'Siren' On Disney+ Hotstar Movie Review: Jayam Ravi's Earnest Performance Is Pulled Down By An Unnecessarily Complicated Plot

Jayam Ravi was last seen in ‘Iraivan.’ In this Tamil flick, he played the role of ACP Arjun. The movie was one of his most anticipated releases of 2023 but after generating quite a lot of buzz, the thriller received mixed to negative reviews from the audience and the critics alike. Following this fiasco, the actor recently starred in ‘Siren.’ The movie was released in theatres in February. After a decent run in theatres, the movie is now available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar. In case you are thinking of adding ‘Siren’ to your weekend binge list, here’s all that you need to know about it.

‘Siren’: Story

In the heart of Kanchipuram, Thilagan (played by Jayam Ravi), is a respected ambulance driver. However, he finds himself in a soup when he is wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife, Jennifer (played by Anupama Parameswaran), and his close friend, Kathir. He gets sentenced to a 14-year jail term. However, he comes out on parole for 14 days. During this period, he has just one mission on his mind: to uncover the truth behind these deaths.

While he is out on parole, he also tries to mend his relationship with his daughter – Malar (played by Yuvina Parthavi). Malar harbors a deep-seated resentment for her father because of her mother's death. Thilagan gets into the depths of the two murders and comes face to face with the underworld. On the other hand, he also has to deal with Inspector K Nandhini who is a tough nut to crack (played by Keerthy Suresh). The movie revolves around Thilagan’s quest for justice amidst this web of deceit.

‘Siren’: Performances

Jayam Ravi tries to put in a lot through his character as Thilagan. While he beautifully captures the broken and hurt aspect of his well-crafted character, the part where he has to embody the feelings for his daughter and wife comes across as quite forced. It looks like he is trying too hard to convince the audience about his feelings for these two characters who hold significant importance in his life. The part where he gets emotional and tries to express these feelings comes across as too dramatic. While his screen presence in the film is commendable, these parts pull down his performance several notches.

Coming to Yogi Babu who plays the role of Velankanni. His character breaks the monotony in the film. The actor proves why he is a reliable performer. His comic timing is on point even for jokes that are slapstick and lame. He delivers his punchlines with ease even though they might not translate to be as funny as they should be for the screen.

Keerthi Suresh as Nandhini delivers a fantastic performance as the no-nonsense cop. Her screen presence and dialogue delivery as a woman cop in a male-dominated police station is commendable. She holds her ground in front of Ravi. Frankly speaking, I felt that she delivered a stronger performance when compared to Ravi. What her character lacked was some insight into her personal life and personality but that is a fault made by the makers. She delivered a compelling performance with whatever was assigned to her.

‘Siren’: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects

When I watched the trailer of ‘Siren’, I had high hopes for this thriller. The plot looked engaging, and the performances looked compelling. However, after watching the film I was left with a sour taste in my mouth. The makers have taken the pain to write a compelling plot but because there are so many subplots, it is easy to lose track of the story. I found myself constantly going back to see what I missed because, at one point, there was so much to consume. Along with the plot, it felt like the makers also got confused while writing the characters. There was confusion if the characters were white, black, or grey.

Additionally, the film also makes some social commentary. ‘Siren’ already has a lot going on, this adds more layers to the already complicated plot. In all frankness, this was not needed. It was all in good spirits, but it added layers of complexity that were not really needed to drive the plot forward.

The only good part about ‘Siren’ is the music by GV Prakash Kumar and the cinematography by Selvakumar SK. GV Prakash Kumar knows what needs to be done when it comes to music and that is frankly visible in the film. The music has been added at pivotal junctions and it adds to the feel. Similarly, the camerawork by Selvakumar also elevates the visual appeal of the film.

‘Siren’: Cast & Crew

Director: Antony Bhagyaraj

Producer: Sujatha Vijayakumar

Cast: Jayam Ravi, Keerthy Suresh, Anupama Parameswaran, Yogi Babu, Samuthirakani, Yuvina Parthavi

Available On: Disney+ Hotstar

Duration: 2 hours 34 minutes

Languages: Tamil 

‘Siren’: Can Kids Watch It?

No. The strong language and violence can be a problem for young viewers. 

Outlook’s Verdict

The only problem with ‘Siren’ is that it bit off more than it could chew. The plot is unnecessarily complicated. It feels like the plot is being spoon-fed to you rather than slowly unraveling in its light. What the movie needed was a crisp editing of the plot and that would have made the story even more compelling. It has the elements that are needed to make a good thriller, but the makers got carried away. Additionally, Jayam Ravi needs to polish how he enacts his emotional scenes. While his performance is earnest, his dialogue delivery in those scenes brings the entire weight down and reduces it a soap opera. The film had the potential, but it got lost in execution. I am going with 2 stars.