“Game Over” Review: A Taut, Imaginative & Original Home Invasion Thriller

Most recently seen in suspense thriller Badla (2019), Taapsee Pannu is back with yet another interesting film called Game Over. It is a bilingual film originally made in Tamil and Telugu and later dubbed in Hindi.

Game Over hits celluloid nationwide on 14^th June. So, let us find out what the movie is all about and whether or not you should be spending your money on it.

Sapna (Taapsee Pannu) is a videogame developer who lives in a sprawling bungalow on the outskirts of Gurugram with her household help, Kalama (Vinodhini). She went through something really terrible on New Year’s Eve a year ago. As the New Year approaches once again, she starts manifesting post-traumatic stress disorder.

But anxiety-ridden Sapna, who also has a phobia for darkness, tries her best to keep up with her life. However, when she finds out that her condition has something to do with the brutal murder of a girl, her life changes all over again. What happens next with now wheelchair-bound Sapna forms the crux of the story.

What’s Hot?

Game Over ventures into a territory which has not been explored much before in Indian cinema. We have seen several home invasion movies in Hollywood. But back on the home turf, we hardly see such films playing out in theatres. Maybe we don’t get them right more often and hence they don’t evoke the same kind of thrill and tension as Hollywood movies do almost effortlessly.

But bilingual offering Game Over by Ashwin Saravanan is Indian cinema’s answer to those Hollywood films. It is new, imaginative and original. It does good service to the genre of a home invasion. It is the novelty of the film, along with nail-biting screenplay and a riveting performance from Taapsee Pannu, which makes Game Over a must watch.

Taapsee Pannu is a brilliant performer and she keeps proving the same with every new release of hers. Her character in her new offering is multilayered just like the film and she pulls it off with unmatched ease. South Indian actress Vinodhini ably supports the film with her first-rate performance.

Director Ashwin Saravanan and writer Kavya deserve full marks for coming up with an innovative story idea. The screenplay is the backbone of Game Over. With oodles of jump scare moments blended perfectly with horror and paranormal elements, the multilayered film keeps you hooked till the last frame.

What’s Not?

Game Over is repetitive at times. At some point, repetition does not look forced as it enhances the story of the film to a certain extent. But after a point, it does start getting on your nerves if you are not very patient. Even with a runtime of fewer than two hours, the movie seems never-ending because of being repetitive.

The first half of the film is a little slow and dull, partly because we do not see many characters around. However, director Ashwin Saravanan holds the grip tight in the second half and what you see eventually is a film that is not going to get out of your headspace for some time. It is one of the best films with minimum characters.

Final Verdict

Game Over breaks several grounds when it comes to psychological thrillers. The concept is highly imaginative and has a lot of spunk and thrill to keep you invested throughout. Taapsee Pannu proves it once again that she does not need a hero and can carry an entire film on her shoulders with aplomb. If not for anything else, you can watch Game Over for her brilliant performance. I am going with 3.5 stars.

Movie Details

Banner: Y NOT Studios, Reliance Entertainment
Director: Ashwin Saravanan
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Vinodhini
Runtime: 102 Minutes
STARBIZ Rating: 3.5

>>> Also read: Badla Movie Download – Best Mystery Thriller Drama Of 2019