Movie Reviews
Deva Movie Review: Shahid Kapoor Exudes High Octane Fire & Rage As A Flawed & Roguish Cop In This Engaging Thriller Flick!
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Star Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, Pravesh Rana, Pavail Gulati, Kubbra Sait, Girish Kulkarni
Director: Rosshan Andrrews
What’s Good: Shahid Kapoor’s performance, background score, action sequences, an engaging first half.
What’s Bad: An underwhelming climax, the twist introduced in the end does not strike a chord, loopholes in the plot in the second half, and few supporting characters go underutilized.
Loo Break: Even though the second half loses the momentum, we recommend the interval because of this one being an overall riveting thriller.
Watch or Not?: All the fans of Shahid Kapoor can certainly give this one a watch.
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 156 minutes
User Rating:
Rosshan Andrrews has probably managed to showcase Shahid Kapoor in his massiest avatar with Deva. The actor exudes swag and oodles of roguish charm, which also surpasses the machismo that he possessed in Kabir Singh. It is also a subtle ode to Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Angry Young Man’ era, wherein he witnessed the flawed but fiery hero putting things into momentum in his own way.
The plot revolves around Deva Ambre (Shahid Kapoor), a far-from-perfect police officer who prefers to stick to his roguish and aggressive ways of handling a crime case. Having put his own father in jail, he battles his own inner demons, which makes it difficult for him to abide by the judicial rules and protocols. His only weakness is his friendships with his colleagues and childhood friends, Rohan D’silva (Pavail Gulati) and Farhan Khan (Pravesh Rana). He also falls in love with a crime journalist, Diya Sathaye (Pooja Hegde).
However, when a personal tragedy turns his life upside down, he realizes that there is a mole within the system. Just when he has uncovered the truth, Deva suffers a life-threatening accident that wipes out his memory. He must go to any lengths to unravel the truth again from the remnants of his past memory.
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Deva Movie Review: Script Analysis
Deva has an engaging pace in the first half. Along with the protagonist’s character buildup, we are introduced to the police authorities trying to nab a dreaded gangster (Manish Wadhwa) and his entire nexus. However, it is soon hinted that there is a mole within the police system, which helps him stay one step ahead of the police.
Deva’s aggression and rage toward solving the case are showcased as a sharp contrast to the discipline and principles that his colleagues adhere to. The writing does not waste any time to accelerate the storyline of a police investigation after a tragedy occurs. The suspects, underlying secrets, and ulterior motives of the characters make the first half extremely interesting, keeping you hooked to the screens.
However, it is the second half which falters. The plot twist leading to the climax appears to be very disoriented and does not strike the chord that you expect. It appears to be rather underwhelming after such a strong buildup in the second half. There is also a disconnect with Shahid’s performance, even though he manages to keep the energy high. There are also some loopholes which do not let you abide by the climax.
Deva Movie Review: Star Performance
Talking about the performances, Shahid Kapoor is an absolute treat to behold. He does immense justice to all the shades of his character, from the rowdy and flawed cop to a colleague sensitive about his friends, he delivers the varied aspects of this complex role flawlessly. There is a reason why this role takes the bar higher than Kabir Singh. The actor unleashes the required angst, fire, and ferocity in his performance and keeps the energy levels consistent.
Pravesh Rana and Pavail Gulati impress amongst the supporting star cast. However, Pooja Hegde, along with Girish Kulkarni and Kubbra Sait are heavily underutilized. A cameo appearance by veteran Marathi actor Upendra Limaye makes way for an entertaining watch.
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Deva Movie Review: Direction, Music
The technical aspects of the Rosshan Andrrews directorial are top-notch. The cinematography and the production design add a fine catalyst to the plot. The background score by Jakes Bejoy, which plays the rap song ‘Marji Chaa Maalik’ keeps the adrenaline levels high, especially during the action sequences.
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Deva Movie Review: The Last Word
Irrespective of the flawed second half, especially the climax, Deva is definitely one of Shahid Kapoor’s strongest works. The actor puts his heart and soul into this one, which is reflected in every frame. This promises to be a treat for all the die-hard fans of the actor.
3 star
Deva Trailer
Deva released today on 31 January, 2025.
Share with us your experience of watching Deva.
Must Read: Azaad Movie Review: Ajay Devgn, Aaman Devgan & Rasha Thadani Starrer Is A Compelling Tale Of Loyalty, Rebellion & Courage; The Black Beauty Is The Cherry On Top!
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Movie Reviews
Christopher Landon’s ‘HEART EYES’ (2025) – Movie Review – PopHorror
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Slashers are among the favorite subgenres of most horror fans. When you add in the murder mystery elements of a whodunit, it becomes even more of an immersive and nostalgic watch. Such is the case with Heart Eyes, the newest Valentine’s Day related entry in the horror world. Let’s take a look at why this may make the perfect date night movie selection.
Holt and Gooding have phenomenal timing and chemistry together, and their relationship really brews nicely as the body count starts to build. Heart Eyes really feels like the coming out party for Gooding, though the characters in general are given such fun dialogue that provides genuine laughs. Part love story and part meta commentary, this movie feels like Scream meets Cherry Falls.
Horror is experiencing a return to the 80s in the reemergence of the casual holiday-themed slashers, and Heart Eyes has the makings of a yearly watch-party flick. It’s not all witty banter though, as the jump scares and exquisite gore leave enough meat on the bone for darker genre fans. It’s simple and doesn’t try to be ‘elevated’. The diversity in this movie will help it to amass an audience of many different types of movie-goers.
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The balance of Heart Eyes skews a bit more toward comedy than horror, even to a point of being over the top at times in some of its background characters. But the mystery and relationships do resolve in a very satisfying, fast paced way. It’s quite easy to see why a movie like this could end up in the hearts of viewers as one of the most fun murder mysteries of 2025.
Movie Reviews
Movie Review: A Veteran adjusts to Civilian Life with “My Dead Friend Zoe”
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Perhaps only an Iraq War combat vet would dare to tackle Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with the sort of sarcasm and gallows humor of “My Dead Friend Zoe.”
Director and co-writer and ex-paratrooper Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’ film’s title character is a cynical smart-ass, a female veteran and a ghost. Zoe is, as advertised, “Dead.”
Zoe, given just enough edge by Natalie Morales, has the license to call her service in Afghanistan “the dumbest war of all time,” the sass to suggest she and her fellow GI trooper/ mechanic Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) “watch ‘M*A*S*H’ again,” but this time not “as a drinking game” and the impatience to refer to the group therapy they attend back home as “kumbaya” nonsense.
But Merit is the one physically there at therapy. Dead Zoe is the snide commentator in her head and the ongoing presence in her life, and the most important thing Merit won’t talk about in “group,” no matter how much the doctor and Vietnam vet in charge (Morgan Freeman) demands it.
“My Dead Friend” is a nice showcase for constantly-employed TV actress Morales (“Parks and Rec,” Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Morning Show”). But it’s a star vehicle for “Walking Dead” alumna and “Star Trek: Discovery” lead Martin-Green.
It is Merit who must hide the “dead” friend she still communes with, among other unspoken traumas of her service. She does this while in court-ordered group therapy, something that’s interrupted when she has to care for her testy, “wandering” and increasingly forgetful grandfather and role model, a retired Lt. Col. played by Ed Harris.
That tells us this script is deep enough to attract talent, even as it gives Zoe and Merit Rihanna sing-alongs at work, even as Zoe serves up therapy-is-for-thee-but-not-for-me tough gal sarcasm softballs, even as she’s mocking Merit’s home state.
“Isn’t Oregon known for its serial killers?”
Freeman, who is as empathetic as he’s ever been on screen and the tightly-wound side of Harris lend the picture extra gravitas. But none of this would work if Martin-Green didn’t have the bearing of a soldier, one who has seen and experienced things. Compulsive jogging and visits to a cemetery are Merit’s coping mechanisms.
Introducing a possible love interest (“Pitch Perfect” alumnus Utkarsh Ambudkar) doesn’t add much that feels necessary, when layers of the Merit-Zoe connection and disconnection are left hanging. But even these mysteries benefit the film as we can infer “this” and understand without knowing “that.”
And Freeman’s doctor gives voice to talking therapy’s one essential truth in facing the many shades of PTSD, that one must “think very seriously about whether living in the past is worth it.”
Stay through the credits if you want to see how important this subject is, with or without jokes only those who’ve been through it truly “get.”
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Rating: R, combat stress subject matter, profanity
Cast: Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, Gloria Ruben, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Morgan Freeman
Credits: Directed by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, scripted by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes and A.J. Bermudez. A Briarcliffe release.
Running time: 1:38
Movie Reviews
Riff Raff (2025) – Movie Review
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Riff Raff, 2025.
Directed by Dito Montiel.
Starring Miles J. Harvey, Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Bill Murray, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson, P.J. Byrne, Emanuela Postacchini, Angelic Zambrana, Michael Angelo Covino, Derrick Simmons, Sage Spielman, Lucinda Carr, Craig ‘Radio Man’ Castaldo, and Brooke Dillman.
SYNOPSIS:
A former criminal’s ordinary life, which is turned upside down when his old family shows up for a long-awaited reunion.
Attempting to be a darkly comedic coming-of-age story through a family’s revealed secrets and history of crime, director Dito Montiel and screenwriter John Pollono are only halfway committed to that premise. Riff Raff begins and ends with narration from science nerd, college-bound DJ (Miles J. Harvey) waxing philosophical about family, while in between, reunited with estranged relatives from his stepfather Vincent (Ed Harris) ranging from the soon-to-be-father stepbrother Rocco (Lewis Pullman) and vulgar stepmom Ruth (Jennifer Coolidge) with the intention seemingly being to teach him some life lessons and help him grow.
Even one of the first scenes shows DJ confiding to Vincent about being friend-zoned, with the stepfather letting him in on a family secret while asserting the young man to never settle for a girl who didn’t want to be with him. Rocco has grabbed his pregnant girlfriend Marina (Emanuela Postacchini) and his mom to hide out with his father’s new family, desperately trying to flee and stay hidden from someone.
Meanwhile, career criminals Hannegan (Bill Murray) and Lonnie (Pete Davidson) are driving into the middle of rural nowhere, searching for which of Vincent’s multiple houses he is at, which, by extension, would theoretically lead him to Rocco. While it wouldn’t be fair to say that the reunion is initially full of happy vibes, it is an otherwise moment of rare unity threatened to be ruined once they arrive. As Vincent is around his previous family, he also slips into the foul, angry man he was before meeting Sandy (Gabrielle Union), falling in love and vowing to take care of her and her son for the rest of his life (which, not to be grim, realistically already can’t be that long given that Ed Harris is probably already over twice her age.)
The more significant point here is that once the elements of crime and violence come to the front, whatever coming-of-age intentions that were present before mostly fade away in favor of a stab at pulp that doesn’t work considering the tone is all over the place with jokes that come from a place of cliché rather than character. Take Jennifer Coolidge, who isn’t necessarily playing a character but a version of what audiences have come to expect from her as a performer. As a result, the humor doesn’t land. Then there is one late twist that feels forced, trying to add more emotional weight to a narrative where the story and emotions are already tough to take seriously. Unsurprisingly, this talented ensemble tries their best to make the film, at the very least, watchable and time-wasting entertainment but is unable to distract from the confounding nature of the project.
By the time most of these characters are placed in life-or-death danger, one doesn’t feel suspense but instead wonders if Riff Raff will switch tones completely and kill off protagonists one by one or if they will miraculously and clumsily survive while turning the tables against the hitmen. The problem is that neither outcome would fit the film, although I won’t spoil which one of those options you get. If anything, the clashing tones are in rhythm whenever following Bill Murray and Pete Davidson as mild-mannered hitmen who dish out violence at the flip of a switch; a sequence involving neighbors is a hilarious highlight. Instead, we are unfortunately stuck with the riff-raff.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
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