Retro movie Review

 

🎬 Retro (2025) – A Disjointed Adventure That Misses the Mark

Directed by: Karthik Subbaraj
Language: Tamil
Genre: Romantic Adventure / Fantasy Drama
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

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Yesterday, I watched Retro (2025), the latest film by Karthik Subbaraj. To put it plainly—it was a disappointing experience and easily one of my worst in the theatre.

🌀 The Story: Scattered and Unfocused

The film tries to juggle multiple narrative threads but fails to land any of them effectively. Only the first 30 minutes and a short flashback before the climax felt engaging. The rest of the plot—especially the island sequences—was scattered and emotionally hollow. It felt like the director had a grand concept in mind but was unable to translate it into a coherent story.

The story's roots in Mahabharata had potential, but the execution didn’t work. The ‘game’ element used as a device in the plot felt irritating and was not properly explained or established. Where we wanted to feel for the characters—especially the tribe during the climax—there was no emotional connection. This is a surprise coming from the director of Jigarthanda Double X, where similar themes were handled with much more depth and conviction.

🎭 Performances

• Suriya: Gave his best despite a weak script. It’s unfortunate to see him in such an underwhelming project. He deserves a strong comeback.
  

• Pooja Hegde: Delivered a decent performance with what she was given.

• Prakash Raj: His scenes could’ve been trimmed to reduce the film’s length.

• Vidhu: Performed well but the character was poorly written and felt annoying at times.

🎶 Music & Technicals

• Background Score: Weak and forgettable, unexpected from Santhosh Narayanan. The love theme was good, but the rest lacked impact.

• “Kannima” Song: Easily the highlight of the soundtrack and the only memorable track.

• Cinematography: Another letdown. While a few shots stood out, overall, the visual storytelling didn’t reflect Karthik Subbaraj’s usual standard.
  
  

  
  
  

✍️ Final Thoughts

Despite having all the elements of an ambitious project—mythology, adventure, romance, and a strong lead—Retro stumbles in its execution. It’s a reminder that even talented filmmakers can miss the mark when the core storytelling doesn’t connect.

Here’s hoping for a much-needed hit for Suriya in his next venture.

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Final Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Thank you for reading.