‘Murder 3′ Movie Review

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sara Loren
Direction: Vishesh Bhatt
Genre: Thriller
Critic’s Rating: ***** (3/5)

Story: A wildlife photographer’s girl mysteriously goes missing. He’s quick to move his new love into his eerie home. One who holds the key to the mystery.

Movie Review: Love, always, is a question of life and death. And if it’s a Bhatt enterprise – Death it is! Swifter and slicker! Devoid of remorse, regret or redemption. Exposing the obsessive in the romantic; the fear in fantasy. Love bloodied with lust and lingerie, sin and satin. With bare bodies caught between hot-beds and cold coffins. So there, the ‘Murder’ franchise is back – to kill love the third time over.

Vikram (Randeep) a hotshot wildlife photographer (shoots ‘wild’-live women too) woes and seduces a waitress Nisha, (Sara) who moves into his huge, haunting home. He’s passionate by night and philosophical by day, brooding and bedding with intensity. Nisha, the damsel-in-daze, is flustered by Vikram’s cryptic conversations and supernatural sights and sounds in the house. The vital signs are cliches, like windows clattering, strange vibrations, and flickering lights. More often, the bathroom scenes steams up the suspense and waters it down just as quickly. But there’s a bigger mystery lying here. Vikram’s ex-girlfriend, Roshni’s (Aditi) sudden disappearance makes him the prime suspect in the case, with cops tracing the ‘body of evidence’.

With more mystery than grisly murders, debutant Vishesh Bhatt works around a story (a remake of a Spanish thriller) that’s ‘fleshy’ enough (minus the sex and eroticism of a ‘Murderesque’ series) creating an eerie setting, with sombre moods and suspicious characters. He solely relies on the strength of the story without glossed-over effects and style, which is commendable. The first half ghost-walks into a comfort zone (with songs, romance et al); while the second half terrifyingly twists, with raging emotions and shuddering shock value.

Randeep smoothly builds tension with his silent and mysterious performance. Aditi’s deranged act and traumatic breakdown at betrayal is impressive. Sara only adds beauty to the horror. The lilting music (Pritam) intonates the thriller. ‘Murder 3‘ is a decent remake, the story stands out in this genre. It thrills in spurts but bleeds in parts.

This one’s no bloody Valentine, but watch it if you like it twisted.

Source: TOI