Crazxy (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – A man has 60 minutes to save his daughter but, if he does, he will go to jail.

My Take – With the re-release of Tumbbad (2018) providing the cult horror the much deserved larger financial success, it has also positioned Sohum Shah, the lead star and producer, as one of the more interesting players in the current Hindi cinema landscape.

A perception on which he delivers upon by backing and starring in this bold and relentless single-character feature that grips you from the very first frame and drags you through sheer tension for 93 minutes. Certainly, unlike anything that has been attempted in recent times.

Structured as a funky version of Locke (2013), the psychological drama starring Tom Hardy as a British fella whose life crumbles over a series of phone conversations on a long drive, this directorial debut of screenwriter Girish Kohli (Mom, Kesari), has Shah inside a Range Rover in virtually every single frame and backs him with a pacing that is relentless, and always pushing the boundaries of tension and suspense.

That is until, it throws a twist in the climax, letting the whole experience down. Making it seem like the whole trial by fire for the problematic lead protagonist wasn’t enough, so director Kohli and writer Junaid Chaudhary bring in a twist that is so gimmicky that it becomes offensive and throws everything set up until that point off balance. N

evertheless, if you can look past its melodramatic ending, it makes for a quick and engaging watch. Sohum Shah once again delivers a powerhouse performance, proving again that he’s one of the most unconventional and fearless performers working today. The cinematography, sound design, and real-time storytelling keep you hooked.

If you love unconventional thrillers like this will be right up your alley. But if you’re expecting a mainstream thriller with a neatly wrapped-up ending, one may be left disappointed.

The story follows Dr. Abhimanyu Sood (Sohum Shah), a highly successful surgeon on track for a crucial meeting that may just save his career. Determined to get behind this as quickly as possible, mostly to keep his nagging boss (voiced by Piyush Mishra) at bay, Abhimanyu’s day changes drastically when he receives a phone call from an unknown man (voiced by Tinnu Anand), claiming he has kidnapped his estranged daughter Vedika (Unnati Surana).

Though much like his estranged wife (voiced by Nimisha Sajayan), he initially dismisses the ransom call as a prank. However, as the situation escalates and a past connection to the abduction begins to surface, Abhimanyu speeds off to rescue a child he abandoned years ago, ashamed and unwilling to take responsibility for a child with Down syndrome

. Like most single-character flicks, this one too works hard to stay visually and kinetically interesting. The premise is interesting, and some of the portions of the film, including an early jump scare, are effective. Here, director Kohli depends heavily on the shot-taking, the sound design, Shah’s physical acting and the editing.

Thankfully, the craft doesn’t go overboard to offset the real-time premise. The exposition is woven into the phone conversations, most of which impart lived-in history as much as plot information. For instance, Abhimanyu thinks it’s a prank for the longest time because he not only distrusts his ex-wife and everyone else, but his own guilt also prevents him from being a proactive dad.

The coincidence is suspicious — the ransom demand matches the amount he is already carrying in the car, but you can sense Abhimanyu’s cynicism melting away once his past demons come in front. The highlight is the sequence where the doctor multitasks to meet two deadlines simultaneously. It captures the limits of human endurance and pulls us to the edge of the seat.

However, the climax is a huge fail. It feels as if the writer had no clear direction on how to conclude the story, or maybe the filmmakers rushed to wrap it up. The buildup throughout the film creates moments of suspense and thrill, making the audience anticipate something extraordinary.

For a film that builds up such an electrifying narrative, the ending is a total letdown. Instead of a jaw-dropping twist or a heart-stopping revelation, we get a melodramatic, sappy conclusion that feels painfully out of place. It’s frustrating because the film had so much potential, but the weak climax diminishes its overall impact.

Nevertheless, Sohum Shah‘s portrayal of Dr. Abhimanyu is nothing short of mesmerizing. The film rides high on his efforts, especially the second half, which sees him in some incredibly difficult and unbearable moments, and he ensures that we feel that tension and pain. Shah‘s ability to navigate the character’s moral dilemmas with such depth and authenticity makes it impossible to look away.

In other roles, mostly voice performances, Unnathi Surana, Nimisha Sajayan, Tinnu Anand, Shilpa Shukla, and Piyush Mishra add to the mounting tension and elevating the film’s emotional stakes. On the whole, ‘Crazxy’ is a decent crowd-pleaser that goes off-road in the climax after an adrenaline-filled ride.