‘Identity’ Movie Review: A Promising Thriller That Falters Under Its Own Ambitions

Akhil Paul and Anas Khan’s Identity promises an edge-of-the-seat investigative thriller with a stellar cast featuring Tovino Thomas and Trisha Krishnan. The film dives into the mystery of a crime through the perspectives of a witness and a sketch artist, with themes of memory and identity adding intrigue. While the first half hooks the audience with a compelling narrative and well-staged sequences, the second half struggles under the weight of convoluted subplots and forced twists. Despite its ambitious scope and technical finesse, Identity falters in delivering a cohesive and satisfying experience.

The film begins with an intriguing premise that holds potential for an engaging investigative thriller. Alisha (Trisha Krishnan), a key witness to a crime, is under the protection of Karnataka police officer Allen Jacob (Vinay Rai). They relocate to Kerala, where Alisha meets Haran Shankar (Tovino Thomas), a talented sketch artist with unique capabilities. Together, they attempt to unravel the mystery of a killer while navigating Alisha’s memory-related condition. However, after a solid first half, the story spirals into a convoluted maze of subplots, making the narrative increasingly difficult to follow. What begins as an uncomplicated thriller devolves into an overcomplicated series of twists that lose sight of the core storyline.

Tovino Thomas delivers a commendable performance, adopting a stiff body language to reflect his character’s peculiarities and making an impact with his portrayal. Trisha Krishnan, however, is saddled with an underwritten role that fails to showcase her acting range beyond the memory-related plot device. Vinay Rai gets ample screen time and makes the most of his meaty role, while Mandira Bedi’s character feels largely inconsequential. The cast’s efforts are evident, but the screenplay often leaves them with little to work with.

Akhil Paul and Anas Khan, the directors of Forensic, have elevated their technical game in Identity. The film boasts impressive production design and well-choreographed action sequences that reflect the higher budget. However, the writing falters in its relentless pursuit of surprises, leading to several convenient and unexplained turns. Instances like a character miraculously surviving a fatal shot or a crashing plane landing safely detract from the film’s credibility.

Identity sets up an intriguing investigative thriller in the first half, maintaining a good pace and engaging the audience. However, the second half struggles to sustain the momentum, with overly complex subplots that demand patience and effort to untangle. The film’s attempt to continuously surprise the audience feels forced and detracts from the overall experience. A tighter narrative focusing on the core plot would have resulted in a much more compelling film.

While Identity offers a visually polished experience with moments of intrigue, it is ultimately weighed down by its convoluted storytelling. The strong performances and technical finesse are overshadowed by a screenplay that tries too hard to outsmart the audience. A more focused approach could have turned this into a slick and memorable thriller.

Rating: 2.5/5