Lockdown

Lockdown Movie Synopsis: Anitha is the obedient eldest daughter of her family. But, a traumatic incident turns her world upside down, that's further intensified during COVID lockdown.

Lockdown Movie Review: The COVID lockdown took a major toll on people as they were confined to their homes. In Lockdown, filmmaker AR Jeeva delves into what happens with Anitha (an earnest Anupama Parameswaran), who is already going through a nightmarish situation that only worsens during lockdown.

From the title and the trailer, it is clear that the film unfolds during the lockdown and that something disturbing happens to Anitha. However, the makers’ decision to keep what exactly happens to her under wraps does help the film, as the reveal takes you by surprise. But, if only the film as a whole were just as compelling.

Lockdown is what you can call a pro-parent film told through the perspective of Anitha, the eldest daughter of the house. But, for a film that advocates for and is sympathetic to parents, the characters of Anitha’s father and mother (played by Charle and Nirosha) are extremely underwritten. We have no clue about them. Even their names don't register. And even if the trick was to portray them as just another ordinary father and mother, the film still fails at that.

There's also a subplot concerning actor Livingston’s character’s daughter, whom he wants to make a doctor. But she elopes and gets married. The way this plays out is so poorly developed and is far from the tearjerker the makers intended it to be.

Among the actors, it's only Anupama and Priya Venkat, who plays her best friend Soumya, that get enough space to shine. Priya is the film's scene stealer. Her character stands by Anitha through thick and thin and is the only one aware of what is happening in her life. Yet, frustratingly, we are told almost nothing about what is going on in Soumya’s own home. Anitha and Soumya are constantly outside during peak COVID time to sort out the issue. It'd have definitely added to Soumya's character if there was at least one scene that shows what's happening in her house. What are the consequences that she has to face?

It's as if the director didn't care about developing any other character other than Anupama's. In fact, even Anupama’s hair receives more importance than certain key characters. There is ample amount of screentime dedicated to other characters talking about how beautiful her hair is. A character even says something along the lines of, ‘For however many 'figures', her hair is enough.’ We even get multiple slo-mo shots of her flipping her hair and even song lyrics about it.

Lockdown is a confusing film. The film isn't entirely sloppy without any heart. The sensitivity and the cautiousness with which the camera captures certain disturbing scenes isn't reflected in the screenplay. The songs are easily forgettable but the cinematography majorly upgrades the film.