Rekha review: An intriguing thriller with an intense performance by Vincy Aloshious

Jithin Thomas Issac’s Rekha is yet another love story that Indian Cinema usually loves to celebrate. Its trailer indicated intimate scenes that may make it only watchable for a set audience, at least in rural areas.

Young actor Vincy Aloshious dons the titular role of Rekha who is on a mission.

The events that led her to go on with her mission take the story to a different level which makes the movie a thriller.

Rekha can be put under the genre of a love-revenge thriller.

Content-driven movie

Rekha is set in a village in the Kasaragod district in northern Kerala. The language used has done justice to the script.

But there are possibilities for a person from another district, say Kottayam or Kollam, to understand the local language with a very different slang. However, from the viewpoint of the director, it’s a good way of filmmaking.

Love and lust are two sides of a coin. No need for any explanation of that theory. Rekha has everything, it has love-making scenes, and online chats via WhatsApp.

Further, as a next step, the sex part comes. And the incidents that happen as a result of the relationship between Rekha and Arjun (Unni Lalu) keep the story moving forward towards an open-ended climax.

A key character dies and Rekha is behind the mystery of this painful incident.

Her journey from Kasargod to Kochi in search of an answer to this incident that caused her mental trauma is crucial to the plot.

Well-written characters

Certain incidents following her travel keep the film engaging. The script of the story by the director itself keeps the movie at a good pace.

Just before the interval, some of the audience may be able to predict Rekha’s doubts. Certain interactions between Rekha and Arjun justify the suspicion of the audience.

Post-interval, the film turns out to be in an investigation mode. It’s not a normal police procedure but cinematic elements and the director’s liberty have been utilised for making the movie a superb watch.

Rekha is a typical Malayalee girl aiming for a government job. She falls in love with an unemployed man named Arjun.

Her relationship with her father and how she overcomes the tragedy that struck her family are portrayed well by Vincy Aloshious. This is her career’s best performance.

Love towards her parents doesn’t stop her from finding the truth and settling it unlawfully.

Rekha develops anxiety and insomnia after the tragic incident. She even doubts her boyfriend at some point.

The director also gives hints about certain characteristics of her boyfriend who has weird behaviour.

Unni Lalu as Arjun has all the mannerisms of a lover. His character has a reference to his dad who is a womaniser.

In the story, the traits of a father are carried on by his son who has affairs with multiple women.

There are many other characters in the movie who are mostly shown in Kasargod. The unemployment issue also gets a passing mention.

The life in villages, people who doubt the relationship between men and women, the usual marriage-alliance talks for a grown-up girl, and a concerned or nagging mom are some of the factors that make Rekha realistic.

#REKHA ✨
From TODAY@karthiksubbaraj @stonebenchers @kaarthekeyens pic.twitter.com/4wrx17CMI2

— Jithin Issac Thomas (@Jithinjit94) February 10, 2023

Overdose of violence

After the emergence of OTT platforms, violence and gore are being extensively showcased in films.

Rekha also has such scenes which may not be in favour of weak-hearted people.

The script also doesn’t give importance to the rule of law. But that’s the freedom of the filmmaker.

Revenge gets a unique format in this movie. If we saw a version of violence in 22 Female Kottayam, Rekha is not an exception; a bit gorier intact.

Cinematographer Abraham Joseph beautifully captures the scenic beauty of Kasargod and the urban life of Kochi.

The movie also has some good songs composed by The Escape Medium, Milan VS, and Nikhil V.

Rekha ends up as a good revenge thriller movie by Jithin Issac Thomas who earlier directed the critically-acclaimed Attention Please.

Verdict

Vincy Aloysious’ stellar performance and the good script make Rekha an intense thriller and a must-watch.

(Views expressed are personal.)

Here’s our trailer #REKHA 💫 Link:https://t.co/hQIKGt4dta

The film is hitting the screens on
February 10th !!@karthiksubbaraj@stonebenchers @kaarthekeyens #unnilalu #vincysonyaloshious pic.twitter.com/YHAh2B2Q6T

— Jithin Issac Thomas (@Jithinjit94) February 4, 2023