Psychic Movie Review:
Director Pushkara Girigowda's Psychic opens with a scene that suggests a deep exploration of brokenness. A drunken man returns home to betrayal and meets his end in a moment that feels both sudden and inevitable. This striking opening is not just shocking but suggests a film about breaking apart. It explores the slow development of a disturbed mind, how something fractures, and what happens next. For a brief moment, Psychic might seem poised to embrace that discomfort. There are hints that the roots of this fracture are found in a household marked by unease and control, where relationships bear quiet, unspoken tension. But then the film changes direction.
Soon, it moves into more familiar territory. A group travels to Agni Resort, seeking a quiet celebration, only to get tangled up with a man who may or may not be a psychotic killer. From here, the film shifts from internal struggle to the mechanics of suspicion.
Rohit (Rohit Nagesh), his wife, Vikas (Kylas Dev), and Pranathi (Nikitha Dorthody) take the story to the Malnad region, captured with a strong sense of mood. There’s mist, pauses, and a constant feeling that something is off. Vikas picks up on it early. The house seems to hold memories. A story of abandonment hangs in the air. These are powerful details that suggest a deeper psychological space. But the film rarely dwells on them. It keeps moving, almost restlessly, as if afraid that stopping might reveal the gaps.
The thriller aspect develops through a series of murders. An ATM shooting has no leads. A cab driver is found dead, with his vehicle missing. A pattern of slitting tongues hints at either a ritual or precision. Inspector Chandrika (Hamsa Prathap) leads the investigation, which unfolds in bits and pieces. A car numbered 1160, a photograph of Shivu (Sardar Satya), and an incident at a petrol station each feel like parts of a bigger picture, but the film presents them in a scattered way.
Director: Pushkara Girigowda
Cast: Sardar Sathya, Hamsa Prathap, Nikitha Dorthody, Kylas Dev, Reshma Lingarajappa, Rohith Nagesh, Rathasapthami Arvind, and Sameer Nagarad
The dynamic between the group and the unknown man they meet works at times. They rescue him, talk to him, and try to understand him. Slowly, suspicion turns inward. This idea is intriguing. That doubt spreads. That communication can become a trap. However, the writing didn't go deep enough, and scenes meant to create tension often play out flat.
There’s also a tendency to revisit the same questions. Is the killer left-handed? Is he shaped by trauma or driven by impulse? Is Shivu the killer, or just part of something bigger? The film repeats these questions but rarely changes their context. It seems to confuse withholding for creating tension.
Sardar Satya, although he appears late, makes an impact. His performance has a quiet restraint, suggesting something held back. In a film where many characters feel like mere vessels for information, he offers a presence. It hints at a more controlled, confident film that Psychic could have been.
Psychic feels like two films trying to occupy the same space. One focuses on how a fractured mind forms. The other aims to create a puzzle around a killer. Neither fully succeeds. What’s left is a film that keeps moving and asking questions, but rarely settles into anything substantial.