Archies movie review:
Star cast: Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Yuvraj Menda, Dot.
Director: Zoya Akhtar
What is good: Aesthetics, look, feel!
What is wrong : Story, narration, scenario, dialogues, performances, existence!
Toilet break: There are 16 songs; choose one!
To watch or not? : Only if you haven’t read the Archie comics, because if you have, you’ll hate them even more.
Available on: Netflix
Duration: 2 hours 23 minutes
User Rating:
The year is 1964, we are in Riverdale, a fictional town located in northern India and dominated by an Anglo-Indian community; and we are introduced to “Green Park” by Archie Andrews (Agastya Nanda), who explains the story attached to it. Besides liking Green Park, Archie also likes Brunnete Veronica Lodge (Suhana Khan) and blonde Betty Cooper (Khushi Kapoor) at the same time.
The confusing love triangle blossoms even further when Veronica’s capitalist father, Mr. Lodge (Alyy Khan), decides to “redevelop” Green Park by erecting a lavish five-star hotel after destroying it. This angers the six seventeen-year-olds who come up with a plan to “save the green.”
Archies movie review: script analysis
The all-female writing trio of Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Ayesha DeVitre (Gehraiyaan, Kapoor & Sons) takes the ‘style over substance’ route, relying heavily on the film’s cute appearance, ignoring how intriguing the story is. Yes, the camerawork of Nikos Andritsakis (Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!, Ugly, Shanghai) covers the retro dynamism of Riverdale like Shimla meets Santorini, but how long will you appreciate the kindness of the frames with the story constantly poking at you with its predictable discords. .
The most dismal box it checks for being called a “launching pad” vehicle for child stars is the song “Sunoh” which cryptically/especially/unconsciously mentions “Suhani” and “Khushi” in the lyrics “Kyun zindagi lagti hai humko Suhaani… sunoh… Kyun hai Khushi paane mein humko aasaani… sunoh,” leaving an Easter egg that few would realize. But why?
I understand that these people are Anglo-Indians (people of mixed Indian and British ancestry), and that’s why “the accent”, but how can they perfectly sing songs using words like “Rawani, Zindagani, Zubaani”? Therein lies the whole disconnect.
Archies movie review: star performance
Remember how Katrina Kaif always showed this NRI in her films so that directors could justify her accent? Here we have the Anglo-Indian kids talking exactly like SoBo Gurlz talks to their taxi Wale Bhaayaa. Suhana Khan and Khushi Kapoor would need a lot of polishing before making their big screen debut. The flaws in the performance are blatantly visible due to the laid back attitude depicted in the act. Everything about their performance seems borderline lazy.
Agastya Nanda’s debut is a disjointed attempt to act like Suhana and Khushi, even though he seems to just read lines without adding any emotions to them. The entire existence of the characters of Vedang Raina’s Reggie and Yuvraj Menda’s Dilton leads to one exceptional sequence (the best scene in the film), and they do it enormous justice. Dot is both pretty and forgettable as Ethel.
Archies film review: direction, music
Zoya Akhtar compromises her vision instead of accepting the challenge of decorating a mesmerizing vehicle to launch star kids. This is not the Zoya I know or want. Yes, the phrase “To make art, you have to go in, not out” has some of its nuances, but that’s it. She misses her shot, misses the target, adding yet another mediocre stain on her body of work after the utterly disappointing Made In Heaven 2.
There are sixteen songs in “Why School Musical?” ” by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, and the only song I could listen to again is ironically titled “Sunoh”. The lyrical bits act as unnecessary fillers, failing to replace the usual dialogue.
Archies: The Last Word movie review
Ultimately, not only is this Zoya Akhtar’s most uncertain work to date, but it also suffers from an identity crisis. Juggling being a slice-of-life drama peppered with social issues stuck with some Gen Z in the 60s who are openly aware of being in a musical quoting Godard’s “Cinema is the truth 24 times a second” to not support nothing substantial; these teenagers do nothing but look good.
Two stars !
The Archies trailer
The Archies released on December 7, 2023.
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For more recommendations, read our Tiger 3 movie review here.
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