'Freddy' review: Kartik Aaryan's psychological thriller is surgically painful
What's the story
Director Shashanka Ghosh's dark psychological thriller, starring Kartik Aaryan in the titular role, Freddy, is a bland watch. The film, which also stars Alaya F, was released on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar on Friday, December 2. While Aaryan has played too hard to portray a shy dentist, Alaya, too, has stretched her character to a point of no return. Read our review.
Story
A shy, young dentist in search of his soulmate
Dr. Freddy Ginwala (Aaryan) is a young, shy, and naive dentist. Even though he has trouble talking to women because of his nature, he is still hopeful of finding his soulmate, in search of which, he continues to meet women through a matrimonial website. One of his Parsi aunties is the one who pushes him to talk to women.
Details
Aaryan brings out his 'A' game but to no avail
After seeing him as Rooh Baba in Anees Bazmee's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, seeing Aaryan as Dr. Freddy is certainly a fresh change. He is an introvert with only Hardy (pet turtle) as his best friend who literally lands in soup. Though Aaryan has brought his "A" game to the table by playing mind games, he hasn't been able to pull it off completely.
What didn't work
Alaya's 'Kainaaz' lacks the meat
Ghosh has tried to entertain the audience with this psychological thriller, an important part of which is Alaya F's character Kainaaz. Shown as a sweet, simple Parsi woman at first, Kainaaz could have been far more interesting. Her character lacks the meaty factor at several points. There were also occasions when she tried too hard to get into the depth of her role.
Elements
Flavors of the Parsis
From raspberry soda to falooda, dhanshak, and more, the makers have tried to add various elements of the Parsi culture to the film. Apart from food, these additions also include a wedding scene showing Aaryan and Alaya in traditional Parsi clothes. But what did work best was Aaryan's Gujarati dialogues that were thrown in bits and pieces in the film.
Film's length
The first half is a drag
If you are planning to watch Freddy, be ready to witness a slow-moving first half. Though it is a psychological thriller, there is one major twist followed by some smaller ones. However, most twists and turns are predictable as you get a grip on the characters, especially Aaryan. While it does pick up some pace in the middle, its end is again slow.
Verdict
Should you watch 'Freddy'?
Aaryan has popularized himself for his goofy characters and one-liners. However, with Freddy, one gets to see his new side where he tries hard to prove that he can do serious roles as well. Among all the actors, Aaryan clearly has outperformed everyone. Yet, it does not become his best performance so far. Out of five, we rate this film with two stars.