Blackmail Movie Review: GV Prakash's Twisty Thriller That Kidnaps Your Expectations
In the crowded landscape of Tamil cinema's mid-budget thrillers, where every other film promises edge-of-the-seat suspense but often delivers predictable plots, Blackmail arrives like an uninvited guest at a party—intriguing at first glance but overstaying its welcome with forced twists and contrived drama. Directed by Mu Maran, known for his earlier works like Iravukku Aayiram Kangal and Kannai Nambathe, this 2025 release starring GV Prakash Kumar, Srikanth, and Bindu Madhavi aims to weave a web of deceit, ransom, and moral ambiguity. Released on September 12, 2025, the film clocks in at a crisp runtime of around 120 minutes, which is a blessing given how the narrative stretches thin. But does it ransom your time effectively, or does it leave you feeling blackmailed into a mediocre watch? Let's dive into this hyper-linked crime caper that's inspired by true events, or so the makers claim.
The story kicks off with Mani (GV Prakash Kumar), a down-on-his-luck young man working for a shady pharmaceutical distributor, Chidambaram (Vettai Muthukumar), who moonlights as a cocaine smuggler. Mani's life is a mess: he's deeply in love with Rekha (Teju Ashwini), but she's been "collateral" for a botched drug deal gone wrong, held captive by his boss until Mani recovers a lost package of the white stuff. Desperate for quick cash, Mani teams up with his bumbling buddy (Ramesh Thilak) to pull off a kidnapping job offered by the enigmatic Arun (Srikanth). The target? Anu (Bindu Madhavi), the young wife of a wealthy businessman, and her innocent child during a weekend getaway to Ooty.
What follows is a chain of events that feels like a game of pass-the-parcel, where the "parcel" is either a child, a woman, or a bag of ransom money. Arun's motives are murky—he's drowning in debt and sees the kidnapping as his ticket out—but things spiral when the duo witnesses an unexpected twist during the abduction. From here, Blackmail branches into multiple arcs, introducing characters like a corrupt cop, opportunistic sidekicks (Redin Kingsley and Linga provide some unintentional comic relief), and even more blackmailers. Almost every character in this film turns into a schemer at some point, justifying their actions with lines like "good people left without options." It's a world where trust is a luxury no one can afford, and selfishness is the only survival strategy. Mani's arc, in particular, explores how far one would go for love, echoing themes of desperation and betrayal that Maran has toyed with before.
GV Prakash Kumar, often critiqued for his subdued screen presence, steps up here in one of his better recent performances. As Mani, he brings a subtle intensity—eyes wide with panic, voice cracking under pressure—that makes his descent into crime feel relatable rather than heroic. There's a vulnerability to his portrayal that anchors the film's emotional core, especially in scenes where he negotiates ransom or confronts his boss. It's a far cry from his more flamboyant roles, and one can't help but appreciate how he's evolving as an actor beyond his composer roots. Srikanth, as the orchestrator Arun, delivers a solid turn, blending charm with sleaziness, though his character's hidden agenda feels underdeveloped. Bindu Madhavi shines in her limited role as the distressed Anu, conveying quiet resilience amid the chaos. Teju Ashwini as Rekha adds emotional depth to Mani's motivations, while supporting actors like Ramesh Thilak and Redin Kingsley inject levity through their awkward camaraderie—Muthukumar and Kingsley's drug-lord antics are a highlight for unintended laughs.
Behind the camera, the technical aspects are a mixed bag but lean positive. Sam C.S.'s score pulses with tension, using sharp percussion and brooding synths to amp up the suspense during chase sequences and revelations. Gokul Benoy's cinematography captures the misty hills of Ooty beautifully, contrasting the serene landscapes with the gritty underbelly of crime—think foggy roads hiding secrets and dimly lit rooms fostering deceit. Editor San Lokesh keeps the pace taut in the first half, ensuring the hyperlinks don't tangle too early. However, the second half introduces new characters to prolong the suspense, leading to a feeling of extension rather than escalation. The art direction by SJ Ram is functional, though the sets occasionally scream low-budget.
Where Blackmail falters hardest is in its screenplay. Mu Maran's ambition to create a multi-perspective thriller is admirable—you could start the plot from any character and loop back without missing a beat—but the execution is amateurish and monotonous. The twists, promised as curveballs every ten minutes, come off as gimmicky or generic: a betrayal here, a hidden alliance there, all feeling forced to maintain momentum. The film milks its central kidnapping-ransom concept without delving deeper into psychological layers, resulting in shallow characters whose justifications ring hollow. Why does everyone become a blackmailer? Because the plot demands it, not because it makes narrative sense. Inspired by true events? It shows in the convenience of the coincidences, like characters crossing paths at just the right (or wrong) moments. By the climax, the chain of events has drawn out so much energy that the resolution feels more like a sigh of relief than a punch.
Audience reactions on mirror this divide. Early viewers praised the crisp runtime and Prakash's performance, with ratings hovering around 3-3.5/5 for its racy hyperlinks and unpredictable turns. One user called it "a crime thriller with plenty of twists—if you liked Maran's previous films, this will click." Others, however, echoed critics: "Amateurish direction and incoherent plot make it a drab watch." It's no Eleven or Tourist Family, the small-budget successes GV Prakash hoped to emulate, but it might satisfy fans of straightforward thrillers.
In the end, Blackmail is a middling effort that kidnaps your patience but fails to deliver a satisfying payoff. It collapses under never-ending, forced twists, becoming a lesson in how not to handle a promising premise. GV Prakash's earnest lead role and solid technicals save it from being a total washout, but weak writing ensures it remains just another time-pass thriller. If you're in for a quick, twisty ride with familiar faces, it might ransom a couple of hours. Otherwise, demand a refund on your expectations.
Rating: 2.5/5.