Vishnu Warrier
10. Identity (2003) – 7.3
‘Identity’ suffers from the same issue that most thrillers have. That plot-twist. I wouldn’t have added the film on the list but its ending is just too stupid and ridiculous for me to take the entire film seriously anymore. It’s a shame because the film starts off really well, building tension and constructing an intriguingly dark atmosphere that completely engages you in the story. The pacing is near perfect and everything is so well set for the finale and then comes that weirdly laughable plot twist. The alternate personality twist has now become more of an excuse for weak screenwriting skills and inability to come up with original ideas. It just reminds me of Donald Kaufman’s character in Spike Jonze’s ‘Adaptation’.
9. 3 Idiots (2009) – 8.4
No, this is not a case of being overrated. I just think ‘3 Idiots’ is a bad film. Sure, I can appreciate its good intentions and the message it tries to get across its viewers. But do that account for a good movie? Absolutely not. ‘3 Idiots’ blatantly dumbs down its audience using melodrama and comedy in the name of entertainment. It could still have been a lot better had thought put in more into writing and character development but it just is far too unrealistic to relate to. Aamir Khan has done better movies like ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Rang De Basanti’ but this one does not hold up at all.
8. The Intouchables (2011) – 8.6
‘The Intouchables’ has become popular for very obvious reasons. It is nothing but manipulation of the worst kind. It tries to talk about interracial relationships in a way that is laughably silly and naive. I could understand people liking it for the emotional element in the film but it is ridiculously over-hyped and now has an IMDb score of 8.6. It’s just a badly written film that tries to get across its viewers using the cheapest of manipulative techniques.
7. The Devil’s Advocate (1997) – 7.5
‘The Devil’s Advocate’ is one big convoluted mess of a thriller that gets caught up in its ambition for its own good. The acting is well below average. We have the perennially wooden faced Keanu Reeves and a shouty Al Pacino leading the film. But to be honest, the film kicked off really well and builds tension, crafting a dark, suspenseful atmosphere. But towards the end it gets torn between being a psychological and supernatural thriller. The twists never really make sense and none of it go well with the initial tone of the film. The film works well for the first half and then miserably falls apart towards the end. A very poor attempt at blending elements of psychological thriller and horror.
6. A Walk to Remember (2002) – 7.4
‘A Walk to Remember’ is probably one of the worst romantic films I’ve ever seen. It pisses me off to no end because this is the kind of film that’s destroying the romance genre completely. A boy meets a girl. They fall in love. Girl is terminally ill. She dies. Yeah, that’s probably the easiest way to move the audience to tears. ‘It’s trite, kitschy and painfully cringeworthy for its entirety and doesn’t even make for a decent guilty pleasure.
