Second Case of Seetharam
Kannada - Thriller120 minsPrime Video
The serial killer film genre today finds itself in an awkward spot. The long-form miniseries has spoiled us. Allowing space for character building, layered backstories and by slowly drawing out the dread. Trying to compress all of that into a 140–160 minute film and holding the audience together is no mean feat. Second Case of Seetharam, despite its inconsistencies, remains consistently watchable.
The film wastes no time settling in. We are quickly drawn into the investigation. Inspector Seetharam (Vijay Raghavendra), the SIO of a police station in Aanegadde, Shivamogga district, finds himself dealing with a serial killer - one who, interestingly, targets older men (a welcome deviation), killing them by binding them with barbed wire.
The mystery is handled with reasonable confidence. A couple of red herrings are woven in neatly, keeping the narrative engaging. Inspired by one of India’s gold-standard serial killer films , best unnamed, a key plot device is also well done. I was a bit peeved by Seetharam’s excessive use of English. It often spells out what is already evident, and feels out of place.
The film is not without its issues. While it intends to avoid obvious tropes and maintain a taut, runtime, it comes at the cost of a few deficiencies in the writing.
Director (and co writer) Deviprasad Shetty misses an opportunity to weigh in on Seetharam’s relationship with his elder sister. It has the potential to add emotional weight and internal conflict, but is only briefly touched upon, before being recalled at a convenient time. The first half, in particular, could have benefited from more layered writing.
Vijay Raghavendra delivers a sincere performance. It would have helped to give him a more defined emotional arc. Hemanth Acharya’s cinematography is a big strength. The absence of unnecessary subplots or a forced romantic track is also a welcome choice.
All said, going in with zero expectations helps. The film remains engaging for its duration, reasonably original, sustains its central mystery until the end, and is anchored by a committed lead performance. It may not fully realise its potential, but it does enough to keep you engaged.
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