Suriya and director Jithu Madhavan coming together created good expectations among movie lovers. Nazriya Nazim returning to films in an important role and Naslen making his Tamil debut added more interest to the project. The promotional content also created curiosity, and fans were eagerly waiting to see what this combination would deliver.
The film finally arrived in theatres during Diwali. But does Scene live up to those expectations?
The Story
Premraj (Suriya) is a crime branch police officer who solves difficult cases with his intelligence. However, he has a personal problem that makes him think about leaving his job. When his issue comes to the notice of crime branch head Stephen (Lal), he loses his job.
Meanwhile, a serial killer named Eshwar (Naslen) is creating fear in the city by committing murders in a similar manner. Despite losing his job, Premraj challenges Stephen that he can solve the case. He takes Maya (Nazriya Nazim) as his assistant and starts investigating.
How does Premraj track down the killer? What is the connection between Maya and Premraj? To know the answers, you have to watch the film.
What Works
The biggest strength of Scene is undoubtedly Suriya’s performance. He takes up a different role and handles it with confidence. His stylish look, natural acting and screen presence make the character interesting to watch. He stays away from regular commercial elements and gives a sincere performance.
Nazriya is another positive. Her screen presence and cute performance bring some freshness to the film. The comedy in a few scenes also works well and gives the audience some relief.
Some of the supporting actors, including Lal and Anand Raj, do their parts well. Jyothika and Tovino Thomas also make their presence felt in their guest appearances.
What Doesn’t Works
The biggest problem with Scene is its writing. The film starts on a good note and creates some interest in the beginning, but it fails to maintain the same momentum throughout. A crime thriller needs strong investigation scenes and an exciting mind game between the hero and the villain. Unfortunately, the film does not offer enough of those moments.
Some investigation scenes feel silly, and the other police officers are shown in a way that makes the hero look smarter. Several situations also work too conveniently in favour of the main character, which affects the natural flow of the story.
Another issue is that many scenes feel familiar, as if we have seen them in other crime thrillers before. Even though the director tries a different approach, the execution still feels routine in several places. This makes it difficult for the film to offer a fresh experience.
Naslen’s screen time is very limited, and his character feels underutilised. Considering his importance to the story, the film could have used him much better. The villain also lacks the strong presence needed to make the thriller more exciting.
The second half struggles to keep the audience engaged. Most of the story takes place in the same house, and the screenplay feels stretched in several places. The comedy does not always fit well with the crime thriller setup.
Sushin Shyam’s background score is also disappointing. It fails to create the tension that the story needs. Jithu Madhavan, who impressed audiences with Romancham and Aavesham, fails to repeat that magic here. Better writing and a stronger screenplay could have made this film much more interesting.
Final Take
Scene starts well but slowly loses its grip. Suriya’s performance is the biggest highlight, but weak writing, familiar scenes and Naslen’s limited role make it an average crime thriller.
A better screenplay could have made it much more interesting.
Rating: 2.5/5
