A mille-fueille noir that delights and surprises in equal measure
Merry Christmas as the name suggests, is a Christmas movie through and through, the undercurrents of Christmas themes are strong here, and Crime exists to add the extra punch. I love the idea. For people like me who cannot stand saccharine holiday films after a point, this is a perfect concoction of crime and the holiday spirit. (Alas the movie released 3 weeks later than it should have.)
Sriram Raghavan’s crime noirs are full of references to other classics, sly tricks and clever writing. Merry Christmas is no different. It’s been 24 hours and me and my brother are still finding little details that we missed, such is the layering here.
The buildup in the first hour is intense. It’s practically a slow-burning rom-com but as a viewer there are enough hints that there’s something off. Enough to keep your eyes peeled for any hidden clues, hints of crime or something being off. (Why isn’t the door locked? What’s that sound? Why did the record stop?) There are many, but it’ll probably take a couple of more viewings to grab them all! Vijay Sethupathi’s deadpan humor keeps you entertained along the way.
The second half picks pace and that’s when things get really interesting, as the Who? Why? How? of the crime unfolds. It’s a ride with delightful little cameos from Vinay Pathak, Ashwini Kalsekar and Radhika Apte.
The story is well paced, twists are timed well, I kept waiting for the next twist to drop given how sinuous the whole film is. Plus the whole film is littered with hints and foreshadowing which acts like an icing on the cake. You couldn’t ask for more intrigue honestly.
Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif are perfectly cast. Their performances uplift the movie even when the writing threatens to slag a bit.
Given how good the movie is overall, its minor foibles stick out even more. The ending could’ve landed better, I personally felt it to be just a bit unsatisfactory (again, perfect ending for a holiday movie, does it make sense when not in the festive spirit, probably not that much. I also felt that they played all their cards a little too early in the second half. I kept waiting for that one more twist that would end the film on a great note but it never came. And then there was that intriguing subplot with Radhika Apte which was left hanging without proper closure, I still wonder what happened there.
Overall, minor issues aside, Merry Christmas is a delightful, twisted holiday-noir film that cannot be missed.
Rating: ★★★★☆
