'November Story' review: Excruciatingly slow; headache-inducing and convoluted thriller
What's the story
Tamannaah Bhatia-starrer November Story is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. The series claiming to be a psychological thriller is a huge disappointment, to say the least. The seven-episode-long run is excruciating, with each episode running anywhere between 30-50 minutes. Bhatia is a miss and at times you feel like holding and shaking her so she can look awake on camera. Here's our review.
Plot
Snail paced, convoluted, stretched out: The plot is a joke
Anuradha's (Bhatia) father, crime-novelist Ganesan, has early-onset Alzheimer's and she is juggling her work and him. But life is turned upside-down when she finds him at a crime scene, and he's suspected of murder. The plot sounds okay but that's where it ends. The show could have been wrapped up in three episodes straight. Basically, the more the mystery unravels, the more frustrating it is.
Technical
The production is wobbly; first three episodes are a waste
Director Indhra Subramanian has stuffed old-timey noir-y shots for no good reason. Someone needed to devote time to making a tighter script. Even if you start watching the show in the fifth episode, it won't even make a difference. (Wish I did that) The finale is the cherry on this cake of mediocrity; what's more frustrating is that there is potential that remains untapped.
Acting
Bhatia is a colossal disappointment; supporting actors saving grace
Bhatia is so plastic that she can put a mannequin to shame. Her expression and body language do not fit into the I-am-on-the-clock-to-save-my-father role at all. Pasupathy M as villain Yesu is again very over-the-top; sometimes when he's trying to be intimidating, it's actually funny. Some supporting characters like Vivek Prasanna and GM Kumar are believable and the saving grace of this sinking ship.
Verdict
Culmination something right out of an '80s movie, gets 1/5
No one cares about who the killer is when the process to find them is frustrating. If it gave a decent culmination, it could've been a saving grace, but it's something right out of an '80s movie, where the protagonist goes to the villain's lair alone. (Why?!) This one is a majestic and painfully slow failure, don't waste your time, please. Verdict: 1/5 stars.