PRODUCTION VALUES ARE TOO GOOD.ACTION SEQUENCES ARE ALSO WONDERFUL. PLUS KARTHI ACTING STORY AND SCREENPLAY EXECUTION SPY CONTENT FAST PACED NARRATION ACTION SEQUENCES CASTING DRAWBACKS LENGTHY RUNTIME OVERALL:DEFINITELY WORTH WATCH

Bibin Solomon 460 days ago

Lakshmithandapani 461 days ago.

Paste super

Karthi User 471 days ago

A fantastic spy thriller. A stellar performance by Karthi as Sardar. Pulling off a dual role with opposite characterisation is not a small task. The storyline is nice. Screenplay is excellent. Cinematography deserves an applause. Action sequences are superb. The parallel screenplay scenes are excellent. A must watch movie for Spy/Action/thriller movie lovers. 

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Sardar movie review: Karthi shines as an action star in this flawed but watchable spy thriller

Sardar movie review: karthi-starrer spy thriller is engaging and fun despite several glaring flaws largely due to some brilliant action and the lead star..

PS Mithran is the kind of filmmaker you want to take seriously because he wants to constantly push the envelope. After making a smashing debut with Irumbu Thirai – a terrific cybercrime thriller, he followed it up with the critically acclaimed superhero thriller Hero. Mithran now makes a noteworthy comeback with Sardar, which is a fairly engaging spy thriller that addresses a very pressing issue. Despite a largely predictable second half, Sardar has some very interesting stretches and it genuinely wants to introduce Tamil audiences to the world of spies. The outcome isn’t pathbreaking but it definitely leaves you with the feeling that this story had a lot of potential. Also read: Karthi on PS1 and Sardar

Karthi plays inspector Vijay Prakash, who is hungry for publicity and would do anything to make the headlines. Thanks to his sincere efforts, Tamil Nadu Police has been a topic of constant discussion on social media. However, Vijay’s commitment towards his work is marred on account of his father, a former spy who has been branded a traitor by the government. Vijay is only looked at as the son of a spy who betrayed his own nation and this makes him grow more bitter towards his father.

When an important file goes missing from the hidden vault of R&AW wing, Vijay makes it his life’s mission to catch the person who stole the file. In the process, Vijay learns that his father, once branded as a traitor, has been rotting in a prison in Bangladesh for 32 years. Karthi also plays the father, who goes by the code name Sardar. As Vijay tries to unearth more information about his father, the story introduces him as a stage artist turned spy in the flashback. The rest of the story is about Vijay trying to find out if his father really went rogue and turned against his own nation.

Tamil cinema has had very few spy films over the years and Mithran’s Sardar, despite its share of glaring flaws, is definitely a solid addition to the list. Sardar stays as much as rooted as possible in its attempt to explore the spy genre, and that’s something that really works in the film’s favour. It’s the rootedness of the film that makes it largely entertaining.

The only major complaint with Sardar is when it also wants to become an awareness film when it talks about water mafia and how multinational corporations are cashing in on the high demand for clean drinking water. This is where the film really struggles to stay relevant and gradually turns into a boring lecture. At some point, the film isn’t sure whether it wants to be a spy film (which it could’ve been more effectively if only it didn’t try to preach a message) or an awareness film on water mafia. Bhavesh Joshi, for instance, also addressed this issue of water mafia but it left a stronger impact as a superhero film that wants to fix a problem. Unfortunately, Sardar wants to be both a spy film as well as a message-heavy awareness film and the outcome isn’t wholesomely satisfying.

Sardar is still a watchable spy thriller that’s powered by some great action set pieces. Karthi as Sardar, a spy in his 60’s, makes action look so effortless. His introduction scene amidst a prison riot has to be one of the best sequences of the movie. The action is very smartly choreographed, especially when it involves Sardar, who can’t fight like a typical hero who is in his 20s or 30s. The young Karthi is more of a crowd-pleasing character which is fun to watch initially but gets lost with no purpose in the second half of the movie. The young Rithvik is easily one of the better written child characters in recent years. He has such incredibly good screen presence.

Director: PS Mithran

Cast: Karthi, Chunky Panday, Rajisha Vijayan, and Raashi Khanna.

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Sardar Reviews

Flawed but watchable.

Full Review | Oct 21, 2022

The world of Sardar is established with style, dramatic intensity and when needed, that silly comedic charm.

PS Mithran's Sardar is an efficiently made spy movie, which, despite a story arc that is familiar, manages to keep us engaged till the end.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 21, 2022

'Sardar' movie review: Karthi shines in a massy spy thriller with a compelling message

PS Mithran is a committed filmmaker. In his three films so far, the heroes have changed, the heroines have changed, the setting has changed, the look and feel of the films have changed, and the producer has changed, but one thing remains unchanged — the villain. Be it in Irumbuthirai or Hero, or his latest, Sardar, the villain might seem like one person, but it is actually the concept of commercialisation. What’s fascinating about this constant commentary on commercialisation is how the focus, more often than not, is always on people’s choices. Of course, Mithran’s films always have an overarching conflict and an underlying message. However, the resolution of it all isn’t just the responsibility of the protagonist, but is thrown open for the audience to engage and take home a message. More importantly, it makes the audience think of their next move with respect to the theme dealt with in his films. Sardar does that with consummate flair and strikes a balance between being a mass masala entertainer, and a message film with its heart in the right place.

Sardar has a fascinating cold open. It is the 80s. A renegade spy kills a high-ranking Intelligence official. Now, this spy is branded a traitor, but since it is played by Karthi, we definitely know who is on the right side. Nevertheless, the film soon shifts to the present where we see his son Vijayaprakash (Karthi again), a social media-savvy cop, who wants to remove the tag of being a 'traitor's son.' It is an interesting character arc that is milked for entertainment just long enough to ensure the gimmick doesn’t overstay its welcome. In fact, this tact of knowing when to stop a trope is the strength of Sardar's writing. While the sudden detours to a couple of songs feel like a deterrent to the otherwise on-point narration, the way Mithran uses these songs as montage sequences to further the plot is a welcome sight. While it is clear that we might have to wait longer for espionage thrillers to do away with songs altogether, this is a good middle ground.

Such is the shadow of Vikram that even the usual line of calling a spy a ghost reminds us of the Lokesh Kanagaraj film. Anyway, Sardar might actually remind us of the criminally underrated Bhavesh Joshi, and Velaikkaran. The central conceit is also a hat-tip to the real-life story of a famous Imperial Japanese soldier stationed on an island in the Philippines for three decades. But, make no mistake, Sardar is its own beast, and that is very much due to some smart writing and a brilliant Karthi at the centre of it all. In fact, it is one of the best performances from Karthi in what can be considered one of his massiest films to date. While it is Sardar who gets the maximum applause, his Vijayaprakash wonderfully holds fort on the other end. Considering it is a spy thriller, most of the big buildup moments work best in Sardar's story, and it is fascinating how Karthi, with his shaggy beard and gruff voice, almost makes us forget that he is also the uber-cool clean-shaven cop who is on a similar investigation trail, albeit from another direction. Also, full points to the team for relegating the father-son relationship to the background, and not having any grand sequences that might have distracted us from the plot.

Another highlight of Sardar is definitely the ensemble cast, which comes together to deliver a compelling film. Be it Chunky Panday as the primary antagonist or Yugi Sethu and Avinash as ex-RAW agents, the functioning of the clandestine agency is neither overtly glorified nor dumbed down. In Sardar, we don't see spies cracking cases and pulling down global conspiracies in just one day. We see how it is a prolonged process, and this attention to showcase the agency with authenticity is appreciable. Even with the women in the film — Laila, Raashii Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan — each of them have a distinct purpose in the film and aid in the progression of the plot. While their limited screen time does act as a downer, the pressing nature of the overarching theme comes in handy for the writers to do away with certain plot points. A surprise highlight of Sardar is the presence of child actor Rithvik, who plays a precocious kid with a decent arc. It is comforting that this kid manages to say the right things at the right time without sounding unnecessarily older than his age.

Sardar is a technically sound film, especially in the conception and execution of the stunt sequences, which stand testament to the superior talent of stunt choreographer Dhilip Subbarayan, DoP George C Williams, and editor Ruben. Even if the songs don't really leave an impact, especially because we are more invested in the montage sequences rather than the song itself, GV Prakash's strength comes to the fore in the background score, especially in the Sardar portions. These technicians, in tandem with the art department lead by Kathir, give us a fantastic look into the world of Sardar.

Generally, with films like Sardar, there is the problem of overwriting or spoon-feeding the audience. However, kudos to the writers for managing to walk the thin line without taking a patronising tone for most of its 165-minute runtime. The narrative takes a dip whenever we have a bit of forced humour here, and unnecessary romantic detours there, but it manages to recover just in time thanks to the focus shifting to a pressing issue that definitely warrants introspection even if the route taken to its predictable end is utopian.

Sardar is a true blue action thriller with the spy angle amply explored to justify the hint of a sequel. While we are still not sure if Karthi and Mithran will reunite for a Sardar 2, they have convincingly set up the world of cross-border espionage that doubles up as a well-constructed masala entertainer. With both Irumbuthirai and Hero having open endings, Mithran's propensity for promising us a franchise of sorts is known, and with Sardar, he has definitely delivered a film with the potential to finally fulfill that promise.

Director: PS Mithran

Cast: Karthi, Raashii Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan, Chunky Panday

Rating: 3.5/5

(This review originally appeared on Cinema Express .com)

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PS Mithran's Sardar is an efficiently made spy movie, which, despite a story arc that is familiar, manages to keep us engaged till the end.

Sardar Movie Review: Sardar is a solid spy movie, nothing more nothing less

Times of India

Sardar - Official Tamil Trailer

Sardar - Official Telugu Trailer

Sardar - Official Tamil Teaser

Sardar - Official Telugu Teaser

Sardar | Telugu Song - Senaathipathi Nene

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C NAVEEN CHANDERASEKAR 1 269 days ago

Good movie nice message and BGM��

Karthikeyan 25 404 days ago

Bibin Solomon 460 days ago

Lakshmithandapani 461 days ago.

Paste super

Karthi User 471 days ago

10 relationship lessons to learn from Lord Krishna

Habits that are highly dangerous to health in the long run

Take cues from Sargun Mehta's collection of steal-worthy dresses

9 benefits of mint tea no one told you about

Books by famous Indian authors that are perfect for children

Alaya F shines in stylish traditional wear

Beauty lessons to take from Shoaib Malik’s third wife Sana Javed

8 popular summer pickles and their benefits

How does solar eclipse affect human health?

10 small actions that can help you gain respect

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This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor. Share
This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
The song ‘Yamma yamma’ from ‘Shaan’ is sampled in the song ‘Partywali Night' for the film.

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Sardar Movie Review: Karthi is brilliant in this ambitious film, overloaded with message

Director ps mithran’s sardar, featuring karthi, chunky pandey and raashi khanna, is a formulaic film with a sensitive message at its core..

Listen to Story

Karthi's Sardar hit the theatres on October 21.
The film also features Chunky Pandey, Rajisha Vijayan and Raashi Khanna.
The espionage thriller is directed by PS Mithran.

Release Date: 21 Oct, 2022

Karthi is on a roll! After a rustic Viruman and the phenomenal Ponniyin Selvan, he is back with director PS Mithran’s Sardar. ‘Once a spy, always a spy,’ is the one-liner attached to this espionage thriller that deals with an environmental hazard. It is safe to say that Sardar has elements that Kamal Haasan-Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vikram had. Even though both films are cut from the same cloth, they are also different.

Vijaya Prakash (Karthi) is a police inspector, who is haunted by the ghost of his past. His father Sardar (again played by Karthi) is branded as a traitor. Since his childhood, Vijaya Prakash has been bogged down by the tag. Meanwhile, activist Sameera (Laila, in a short role) steals an important document concerning Sardar, which starts a chain of reaction. Who is Sardar? Why was Laila killed? Is Sardar alive? These questions are answered by PS Mithran in the following two-and-a-half hours.

Director PS Mithran is three films old. One thing that Mithran relies on is packaging his film with his findings from the pre-production. It also gives a feeling that Mithran spends ample time in pre-production and amply researches a given topic. While his debut film Irumbu Thirai dealt with cybercrime, his second film, Hero, talks about one’s identity. In Sardar, Mithran delves deep into water theft, which is a growing concern in the country. Laila uncovers an important truth about water being commercialised and tries her best to bring Sardar out of prison to put a full stop to this. Because Sardar is the best agent India has ever produced and everything is possible for him.

Sardar is a film that suffers from an overload of information. However, Mithran does not repeat the mistake he made with his second film, Hero. In Sardar, he picks two important subplots – water theft and reunion of father-son – and concentrates on them. The screenplay keeps you engrossed, and therefore, it pays off to a great extent.

The character build-up to the father's role is tastefully done and makes you want to know who the agent everyone’s raving about is. The heavy-concept film bombards the audience with information and most importantly, lays it bare for people of all ages to understand and comprehend.

However, Sardar is not a film without shortcomings. The film becomes too convenient in many places. For example, Karthi’s characters get everything in the blink of an eye. But, you can not question how he gets everything done. The screenplay also lags in the second half, which waters down the impact it created until then. Also, Sardar is shown as a character who is ageing and suffers from trembling hands. When it comes to fight sequences, he is flawless. But, you cannot question how!

Karthi’s splendid acting as the father and son is brilliant. His nonchalant performance is what makes him desirable. Chunky Panday as the mastermind behind the water theft is appropriate. However, his characterisation could have been more powerful to put up an equal fight with a terrific Karthi.

Cinematography by George C Williams and composer GV Prakash Kumar’s work help elevate the script. Also, props to the art director for doing a brilliant job.

Sardar is a solid film with a strong core idea. With a few misses here and there, the film makes for a compelling watch.

2.5 out of 5 stars for Sardar. Published By: Nairita Mukherjee Published On: Oct 21, 2022 --- ENDS --- ALSO READ | Sardar teaser out. Karthi is once a spy, always a spy in PS Mithran film

Sardar (2022)

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Sardar movie review: Karthi shines in this film that centers on its own version of scarlet letter, and the spy business

A spy film has to be stylish, sharp and slick if it is set in the present. Since Sardar is partly set in the 80s, the stunts in the film are more brutal and physically intimate.

Language: Tamil

Cast: Karthi, Rajisha Vijayan, Raashi Khanna, Chunky Panday, Laila

Director: P.S. Mithran

Star rating: 3/5

From the very first shot, Karthi -starrer Sardar intrigues you. It is a brilliant shot of a government employee held at gunpoint in a boat on India-Bangladesh border. The resounding gunshot that pans away to reveal the title of the film promises a fascinating spy-thriller. However, that fascination is tested. In fact, the weakest point in Sardar is its first act that sets up a connection between the present and the past. Sardar is India’s most talented spy trained in the 80s, and Vijay Prakash is a police officer whose main motive is to make an attempt at living beyond the legacy left behind by his father who has been labelled a traitor by the nation’s highest intelligence agency.

The first act is where the narrative panders to formulaic concepts such as the masala-packed intro song, a romantic track and narrative montages. Of these, only the narrative montage works. The former two serve as nothing but a distraction, or more accurately, an obstacle before we as viewers can get to the heart of the story. The film picks up pace only after Vijay Prakash decides to capture a traitor of the nation, in an attempt to erase his legacy. Until this investigation, Vijay’s belief that his father had been a bad man had been absolute. After all, his father’s entire family had allegedly died by suicide. Their death only served as further proof regarding his father’s crimes. How his absolute belief is broken, the doubts that crop up in the process of his investigation, the trials that Vijay’s character experience during this time are a tale of their own.

You peel this layer away, and you learn about a controversy that is at play at large here. A conspiracy that attacks capitalism, one that blames the society for putting a price to anything and everything possible. In this case, rightly so. The more we learn of this controversy, the more we internalise it. In fact, the first thing that I did after the film ended was look into the commercialisation of waterways in countries across the world. I read about countries where it was successful and countries where it wasn’t. It is an interesting overarching theme to have for a spy thriller.

Of course, the film does pander to the suspicions that India at large has about China’s intention politically. However, it does work out in favour of the narrative. After the initial hiccup in the first act, there are certain unexpected edits and cutaways that do seem like an attempt by an amateur. In an otherwise tight screenplay that also does great at giving life to its supporting characters, these moments are irksome. The one who distracts you from such irksome moments in the film is this child — Timmy. Unlike other child actors that are forced to act cutesy, or way more mature for their age, this little guy is spot-on with his role. The role portrayed by Rithvik travels partially with Vijay before he partners up with Sardar. I say partner up because he does more to help the old man complete his three-decade-old mission. Vijay, at one point, becomes a spectator in his father’s life, and then he becomes a supporter.

It is Timmy who is aware of all of Sardar’s plans until the very end. Similarly, his mother Sameera Thomas (Laila) gets a brilliant arc of her own despite the short screen time. In fact, she serves as a turning point in both Vijay and Sardar’s life. In times when spy thrillers have one-dimensional female characters, Sardar has done better. That is not to say that there is no room for improvement. One of the characters that I was personally a tad bit disappointed with is that of Rajisha Vijayan’s. Raashi Khanna, on the other hand, gets comparatively more screen time, but she is also the love interest who exists solely for the male character’s growth.

A spy film has to be stylish, sharp and slick if it is set in the present. Since Sardar is partly set in the 80s, the stunts in the film are more brutal and physically intimate. The ways in which Sardar infiltrates enemy outposts is ingenious, yet simple. As an undercover agent, his acceptance of his role — no glory, no honour, or a nod to services provided — and the consequences that comes with it is what drives the film to the finish line. Speaking of stunt sequences, there is one that is quite inspired, where Sardar uses electricity and steam. The background score here, the editing, and visuals all come together beautifully. In fact, the high points of the film feature Sardar . The villain in this film — portrayed by Chunky Panday — is set up to perform a very popular trope in the espionage genre. While he is not the most impressive villains we have had in recent times, the film only sees him as a figure of corruption. The villain in this tale is something else entirely, and this is addressed through the film’s overarching topic.

In a film that captures the journey of a father and son in parallel, one where their fights are shows with intercuts, and their struggles overlap each other to brilliant background score, the absence of a grand reunion scene is interesting. What we see instead is Timmy act as a bridge between this father and son. It is similar to how the writers do not want to make a grandstand with their message. They make their point, show you their side of the argument and leave it to you to decide which side of history you want to place yourself at. Overall, the film comes together after its initial hiccup, and it forms a cohesive and effective narrative.

Priyanka Sundar is a film journalist who covers films and series of different languages with special focus on identity and gender politics.

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Sardar movie review: A long-winding over-the-top movie

The world is shrinking both in terms of time and space. Only Tollywood, while it could take advantage of the latter, is not willing to recognise the former.

Resultantly a major Tamil film gets dubbed to a reasonable footfall at the theatres, the time it takes to tell the story of a mafia planning to rob the world of drinking water takes all of nearly three hours. Film makers just cannot get over the idea that you do not need three hours to tell a gripping story and there is nothing more important than telling a story in a crisp and compelling manner.

While song and dance are indeed an integral part of our cinema and thus romance an imperative, our filmmakers have yet to learn the fine art of coming up with a balancing act.

This outing is a fine example of how you fail may not even set out to achieve this goal. The lead romantic pair sing songs wholly irrelevant to the main story for the first half hour in typical Telugu-Tamil style and then there is not a whisper of romance till the Director decides to punctuate the narrative with the presence of the heroine at odd moments. There has also been a constant parallel narrative in our cinema that only the extra brave courageous and maltodextrins character that can win battles and the ordinary are so distant in the background that life is mocking them.

Director Mitran PS takes away 165 minutes of your life in exchange for the ticket price and believes in giving you your money's worth-quantitatively. There not only lies the problem but there it starts.

Juxtaposition this long duration with the lack of talent to spread a story thin and even and you get into a film that has bouts of needless violence , spells of high voltage drama and hours of meandering.

Inspector Vijay Prakash (Karthi) is that Inspector who we find only in our cinema and rarely in our police stations. Efficient, duty conscious and proactive. Brought up by his constable uncle (Munishkant) he has to overcome a huge social barrier as he is perceived by many as the son of a traitor – his father Bose (Karthi- in the other role too). For romance he has a lawyer in Shalini (Raashi Khanna) while Pappa Bose has Rajisha Vijayan.

The sudden disappearance of Sameera (Laila) a social activist whose writ petition against a pipeline project kick starts the proceedings we have peeps into the past. Leaking here and there in the tale is how Sardar is a Intelligence Officer who is doomed to obscurity and notoriety leaves a son who would walk an extra mile for popularity and fame. Dad has been declared a traitor and missing while the entire family commits suicide. This haunts the son (a la Zanjeer to Ghost). There is Maharaja Rathore (Chunkey Pandey) who is an ex-army officer who has resigned and is now the villain in chief who promises the world that India would have a single pipeline for drinking water but is actually robbing the innocent of their lawful share and making them dependent on bottled water which also has disastrous side effects as seen in a little boy Timmy (Rithvik).

Hours and hours of cinema and finally through the prisons of Bangladesh the beach sands of the Bay of Bengal and the streets of Tamil NÄdu Papa and Son fight the evil and in the midst of debris and bodies dead and ears deafened you come to a climax which shows the complete lack of control that the film maker has on his product.

The saving grace in the film is the performance from Karthi in a dual role. We are saved of similar mannerisms to establish the relationship. We are also saved of dramatic reunions and the like. We could well have been saved of a lot more. Simply reiterated, the fight of an international mafia eyeing water as the critical factor with the armed forces either conniving or turning a blind eye to the prospective tragedy simply does not require three hours, much less a contrived romance between the fighting protagonists – a police officer and an activist lawyer. Sardar is over the top and for those who order for just that from the menu card this satiates.

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Sardar Movie Review (2022)

Ps mithran's 'sardar', with karthi and raashi khanna, is an engaging spy thriller that sticks close to the genre.

Sardar Movie Cast & Crew

PS Mithran may have developed a new genre: ShankarWood. Like the director Shankar, he takes an issue and makes it the basis for a Hollywood-style, hero-centric action movie. In Irumbu Thirai , the issue was cybercrime. In Hero , the issue was education / intellectual theft. In his new Karthi-starrer, Sardar , the issue is that of putting a price on water. The villain wants to control all the drinking-water supply in India, by bottling the water and selling it. But the real danger may be from the plastic bottles. The second half of "ShankarWood" comes from Hollywood. Unlike Shankar, whose sensibility is quite Indian, Mithran seems to be like Lokesh Kanagaraj: a lover of Hollywood genre cinema. Sardar is not without Indian-isms – say, a couple of needless duets. But Mithran is smart enough to intercut them with other actions. So the songs don't exactly become speed breakers.

And speaking of speed… After a bumpy start that underlines the issue (this portion includes a badly cast Laila), Sardar moves like a jet plane. The screenplay (credited to five writers, including Mithran) and Ruben's editing make us feel like we are watching a film at 2x speed. This is a very important element in a story that is both predictable and derivative. Karthi plays Vijay Prakash, a cop whose missing father (also Karthi) is branded a traitor. Now, of course, we know – even if the younger Karthi doesn't – that the man is actually a patriot. The derivative nature comes from both Shankar and numerous Hollywood spy thrillers. But Mithran's hold on the material is solid, and with George C Williams's beautifully toned cinematography, the film is quite engaging. (I wish it had been shorter, though.)

The story begins with Vijay Prakash and a no-nonsense lawyer, played by a not-bad Raashi Khanna. They are both committed more to their jobs than to romance, and it's refreshing to see a heroine not easily falling for a hero's charms. The one wish I had was that they'd added more weight to Vijay Prakash. He is a cop who likes to call attention to himself, and at first, this comes across like a narcissistic trait. But soon, we see that it's his constant need to reassure people that he is a good cop, and not someone like his father. This aspect is alluded to, but it's not stressed on – and the film misses an opportunity to elevate the emotional stakes.

But that's probably excusable, because Sardar is more interested in the action. After a point, the narrative keeps cross-cutting between father and son, not just sequentially but also parallely, during two action scenes. Like the two Karthis, many aspects play out in echoes. One child with a stigmatised parent finds a kinship with another. One shot where a gun is placed at the back of the neck is tied to another, later on. I liked the touch that even a commoner, like a boy who makes tea, can be a spy. There are other nice touches, too – like the fact that the senior Karthi is a folk-theatre performer, a koothadi , and he wears a number of disguises in the roles he plays as a spy. (This Karthi is paired with Rajisha Vijayan.) And where does this Karthi character do his spy-work? Inside a well, a source of water – and water is the film's big concern.

Karthi is fine in both roles, and if I had to choose, I'd go with the father. Apart from a few scenes with his wife, there's a standoffish quality to him, befitting a spy. You feel you will never really read this man by watching his face. The ending makes sense, too. Mithran doesn't opt for a tearful reunion. He stays true to character. The cute kid, and the extra-long stretches of explanation are things that could have been tweaked – but my only real issue with Sardar is the lack of tension. For a spy thriller, the film doesn't ever bring you to the edge of your seat. Still, Sardar is a solid addition to Hollywood-derived films like Maanadu and Vikram . It sticks closely to its genre, and that's its biggest plus.

About Author

Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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Sardar Movie Review

Article by Nanda Gopal Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 9:55 am, 22 October 2022 | Updated on 11:34 am, 26 October 2022

2h 46m | Action and Spy | 21 Oct 2022

Cast - Karthi, Raashii Khanna, Laila, Rajisha Vijayan, Chunky Pandey

Director - Mithran PS

Producer - S. Lakshman Kumar

Banner - Prince Pictures

Music - G V Prakash Kumar

Karthi is known for picking up interesting scripts and challenging roles. He has teamed up with director PS Mithran, of Abhimanyudu fame for a spy thriller. For the first time in his career spanning 15 years, he has done a father-son dual role. The film raises curiosity with its content, thanks to the lead actor’s look. Here is the review.

Vijay Prakash (Karthi) is a publicity-hungry cop who is chasing high-profile cases. He gets the national-importance case of a missing file that is connected to an espionage spy Sardar (Karthi) who is prisoned in Bangladesh and branded a national traitor. The file has the interest of the owner of the water project. The water company wants to control the water supply across the country through ‘One Country One Pipeline’. It is also the cause for the deaths of 1000s of children every year. Who is Sardar and what is his story? How does he stop this dubious water project?

Performances:

Karthi delivered a praise-worthy performance as Sardar. He got under the skin of the character so well. In fact, he reminds us of versatile actors Kamal Haasan and Vikram in donning such myriad roles. He delivered a topnotch show in the action episodes. He also impresses with his role Vijay Prakash where he scores points in fun and emotional scenes. His comic persona was too good.

Rashi Khanna as Shalini is decent. She doesn’t get enough screen time to shine. After Liger, Chunky Pandey is seen as a baddie Maharaja Rathore. He does his part well. Rajisha Vijayan as Sardar’s wife is impressive. Laila as Sameera gets noticed.

Child actor Rithvik shines in the role of a smart and intelligent kid Timmy. He is a treat to watch till the end where he aids Sardar and refers to him as ‘Partner’. Timmy’s role is crucial and drives the story forward. The film has an ensemble cast and all the cast is a game on and does their best.

Technicalities

Sardar is a familiar espionage spy story on paper involving father and son. But Mithran has written an impressive screenplay that made it better, bigger and engaging. Gorge C William’s visuals and GV Prakash’s background score are appealing. Production values are lavish depicting the grandeur of the film.

Thumbs Up Karthi’s Performance Terrific First Half Twists & Elevation Scenes Action Episodes

Thumbs Down Dragged Second Half Water Bottle Conspiracy

Director Mithran had made an impressive debut with Abhimanyudu which was an action techno thriller based on hacking. His second film was Hero (2019) based on the education system that was even more lecturish. His third directorial is an espionage spy thriller touching upon the commercialisation of water and its packaging. The scale gets bigger. Karthi makes it even more engaging with his powerful performance. The film’s first half is terrific. The way the film mounts and the way the story is unravelled makes it thoroughly engrossing till the interval.

Sardar has some brilliant episodes which give edge-of-seat experience. Be it the flashback scene how he manages to enter into Pakistan’s base camp or the Chittagong jail scene where Sardar fights other inmates or the Sardar’s escaping sequence from the prison were all shot well. The climax episodes were a bit draggy yet it would appeal to action lovers.

The problem with Sardar lies in its preachiness on packaged water and its disadvantages. It gets repetitive at portions. Director jumps to a conspiracy around plastic water bottles and it’s overdone at times in the film. The hero and heroine lack chemistry. Their love track is pretty weak and it looked forced. Heroine Shalini (Rashi) is a lawyer whose client is Sameera (Laila), barring this her role hasn’t had much substance.

Sardar caters to both aficionados of spy films and action genre. It is an action-packed spy thriller that hits the right chords to the genre lovers. It is watchable for the big screen experience.

Verdict: Solid Spy Thriller

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Available on: Theatrical Release

Runtime: 166 Minutes

It starts following the basic spy-thriller schtick of introducing the almighty lead agent telling you why he’s not as good as you think, but he eventually will be because how else to end such films? By labelling the super-spy Bose aka Sardar (Karthi) a ‘traitor’, the film jumps to the current day where his son Vijayprakash (also Karthi) is trying hard of being so entertaining to everyone that they should forget his father was a ‘gadaar’ agent back in the day.

Vijay somehow gets involved with the weird subplot of Chunky Panday ‘s Rathore is fooling not only the country but also the entire world with his ‘One Nation One Pipeline’ scheme. With the help of his lawyer childhood crush Shalini ( Raashii Khanna ), Vijay uncovers truths about his life reuniting with his allegedly-rouge father Sardar ultimately getting a clearer picture of what went wrong.

Sardar Movie Review: Script Analysis

In one line, P. S. Mithran’s story boils down to an ‘adarsh’ son reuniting with his dad who he thought was dead (and rouge), only to have a ‘Maula Mere Le Le Meri Jaan’ Chak De! India’s moment in the end. Amid this ‘image-cleansing’ process of people’s cop, the narrative cojoins with social issues of ‘free’ water turning into a commodity denoting a darker side of capitalism.

I know, it looks all intriguing & intellectual on the outside, but on the inside, it’s muddled with multiple miscalculated messes/misses. Not a single sub-plot supports the strings of the plot, making it hang through a solo strand of Karthi’s performance which, spoiler alert, isn’t enough to attract your attention. Things get too convenient in disguise of ‘building’ the sub-plots like a kid giving away answers in an exchange for ice cream.

Ruben’s editing drags the already hindering narrative making it unbearable to sit through even interesting sequences like the pre-Interval block. He could’ve found a choppy way to pack in all the information without elongating everything. George C. Williams’ camerawork comes to life only in the action sequences, as apart from that he takes a very routine approach to film the already crawling scenes.

Sardar Movie Review: Star Performance

The many shades of Karthi don’t really come across as a diversified approach to taking a character. The only difference between Sardar & Vijayprakash is the aged look achieved through prosthetics, while the treatment remains tiredly similar for every avatar he takes up. While he shines in some scenes, that’s the least you’d accept from someone who’s at this stage of his career.

Raashi Khanna displays an artificial act, also not getting any considerable help from the weak character sketch. Chunky Pandey remains to be a miscast, especially because of how the poor dubbing doesn’t allow you to take him seriously at any juncture. Laila’s character which seems to be interesting at the start is also a victim of getting eclipsed by the heroic elements of the film.

Sardar Movie Review: Direction, Music

P. S. Mithran tries to mash up a spy-thriller layered with emotional drama & a touch of social issues like ‘don’t drink bottled water because it kills’, but ultimately makes ‘khichdi’ of everything which is definitely not palatable. It surely gives a very Vikram-isque vibe by its template but fails at more than one level in achieving even one-tenth of the same.

G. V. Prakash Kumar is that scholar kid in the class who never fails even if the entire class is performing poorly. He continues to drop bangers in the set pieces which aren’t optimally used by the makers, as the visuals don’t really match up to its swag.

Sardar Movie Review: The Last Word

All said and done, Karthi’s Sardar is one of those films which could’ve been a masterpiece only if things would’ve gone as planned.

Sardar Trailer

Sardar releases on 21 October, 2022.

Share with us your experience of watching Sardar.

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Sardar Movie Review and Rating

October 21, 2022 / 06:25 PM IST

Cast & Crew

Karthi (Hero)
Raashii Khanna,Rajisha Vijayan (Heroine)
Chunky Pandey , Laila (Cast)
P. S. Mithran (Director)
S. Lakshman Kumar (Producer)
G. V. Prakash Kumar (Music)
George C. Williams (Cinematography)

Hero Karthi’s new film, Sardar under the direction of PS Mithran had a theatrical release today. Let’s see how it fares.

Story: The movie starts with the introduction of a publicity hunger cop named Vijay Prakash (Karthi) and his love story with an advocate Shalini( Raashi Khanna). Things turn serious when Vijay starts a mission to find the whereabouts of a national spy Sardar( Karthi). Who is Sardar? What is his actual identity? How is a sensitive national issue interconnected with Sardar? To know that, you have to watch the film in the nearest theatres.

Performances: Karthi did a good job in the dual role. His makeover for both characters is showcased nicely. Especially, his look in the old man’s getup brings realistic texture to the proceedings.

Heroine Raashi Khanna gets a meaty role. Actress Laila is impressive in her purposeful role. Rajisha Vijayan is fine as a lady from a rural area. Other padding artists did a fine job in the given key roles.

Chunky Pandey is stylish on screen and did a decent job as a baddie.

Technicalities: The cinematography work by George C Williams is captivating. He presented the entire film neatly with his lighting setup.

The editing work by Ruben is fine. Despite lengthy runtime, he made sure that the film has hardly boring moments.

Music by GV Prakash Kumar is an added advantage for the film. His background score elevates the mood of the film in a superb manner.

Analysis: Firstly, director PS Mithran should be appreciated for coming up with a society-related national issue and incorporating spy thrilling elements in it. His detailing and scene order makes the audience hooked to the narrative. The director succeeds in presenting the entire movie without any dull moments.

As the director followed the script and made the film without any commercial stuff like songs and comedy tracks, those who expect these elements might disappoint to an extent. To summerize, Sardar is an impressive spy thriller made with a tight screenplay by incorporating authentic action and drama in the proceedings.

Verdict: Engaging spy thriller!

Rating: 3/5

#P. S. Mithran
#Raashii Khanna
#Rajisha Vijayan
#Sardar Movie

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'Monkey Man' review: Underestimate Dev Patel at your own peril after this action movie

In his directorial debut “Monkey Man,” Dev Patel gifts action-movie fans with a multilayered, hyperviolent narrative. Sure, he pulls off a deep dive into Indian mythology, yet he's pretty darn good at attacking goons with fireworks, platform shoes and all manner of sharp objects too.

More “Rocky” than “John Wick,” the gritty and gory revenge thriller (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters Friday) is a love letter to his two-fisted influences, from Bruce Lee movies to Asian cult flicks like “Oldboy” and “The Raid.” But the underdog story, produced by Jordan Peele, also shows a bunch of new sides to Patel, who knuckles up as a legit action star and a guy who can make a movie that’s totally cool, occasionally amusing and impressively thoughtful.

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Patel also co-wrote the screenplay, a modern take on the mythos of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman. Kid (Patel) competes in an underground Indian fight club, though his job is mainly to take a bloody beating while wearing a monkey mask and hope his colorful boss Tiger (Sharlto Copley) doesn’t stiff him on pay.

At the same time, our hero is also haunted by the murder of his mom and a traumatic childhood, which fuels Kid’s mission of vengeance to take down those responsible. He gets a chance to infiltrate a repressive political system by working in a high-end brothel and starts causing problems for power players including a narcissistic, no-good celebrity guru (Makarand Deshpande) and a corrupt police chief (Sikander Kher).

With the holiday of Diwali on the way, as well as an important election, they don’t need someone like Kid messing things up. He becomes a wanted man and ends up left for dead in the street, where he’s found by a tribe of trans women who like Kid have been marginalized. Their leader Alpha (Vipin Sharma) nurses him back to health yet also imparts a key lesson: Instead of enduring pain and suffering as his primary existence, Kid needs a purpose in life.

While the piecemeal rollout of Kid’s backstory and bits of the Hanuman tale muddy the plot at first, “Monkey Man” swings into a groove when the main character is at his lowest point. Kid gets himself (and the movie) into gear in a lively montage where he uses a bag of wheat for punching practice as Alpha offers up a nifty percussion accompaniment. (It’s the next best thing to Survivor songs psyching up Rocky Balboa back in the day.)

Thusly inspired and trained, Kid goes on a righteous rampage and literally fights his way to the top floor of the villainous big boss. Patel can craft a mean action sequence, whether between ring ropes as masked men duke it out for crowds, a speedy car chase involving a tuk-tuk named after Nicki Minaj, or Kid kicking, stabbing and brawling his way through hordes of bad guys. As the guy at the center of these battles, the Oscar-nominated Patel ("Lion") never seems or looks out of place, even borrowing Keanu Reeves’ fashionable panache when it comes to gnarly combat couture.

The fact that “Monkey Man” includes social-cultural context, as something meaty to chew on rather than a throwaway thematic thread, is the cherry on top of Patel’s bloody sundae. He’s managed to craft a rare action movie that makes you think and also will joyfully plunge a metal rod into a dude’s brain.

Screen Rant

Why the first omen's reviews are so positive.

Ahead of its opening weekend, The First Omen is garnering rave positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which breaks a recent horror franchise trend.

The First Omen revives the Omen franchise with scares and atmospheric thrills, impressing critics with its unique approach to horror.
Director Arkasha Stevenson's debut film brings new life to the series, with a standout performance by Nell Tiger Free and a fresh take on the lore.
The First Omen 's success lies in its nods to the original film's dread-inducing suspense, creating a truly haunting atmosphere for horror fans.

Despite a rocky franchise track record, The First Omen is reeling in universally positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Not only are the rave ratings a huge shift for The Omen movie series, but they mark an exciting turn for horror fans. For example, the most recent Exorcist film garnered abysmal reviews from critics when it hit theaters in 2023. Filmmakers clearly squandered the goodwill fans have for the original Exorcist movie. Thankfully, The First Omen takes a different approach: instead of trading in nostalgia, the film recalls the best elements of the 1976 Omen film without feeling completely derivative.

Margaret uncovers a sinister conspiracy regarding the planned birth of the Antichrist.

The First Omen marks director Arkasha Stevenson's feature film debut , though the filmmaker has previously directed episodes of the supernatural TV series Legion and Netflix's weird horror drama Brand New Cherry Flavor . Unlike the 2006 Omen remake, The First Omen serves as a prequel , chronicling events that unfold before the 1976 film. The First Omen follows a recent horror film trend with its nun protagonist : American novitiate Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) is sent to work at an orphanage in Rome before taking her vows. Soon enough, Margaret uncovers a sinister conspiracy regarding the planned birth of the Antichrist.

The First Omen's Reviews Praise Its Scares & Creepy Horror

The omen franchise revives its atmospheric thrills.

Holding steady at a solid 78% on Rotten Tomatoes , The First Omen has impressed critics, which likely comes as a surprise given the 2006 remake's flop status. Directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer, the original Omen film is one of cinema's most iconic horror classics. After their child dies shortly after his birth, a man replaces his and his wife's biological child with Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens), a boy who's the prophesied Antichrist. Despite mixed reviews upon its release, The Omen garnered an impressive $60.9 million at the box office against a $2.8 million budget.

Part of its enduring appeal lies in The Omen 's truly dread-inducing atmosphere of suspense.

While it was once seen as a sillier Exorcist derivative, The Omen has cemented its place in the horror movie canon. Part of its enduring appeal lies in The Omen 's truly dread-inducing atmosphere of suspense. Instead of focusing on body horror or blood-soaked gore, The Omen makes the lead-up — and what isn't seen — even scarier. Needless to say, recapturing The Omen 's particular magic seems like a fool's errand. In less capable hands, it wouldn't work, but The First Omen team wisely implements the original movie's lessons , creating scares with its pacing and atmosphere.

The First Omen Review: Horror Prequel Criticizes Church Corruption In Effective Franchise Entry

The first omen's cast & director elevate the movie, the servant's nell tiger free leads the first omen to success.

With credits spanning Legion and Brand New Cherry Flavor , first-time feature film director and The First Omen co-writer Arkasha Stevenson breathes new life into a series with entries that have continually paled in comparison to the original film. The First Omen might have a sequel problem , but as a standalone entry in the franchise, it works wonders and expands upon the beloved horror series' lore. In addition to Stevenson and her co-writers' unique vision for the prequel, the cast of The First Omen is responsible for much of the movie's success .

The First Omen Ending Explained

Nell Tiger Free, who had a breakout role in M. Night Shyamalan's psychological horror series Servant (2019–2023), brings her impressive TV chops to the big screen as Margaret. Ralph Ineson ( The Witch ) co-stars as Father Brennan , a priest who warns Margaret about the conspiracy at the heart of the film. The First Omen 's cast of characters is rounded out by Tawfeek Barhom ( The Looming Tower ), Sônia Braga ( Kiss of the Spider Woman ), and Bill Nighy, whose more notable horror projects, including Underworld and Shaun of the Dead , are more action- and comedy-forward than The Omen prequel .

The First Omen Is A Big Step Up From Recent Omen Movies

The iconic horror franchise remembers what made the original film so successful.

For horror film viewers who have watched all five Omen movies , there's no denying that the prequel is a huge step-up for the franchise. Instead of getting lost in the series' confusing and tedious lore, The First Omen teases its connections to the franchise while feeling like a completely standalone entry. Part of that success stems from the movie's prequel nature, though the filmmakers' priorities also feel more in line with the original film's intent. Instead of shock-value gore or jump-scares, The First Omen builds a remarkably unsettling atmosphere, which allows its scares to become truly haunting.

The First Omen

The First Omen is a horror film from director Arkasha Stevenson that acts as a prequel to the 1976 film The Omen. The film follows a young woman who goes to Rome to become a nun but begins to question her faith after encountering a terrifying darkness that aims to spawn an evil incarnate.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Sardar Movie Review: Karthi shines in a massy spy thriller with a compelling message

Rating: ( 3.5 / 5).

PS Mithran is a committed filmmaker. In his three films so far, the heroes have changed, the heroines have changed, the setting has changed, the look and feel of the films have changed, and the producer has changed, but one thing remains unchanged — the villain. Be it in Irumbuthirai or Hero , or his latest, Sardar , the villain might seem like one person, but it is actually the concept of commercialisation. What’s fascinating about this constant commentary on commercialisation is how the focus, more often than not, is always on people’s choices. Of course, Mithran’s films always have an overarching conflict and an underlying message. However, the resolution of it all isn’t just the responsibility of the protagonist, but is thrown open for the audience to engage and take home a message. More importantly, it makes the audience think of their next move with respect to the theme dealt with in his films. Sardar does that with consummate flair and strikes a balance between being a mass masala entertainer, and a message film with its heart in the right place.

Director: PS Mithran

Cast: Karthi, Raashii Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan, Chunky Panday Sardar has a fascinating cold open. It is the 80s. A renegade spy kills a high-ranking Intelligence official. Now, this spy is branded a traitor, but since it is played by Karthi, we definitely know who is on the right side. Nevertheless, the film soon shifts to the present where we see his son Vijayaprakash (Karthi again), a social media-savvy cop, who wants to remove the tag of being a 'traitor's son.' It is an interesting character arc that is milked for entertainment just long enough to ensure the gimmick doesn’t overstay its welcome. In fact, this tact of knowing when to stop a trope is the strength of Sardar 's writing. While the sudden detours to a couple of songs feel like a deterrent to the otherwise on-point narration, the way Mithran uses these songs as montage sequences to further the plot is a welcome sight. While it is clear that we might have to wait longer for espionage thrillers to do away with songs altogether, this is a good middle ground. Such is the shadow of Vikram that even the usual line of calling a spy a ghost reminds us of the Lokesh Kanagaraj film. Anyway, Sardar might actually remind us of the criminally underrated Bhavesh Joshi , and Velaikkaran . The central conceit is also a hat-tip to the real-life story of a famous Imperial Japanese soldier stationed on an island in the Philippines for three decades. But, make no mistake, Sardar is its own beast, and that is very much due to some smart writing and a brilliant Karthi at the centre of it all. In fact, it is one of the best performances from Karthi in what can be considered one of his massiest films to date. While it is Sardar who gets the maximum applause, his Vijayaprakash wonderfully holds fort on the other end. Considering it is a spy thriller, most of the big buildup moments work best in Sardar's story, and it is fascinating how Karthi, with his shaggy beard and gruff voice, almost makes us forget that he is also the uber-cool clean-shaven cop who is on a similar investigation trail, albeit from another direction. Also, full points to the team for relegating the father-son relationship to the background, and not having any grand sequences that might have distracted us from the plot. Another highlight of Sardar is definitely the ensemble cast, which comes together to deliver a compelling film. Be it Chunky Panday as the primary antagonist or Yugi Sethu and Avinash as ex-RAW agents, the functioning of the clandestine agency is neither overtly glorified nor dumbed down. In Sardar , we don't see spies cracking cases and pulling down global conspiracies in just one day. We see how it is a prolonged process, and this attention to showcase the agency with authenticity is appreciable. Even with the women in the film — Laila, Raashii Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan — each of them have a distinct purpose in the film and aid in the progression of the plot. While their limited screen time does act as a downer, the pressing nature of the overarching theme comes in handy for the writers to do away with certain plot points. A surprise highlight of Sardar is the presence of child actor Rithvik, who plays a precocious kid with a decent arc. It is comforting that this kid manages to say the right things at the right time without sounding unnecessarily older than his age. Sardar is a technically sound film, especially in the conception and execution of the stunt sequences, which stand testament to the superior talent of stunt choreographer Dhilip Subbarayan, DoP George C Williams, and editor Ruben. Even if the songs don't really leave an impact, especially because we are more invested in the montage sequences rather than the song itself, GV Prakash's strength comes to the fore in the background score, especially in the Sardar portions. These technicians, in tandem with the art department lead by Kathir, give us a fantastic look into the world of Sardar . Generally, with films like Sardar , there is the problem of overwriting or spoon-feeding the audience. However, kudos to the writers for managing to walk the thin line without taking a patronising tone for most of its 165-minute runtime. The narrative takes a dip whenever we have a bit of forced humour here, and unnecessary romantic detours there, but it manages to recover just in time thanks to the focus shifting to a pressing issue that definitely warrants introspection even if the route taken to its predictable end is utopian. Sardar is a true blue action thriller with the spy angle amply explored to justify the hint of a sequel. While we are still not sure if Karthi and Mithran will reunite for a Sardar 2 , they have convincingly set up the world of cross-border espionage that doubles up as a well-constructed masala entertainer. With both Irumbuthirai and Hero having open endings, Mithran's propensity for promising us a franchise of sorts is known, and with Sardar , he has definitely delivered a film with the potential to finally fulfill that promise.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Night Swim’ on Peacock, a Haunted Swimming Pool Movie

Where to stream:.

All ‘The Omen’ Movies in Order to Watch

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At least it’s an original concept: Night Swim ( now streaming on Peacock ) is, per my accounting at least, the first-ever haunted pool movie, and it’s surely aiming to tap into our PRIMAL FEARS about chlorine tablets and skimmers stuffed with dead bugs. The idea originates from a short film by Bryce McGuire, who adapted it into a full-length feature, his directorial debut, with neo-horror masters Jason Blum and James Wan producing. McGuire landed Wyatt Russell and Banshees of Inisherin Oscar nominee Kerry Condon to star – and then asked them to play creepy games of Marco Polo and wrestle with the world’s most diabolical pool-cover crank, respectively. If that sounds really, really, really, really, really dumb, well, that’s because it IS really, really, really, really, really dumb.

NIGHT SWIM : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Once upon a time a little girl tried to fish her brother’s toy boat out of the pool and she fell in and was never seen again. It seems the pool ate her. Thirtyish years later, a perfectly nice family looks for a new house. Ray (Russell) is the dad and Eve (Condon) is the mom and they have a teenage daughter Izzy (Amelie Hoeferle) and a younger son Elliot (Gavin Warren). Ray is a former big-league third baseman who’s been in a tailspin since a multiple sclerosis diagnosis ended his career; the good news is, he’s no longer being traded from this team to that team and now his family can settle down in a nice house with a pool that’ll be perfect for his physical therapy and that the kids will love. Of course, that nice house with a pool is the same house-with-pool where the aforementioned little girl was swallowed up, but they don’t know that, at least not yet. They take the tour, and Ray falls in and is nearly devoured by the pool, and I think the pool even growls at him. But he ignores the bad omen and they buy it anyway and they live happily ever after the end.

No! The way this shit always works is, things seem great for a while and then they get significantly worse. The fam moves in and during Pool Clean-up Day, Ray reaches into the drain and it bites his hand and urps up many gallons of black sludge. Curious. They call a Pool Guy and the Pool Guy says something about the pool being one of the very rare pools that’s fed by an underwater spring, which trumped my theory about an Indian burial ground. It’s 2024 and you gotta get INVENTIVE with high-concept horror screenplays, I guess! Once they get the pool up and running, Ray starts doing his physical therapy in the pool and whaddayaknow, his progressive degenerative disease is actually getting better. Is it a MAGIC pool, or what? Might be!

And Then. You knew there was an And Then coming. And then Eve goes for a <TITLE OF MOVIE> and some weird things happen – lights flickering, hallucinations maybe, weird noises, etc. Then the family cat disappears and they find the cat’s collar floating in the pool. Everyone assumes the cat ran off but you know and I know that the pool ate the cat. Poor cat. Each of the kids gets a turn at being mercilessly effed with by the pool, too, in scenes suggesting that some gross-looking humanoid entity might be living in the drain and/or the skimmer. But the family has never seen even one stupid horror movie it seems, so they keep on keepin’ on, and host a pool party so they can get to know their new neighbors and the kids on Elliot’s baseball team. It goes poorly, and not because someone dropped the potato salad in the dirt. No, the pool, like, maybe, kind of possesses Ray, who does eccentric, dangerous things that can easily be blamed on his medical condition. At this point, we’re wondering how many shots of a haunted drain this movie will force upon us, and even though I didn’t count, I can affirm that it’s way, way too many.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The Baby Ruth scene in Caddyshack .

Performance Worth Watching: Condon was so wonderful in Banshees that watching her recite the line “I know this is strange, but” in a moronic haunted-pool movie makes me ache down to the quarks in the atoms of my marrow.

Memorable Dialogue: “You’re SUPPOSED to say POLO!” – Ray

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: News you can use: Always, I repeat, always , fumigate your pool for drain CHUDs. I can’t stress this enough, people. If you don’t do it, you’re just asking for trouble. And should you forget, may I suggest you not do what the people in this movie fail to do, namely, not getting back into the pool ? Beyond that moral, Night Swim doesn’t have much to offer. It’s yet another braindead horror concept stretched far past its ability to hold… narrative credibility. And you thought I was going to get all punny and say “water.” Let’s leave the hackiness to the makers of this movie, please.

Look beyond the movie’s nonsense plot, and its stale jump scares, and its empty characters, and its paycheck performances, and its deadly lameness, and you’ll realize McGuire never establishes anything resembling an engaging tone. It’s not funny, it’s not campy, it’s not scary, and it’s not creepy – it’s just beige, with only the slightest suggestion that we shouldn’t take any of it seriously, as if a movie about a haunted swimming pool with an evil drain and a maleficent pool-cover crank could ever be taken seriously.

To be fair, I don’t think McGuire intentionally insists that we bear any significant psychological weight while watching a haunted pool movie, even though Ray’s painful emotional arc – baseball was his life, now he has no baseball – sure seems to reflect legit real-life struggles. Hence the disconnect. The film’s primary unforced error lies in foregoing anything resembling wit or pathos for the bland tropes of middle-of-the-pack Blumhouse horror films, of which there are, I dunno, several hundred? A million? Aren’t there decazillions of these things being released every week? Haunted Swimming Pool may be a relatively fresh concept, but its execution is washed out. Good luck dogging it through this turd. Night Swim totally puts the poo in the pool .

Our Call: I am not a swimfan of this movie. SKIP IT.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Movie Reviews

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The launching pad for Bertrand Bonello ’s new picture “The Beast” (“La Bete”) is a 1903 short story by Henry James called “The Beast in the Jungle.” Seen by some James scholars as an autobiographical expression of rue for a life of inaction, it treats the case of John Marcher, who confides in his acquaintance May Bartram that he lives in fear of an unnamable catastrophe that could upend his life, and the life of anyone close to him. She claims to get what he’s talking about.

“‘You mean you feel how my obsession — poor old thing — may correspond to some possible reality?’

‘To some possible reality.’

‘Then you will watch with me?’”

And so May does. And Marcher’s fear translates into a passivity that compels him to hold May at arm’s length for the rest of his life. At the end of the story, he mourns a love he never allowed himself to have and understands that the catastrophe was his own fear.

In Bonello’s film, the fear belongs to the popular Parisian concert pianist Gabrielle Monnier ( Lea Seydoux ), who, around the time of the great 1910 flood of France’s City of Lights, confesses this fear to Louis ( George MacKay ), a young Englishman with whom she soon begins a tentative liaison. But the trouble they encounter has nothing to do with Gabrielle’s reticence to enter into a romantic relationship with Louis—although that does exist.

Bonello’s not here to tell us that the only thing to fear is fear itself. He’s here to tell us to be afraid—be very afraid. What he delivers is not just a densely packed art movie but the most potent horror picture of the decade so far. A vision of three (actually four) nightmare times, all of them in the same vexed world.

The cataclysms that fall upon Gabrielle—played by a superbly controlled and often heartbreaking Lea Seydoux—aren’t spiritual or conceptual (well, of course, at first, they are), they’re “real,” or Real. They’re corporeal/physical, or simulations of the corporeal physical. And they’re unavoidable. Boy oh boy can you not stop what’s coming. Close that browser window, rewind that video, press mute on the sound system, reset the house alarm, none of it will do you any good. Not even an alteration in the fabric of reality itself—and this seems to occur at least a half dozen times in the picture—will stave off horror. The beast isn’t in the jungle, it’s in the house, and it’s in the air we can only barely breathe when the movie gets to 2044. It is in us; it is us.

Sounds cheerful, right? Well, what can I tell you? Bonello has a way of throwing us into an enhanced vision of the degrading noise of contemporary life that’s all the more engaging for being so even-handed and deliberate. I mentioned three timelines that are actually four—the movie is framed, kind of, by a green-screen session in which Seydoux, possibly playing Gabrielle, possibly playing herself, is coached through paces for a scene in which she actually apprehends “the beast” and lets out a blood-curdling scream. The image degenerates into a gorgeous abstract mural of pixels. Digitization is here both a source of ravishing sights and sounds and an Excedrin headache of aural and visual glitch. The movie then bounces through three time periods: 1910, 2044—where Gabrielle’s character seeks to abolish her reincarnation torment through a “DNA purge”—and most terrifyingly, 2014, wherein “Gabby” is housesitting in L.A. and targeted by the angry incel version of MacKay’s Louis—Louis Lewansky, who’s 30 and never been with a woman despite his “magnificence,” and who’s now getting ready to avenge himself.

Dolls are a recurring motif here—there are old-fashioned ones made for fans of the pianist Gabby, and unhelpful talking doll in the Hollywood house, and a walking, talking A.I. helper (played by Guslagie Malanda , as impressive here in a relatively small role as she was in the lead of 2022’s “ Saint Omer ”). An electrical fire figures in the 1910 sequence; a malware attack on a laptop is one of the insane blowups in the 2014 scenario. There are bits and pieces here that feel Lynchian, especially in the Los Angeles scenes, during which Gabrielle is fascinated/repulsed by a TV singing contest show that feels like it might have sprung full blown from the creator of “Twin Peaks.” Then there’s the fact that the love song recurring throughout shows up at the very end, sung in its original version by, well Roy Orbison. But unlike Lynch, Bonello has a decidedly un-obscure point to make. Mainly about how the pursuit of the authentic in life is invariably thwarted by roadblocks of humanity’s own making. (Although one supposes that the eighth episode of the 2018 “Twin Peaks” season treated that theme in a relatively unambiguous way.)

“There must be beautiful things in this chaos,” Gabrielle tries to reassure the movie’s scariest version of Louis at one point. Bonello, and this movie’s, greatest dread is that someday a terrible order will emerge, one that will make whatever beauty remains disappear.

Glenn Kenny

Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film credits.

The Beast (2024)

146 minutes

Léa Seydoux as Gabrielle

George MacKay as Louis

Kester Lovelace as Tom

Julia Faure as Sophie

Guslagie Malanda as Poupée Kelly

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Elina Löwensohn as La voyante

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Félicien Pinot as Augustin

Laurent Lacotte as L'architecte

Xavier Dolan as Interviewer (voice)

Bertrand Bonello
Guillaume Bréaud

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Movie Review: Ken Loach, longtime chronicler of social ills, seeks a hopeful note in ‘The Old Oak’

This image released by Zeitgeist Films shows a scene from “The Old Oak.” (Zeitgeist Films via AP)

This image released by Zeitgeist Films shows Ebla Mari, left, and Dave Turner in a scene from “The Old Oak.” (Zeitgeist Films via AP)

This image released by Zeitgeist Films shows Ebla Mari in a scene from “The Old Oak.” (Zeitgeist Films via AP)

This image released by Zeitgeist Films shows Dave Turner in a scene from “The Old Oak.” (Zeitgeist Films via AP)

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In so many ways, TJ Ballantyne is a classic Ken Loach hero: a working-class, middle-aged man trying to simply eke out a dignified living, but meeting obstacles at each turn — a victim of unforgiving social realities that leave people like him in the dust.

Like many of these Loach protagonists, TJ can’t get a break — even from gravity, as when he tries to fix the wooden letter “K” that rests above the Old Oak, the dilapidated pub he runs in a former mining town that’s been in decline for decades. Talk about decline: That letter keeps tilting downward, even when TJ fixes it with a broomstick. He turns away and it simply falls again.

Loach has never been subtle with his messaging, and why should he start now, at the apparent end of his filmmaking career? The 87-year-old director, who’s made nearly 30 features, has said “The Old Oak” is likely the last. He’s said that before, but assuming it’s true, the film is a poignant and moving coda to a career spent chronicling personal indignities amid broader social ills like poverty and unemployment.

And now, the migrant crisis. Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty address this through an unusual friendship between TJ and Yara, a young Syrian woman and refugee who ends up, with her family, in the town, to the hostility of many. For once, a man like TJ and his fellow villagers, all struggling, are not the neediest in the story. There are others who need even more help. In this story of two communities at odds, Loach seeks to end a trilogy of films set in northeastern England on a message of conciliation and hope.

We begin somewhere near Durham, in 2016. Syrian war refugees have been arriving in Britain as they have elsewhere in Europe, and it’s no surprise that some have been sent to a desolate former mining town where housing is dirt cheap.

Some of the locals are furious about the intrusion. In a devastating pre-credits sequence, the busload of refugees arrives to taunts from the townspeople, who say they weren’t even warned. “Who are they? Where are they from? More Muslims?” some shout out, profanities added. Others, like TJ and family friend Laura, try to help get the families settled.

Yara (Ebla Mari), who’s in her early 20s, has arrived with her mother. Her father, who is either imprisoned in Syria or dead, had gifted her with a camera, and she’s using it to document her arrival (the sequence is shown through her photos). An angry man in a football jersey tussles with her and her camera drops to the ground, broken.

During their research, Loach and Laverty noticed that many pubs in former mining towns were now shuttered. In their story, the Old Oak is the last remaining pub, and moreover the only gathering space left in town. Over pints poured by TJ, men he grew up with — Charlie, for example, whose wife is ailing and whose house has plummeted in value, and Vic and Eddy, the angriest of the bunch, complain about the interlopers. “We can’t even take care of our own kids,” they say.

The transition is ugly. Young boys are bullied at school. When a local girl falls ill, Yara tries to help by accompanying her home to rest; the mother arrives home and throws the young Syrian violently out of the house.

For TJ, whose marriage has failed and who’s estranged from his son, things go from bad to worse. His only companion is a beloved former stray dog who appeared in his life at his darkest moment; she is constantly threatened by nasty dogs owned by thugs. A former miner himself, he’s holding onto his pub by the skin of his teeth. And now, some of the locals want to use his empty back room to hold a meeting and air grievances about the migrants. He makes excuses.

Further conflict ensues when TJ agrees to use the back room for a far different purpose: to serve free meals, as a way of building community, and a throwback to solidarity during labor unrest decades earlier. This works beautifully for many, but the most negative voices in the town — in scenes that occasionally feel a tad heavy-handed — continue to sow discord and harass the Syrians, all while denying they are racist. “All we want is our pub back,” they say.

Worse is to come for the Old Oak, which essentially becomes the main character here: a connection to a happier past for the village, a key part of a troubled present, and a source of possible hope for a harmonious future.

And it is indeed hope that infuses the closing scenes, unlike many a Loach film. Yes, there are a few too many speeches that sound like, well, speeches rather than dialogue. And the resolution arrives just a bit too quickly and easily.

But these seem like forgivable sins. After nearly six decades of filmmaking, hope is not too bad a place to end up.

“The Old Oak,” a Zeitgeist Films release, is unrated by the Motion Picture Association. Running time: 113 minutes. Three stars out of four.

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COMMENTS

Sardar (2022)
Sardar: Directed by P.S. Mithran. With Karthi, Raashi Khanna, Mohammad Ali Baig, K S Krishnan. A spy, who is estranged from his family due to a mission, suddenly meets his police officer son.
Sardar Movie Review : Sardar is a solid spy movie, nothing more nothing
Sardar Movie Review: Critics Rating: 3.0 stars, click to give your rating/review,PS Mithran's Sardar is an efficiently made spy movie, which, despite a story arc that is familiar, m.
Sardar movie review: Karthi shines as an action star in this spy
Sardar movie review: Karthi-starrer spy thriller is engaging and fun despite several glaring flaws largely due to some brilliant action and the lead star. PS Mithran is the kind of filmmaker you ...
Sardar
Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets ... Audience Reviews for Sardar.
Sardar
Full Review | Oct 21, 2022. PS Mithran's Sardar is an efficiently made spy movie, which, despite a story arc that is familiar, manages to keep us engaged till the end. Full Review | Original Score ...
'Sardar' movie review: Karthi shines in a massy spy thriller with a
Reviews 'Sardar' movie review: Karthi shines in a massy spy thriller with a compelling message. Sardar is a true blue action thriller with the spy angle amply explored to justify the hint of a sequel.
Sardar Movie Review: Sardar is a solid spy movie, nothing more nothing less
Sardar Movie Synopsis: An espionage agent who is branded a traitor returns from exile to take down a dubious water project and safeguard the country. Sardar Movie Review: Sardar begins in 1988, with title credits in which we learn about a spy who has seemingly gone rogue. The action then cuts to the present when we meet his son Vijay Prakash (Karthi), a publicity-hungry cop who is haunted by ...
Sardar Movie Review: Karthi is brilliant in this ambitious film
In Sardar, Mithran delves deep into water theft, which is a growing concern in the country. Laila uncovers an important truth about water being commercialised and tries her best to bring Sardar out of prison to put a full stop to this. Because Sardar is the best agent India has ever produced and everything is possible for him.
Sardar (2022)
8/10. Sardar (Tamil) - an ambitious spy thriller with a brilliant screenplay that hits the right spot. naveensankaran18 30 October 2022. Despite being hampered by commercial roadblocks, Sardar still succeeds in carrying out such a mammoth project, thanks to the brilliance in the screenplay by P. S. Mithran.
Sardar movie review: Karthi-PS Mithran's film is the firecracker this
It is hard to get a commercial action film right. The items on the menu are pretty much the same, and when you further restrict yourself to a film with a dual hero, there is a high chance of running into a plethora of cliches and redundant tropes like the renegade spy, a Jagapathi Babu-ish villain, a nation-wide threat, and of course, an emotional flashback about family bond… you get the drift.
Sardar movie review: Karthi's extraordinary performance in this
Sardar begins in 1988, and introduces us to a spy who has seemingly gone rogue. Later, the film turns to the present and we get introduced to his son Vijay Prakash (Karthi), a publicity-hungry cop.
'Sardar' movie review: Karthi is enjoyable in this generic and message
Siddharth Anand brought in a breath of fresh air to masala sensibilities in his delightful War, also about an agent going rogue against the system. In Sardar, PS Mithran seems to struggle quite a ...
Sardar movie review: Karthi shines in this film that ...
Sardar movie review: Karthi shines in this film that centers on its own version of scarlet letter, and the spy business ... Star rating: 3/5. From the very first shot, Karthi-starrer Sardar intrigues you. It is a brilliant shot of a government employee held at gunpoint in a boat on India-Bangladesh border. The resounding gunshot that pans away ...
Sardar movie review: A long-winding over-the-top movie
The world is shrinking both in terms of time and space. Only Tollywood, while it could take advantage of the latter, is not willing to recognise the former. Resultantly a major Tamil film gets...
Sardar (2022 film)
Sardar was released by theatrically on 21 October 2022, prior to the Diwali week, with received highly positive reviews from critics and audience, and critically and commercially successful, Sardar has a worldwide gross of over ₹103.50 crore (US$13 million) worldwide, making it one of the top-grossing Tamil films of 2022.
Sardar Tamil Movie Review, Rating and Verdict
The screenplay (credited to five writers, including Mithran) and Ruben's editing make us feel like we are watching a film at 2x speed. This is a very important element in a story that is both ...
Sardar Is A Superbly Staged, Though Uncomfortably Sepia Toned Thriller
Sardar's long agitated shots, the dramatic staging of seas and ships, of scale and sweep, of dams and damsels, is so effective, it hurts that Mithran and his cinematographer George C. Williams decided to douse the frames in this designer-dusty sepia grime.The film looks dull, and the world lethargic. This is something both Mithran and Williams pursued from Irumbu Thirai (2018) through Hero ...
Sardar Movie Review
Sardar is a familiar espionage spy story on paper involving father and son. But Mithran has written an impressive screenplay that made it better, bigger and engaging. Gorge C William's visuals and GV Prakash's background score are appealing. Production values are lavish depicting the grandeur of the film. Thumbs Up.
Sardar Telugu Movie Review
Review : Razakar - Bold depiction of a brutal genocide. Review: Tantra - Nothing new. Review : Lambasingi - Outdated and boring. Premalu Telugu - Occupancy picks up as the weekend kicks in. Gopichand - I thank the audience for making Bhimaa a good hit. Thaman breaks the promise - Mahesh Babu fans hurt again.
Sardar Movie Review: Karthi Starrer Is Smart But Is Also ...
Sardar Movie Review Rating: Star Cast: Karthi, Raashi Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan, Chunky Pandey, Laila Director: P. S. Mithran
Sardar Movie Review and Rating!
Hero Karthi's new film, Sardar under the direction of PS Mithran had a theatrical release today. Let's see how it fares. Story: The movie starts with the introduction of a publicity hunger cop named Vijay Prakash (Karthi) and his love story with an advocate Shalini( Raashi Khanna). Things turn serious when Vijay starts a mission to find the whereabouts of a national spy Sardar( Karthi).
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Sardar Movie Review: Karthi shines in a massy spy thriller with a
Sardar does that with consummate flair and strikes a balance between being a mass masala entertainer, and a message film with its heart in the right place. Director: PS Mithran. Cast: Karthi, Raashii Khanna, Rajisha Vijayan, Chunky Panday. Sardar has a fascinating cold open. It is the 80s. A renegade spy kills a high-ranking Intelligence official.
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