Test Review: Tests Your Patience

RATING - ⭐ ⭐ 2/5*

Test Review Movie Talkies:

It's good that the film was released on Netflix instead of in cinemas; otherwise, it would have been more difficult to see. It’s messier than a boring cricket match and cheesier than a match-fixing racket. It’s funny to see that the two sides have no literal alignment as they suddenly transform into heroes or villains and vice versa. Moreover, it’s too long—about two and a half hours—yet still lacking in drama and action. That’s your stretched Test cricket match in the T20 era.

Test Story:

Arjun (Siddharth) is India’s best Test batsman in years but is now feeling the pressure of retirement. Sara (R. Madhavan) wants to start his project but has no money, while his wife, Kumudha (Nayanthara), is trying to have a child through IVF. With the final Test of the India vs. Pakistan series ahead, Arjun is asked to retire, but then a dramatic twist by him earns him another chance. However, what could be his last match is spoiled when Sara turns evil and kidnaps Arjun's son to prepare him for a match-fixing gang. Will Arjun be able to fight this on-and-off field?

The film has a messy screenplay that truly tests your patience with no exciting conflict. Every single element is predictable and tedious. The battle between good and evil and the choices between right and wrong constantly shift sides, making it an illogical affair. For instance, Kumudha is a big cricket fan and a huge admirer of Arjun, yet she suddenly transforms into a selfish woman. It’s utterly ridiculous. Additionally, I never really understood the match-fixing theme in terms of logical reasoning on the cinematic horizon, because you can fix one batsman but not the other ten players from his team and eleven opponents. How do you expect the results to favor you with twenty-one predictable players on the field? The climax becomes corny, leaving you unsatisfied after spending almost 150 minutes on something that didn’t really deserve it.

Test Cast:

Performance-wise, R. Madhavan has done a decent job. Frankly, after seeing Vikram Vedha and Shaitaan, something like this feels underwhelming. Nayanthara was also okay here, but I expected more—from her as an actress and from the writer for her character, and both didn’t deliver enough. Siddharth was the lead hero, but he is easily overshadowed by others. Meera Jasmine and Kali Venkat provided decent support in important roles, while Vinay Verma, MJ Ram, Aadukalam Murugadoss, Nassar, and others were hardly notable.

Test Review:

Almost every cricket film made in India shares the same issue of executing cricket matches and shots in cheap ways. They lack cinematic sense and value. Somehow, Kabir Khan's 83 (2020) came close to capturing the feel of an actual live match, while others have mostly approached it in a TV serial manner. Test is another film that lacks the cinematic essence of cricket matches. The cinematography and editing should have been better here, whereas the production design was fine. First, S. Sashikanth and Suman Kumar's writing disappoints, and then there’s Sashikanth's direction. Test is dragged to the point where you lose interest in the film, only to start moving things accordingly to get the ending right. That’s just not done, man. Even fixed cricket matches would have a better script and presentation than this. Skip Test and enjoy IPL instead.