Run Baby Run review: An interesting thriller that works in parts

First things first. Director Jiyen Krishnakumar’s Tamil film Run Baby Run has nothing to do with the Malayalam film by the same title. It is a completely different plot which has its share of surprises and thrills to offer.

Secondly, the film has RJ Balaji in a role that is remarkably different from any that he has played so far.

So, if you are a fan of RJ Balaji’s sense of humour and his inimitable style of sharp retorts that are laced with wit, and you are hoping to enjoy some of those in this film, you might be in for some disappointment.

Synopsis

Run Baby Run is an investigative thriller that starts off with the death of a medical college student called Sophiya (Smruthi Venkat).

A few days after this incident, a banker called Sathya (RJ Balaji), who has just got engaged, is on his way to a jewellery store.

Looking to surprise his future life partner (Isha Talwar), Sathya buys her a pair of earrings.

Soon after buying the jewellery, he picks up his future wife and looks to impress her with the costly gift, when he suddenly notices another young woman hiding in the back seat of his car.

Sathya is caught in a catch-22 situation. He cannot continue to drive without knowing who the woman hiding in his car is. At the same time, he cannot stop the car and question the woman, lest his future wife gets the wrong impression.

He waits for the opportune moment, which takes quite a while, and finally, when he does get the opportunity, questions her.

He finds out that the woman who was hiding in his car is Taara (Aishwarya Rajesh), a medical college student whose life is in danger. She begs him to allow her to stay in his flat until her guardian comes and picks her up in an hour or two.

Sathya initially refuses and is adamant about throwing her out. But eventually, he gives in, moved by her plight. However, that turns out to be a horrible mistake.

Also Read: Thalaikoothal review: A hard-hitting and realistic film

A strong start, but…

The film gets off to a strong start. It catches your attention and gets you hooked without your even realising it. However, a good 45 minutes later, the intensity begins to wane.

This is because developments that have nothing substantial to offer to the original plot of the film begin to draw the focus away.

As the plot thickens, more and more questions keep cropping up in the minds of the viewers. However, the director does not attempt to answer these queries.

The film, even by the time it ends, fails to provide conclusive answers to many of these questions, making the plot appear hazy and ambiguous.

Run Baby Run comes across as a film that has been finished in a hurry. This is because the film has too many interesting twists at the start and each interesting twist, gives rise to several questions in the minds of the viewers.

It is as though the director, at the fag end, suddenly realised that he had far too many questions left to answer and came up with a climax that hurriedly attempts to answer all questions.

Also Read: Review of Beginning, a creative split-screen experience

Performances that shine

Actor RJ Balaji comes up with a sterling performance as the banker. He proves with Run Baby Run that he is not a one-genre actor and that he is capable of delivering an intense performance, without punchlines and humour.

Aishwarya Rajesh as Taara too comes up with yet another neat and credible performance.

Vivek Prasanna, who plays Balaji’s friend in the film, makes a brief appearance but leaves an indelible mark with his strong portrayal of a police constable who is loyal enough to help a friend in distress but at the same time, worried about the implications his act could have on his job and family.

George Mariyan, Joe Malluri and KPY Bala also come up with commendable performances in this investigative thriller. Most performances in the film are good but the plot itself is sketchy with gaps that are glaring.

Verdict

In short, Run Baby Run promises to be a great thriller but actually ends up being another ordinary film, leaving you feeling dissatisfied and disappointed.