CONNECT is a horror thriller film directed by Ashwin Saravanan and produced by Vignesh Shivan under Rowdy Pictures and marks the second collaboration of Saravanan with Nayanthara, after MAYA. Ashwin’s last venture was GAME OVER which was appreciated well.
Set during COVID period and with the premise of family values to begin with, CONNECT then digresses into a typical horror film that relies on something as cliché as jump scares that are strictly for U-12s and scenes that bring back a hundred horror film corpses to life. The exorcism touch lacks the spine-chilling moments and the only thing that saves the film from being rib-tickling is the technical team behind the scenes. Internet technology tries to substitute and compliment old age practices and that kind of robs off the severity of the narration. With no back story and the characters in complete disconnect physically with each other, any scare is just imaginary and funny to say the least.
Nayanthara looks old jaded and cold. Satyaraj is good. Anupham Kher could have been brought on board solely for OTT business. Haniya, we see little of her, the same goes with Vinay Rai.
Cinematography by Manikantan krishnamachary is brilliant. Prithvi Chandrashekar’s background score compensates for the lack of seriousness onscreen. Richard Kevin’s editing is crisp. Dialogues are standard and direction ordinary.
CONNECT fails to connect even after 98 minutes..
CONNECT – (dis)CONNECT !
1.75/5
B.U.Shreesha
