‘Raat Akeli Hai’ movie review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui-Radhika Apte starrer makes for a decent watch

Director: Honey Trehan

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte and Aditya Srivastava

Rating: 2.5/5

The eagerly-awaited Raat Akeli Hai, which was released on Netflix a few days ago, is a reasonably engaging thriller that makes a decent impact. The film revolves around what happens when a cop decides to investigate a high-profile murder case. The basic premise is intriguing but does not offer anything new. In fact, the storyline might superficially remind fans of the Amazon Prime Video original Pataal Lok and the Netflix-backed Sacred Games.

Raat Akeli Hai opens on a gruesome note, which sets the tone for what is to follow. The film, however, is not to reach its potential despite opening on a terrific note as the writing is not as good as expected. The initial portions of the movie are a bit slow and fail to keep the audience hooked. Raat Akeli Hai luckily picks up after the opening hiccups and acquires a life of its own.

The scene depicting the death of an innocent character has been executed well and hits the right notes. Similarly, the sequences involving Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte have come out well and add a new dimension to Raat Akeli Hai.

Also Read: Musician Karan Kulkarni: 'Raat Akeli Hai' has a dark, mysterious background score

The track involving the protagonist’s mother, however, lack depth and feel a bit generic. The big twist towards the end too falls flat as it is anything but convincing. Moreover, a section of the audience might find it difficult to follow the complex climax.

Coming to performances, Nawaz is the heart and soul of the movie and proves that he is an actor par excellence. His ‘desi’ swag and subtle expressions hit the right notes, leaving fans asking for more. Radhika is decent and ups her game when needed. Tigmanshu Dhullia too makes a fair impact despite getting limited screen time. Ila Arun puts her best foot forward but is burdened with a one-dimensional character. Aditya Srivastava too deserved a meatier role.

The supporting cast is decent.

The background music fails to up the recall value of the intense scenes, which form the backbone of Raat Akeli Hai. The camerawork and lighting are good and go a long way in giving the movie a dark/eerie feel. The other technical aspects have been handled with competence.