‘KilleR’ review: Jyothi Poorvaj delivers in the ambitious sci-fi thriller

Rating: 3/5

KilleR is a Telugu sci-fi thriller which has mystery, suspense, AI and cutting edge technology. Poorvaj has created an innovative story. The film contains great VFX and Jyothi Poorvaj’s multi-faceted performance means it is certainly an ambitious try within Telugu cinema.

Story

Raksha Rai (Jyothi Poorvaj) wakes up on the side of the road after an attack from unknown people. Her brother, Karthik (Chandrakant Kollu) rushes her to hospital and investigation officer (Poorvaj) interviews a few people. Everyone has a different idea of who Raksha is, with her being a spy, terrorist, actress or vampire.

A scientist tries to insert an AI chip into her brain. This adds more mystery around her. We begin to learn that Raksha has many personas, we are introduced to an AI leader (Manish Gilada) and what really happened. The second half ties together the clues and introduces key plot twists.

Performances

Jyothi Poorvaj is the star of this film. She plays Raksha very well with multiple different personas. She uses facial expressions, body language and changes her attitude to suit each character.

Chandrakant Kollu makes a confident start as Karthik. He fits well into the story and handles the emotional and action scenes well. Poorvaj plays the scientist well with control, but he does feel a bit over the top in his role as investigation officer. Manish Gilada, Archan Ananth and the rest of the cast do well.

Technicalities

Poorvaj should be praised for trying an ambitious story with lots of tech. Mystery is set up well without any unnecessary delays. The script needs paying attention to. The science and personas make for an interesting atmosphere.

The film looks really well put together with great cinematography, music, set design and VFX. It was made on a budget of ₹5 crore and shows this. The editing was good but could have been more tight.

Analysis

KilleR has a fresh twist on traditional Telugu thrillers. The story is complex with science and surprising twists making the second half very interesting. Some people may struggle with the complex story and lengthy investigation sections but it is a great technical film with a great performance from Jyothi Poorvaj.

Overall this is a great experimental thriller. If you pay attention then you will enjoy this film. If you enjoy Sci-Fi, AI and mystery films then this is a great unusual try.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Suhas Sistu

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Suhas Sistu, born in a family with education background, brought up with good principles and education. Though, coming from Engineering backdrop, his love towards language and passion towards cinema made him to pursue career in film journalism. Started his career as a freelance content writer for some Youtube channels, he later joined HANS India as a translator. From translator to Reporter/Sr. Sub-Editor, his journey is continuing in our organisation.

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