Movie Review: Gaslight

Plot:

Gaslight tries to check all boxes required for a thriller to work, including eerie surroundings, a creepy old haveli, alleged murder, and suspicious characters. Sara Ali Khan plays the character of a paraplegic woman, Meesha, who returns to her family's royal palace after receiving a letter from her father. However, she is greeted by her suspicious-looking stepmother Rukmini, only to learn that her father is away on a business trip. Meesha and the estate manager, Kapil, try to unravel the mysteries surrounding the property and the family.

Acting:

Sara Ali Khan works on her accent and acting, but she still has a long way to go. Chitrangada Singh carries the suspicion of the character well. Vikrant Massey smoothly transitions between his character's layers. But the performances are not enough to save the film.

Cinematography:

Gaslight uses scary elements, like dark lighting and self-playing pianos, but it lacks craft. The film needed better cinematography to make the spooky scenes more engaging and suspenseful. The use of background tracks is commendable, but it isn't enough to make up for the lack of a well-crafted story.

Direction:

Director Pavan Kirpalani is known for mastering the psycho-thriller genre, but Gaslight may not be counted as one of his best works. The film could have been more engaging if it had a better-written screenplay and a properly developed storyline. The mystery and twists in the film come and go without much impact or buzz.

Verdict:

Gaslight offers nothing new to the genre of suspense thrillers. The film is a mediocre attempt at creating horror and suspense and lacks a well-written screenplay and engaging storyline. It uses done-to-death tropes and predictable twists, making it boring and slow. The climax does redeem the film somewhat, but it's too late to save it. The performances are decent, but they can't make up for the lack of a well-crafted story. Overall, Gaslight is a disappointing effort from a thriller master.

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