No major spoilers - just a few thoughts on setup and structure.
I watched TEST on Netflix and found it underwhelming. "Meh" is probably the best way to put it.
I'm generally not a fan of films where money is the primary driver, unless the story is truly compelling. Movies like Ocean's 11 and Soodhu Kavvum didn't work for me. I prefer narratives like Blood Diamond or Catch Me If You Can, where character depth leads the way.
In TEST, cricket is central to the story, not just a side element. But even with that, the movie leans too heavily on the assumption that cricket alone will keep viewers engaged. This reminded me of The G. O. A. T., where cricket was thrown in randomly without adding value. In contrast, Lagaan succeeded because cricket supported a well-crafted story.
I watched the movie for Nayanthara, one of my favorites, but the plot didn't add up. A Boston MIT graduate running a canteen? That's how the film starts, logically unconvincing, not a spoiler. The pacing is slow, and the two parallel storylines take too long to intersect, which made me skip ahead at times.
Surprisingly, Siddharth, whom I usually find hard to tolerate, was actually okay in this role.
A few heartfelt conversations stood out, particularly where characters logically justify their actions. But those moments were too few to carry the film.
In the end, despite strong names like Madhavan and Nayanthara, TEST didn't quite pass for me.
I watched TEST on Netflix and found it underwhelming. "Meh" is probably the best way to put it.
I'm generally not a fan of films where money is the primary driver, unless the story is truly compelling. Movies like Ocean's 11 and Soodhu Kavvum didn't work for me. I prefer narratives like Blood Diamond or Catch Me If You Can, where character depth leads the way.
In TEST, cricket is central to the story, not just a side element. But even with that, the movie leans too heavily on the assumption that cricket alone will keep viewers engaged. This reminded me of The G. O. A. T., where cricket was thrown in randomly without adding value. In contrast, Lagaan succeeded because cricket supported a well-crafted story.
I watched the movie for Nayanthara, one of my favorites, but the plot didn't add up. A Boston MIT graduate running a canteen? That's how the film starts, logically unconvincing, not a spoiler. The pacing is slow, and the two parallel storylines take too long to intersect, which made me skip ahead at times.
Surprisingly, Siddharth, whom I usually find hard to tolerate, was actually okay in this role.
A few heartfelt conversations stood out, particularly where characters logically justify their actions. But those moments were too few to carry the film.
In the end, despite strong names like Madhavan and Nayanthara, TEST didn't quite pass for me.