John Doe Review: An Interesting Premise Let Down By An Underwhelming Climax

Crime thrillers have been par for the course in Tamil cinema for many years, and today, Malayalam cinema has arguably mastered the genre, delivering some gripping investigative dramas and psychological thrillers. Thus, filmmakers clearly have their task cut out for them when they attempt to make a compelling thriller. Director Madhumita's John Doe, starring Arjun Das, Sanchana Natarajan, Srishti, Zaara Vineet Chandhoke, Badava Gopi, Archana Chandhoke, Jayaprakash, Anupama Kumar and others, tries to do just that with this psychological crime thriller.

Chandru (Arjun Das) is a novice sub-inspector posted in Kadampuzha, Kerala, when he suddenly finds himself investigating the case of an unidentified child (referred to as John Doe, as is the practice in the US) who dies in a car accident in a lake near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Though Chandru is constantly battling his own childhood demons, stemming from his extremely verbally abusive father, a cop (Badava Gopi), and the death of his mother, he tries to immerse himself in his job with complete sincerity. The John Doe case not only gives him an opportunity to prove himself as a cop but also allows him to 'save' the child as a way of overcoming his own childhood trauma. His investigation thus becomes both a professional and a personal journey.

Meanwhile, a family moves from Dubai to Kurinjipadi, Tamil Nadu. Darshana (Srishti) arrives in Kurinjipadi with her two children, Lakshmi aka Lucky (Zaara Vineet Chandhoke) and Hriday (Nirav S), following the death of her husband in an accident in Dubai, hoping to find a way to heal. Lucky is a difficult teenager who is always at loggerheads with her mother, while Hriday is an eight-year-old who desperately yearns for his sister's affection. Darshana, meanwhile, has her hands full with the two of them. But Hriday suddenly goes missing one night, and all hell breaks loose. A desperate Darshana joins hands with local police inspector A Rao (Sanchana Natarajan) to find him. Meanwhile, Chandru also lands up in Kurinjipadi in connection with his John Doe case. Do they find Hriday? Who killed John Doe? Do Rao and Chandru eventually solve the case?

Director Madhumita attempts to bring the two stories together through the characters of Chandru and Rao, using the investigation as a means to explore the psychological impact of childhood trauma and dysfunctional family relationships. While the adults struggle with their emotional baggage, the children are the ones who suffer in a world shaped by their parents' unresolved trauma and psychological issues. This is an interesting concept that the director uses to weave the story together.

Chandru's characterisation is very interesting and, unlike the regular macho cops we see on screen, he is someone who struggles with his own insecurities and the need to prove his worth. His toxic relationship with his father is important to the story, as it makes him emotionally invested in the case. Rao is a character in sharp contrast to Chandru - she is tough, confident, assertive and self-assured, and approaches her job with conviction and practicality.

This contrast between Chandru and Rao is brought out effectively by Arjun Das and Sanchana Natarajan, respectively, both of whom ace their roles and respective character arcs. Arjun Das brings a lot of intensity to his role and manages to convey his vulnerability as well, while Sanchana's character could have had more depth to make it more layered. Srishti does a fair job as a mother struggling to cope with the loss of her husband while managing her children, while Zaara Vineet Chandhoke makes a big impression with her performance. Zaara is particularly good in the sequences involving her complicated relationship with her brother and in the scenes where she interacts with Rao. Anupama Kumar and Jayaprakash add value to the story too in their respective roles.

John Doe has several twists and turns in its narrative to keep the audience engaged, but the eventual revelation is where the film falters. A psychological thriller needs more than a few twists and a bunch of interesting characters with backstories to keep viewers invested. The motivations of some of the characters are simply not compelling enough, while the screenplay doesn't explore their backstories in sufficient depth to make their actions convincing.

As a result, the final reveal, instead of being impactful and tying the various threads together, feels somewhat underwhelming. The film also struggles with pacing, especially in the second half, where the narrative loses some of its grip despite the interesting developments. Moreover, the romantic angle inserted into the investigation is predictable and a bit jarring, and doesn't blend seamlessly into the story.

Technically, the film has its moments, with the cinematography by Preetha Jayaraman capturing the atmosphere of the border setting effectively. The music by Mujeeb Majeed elevates many of the suspenseful scenes, which is an added plus in building tension. Ultimately, John Doe has an interesting premise and some good performances, but a tighter screenplay and a more impactful final reveal could have made it a far more engaging thriller.