Netflix has added a significant entry to its Indian original slate with Stephen, a Tamil psychological thriller starring Gomathi Shankar in the titular role of a confessed serial killer. The film is written and directed by debutant Mithun Balaji, who is being praised for his chilling character study but also flagged for an overly ambitious conclusion.
The early consensus is that Stephen is a bold, character-driven film that is both unsettling and frequently brilliant, though not without its flaws.
Reviews are unanimous that Shankar delivers a career-defining performance. His portrayal of Stephen, a calm, collected killer who willingly surrenders, is one of quiet intensity and controlled menace.
The film’s early focus on Stephen’s abusive and dysfunctional childhood is also highlighted as one of its strongest segments.
Despite being ambitious and inventive, the final act has attracted a mixed reception from both critics and audiences, as many believe it forces viewers to completely re-assess everything they have watched, turning what initially seemed like a routine thriller into a complex psychological mind game.
In addition, some reviewers have found the film’s middle portions uneven and middling. The investigative procedures and the relationship between the cop and the psychiatrist often feel like an extra layer which adds little depth to the overall narrative, but certainly increases the runtime.
The biggest point of contention is the film’s overly ambitious last act. While clever, many critics feel that in trying to juggle several twists at once, the film undermines the careful character study it had been building.
Still, Stephen has been hailed as an entertaining watch overall. Gomathi Shankar is phenomenal in this psychological thriller. However, the film asks the audience to wade through some familiar narrative territory to reach its genre-redefining conclusion, a journey that some will find entirely worthwhile, and others unnecessarily challenging. Stay tuned for more updates.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
