‘Freddy’ Hindi movie review: Kartik Aaryan can’t cure this unimaginative thriller

The actor is getting better with each film and it is visible that he has worked on his body language, but the cliched storytelling is not much different from the multiple crime series that dot the sprawling streaming universe

December 02, 2022 05:47 pm | Updated 05:47 pm IST

 Kartik Aaryan in ‘Freddy’

Kartik Aaryan in ‘Freddy’

Struggling with the ghosts of a dark childhood memory, Freddy Ginwala (Kartik Aaryan) fumbles at the sight of young girls. Pushed by a matronly aunt, one day, the introverted dental surgeon spots a delicate Kainaz (Alaya F) at a party and falls head-over-heels for her smile and genteel demeanour. Finally, Freddy gets the female attention that he aspired for, but his joy is short-lived as soon we discover that the docile doctor has been short-changed in love.

The rejection and its reason move something inside the brittle Freddy, and give director Shashanka Ghosh an opportunity to change gears. Till then, the film was moving at the pace of Hardy, Freddy’s tortoise friend.

It seems the makers are keen on giving Kartik a chance to experiment with characters beyond his bubbly boy-next-door image, and give him plenty of screen time just to establish a connection with the audience in his new, reticent avatar.

We have seen Kartik in a socially awkward space in Love Aaj Kal before but it didn’t work. Here, the awkwardness and dejection spur the dark side of the doctor and give Kartik a chance to be both Jekyll and Hyde. The actor is getting better with each film and it is visible that he has worked on his body weight, body language, and eye contact to play Freddy... but the makeover hardly moves anything inside us.

A big part of the problem is the cliched storytelling that is not much different from multiple crime series that dot the sprawling streaming universe where the focus is on the gravity of shock rather than the story behind it. The makers here seem to believe that casting two cute actors against type alone will do the trick. There is hardly any nuance and layering in the way the tables are turned. The screenplay follows a predictable template and once the big reveal happens, passing time becomes increasingly as painful as a nagging toothache that dulls your mind.

Freddy is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar

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