In the compelling German suspense story I Is Another (Ich ist ein Anderer), protean Danish polyglot Claes Bang stars as Felix Kersten, an actual physiotherapist/masseur who claimed he was instrumental in persuading his client Heinrich Himmler to let Jewish prisoners go at the end of World War II but whose account remains disputed to this day. Writer-director Felix Randau finds an economical way to distill the mystery around the attractive but clearly egomaniacal Kersten by putting him in conversation on a train with Valerie Pachner’s fictional East German journalist, a woman with her own shady past.

The combustible onscreen chemistry of Bang (The Northman, Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Square, Apple TV’s Bad Sisters) and Pachner (Mata Hari in The King’s Man) represents a major selling point for this sly study of deception and delusion, one that feels eerily relevant in these “post-truth” times. Premiering in Locarno’s Piazza Grande, I Is Another could stretch its legs commercially with niche distributors beyond Germany.

Although the action flashes back periodically to the war years, most of the plot unfolds in a series of cramped cabins on a train bound for Oslo in 1952 on which Kersten is traveling, accompanied by his chirpy, bird-like wife Irmgard (a vivid Susanne Wuest, who co-starred in Randau’s earlier feature Iceman).

They are on their way to Norway to attend the press conference announcing candidates for that year’s Nobel Peace Prize, full of expectations that Felix is being considered for securing the release of concentration camp inmates in the Spring of 1945. This freeing of Scandinavian prisoners, also known as the White Buses incident, was (and is) generally credited to the intervention of Swedish Red Cross president Folke Bernadotte, who negotiated directly with Himmler.

In 1952, Kersten published a letter allegedly written by Bernadotte that painted the latter in a very unflattering light while making Kersten look like the real hero, a plot point incorporated into the script here in a way that’s not strictly historically accurate.

But that all happens later in the film. At the opening, unbeknownst to the Kerstens, another couple has booked the cabin next to them: Hedda (Pachner) and Winfried Wohmann (Timocin Ziegler), a reporter and photographer, respectively, from the German Democratic Republic. Hedda, clad in a blouse whose stripes reflect the zigs and zags of the plot’s twists and has a Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday vibe, launches a charm offensive to persuade Kersten to give her an interview.

The flattery and fluttering eyelashes work, and they settle down in his cabin with a vintage reel-to-reel tape recorder to go over his story, shown in flashbacks. Kersten describes how he came to treat SS Reich Leader Himmler (played with aptly martinetish froideur by Christoph Mueller) for chronic stomach pain. Over time, he gained the Nazi’s confidence, although Kersten insists he was never an employee of the SS as such or even a member of the Nazi Party.

Hedda and Felix’s interview is interrupted when he is summoned to take a phone call, giving her a chance to rummage around in his luggage for evidence of her suspicions, revealed earlier in a conversation with Winfried, that Kersten is not telling the whole truth. When Kersten catches her red-handed looking for his diary, he insists she take it away, read it and judge his honesty for herself.

His persuasive written testimony may seed in Hedda some small doubts about her previous doubts, but as she explains to Winfried, the diary could easily have been written years after the events it describes. As the interview resumes, she reveals knowledge of details that contradict his account, enraging the bearish Baltic German who reveals a violent streak under all that urbanity and command of five languages.

Bang is perfectly cast for the role, on account both of his own linguistic skills and his looming stature, creating a strong contrast with Pachner’s slight, elfin figure. When he bangs his fist on the rickety table and raises his voice, it looks like the next minute he might hit her or drag her to bed — either outcome seems possible.

Plus, it turns out that Hedda, her name echoing that of Henrik Ibsen’s famously complex character, is no exemplar of honesty herself. A scandal in her recent career resulted in her and Winfried being internally exiled from Berlin to provincial Halle, and she’s clearly hoping a big scoop will put her back in favor. Winfried has become an alcoholic, tortured by the memory of atrocities he committed as a soldier during the war. Hedda has her own personal history she’d like forgotten.

Unfortunately, Kersten, with his connections to Swedish intelligence, finds out more than she’d like about her background, so their conversation turns into a game of tit for tat, threats and counterthreats.

Randau orchestrates these shifts in power well, building up suspense with strong assists from editor Joana Scrinzi and an understated score by Bernhard Fleischmann. Nevertheless, the way the script is structured as a series of two-handers lends a theatrical air to the proceedings, not necessarily a bad thing in itself, though something other viewers might fidget through. But the considerable charisma of the main leads carries the feature along and makes this a work that feels more substantial and weighty than the footnote in history it might have played like in the hands of a different cast and director.

Name: DC

Director: Arun Matheswaran

Cast: Lokesh Kanagaraj, Wamiqa Gabbi, Sanjana Krishnamoorthy

Writer: Arun Matheswaran, Franklin Jacob, Arun Ranjan

Rating: 4/5

DC, starring Lokesh Kanagaraj in the lead role, was released in theaters on August 7, 2026, marking the director’s debut as a lead actor. Directed by Arun Matheswaran, the action thriller features Wamiqa Gabbi as the co-lead.

If you’re planning to watch the film in theaters this week, here’s the Pinkvilla review for you to check out.

The Plot

DC follows the story of Devadas, a rebel in an outlaw group who stands against the systemic hardships faced by people. Along with his crew, he survives by swindling from those in power, making them prime targets for the authorities.

However, things take a turn when officers mistreat an innocent man and take his money, prompting Devadas to retaliate. This leads an officer to spearhead an investigation against the crew, setting off a chain of intense events.

Meanwhile, the outlaw crosses paths with Chandra and decides to help her escape her troubled life. Eventually, she joins him on his journey.

What unfolds in the lives of Devadas and Chandra, and whether they manage to survive the odds, forms the rest of the story.

What works in DC

DC is pure action bliss, staying true to the core of a well-written screenplay. The film takes its time during the first 20–30 minutes to establish its characters and build its world. From that point onward, it steadily raises the stakes while maintaining a consistent rhythm, allowing both the action and the characters to develop a strong connection with the audience.

Many action films tend to overlook meaningful character development or fail to give their stories an emotional core. However, the writing here proves that building emotionally engaging characters is just as important, even in a film packed with guns and glory.

With impressive performances by Lokesh Kanagaraj and Wamiqa Gabbi, the film stands out as a gripping action entertainer. Despite a slight dip in the second half, the pacing never becomes a concern, with the narrative remaining crisp throughout.

Similar to Arun Matheswaran’s previous ventures, this film remains thoroughly entertaining and once again showcases his strengths as a director, particularly in this genre. Whether it’s Rocky, Saani Kaayidham, or Captain Miller, the director stays true to his signature style without forcing unnecessary commercial elements into the narrative.

However, the true hero, beyond the cast and writers, is Anirudh Ravichander. DC serves as a remarkable canvas for the composer, who experiments with a rich fusion of classical, rock, and country influences to create an exceptional soundtrack. Every track in DC speaks volumes and plays a major role in delivering the film’s cinematic highs, elevating every key moment and making him the soul of the movie.

Watch the trailer here:

What doesn’t work in DC

Despite being an excellent watch, DC experiences a slight dip in momentum during the second half. Following a power-packed interval, the narrative slows down briefly before the climax delivers a satisfying payoff.

Moreover, much like the director’s previous film, DC doesn’t hold back when it comes to action. Keeping that in mind, it may not be the ideal choice for viewers who prefer less intense action or are uncomfortable with graphic sequences.

The Performances

Lokesh Kanagaraj knocks it out of the park with his acting debut. Having previously delivered acclaimed action entertainers like Kaithi, Leo, and Vikram as a director, he proves that he can bring the same intensity and conviction to the characters he portrays, making him a compelling action lead.

On the other hand, Wamiqa Gabbi is charming and captivating as Chandra, establishing a layered dynamic with Devadas. She elevates the character with confidence and consistently steals the spotlight.

The Verdict

DC is an exhilarating blend of action and raw intensity. Backed by strong technical execution, impressive performances, and loosely adapted elements from the classic Devadas, this action entertainer is well worth experiencing in theaters, especially if you’re a fan of straightforward, high-energy action films.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Pinkvilla. No statement in this article is intended to defame, harm, or malign any individual or entity.

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But even at its most unique, Ice Cream Man is nothing that you haven’t seen before. The camera remains almost eerily still, and when it does move, you’d be lucky to get a real sequence that wasn’t bought, paid for, and generated within some lifeless digital system. Anything beyond the basic boundaries of shot/reverse shot filmmaking is at risk of being entirely faked here. You’ll be on your AI-detecting toes the entire way through.

And this writer is not trying to go full “old man yells at cloud” here, but it’s painfully apparent that Roth opts for AI every time Ice Cream Man even has a chance to get interesting, and it renders the film shallow and hollow. What you’re left with, then, plays like a trial run for AI implementation on the big screen. It has never worked prior to this film, and again, the Chasmic uncanny valley between actually trying to make a movie and letting your computer make one for you remains uncrossable. Ice Cream Man plummets down that pit, and if you get any joy from this experience, it’ll likely be limited to watching it fall.

Not even the cast of kiddos manage to bring any charm to this melted cone. That’s not to say that the actors are bad, but they’re written about 10 years above their age. Roth’s crude taste in dialogue does nothing to ground his cast in any sense of realism or relatability; they’re simply engines for his overwrought carnage, and in a movie that betrays the very art that it’s plainly trying to imitate, even those violent inspirations fall flat. There’s just nothing at all to take away from this one.

Roth has long been known to wear his contemporaries on his sleeve; time and time again, even his best work has shone proud shades of the horror legends that came before him. That isn’t always a bad thing – Thanksgiving’s Halloween-like opener being probably the best recent example – but it doesn’t work when you’re making a movie that the minds behind the classics would almost certainly detest. 

Ice Cream Man is irredeemable in form and function. It may be slightly different if the AI inclusions here were interrupting a decent movie otherwise, but the fact that they fit right into the rest of this whimpering mess is all you need to know about the final product. It could be argued as the worst horror movie ever widely put to screen, and any fans of the genre – or of the cinematic art in general – should avoid it at all costs. Ice Cream Man is to the soul as the entire canister of mayonnaise ice cream is to the stomach. I’m not even sure something like that exists, but imagining that it does takes more mental handiwork than engaging with this miserable misfire.

GRADE: [F]