Penguin
Director: Eashvar Karthic
Language: Tamil/Telugu/Malayalam
Cast: Keerthy Suresh, Linga
Stars: 1.5
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
A delicious twist is the cornerstone of any good thriller. But in an attempt to provide big surprises, a director shouldn’t lose focus and turn his film into a mindless product.
Eashvar Karthic’s ‘Penguin’ opens with a chilling scene. A person wearing a Charlie Chaplin mask brutally murders a child in a forest. Early on, the film manages to pique our interest.
Kharthik Palani’s camera work grabs instant attention. He shows Kodaikanal in all its glory. We are introduced to Rhythm (Keerthy Suresh), whose life lacks rhythm. A failed first marriage and a missing son are the reasons for her suffering.
As Rhythm sets out to find her son, ‘Penguin’ turns into a hotchpotch of complicated sub-plots. The film oscillates between an ordinary emotional drama and a passable thriller in the first-half.
We get the first big reveal early in the second half. As if the underwhelming development wasn’t enough, ‘Penguin’ discloses the actual reason for crime which is nothing but plain silly.
‘Ponmagal Vandhal’, released directly on Prime two weeks ago, also dealt with the curious case of missing children. The JJ Fedrick film was message-heavy and less cinematic. In ‘Penguin’, writer-director Eashvar tries to be too ambitious in writing and treatment but horribly falls short in both departments.
Keerthy’s role is marred by poor character development. For someone shown as a passive talker, she is strangely seen delivering heroic dialogues towards the end. As a gutsy mother, Keerthy is still the best thing about ‘Penguin’. Amid some immensely forgettable performers, she is a huge relief.
‘Penguin’ ends with this nice statement: Being a mother is not just a relationship, it’s an attitude. Unfortunately, the idea is too little and too late.