“Merry Christmas” Movie Review: A Well Made Slow Burn Thriller

“Merry Christmas” Review: “Merry Christmas” was finally released in theaters. This movie was initially scheduled to release in theaters on Christmas 2023. Due to Dunki and Salaar, it was shifted to January 2024.

“Merry Christmas” is a recently released Suspense Crime Thriller Romantic Drama movie that is now playing in theaters. I have just watched the movie in theaters in Mumbai. The occupancy was less than 40% in the cinema hall, and the marketing team didn’t work well on marketing.

Tips is responsible for this. “Merry Christmas” has a stellar star cast like Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupati in leading roles. There is so much to tell about this thriller. We’re giving a detailed review so that you can ultimately decide whether to watch this movie in theaters or not.

Story

The story is a very slow-burn thriller. Albert, played by Vijay Sethupati, and Maria, played by Katrina Kaif, are the main characters. Maria is sitting at a bar with her daughter, celebrating Christmas Eve. Albert comes back to town after 7 years. Where he was in the last seven years is a suspense we don’t want to spoil for your movie experience. But the writing was too good. The story goes very slow. Before this, Sriram Raghavan is greatly known for his movies like “Badlapur” and “Andhadhun,” but the magic can’t be recreated.

No doubt the writing and storytelling are too good, but nowadays, after watching a lot of content on OTT, audiences have become impatient. So, if you have patience, then you will love this film. The story revolves around one night of Christmas Eve. Maria has other plans, which she’s not telling to anyone. The twist before the interval block was really shocking, and the climax is definitely going to give you goosebumps. Just one day is shown in the film.

No doubt, the movie was executed well, but not everyone will understand the twist in the climax.

Also Read: The Brothers Sun Review – An Action Packed Family Show

Acting

Both the leads, Katrina Kaif as Maria and Vijay Sethupati as Albert, were excellent. This movie marks the second movie for Vijay Sethupati in Bollywood. Before this, he debuted in Bollywood with the SRK-starrer movie “Jawan,” which was released in theaters last year. In “Merry Christmas,” Vijay totally changed his acting style.

The writing of both the lead characters was done very smartly. Both were shown as sharp and smart characters, just like Ayushman in “Andhadhun.” But we don’t want to compare both the films. The supporting cast like Vinay Pathak and Sanjay Kapoor were good in their roles.

Direction

No doubt that Sriram Raghavan is one of the finest directors of Indian Cinema. “Johnny Gaddar,” “Badlapur,” and a masterpiece film like “Andhadhun.” Now the shocking mysterious romantic tale, “Merry Christmas,” the film of two strangers who became friends in one night. Sriram Raghavan did too good, but “Andhadhun” is still a great film in his filmography.

Positives and Negatives

Positives:

1. Casting
2. Background score
3. Cinematography

Negatives:

1. Songs
   • There was no meaning for songs in the movie. In the first half, there were too many romantic songs.
2. Slow story
   • This movie will test your patience as a thriller fan. If you have patience while watching thriller suspense films, then do watch this movie in theaters.

Parental Guidance

This movie is U/A rated. You can watch this movie with your family as it is a 13+ movie. There are no skin shows in the movie, just a few kiss scenes.

If you want something new and unique in the thriller genre, watch “Merry Christmas” in theaters this weekend.

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