The Smile Man Movie Review: Another cop, another killer, another disappointment
The Smile Man Movie Review: Critics Rating: 2.5 stars, click to give your rating/review,The Smile Man feels like a missed opportunity. It’s yet another run-of-the-mill serial killer story.
Critic's Rating: 2.5/5
The Smile Man Movie Synopsis: Chidambaram Nedumaran, a former cop diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, is pulled back into service to catch the Smile Man, a killer with a penchant for carving smiles onto his victims’ faces. As Chidambaram’s memory fades in and out, he holds the key to solving the case.
The Smile Man Movie Review: Sarathkumar is a cop once again in The Smile Man, this time as Chidambaram, a retired police officer whose golden years are being stolen by Alzheimer’s. The film opens with the threat of a serial killer on the loose, a certain “Smile Man” whose calling card is a grotesque, carved smile on each victim. One might expect a tense narrative, but what unfolds is less a thriller and more a leisurely stroll through Chidambaram’s mind.
The film’s narrative structure relies heavily on flashbacks, a device that becomes a crutch. We learn of an accident that precipitated Chidambaram’s condition and his connection to a past case involving a missing colleague, Venkatesan (Suresh Menon). Enter Arvind, Venkatesan’s son, now a cop himself, who suspects a link between his father’s disappearance and the Smile Man’s current reign of terror.
As Chidambaram follows the fragmented clues his mind offers, he invariably arrives at each crime scene just a moment too late. The killer, always one step ahead, seems to toy with him, or perhaps the script is simply toying with us. The on-again, off-again nature of Chidambaram’s memory lapses becomes a convenient excuse for the film’s lack of momentum. There is a lack of urgency, and the intended suspense fizzles out faster than a damp squib. The writers seem to think that spelled-out logics and flashbacks are enough.
The film does have the ingredients of a decent thriller—grimy visuals, isolated locations, a suitably ominous score. But the story itself feels undercooked. Chidambaram’s Alzheimer’s is a plot point, but the movie uses it more as a gimmick than an interesting dive into memory. And the Smile Man himself? He remains a cipher, his motivations explained away in a rushed and unconvincing backstory. The murders lack the necessary impact emotionally.
Sarathkumar, to his credit, delivers a solid performance, portraying Chidambaram’s confusion and determination with a degree of nuance. He’s the film’s strongest asset, even if the material doesn’t always do him justice. Kalaiyarasan, as the villain, has his moments, but the character is too thinly written to leave a lasting impression.
The Smile Man feels like a missed opportunity. It’s yet another run-of-the-mill serial killer story. It’s not a terrible film, just a terribly average one.
Written By: Abhinav Subramanian
The Smile Man Movie Review: Sarathkumar is a cop once again in The Smile Man, this time as Chidambaram, a retired police officer whose golden years are being stolen by Alzheimer’s. The film opens with the threat of a serial killer on the loose, a certain “Smile Man” whose calling card is a grotesque, carved smile on each victim. One might expect a tense narrative, but what unfolds is less a thriller and more a leisurely stroll through Chidambaram’s mind.
The film’s narrative structure relies heavily on flashbacks, a device that becomes a crutch. We learn of an accident that precipitated Chidambaram’s condition and his connection to a past case involving a missing colleague, Venkatesan (Suresh Menon). Enter Arvind, Venkatesan’s son, now a cop himself, who suspects a link between his father’s disappearance and the Smile Man’s current reign of terror.
As Chidambaram follows the fragmented clues his mind offers, he invariably arrives at each crime scene just a moment too late. The killer, always one step ahead, seems to toy with him, or perhaps the script is simply toying with us. The on-again, off-again nature of Chidambaram’s memory lapses becomes a convenient excuse for the film’s lack of momentum. There is a lack of urgency, and the intended suspense fizzles out faster than a damp squib. The writers seem to think that spelled-out logics and flashbacks are enough.
The film does have the ingredients of a decent thriller—grimy visuals, isolated locations, a suitably ominous score. But the story itself feels undercooked. Chidambaram’s Alzheimer’s is a plot point, but the movie uses it more as a gimmick than an interesting dive into memory. And the Smile Man himself? He remains a cipher, his motivations explained away in a rushed and unconvincing backstory. The murders lack the necessary impact emotionally.
Sarathkumar, to his credit, delivers a solid performance, portraying Chidambaram’s confusion and determination with a degree of nuance. He’s the film’s strongest asset, even if the material doesn’t always do him justice. Kalaiyarasan, as the villain, has his moments, but the character is too thinly written to leave a lasting impression.
The Smile Man feels like a missed opportunity. It’s yet another run-of-the-mill serial killer story. It’s not a terrible film, just a terribly average one.
Written By: Abhinav Subramanian
