‘Lift’ movie review: Kavin stars in a diluted horror film that tries to say too many things
The Hindu
There is a bit of comedy, romance, and a seemingly impassioned outcry against corporate companies that negates its overall impact
There are a couple of promising moments in Vineeth Varaprasad’s debut film, Lift. The first is the beginning. We see a close up of a radio set, which reads out the weather report. In the next shot, we see a body falling through a roof. After starting with this jolt, the film immediately slows down, trudges, and meanders as it establishes the characters and their environment. About half an hour later, Lift seems to work again (pardon the pun) when its protagonist, Guru (played by Kavin), gets trapped in a haunted elevator. For a few shots, it attempts to evoke a claustrophobic thrill. One man trapped in a small space with a supernatural entity, his screams for help unheard, his thoughts engulfed in panic. Just as you are beginning to wonder if the film is entering the survival-horror zone like Alien, the lift somehow opens, releasing all the tension. And, Lift resumes meandering.
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Lift seems confused with what it wants to be. Disney+ Hotstar (the OTT platform that released the film) categorises it as horror. But there is a bit of comedy, romance, and a seemingly impassioned outcry against corporate companies — all diluting the genre. And, this is the case with most Tamil horror films. They attempt to evoke contrasting emotions at jarring intervals. It is like walking through one of those carnival horror houses and stopping at random intervals to watch Vadivelu comedy.