Movie: Gaslight
Name of the Director: Pavan Kirpalani
Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Vikrant Massey, Chitrangada Singh, Akshay Oberoi, Rahul Dev
Rating: 2 / 5
Plot: After 15 years, a young woman (Sara Ali Khan) returns to the family estate to make amends with her father, only to discover that he has vanished. Since she has been at the estate, strange occurrences have raised questions in her mind regarding her father’s whereabouts, who is purportedly out of town resolving a property dispute. She soon discovers that a small group of people are using her in order to get control of the estate, and they will stop at nothing to do so. This is the plot of the gaslight movie 2023.
A handful of the jump-scare scenes are incredibly effective. They are expertly made and, whenever they appear, will surprise the audience. The eerie background music improves the movie’s appearance and atmosphere.
Excellent cinematography and camera skills are used throughout. The production design can also be regarded as similar. The movie is visually appealing, and the gritty, dark environment lets spectators know what to expect.
Without giving away plot details, not much can be stated about the movie. But without giving anything away, the film’s plodding and tedious narrative is one of its main flaws. The sequences that are supposed to frighten us don’t frighten us enough, and the scenes that are supposed to make us feel for the protagonist just don’t make us feel anything. Simply put, even knowing everything that the main character has been through, you don’t support them.
The narrative lacks suspense and tension. Without making enough of an effort to anticipate its audience, it instead follows expected lines. Moreover, the climax twist has no effect. It is a victim of handy writing. The conclusion comes as a letdown.
Sara Ali Khan performs admirably, and in contrast to prior examples of her work, her presentation is fairly restrained. With her acting, she successfully conveys the vulnerability, bewilderment, and distrust that her role requires. Yet, there is still an opportunity for development. She can improve her acting.
Vikrant Massey is effective as the character, and by the movie’s conclusion, he appears scary.
The most complex character belongs to Chitrangada Singh, who plays her part honestly even though some sequences might have used greater acting.
The scope of Akshay Oberoi, Rahul Dev, and other supporting figures is constrained, and they don’t truly stand out or have an impact that endures.
A slow pace and dull writing let Gaslight down. Even appreciating the sincere performances is challenging due to the film’s serious pace problems. Grunge movie fans might be able to see it all the way through, but the majority of viewers might just hit the stop button after the first 30 minutes.
Gaslight is now available to view on the streaming service Disney+ Hotstar.