Film review 'Psycho ': Mysskin out for the kill with a disturbing thriller

This is also his first collaboration with Udhayanidhi Stalin. Those familiar with Mysskin’s filmmaking know they are in for an unsettling and dark experience - what he brings to the table is certainly not for the faint of heart; and it’s exactly what Psycho delivers.

The film opens with the cold-blooded murder of a woman by Angulimali (Rajkumar), a serial killer. The police is on a manhunt as he has claimed 13 victims so far. We learn that his next target is Dagini (Aditi Rao Hydari), a leading radio jockey in the city. She is also constantly stalked by a visually impaired youth named Gautham (Udhayanidhi Stalin), who declares his love for her at a wedding function. Although, she rejects his proposal initially, she later drops him a clue on her radio show, telling him where he can find her the next day. Although Gautham makes it to the rendezvous point, Angulimali kidnaps Dagini and takes her to his lair. Faced with imminent death, Dagini warns Angulimali that Gautham would hunt him down in the next seven days and rescue her. We are then introduced to ex-police officer Kamala Das (Nithya Menen), a quadriplegic who helps Gautham with the case.

The scenes that make up the first half of the film, features effective writing. Post interval, the plot turns predictable as we see how Gautham aided by Kamala comes closer to hunting Angulimali. Mysskin claims that Psycho is the most violent Indian film ever made. An overdose of blood and gore has seemingly justified the film’s title (nothing Hitchcockian about it) as well as the ‘A’ certificate that comes with it. As the plot unfolds, the film throws logic right out the window. Whether it’s kidnapping someone from a National Highway or even the parking lot of a mall or a tech park, CCTVs never seem to catch wind of it. Mysskin’s viewpoint of humanity and misogyny doesn’t really offer any food for thought.

Udhay playing a visually impaired youth inhabits his character well. Hydari and Menen do justice to their roles. However, it is Tanvir Mir’s cinematography and Ilaiyaraja’s background score that are silver linings for the film. They go a long way in keeping audiences engaged in a suspenseful state. Overall, Psycho is a strict one-time watch, for hardcore Mysskin fans .