The Road, an investigative thriller from director Arun Vaseegaran, generally keeps you entertained.
Thanks to a plot with two simultaneous sets of changes occurring in two different regions of the state, the movie is intense and captivating.
Story: Meera (Trisha), who is incredibly content, is overjoyed to learn that she is expecting her second child.
She is somewhat disappointed that the pregnancy will prevent her from taking the road trip shehad planned to do with her young, in-school son Kavin for his birthday.
She allows her husband Anand (Santhosh Prathap) to take her son on vacation since she doesn’t want to let her son down.
Father and son embark on a trip, but fate intervenes when an automobile on the opposite side loses control and collides with Anand's, resulting in their deaths.
The news of their demise breaks Meera’s heart. She runs to the scene, receives a shock, and has an abortion as a result.
In another region of the state, Shabeer Kallarakkal’s character, Maya, teaches in an arts and science college.
His female pupils adore him for his physical appearance and highly esteem him for his professionalism. One female in particular appears to want to ask him out.
Maya, a committed educator, refuses an offer from a professor, accusing him of wrath, resulting in a MeToo charge.
Performances: In the movie, Trisha performs a respectable job as Meera.
Shabeer Kallarakkal, known for his role as Dancing Rose in Sarpatta Parambarai (2021), delivered a powerful performance that stole the show.
Shabeer's portrayal of Maya is powerful, evoking sympathy as she grapples with her father's suicide, ultimately contributing to the movie's success.
Analysis: Director Arun Vaseegaran shocks the audience with the way these two tonally dissimilar tunes combine.
Most of the time, the investigation goes well, and the filmmaker does a good job of keeping the mystery hidden until the big reveal.
Trisha’s vulnerability is also used in the film by causing us to worry about her safety.
There is one moment in particular that is thrilling since it is set in a maze of rocks.
The movie, however, turns out to be fairly cliched after the identity of the person responsible for the horrifying acts on the highway is exposed.
The film continued without further storyline developments, with the videography effectively overwhelming the audience and the aural backdrop soundtrack by Sam CS providing a sense of surrender.
Technicalities: The Road's fast pacing is maintained after a couple, stuck on the highway, are murdered by thieves, thanks to the director's outstanding narration.
Arun Vaseegaran's novel is a thrilling and suspenseful read, with the tension increasing as Meera investigates the accident.
The background music by Sam CS is flawless, and the images by KG Venkatesh are stunning.
The Road has a solid technical crew that produced a nice product, with the exception of editor Shivaraj who could have been a little more harsh when reducing the climax.
Verdict: The one real drawback to The Road is that its climax drags on for much too long. Other than that, the movie is a compelling thriller that is well worth your time and money.
Rating: 2.5/5