Officer On Duty – My Flash Review!

The film opens with a tight close-up shot for a few seconds of a police officer hanging from a noose, taking his life. As the film progresses, there are a couple of more people who hang themselves to death. In the hero introduction sequence, the male lead, who is a police officer, hits a woman who claims to be pregnant in the abdomen with his knees. This film is full of violence with a Capital V and is not for relaxed or entertaining viewing.

These days, Malayalam cinema is in overdrive with Crime Investigation thrillers. Officer on Duty is also in that genre. For Kunjacko Boban the hero, what begins as an investigation into a petty theft case becomes complicated over time, morphing into a chain of mysterious deaths. He is portrayed as an angry cop grappling with his inner demons – a characterization we have often seen in films. As the investigation unfolds, the case transitions from theft to drug abuse, sexual violence, and, of course, murder. So, crimes in the film come with a Capital C!

Inquest is a term you will often encounter in Malayalam crime investigation thrillers. It refers to the activity conducted by police at the crime scene, leading to the first set of clues. In this film, there is such a scene, fantastically staged, after an elderly couple is discovered dead in their home. The initial suspicion points to suicide. It is only after Boban, as the cop, inspects the scene and conducts an inquest that he concludes it is a murder. This scene occurs almost at the end of the first half of the film, which is very well-paced and written. Unfortunately, the second half loses momentum and devolves into a formulaic revenge saga.

The film is written by Shahi Kabir, who was a cop before entering the film industry, and his experience is evident in how he scripts the procedural scenes. The film, which starts as an edge-of-the-seat thriller, loses its mojo the moment a bunch of antagonists appear on the scene. The entire sequence of substance abuse among a group of youngsters, which the script pivots around, is highly romanticized and problematic. The repetitive visuals of these friends indulging in drugs and getting physical are quite off-putting and disengage you from the film’s central narrative. The motives behind the killings and the modus operandi become overly dramatic and could have been presented more realistically, in my opinion. The post-climax scene acts as a redemption of sorts for the whole second half!

The action sequences are well-choreographed but lengthy and gruesome. The cinematography is brilliant and complements the edgy background score by Jakes Bejoy, a master of BGM these days. Director Jithu Ashraf in his first film gives a good account on his making skills. Boban, as a disturbed, violent, yet sharp police officer, delivers a commendable performance, which is the highlight of the film. The other cast members do not receive much prominence, particularly the set of antagonists, who play their roles unidimensional. Even Priyamani, an otherwise accomplished actor, lacks opportunities to elevate her character in a film excessively focused on Boban.

Officer On Duty has a lot of promise but is derailed by its ambition to become a masala flick instead of sticking to its genre as a sleek investigation thriller. Just as the film’s title graphics display all names with one half in a straight font and the second in an italic slanted font, the film stands tall in the first half but collapses in the second. Officer on Duty, now streaming on Netflix, is an okay watch with a capital O!