Eleven Review

Earlier, films could broadly be classified into two categories: theatrical releases and TV movies. Story-wise, there wasn't much difference between the two, except that TV movies were typically designed to be more family-friendly - what you might call "U-rated" content, suitable for all age groups. In India, the NFDC produced most of these TV films. While they were educational and well-intentioned, they often lacked the immersive cinematic experience - the emotional catharsis that comes from a full harnessing of the power of audio-visual storytelling.

Eleven unfortunately falls into that TV movie category. It doesn't exactly bore you, but it also fails to evoke any significant emotional highs or lows. As a crime thriller, it feels more like an extended episode of CID, India's longest-running TV series, rather than a gripping cinematic narrative.

A series of identical murders is unfolding in Vizag. In each case, the victim is first shot and then burnt to ashes. There are no clues to trace the killer. Officer Ranjit (Shashank), who is investigating the case, meets with an accident and slips into a coma, rendering whatever information he might have gathered inaccessible.

Meanwhile, pressure mounts from both the media and the DGP. ACP Arvind (Naveen Chandra) is assigned to take over the investigation. Arvind soon uncovers from the pattern killing that both the victims and the suspected serial killer appear to be alumni of Twin Bird School, a unique institution that enrolls only twins.

The movie opens directly with a series of serial killings, and sets the tone for a promising whodunit thriller. However, even though the suspense continues even well into the second half, the thrill gradually fades. As mentioned earlier, the emotional highs and lows are missing.

If you've watched Coppola's The Godfather or Scorsese's Goodfellas, you would've noticed the emotional upheavals - the iconic mafia moments grounded in the everyday trivialities of life. That balance is what makes those films human, authentic and emotionally resonant. Eleven is however entirely one-dimensional, and so are its characters. The everyday rhythm of life is absent - much like a typical TV crime series, where the setup, the murder and the resolution all must be crammed into a 40-minute episode.

So, what does this film do with a 140-minute runtime? It throws in unnecessary twists, an overextended flashback and a force-fitted love story. While the twists are fresh and clearly added for shock value, they end up betraying the plot. And the flashback sequence involving Twin Bird School is excessively long and difficult to sit through - its purpose could have been achieved in just a couple of minutes of narrative.

And worst of all - the one-sided love story involving Reyaa Hari and Naveen Chandra's characters feels completely unnecessary. Perhaps it was included to fulfill Hari's acting ambitions - after all, she is the co-producer.

The standout feature of the film is the casting of 11 pairs of identical twins - and surprisingly, they perform well. Notably, the child actor who plays the twins Francis and Benjamin delivers a commendable performance, portraying two distinctly different personalities with ease. Abirami, who plays the schoolteacher Sandhya, fits her role perfectly. Most of the plot unfolds through her narration, and she handles it convincingly.

The rest of the cast, including Naveen Chandra and Reyaa Hari, don't get much scope to perform, largely because their characters are lazily written. And the cinematography and background score are functional, but nothing more.

Wait for this one to land on OTT - it should be there soon enough.