Review: Malang

Release date: February 7, 2020
Running time: 135 minutes
Starring: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Disha Patani

Malang is a new thriller that is essentially two distinct movies blended together.  It is one part youth exploration film, where two people meet in Goa and live their best life partying, experimenting, enjoying their freedom, and slowly conquering their worldly fears.  It is also a thriller about a seemingly superhuman killer hunting down cops on December 24.  These two movies intertwine throughout, providing context to one another and pulling you deeper into the madness that is Malang. 

The visual style of Malang is really a sight to behold.  Especially during the party scenes, the colors and effects really pop off the screen.  Neon lights, glowing paint, various drug-induced effects, they all contribute to a visual style that lets you experience what the youths in the film are.  Outside of the party scenes, there are some beautiful scenes exploring Goa.  And even in the darker parts of the movie, the visual style is apparent.  Colors will pop, including lots of neon placed at the right times.  The fight scenes use an appropriate amount of slow motion and other effects (lots of rain and other water) to really make them feel impactful.  This impact is helped along by some great sounds.  Not only some fantastic music during the party scenes, but some bone crunching effects during the fights and action.  And although there is a decent amount of violence, it is never too pronounced or over the top.   

The story of Malang is well done, aside from one complaint.  The film weaves the two disparate stories together well, and slowly reveals aspects of both stories to the viewer.  The thriller side of the film is really interesting, and some of the reveals happen at just the right time.  However, there is one turn in the movie that just feels like it is too over the top.  It really dampened what is an otherwise very enjoyable story.  It was critical to the overall plot of the film, but I feel like it could have either been altered to something less extreme or have been foreshadowed more during the film.  However, that being said Balang was one of the more enjoyable films I have seen out of Bollywood.  It has a very good story and also embraces some aspects of youth culture that are often hidden away in Hindi films.  

Unleash the madness with Malang's wonderful visuals, bone crunching sound, and story that will keep you guessing!

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