Movie: Vengeance
Director: Rahul Ashok
Cast: Abarnathi, Ilavarasu, John Vijay, Kaali Venkat, Livingston, Y.G. Mahendran, Saravana Subbiah, Suresh Chakravarthy
Streaming on: Aha
There’s something about Tamil political dramas that keeps pulling filmmakers back to the same territory — power, corruption, revenge and the people caught somewhere in between. Vengeance, directed by Rahul Ashok, also walks down that familiar road. But thankfully, it doesn’t completely feel like a routine political drama.
The film takes its time setting up the world and its characters. The political backdrop is important, but the story is really driven by the idea of revenge and how far people are willing to go once personal anger gets mixed with power. That part works reasonably well.
Abarnathi is one of the more interesting things about the film. She gets a role that gives her some space to show different shades rather than simply being there for the sake of the plot. The supporting cast is also packed with familiar faces. Ilavarasu, John Vijay, Kaali Venkat, Livingston, Y.G. Mahendran, Saravana Subbiah and Suresh Chakravarthy all bring their own presence to the proceedings.
The political portions are where the film is at its best. There are moments where the writing gets you interested in what is happening and makes you want to know where the story is heading. At the same time, the film does fall into some predictable territory. If you have watched a lot of Tamil political revenge dramas, you may guess a few developments before they actually happen.
That’s probably the biggest weakness of Vengeance. The basic ingredients are there, but the film doesn’t always push them hard enough. Some scenes could have had more impact, while a few portions feel stretched. The pacing isn’t terrible, but you do get that feeling in the middle that the movie could have moved a little faster.
Still, there’s an earnestness to the film that works in its favour. It isn’t trying too hard to be flashy. Instead, it focuses on its characters and the political game around them. When the emotional side of the revenge story connects, the movie becomes considerably more engaging.
The performances also help keep things moving, especially when the screenplay slows down. The familiar supporting actors know exactly how to make even smaller scenes watchable, and that gives the film some much-needed energy.
Vengeance isn’t a political thriller that completely reinvents the genre. It uses plenty of familiar ideas, and some of its turns are fairly easy to see coming. But there’s enough drama, decent performances and political intrigue to make it worth a watch, particularly if this is your kind of genre.
Since it’s now streaming on Aha, it works better as a home-watch than something you necessarily need to rush out for. Go in expecting a straightforward political revenge drama rather than a game-changing film, and you’ll probably have a better time.
Verdict: A decent political revenge drama with good performances, but it could have packed a stronger punch.
Rating: 2.75/5
