Following the very popular genre mix of forensic/serial killer, Akhil Paul and Anas Khan co-write and co-direct “Forensic” a by-the-book whodunnit thriller who is currently available on the Netflix catalogue.
Scrupulous and workaholic chief investigating officer Rithika Xavier (Mamta Mohandas) is in charge of the murder investigation of an 8-year-old girl, vanished after a dance class and daughter of a middle-class local family, but when a second girl disappear, the hypothesis of a serial killer in town becomes a certainty. Rithika is determined to create a dedicated team for the purpose of capturing the killer as soon as possible, but the police force is too busy, and her boss can only allow her to borrow their medico-legal advisor Samuel John Kattukaran (Tovino Thomas). Not a good start as Rithika and Sam know each other from some past painful family issues and they are not very comfortable working as a team.
Moreover, as Rithika doesn't trust Sam's commitment to the cause, she appoints Shikha Damodar (Reba Monica John) as his assistant with the duty of reporting to her every move he does. However, despite being mildly absentminded, Sam is a real maverick of forensic science (other than a fit, good-looking lad) and the investigation precedes at a good pace, pointing to unexpected leads. With the additional help of two child physiologists Dr. Jayakumar Menon (Prathap Pothen) and Dr. Alphonse Kurian (Giju John), and the latest DNA-related technologies, the team seems to get nearer and nearer to the solution, but a series of twists keeps scrambling their assumptions until the investigation gets a bit too close to the protagonists for comfort .
“Forensic” makes a real effort to fly high and join the circle of commercially successful forensic-science-aided thrillers, not last the praised “Anjaam Pathiraa”, but unfortunately it is nailed to the ground by a messy script, full of loopholes and nonsensical twists. In a brief pre-credit introduction, we are immediately force-fed the psycho serial killer theory and the film employs the simple technique (familiar to TV dramas) of pointing the attention to a possible culprit and then exculpate him/her, and repeat for a number of times until the real one is found. Here, in addition, a stupor-inducing twist is added each time the investigation changes direction. If well-done it would create an exciting story, but if the twists keep piling up and not making much sense, the energy required to suspend the disbelief becomes too hard to summon and you might just give up and just wait for the reveal checking your watch. Moreover, when the big reveal arrives – in a very casual environment, during a car ride! – the psychological triggers and motivations for such atrocities end up sounding rather flimsy and slightly laughable. On one hand, the fact that the killer is difficult to guess is a way to keep you watching, but on the other mystery shouldn't be synonymous of unbelievable.
The cinematography and direction are adequate although at times let down by glitches of the editing rhythm. The indoor scenes, especially in the police office and in the lab, are squeaky-clean and a bit cold; the sparse furnishing of the rooms looks very TV and reveals some lack of budget. The trouble with state-of-the-art technology for forensic labs is that it must be top-notch otherwise it just looks cheap. On the contrary, the outdoor shootings are dynamic and well directed, with also some impressive fight choreography and stunts; the film manages brilliantly to make the most of the lush and beautiful region of Kerala. Quite remarkable and stylish in their own way are also the serial-killer-in-action scenes; gory and with a touch of irony, they channel with gusto the genre tropes.
The two leads are well cast, and they perform with heart but there is no alchemy whatsoever between them. Their background issues are not strong or personal enough to create a real tension (Rithika is Sam's sister-in-law) and there isn't a physical attraction either; in a way their handsomeness tricks you into expectations that are never fulfilled. All the supporting actors deliver flawless performances, even Reba Monica John, despite her character of lab assistant Shikha being rather expendable.
“Forensic” closes with a hint to a possible sequel, or, better, a seriality, and honestly, with a better script it would make a decent TV series. For their next feature film though, it would be paramount to place maximum attention on the story and the narration; in that regard, it might be beneficial splitting the 2 tasks of directing and writing.
