Movie Review
After being known for his massive roles over the past five decades, megastar Mammootty has now grown more experimental with the stories he chooses to deliver and his 2022 releases are a testament to this fact.
Over its 150-minute runtime, Rorschach narrates the story of an NRI man named Luke Antony, who recently returned from Dubai. Luke's wife, Sofia, goes missing after an unknown accident. Moreover, Sofia was pregnant when she disappeared.
With no sign of Sofia, the cops conclude that Luke's wife was attacked by an animal and suggest that he simply move on.
Luke tries to find Sofia himself and befriends a villager named Balan. However, it is clear that much more is going on under the hood than Luke first lets on. Rorschach's story isn't too complicated to decipher and right off the bat, you know his true motives are far worse than we've been led to believe.
Plot Progresses
As the plot progresses, Luke's true intentions are revealed and the audience finally understands what the story is all about. Apart from the vengeful Luke, the characters of Seetha and Dileep (despite their limited appearances) make a lasting impression.
The concept of inheritance and how important it is for souls to reach salvation (moksha) after death may be foreign to most young and modern audiences, but Rorschach tries to bridge this gap and presents a linear revenge plot.
Luke does nothing to harm living things, and every death or accident in the film is only the result of various human vices, such as greed and fear, among others. The story of the film is strong and its execution definitely takes the cake.
Like a psychological test, the Rorschach can be perceived differently by different audiences, which gives the film some depth. The film is also decently paced and doesn't hide any plot points from the viewer, making it an easy watch. But the ending is something that leaves one shocked and wanting more.
If there's one thing that really stands out in the film, it's the cinematography. Especially the camera work, perfect beyond. Cinematic long shots as well as limited jump scares are enough to keep the audience torn between calm and chaos.
The Rorschach psychological test is represented by a butterfly, and for a moment it seemed that the writer was beginning to lose the audience's mind. Rorschach's OST is unique for any regional language film I've seen in a while.
With all English dark tracks playing in the background for the first half of the film, the songs speed up during chase or fight scenes and feel the intensity felt by the characters. The dialogues throughout the film were solid and it was Mammootty's character and Luke's witty and sarcastic sense of humor that made me laugh every now and then.
Rorschach is definitely a deep dive into the human psyche, and theorists are already speculating about how the film ends. The storyline is linear, but it aims to make the viewer think, which is great for this day and age. Rorshach is currently enjoying global success, and it certainly deserves it.