Black Movie Review: Ambitious multiverse concept meets mixed action
Black is a 2024 Indian film directed by Balasubramani KG starring Jeeva, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Vivek Prasanna, and Yog Jappy. Produced by SR Prakash Babu, SR Prabhu, P Gopinath, and Thanga Prabharan R., this feature film has music by Sam CS.
Black Movie Synopsis: A couple on vacation gets caught up in multiple realities and confronts different versions of themselves. As they navigate these parallel universes, they grapple with the consequences of small decisions and the nature of their relationships.
Black Movie Review: Black is one of those movies that makes you think or at least tries to. It’s the kind of film that will confuse some viewers, but others familiar with multiverse theory will understand the director’s intentions.
The setup revolves around Vasant (Jiva) and his wife Aranya (Priya Bhavani Shankar) who are moving to a beach rental villa for a stay. Before that, there’s a prelude to what’s to come: First, Manu (Vivek Prasanna) returns to his beach house on a dreary rainy night, a 1960s scene with a couple sitting back. They encounter a strange passage of a cart with broken statues.
At the beach house, strange things happen and Manuki hears terrifying screams. He returns inside to find the couple dead. Then, we see Vasant at the police station, brought in for his wife’s missing case. These events are part of different timelines that viewers connect with later.
During their vacation, the couple gets hints that something is wrong. To summarize: they are stuck in multiple realities. They find themselves in another villa, playing out the scenes differently. Each time they go into total darkness under a full moon (the darkness is a wormhole to other multiverses), they enter a different reality where everyday events unfold in new ways.
The film explores what is real, how small decisions can affect our lives, and how they affect our relationships. It also examines the effects of such a crazy time loop on the human psyche and how mental states can spiral out of control.
Although this topic is interesting to explore, much remains to be done. It’s a bit dry, mostly set in a villa with only two characters. Only very small variations of Vasant and Aranya can be seen before it gets boring. An art film with a small setting makes you think. Instead, half the time is spent figuring out the puzzle.
Jeeva and Priya Bhavani Shankar have good chemistry and play their roles well. It was a comeback of sorts for Jiva and he tried something experimental. He convincingly portrays a character who struggles to control his anger. Priya Bhavani Shankar’s performance is under consideration as Jeeva is seen as overreacting to her alter ego’s experiences. Vivek Prasanna is a minor character who provides context to events.
Based on the 2013 film Coherence, Black offers some cool ideas and aims to be mind-blowing.
Written by: Abhinav Subramaniam
A science fiction thriller is a different genre with a different audience. For a sci-fi thriller to reach a wider audience, the concept needs to be exposed and appeal to all age groups. Some directors approach difficult sci-fi concepts with ease, while others consciously stick to the genre and appeal to audiences. Block starring Jeeva and Priya Bhavani Shankar is a new sci-fi movie that will leave you in awe.
A couple Vasanth (Jeeva) and Aranya (Priya Bhavani) own a villa near the beach on the outskirts of Chennai. They are the first to occupy the house. What starts as a relaxing weekend trip soon turns into a nightmare when strange events happen to them. They meet different versions of themselves and try to figure out if it has a paranormal or scientific explanation.
Black, inspired by the Hollywood film Coherence, is an ambitious effort by director KG Balasubramani. The film explores the concepts of multiple timelines and parallel realities. Although the basic plot takes some time to figure out, once you do, it picks up the pace and demands your full attention. Until then, though, we’re forced to witness a couple of fights, two completely unlikable songs, and a bar fight that will test your patience.
As they enter the house, the image begins to grab your attention. With a runtime of less than two hours, you’ll feel invested in the scientific clarity Black offers. Sometimes, the scientific explanation seems confusing and leaves you with more questions. Block is an ambitious effort and a good addition to sci-fi Tamil films.
We travel to different timelines with Vasant and Aranya and see many versions of them. Again and again, without realizing it, every time the couple transitions to a new timeline, we learn something new about them. It makes you feel for Vasant and Aranya and you wonder how they will get out of the mess.
Black would have been more effective if he had made the scientific explanation simpler than he intended.