One wrong decision can kickstart a domino effect that destroys your life, and Jis Joy's latest is a testament to this fact. Starring Asif Ali, Anthony Varghese and Nimisha Sanatan in pivotal roles, Innale Vare is an intense drama thriller. The film also has Reba Monica John, Athulya Chandra, Rony David, Irshad Ali, and Sujith Vaassudev in key supporting roles.
Spanning 2 hours and 16 minutes, Innale Vare follows a narcissistic and insecure actor, Adhi (Asif Ali), whose dwindling success and increasing debts lands him in a serious pickle. His already muddled life takes a turn for the worse when his shenanigans have disastrous consequences that catch up to him. How he survives the new complications as his life falls apart forms the crux of the film's story.
Innale Vare gets its genre right with its almost watertight script. The film has all the elements of a gripping thriller: gray-shade characters, hidden motives, and fast-paced screenplay. Jis Joy, being the director and script writer of the movie, knew just how to keep the audience on their toes with unexpected twists.
Perhaps what made Innale Vare so effective is its cinematography by Bahul Ramesh. The camera makes it a point to draw you in and make you feel what the characters are feeling. For instance, the way the camera captures Adhi being disoriented makes you feel disoriented as well. With more such brilliant shots, you will feel like a part of the film's story.
Complementing the script and cinematography were the performances of Nimisha Sajayan and Asif Ali. As Shani/Anjali and Adhi, respectively, both actors brought their A-game, conveying their characters' thought processes through their expressions and body language. Anthony Varghese as Sharath/Vinod gave a convincing perfinance as well. The supporting cast did a fine job, as well.
Admittedly, Innale Vare hooks you in. However, the film almost falls apart and even feels a bit stretched out in its concluding minutes when things are over explained and conveniently draws to a close. While the intention there was probably to make the characters seem more humane and to show the character arc, the result was a climax that felt weak compared to the delicious build up of the rest of the movie.
Despite its underwhelming aspects, Innale Vare is watchable with its gripping storytelling and convincing performances, the film will demand your attention and hold it throughout its runtime. Ultimately, Innale Vare is a thrilling experience for the weekend.