Chup
2022 · Directed by R. Balki
Original language: Hindi
- crime
- thriller
The story
A series of bizarre and disturbing murders rock the city of Mumbai. Film critics are being killed week after week with the release of every new film. Arvind Mathur, Head of Crime Branch Mumbai, is tasked with solving the case. With the help of Zenobia, a criminal psychologist, he tries to understand the mind of the killer to trap him.
What it’s like
Rain-slick Mumbai streets under sodium streetlamps, neon signs bleeding red and green across wet pavement, and dim, cramped police offices lit by flickering tube lights. Handheld and restless in the chase-heavy stretches, it cuts to stylised black-and-white sequences that play like homage to old studio melodrama, with high-contrast shadows and theatrical framing. The mood is noir-tinged, glossy and self-aware, with a sly, mocking undercurrent about criticism and cinema. The pacing is brisk with talky interrogation scenes that dwell on faces and dialogue. Its people are wary and wounded, drawn into a tense battle of wits that gradually reveals their private obsessions. Violence is frequent and sometimes grisly, with murders shown on screen and bloody aftermath, though it is more macabre and stylised than prolonged. The tone is dark and unsettling rather than gentle, with dread, cruelty and dark humour. Best for viewers who enjoy stylised crime thrillers, film-buff in-jokes, and psychological cat-and-mouse, not for anyone wanting something soft or low-stakes.
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