'Cold Case' review: Don't expect much from this overstretched horror-thriller
Amazon Prime Video has released Prithviraj's Cold Case, which is the directorial debut of Tanu Balak. The movie is an investigative horror thriller that tells two parallel stories, however, it couldn't live up to the expectations. While Prithviraj deals with the thriller angle as Assistant Commissioner of Police Sathyajith, actress Aditi Balan as Medha takes over the horror part. Here's our review.
What is the movie all about?
The movie begins with a fisherman, who finds a skull, leading to a 139-minute long investigation. Sathyajith takes the lead in the case, and identifies the victim as a girl named Eva Maria. In parallel, Medha moves to a new house with her child, who loves a creepy-looking doll. Medha, a journalist who chases ghost stories, feels an invisible presence in the house.
How do the parallel threads connect?
By now, one must have guessed the connection between the two stories, it's Eva Maria. While Sathyajith goes around on his bike cracking the case, Medha seeks a "scrying" session to know the truth. They find out that she has died a mysterious death. Investigation about the same person, by applying different methods, connects the two parallel threads in the end.
References to 'Cold' in this movie were beautifully added
In Cold Case, director Balak subtly adds references to Cold in the scenes. For instance, Medha's daughter likes to play with cold water and ice. Then, one scene had a spider inside an ice cube that scares the maid, the bite on an apple that was inside the fridge and also, Medha's imagination of cold chicken curry filled with worms. Is the refrigerator possessed?
Yes, the refrigerator is possessed!
While the movie had the potential of being a good thriller, adding horror somewhat killed it. The part where Dr. Vasundhara Bose (played by Suchitra Pillai) talks about spirits in electric devices - this is why horror genres don't do well in India! To know the reason behind the possessed refrigerator, you have to watch the film. However, all the actors were terrific.
The background sound played a major role in the movie
This movie shifts from thriller background sound to horror in seconds, and it is commendable. When Sathyajith investigates the case, the audio is subtle, but when Medha experiences spirit around her, the track changes to give you the chills. Plus, the movie has a different soundtrack for when crime is being committed. These little things made this movie an interesting watch.
Movie is overstretched, but is bearable; gets 3/5
Cold Case has a good thriller story and also, gives you creeps with its horror angle. The drawback is the overstretched storyline, which couldn't keep the movie interesting after a point. But the curiosity keeps you hooked till the end. All the actors gave a stellar performance, including the adorable child actor. Verdict: 3 stars.
