Freddy REVIEW: Kartik Aaryan’s career is set to shift gears as he delivers a fresh and spine-chilling performance in this mediocre plot

Film: Freddy

Director: Shashank Ghosh

Star cast: Kartik Aaryan, Alaya F

Bollywood Bubble ratings: 4 stars

Freddy Movie Review:

When one is in love, people are either too dreamy or too villainy, there’s actually nothing in between. There are people who often can’t draw the lines between love and obsession, it is blurred for them. And it seems Freddy is one of them. We have seen movies in the past where the protagonist is obsessed with their lovers and they end up hurting themselves or the other person. Movies like Darr, Anjam, Daraar, and many others have shown how obsession takes a serious toll on their lovers; however, Kartik Aaryan starrer may seem to be on similar lines but yet it has a different side that will leave you astonished.

The movie is about a man named Freddy who is shy and innocent and is on a hunt to find his true soulmate. But his life shifts to the sixth gear when he faces betrayal and his heart is broken into pieces. Freddy then ensures not to let go of this lightly and is headstrong that they pay the price for his making his life a living hell. It amazed me to see a 360-degree shift in a character who is different in the first half and gets a drastic makeover in the second half. The character transition was nicely written and neatly executed.

Story:

Dr Freddy Ginwala is a dentist who is innocent, shy and socially awkward. He is extraordinary in his field of expertise but lacks the confidence to interact with women. However, he then meets Kainaaz Irani and falls for her instantly. As he spends time with Kainaaz, Freddy realises that she is his soulmate and starts obsessing about her. But things turn ugly when he switches his character when an introverted, naive doctor turns himself into a beast. But what changed him? What happened to his relationship with Kainaaz?

 

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Star performances:

Kartik Aaryan is often seen in funny or happy-go-lucky characters. He tried to prove his mettle as an actor with Dhamaka but didn’t receive the kind of response that one would hope for. However, after Freddy, he has definitely changed my perception towards him if not anyone else’s. I was quite taken aback to see Kartik as such an intense and complex character, he has surely won my heart. Hats off to him for playing this character with the utmost conviction. You can feel his hard work and sweat in building this character. It is quite challenging to play a character who is subdued, especially when we have seen him playing loud characters. I like how he played the part with calculations and with dedication rather than overdoing it and spoiling the essence of the character. Since Freddy is quiet, lonely, shy and innocent, Kartik plays the part perfectly well without unleashing the bitter side of his character. I like how they kept his innocence intact in the first half and showed his darker side in the second half which is spine-chilling.

 

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After Jawaani Jaaneman, Alaya F has definitely grown as an actor. When I saw her Bollywood debut film with Saif Ali Khan, I was surprised by her performance. I knew that she has the potential to prove herself as an actor rather than being just a mere star kid and oh boy, she lived up to her mark in Freddy. She holds her ground rather than getting overshadowed by him. Alaya was a stunner in the movie and did a fantastic job. Yes, there are some scenes where it seems like she is overdoing it but those are avoidable. Alaya F is surely a surprise package in the movie. I really can’t spill more beans about her character as it can spoil the essence of the film but she does demand attention.

 

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Direction/Screenplay:

It is quite surprising to see Shashank Ghosh bringing up an intense thriller like Freddy after releasing movies like Plan A Plan B or Kareena Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor starrer Veerey Di Wedding which were light-hearted films. On the other hand, Freddy is a dark thriller that can leave you with a heavy heart. Unlike his previous movies, Ghosh ups his direction game but the narration seems to fall short in the second half. I felt it was a little dragged, plus, the unpredictable plot removed all the fun for me. It becomes very clear what Freddy will do next and hence, the suspense element seemed to be gone out of the window.

Music:

There are hardly any songs in the movie which is the best part for me. Considering that it is a suspense thriller, I like the decision of keeping only the relevant songs. The music of the album is composed by Pritam which can be quite catchy. The romantic song Tum Jo Milo helps to build the romantic angle between Freddy and Kainaaz whereas it is the background score that increases the intensity of the scenes. The Kaala Jaadu song, crooned by Arijit Singh, is in the credits.

Drawbacks:

The first shortcoming of Freddy is that it left me with a lot of questions unanswered. Why Kainaaz chose Freddy? Why she chose this decision? Why she played the victim card? and many more. Some are not answered while some seem to be difficult to grasp, (I’m sorry, speaking in puzzles but you’ll get it once you see the movie, don’t want to give you any spoilers). The second shortcoming was predictability. This has always become a serious hit for a lot of suspense thrillers and sadly, Freddy is no exception. It gets a little predictable in the second half but I’ll give it up to certain twists and sharp turns that did leave me surprised.

Conclusion:

Talking about the overall conclusion in this Freddy review, Kartik Aaryan’s killer performance makes Freddy a must-watch movie. As I have mentioned before, he will surely change your perception towards him as an actor. He is the heart and the soul of the film that glues you to the movie. Whereas Alaya F shines as she also delivers a strong performance alongside Kartik which is commendable. The gripping storyline will keep you hooked till the end; however, Freddy gets a little predictable in the second half. If you like suspense or thriller, Freddy can be your pick. Plus, there is a chance that you can become a fan of Kartik Aaryan after this movie.

Watch the Freddy Trailer after the review: