A Ghostly Misfire
An eerie supernatural thriller that fails to live up to its potential.
After a successful collaboration 16 years ago with the haunting supernatural thriller Eeram, director Arivazhagan and lead actor Aadhi come together once more in Sabdham. This film, too, ventures into the realm of paranormal investigation. While Eeram was lauded for its unique use of water as a supernatural element, Sabdham attempts to delve into the world of eerie sounds and their psychological effects. Sadly, the magic that made their first collaboration stand out is missing in this outing.
Plot and Premise: A Faint Echo of a Thrilling Tale
The story begins with a chilling incident—several students at a medical college commit suicide under mysterious circumstances. Paranormal investigator Ruben (played by Aadhi) is called in to unravel the strange deaths. His investigation reveals that the deaths are tied to mysterious forces and strange sound hallucinations, which induce paranoia and suicidal thoughts in those who encounter them. As Ruben delves deeper, he uses various gadgets to communicate with the spirits and uncover their motive.
On paper, Sabdham has all the trappings of a good supernatural thriller. However, the execution falls short, making it feel like a shadow of its predecessor. The movie’s most significant drawback is its inability to build suspense. Where Eeram used water in an innovative, metaphorical way to portray ghostly presence, Sabdham relies heavily on sound, but it is not as impactful. Instead of evoking fear or unease, the film’s use of sound becomes overwhelming and annoying. The background score and sound effects, instead of enhancing the experience, are often too loud and distracting.
Direction and Cinematography: Creating a Dark Mood, But Lacking Substance
The film does get one thing right: the eerie atmosphere. Arun Badmanabhan’s cinematography effectively establishes a dark and foreboding mood throughout the film. The visual style captures the bleakness and unease of the supernatural world Ruben is exploring. However, despite the technical success in creating an atmosphere, the lack of a compelling narrative means that the visuals fall flat. The mood, though strong, is wasted without a story that grabs the audience’s attention.
Characters and Performances: Inconsistent and Underdeveloped
Aadhi’s performance as Ruben is mature and consistent, but even his solid portrayal cannot redeem the lackluster script. His character, while grounded, feels out of place in the narrative, as the story does not give him much to work with. Lakshmi Menon plays Avanthika, a research scholar at the medical college who is skeptical of Ruben’s methods. Unfortunately, her character arc is poorly defined, leaving her performance feeling unremarkable.
Supporting actors like Simran, Laila, and Rajiv Menon offer decent performances, but their roles feel like mere footnotes rather than integral parts of the story. While individually competent, their characters fail to gel together to create any sense of cohesion or believability. The film, therefore, suffers from a lack of strong character development, making it hard for the audience to connect with the people who populate its world.
The Backstory: A Contrived and Alien Narrative
The film’s backstory, revealed as the mystery unfolds, feels disjointed and forced. The way the narrative shifts into a seemingly alien world feels jarring, with little effort made to connect it to the earlier events in the film. It’s almost as if the story tries to overcomplicate itself, leaving viewers confused rather than intrigued.
Final Verdict: A Missed Opportunity
Ultimately, Sabdham fails to impress. Despite its promising premise, it lacks the suspense and psychological depth that made Eeram a standout thriller. The film’s reliance on overwhelming sound effects and a confusing backstory undermines its potential, and its inconsistent characters do little to elevate the experience. While the atmosphere is haunting, it alone cannot carry the film. Fans of supernatural thrillers might find themselves disappointed by Sabdham, as it offers neither genuine scares nor a satisfying narrative.
Short Verdict: Sabdham fails to deliver on its supernatural promise, leaving viewers with a lackluster experience that doesn’t quite manage to spook or thrill.
