'Accused' review: Konkona, Pratibha can't save this pointless thriller
'Accused' review: Konkona, Pratibha can't save this pointless thriller
Konkona Sen Sharma and Pratibha Rannta starrer Accused, released on Netflix on Friday, is an unconventional but flat thriller.
Directed by Anubhuti Kashyap (Doctor G), it's produced by Karan Johar's Dharmatic Entertainment.
Accused bites more than it can chew, and it's a tiring, tedious drama that considers itself a lot smarter than it is.
This time, a woman faces sexual abuse allegations
Dr Geetika Sen (Sen Sharma) and her wife, Dr Meera (Rannta), live a peaceful and comfortable life in London.
Geetika is often away for work, which causes resentment between them, but they somehow keep their marriage working.
However, their lives fall apart when sexual abuse allegations surface against Geetika at her workplace, threatening her career and personal reputation.
'Accused' has a consistently confused approach
Accused wants to be everything at once.
It aspires to be a progressive social drama, a study of queer relationships, and of course, a fast-paced thriller.
Eventually, though, it's reduced to a terrible hodgepodge of underdeveloped ideas, where nothing makes much sense.
There are a few good scenes between Rannta and Sen Sharma, but they aren't enough to salvage this confused drama.
More on the above aspect
Accused dumbs down everything for the viewer, and the heavy-handed storytelling eliminates any possibility of nuance.
As soon as the focus shifts from Geetika and Meera, and the supporting characters take over the screen, the film's flaws stare you right in the face.
Accused keeps going in circles, becoming a chore to sit through as scenes unfold lifelessly.
Similar to other failed Netflix India projects
Like Kashyap's 2022 comedy-drama Doctor G, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Accused brims with many ideas but doesn't know what to do with them.
This remains a recurring issue with Netflix India movies (Do Patti, Dhoom Dhaam, Murder Mubarak): you're lured in by a strong premise, only for the movie to completely crash within minutes.
These movies aspire for brilliance but settle for mediocrity.
The final twist is flimsy and gimmicky
Hindi films are often marred by a desperate urge to pull off a seemingly jaw-dropping twist, and it usually misfires.
Accused is no different.
Moreover, the movie lacks the intensity and sensitivity needed for a topic as important as sexual harassment.
Convenient resolutions, underdeveloped characters, superficial narrative, and stilted dialogue ultimately render the movie hollow.
Can safely skip 'Accused'; 2/5 stars
There isn't enough thrill here to take Accused seriously, and the film tests your patience despite a crisp runtime.
With Rannta and Sen Sharma at the forefront, the film could have been so much more, but it's shockingly uninteresting.
A mainstream film with queer leads is a massive opportunity, but Kashyap fails to do anything memorable with it.
2/5 stars.