Lift (2023)
With no dearth for horror films in Tamil cinema, bringing up innovative ideas under this premise is quite a feat. That being said, Kavin-starrer Lift tries to live-up to the expectations in parts.
Right from the word go, director Vineeth Varaprasad makes sure that his intention is only to deliver jump scares rather than focusing on the core idea of the world that he has created. Though he succeeds in creating chills here and there, Vineeth takes his own time to get into the story even half way through the film.
The film begins with Guru (Kavin), an IT professional, transferred to Chennai branch as team lead. He meets Harini (Amritha Aiyer), an HR professional, with whom he shares an unpleasant past. Guru, known for his dedication towards work, stays overtime to complete a project summary for a client. However, he is shocked by a series of paranormal events, that doesn't allow him to leave the office premises. The lift plays an important horror element by acting on its own and scares him to death. Moments before the end of the first half, he happens to find Harini, who is also stuck on the same floor due to unknown reasons. The rest of the film answers the reason behind these horrific incidents and whether they find their way out or not.
For someone who has never experienced common jump scares and paranormal stuff, Lift might seem a bit interesting. Otherwise, the plot falls flat and the events make it hard for the viewers to connect with the victims who are trapped.
The backstory is hard-hitting and quite impactful, however, when it is revealed only towards the tail end and fails to serve the purpose. Traces of it should have been brought well in advance to keep the viewers invested. The first half also makes us wonder how the spirit has most of the surroundings under its control, yet it is incapable of achieving its goal with all its might.
Britto Michael's background score is riveting and it resonates well with the mood of the film. Cinematography by S Yuva is compact and holds our attention skilfully, bringing to life constrained places. Shooting major portions of the film in a lift would have been quite challenging and the crew has pulled it off with greater extent.
The biggest strength of the film is Kavin and it looks to be a promising comeback for him. He delivers a subtle performance and makes his character's struggle believable in most parts. Amritha Aiyer looks fresh and her performance is worth mentioning. Adding a bit of realism to her character, she has complimented the protagonist well.
The director's idea to bring out the plight of IT professionals and the struggle they face with the management is laudable. Overall, the films works in parts. but could have been much better with strong writing.
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