A noir slow burn thriller that uncovers what lies beneath layers of patriarchal subjugation.

Captain Marvel must be the first superhero who faced vicious, non-alien attacks even before she made her onscreen debut. And in this Anna Boden-Ryan Fleck helmed project, there’s an element of grace and humanness, a struggle to match superhero power with emotions that aren’t always the right guiding compass. It also mirrors all that is wrong in today’s more connected, more polarized world. Even as it entertains and gets in its messaging, the movie has a far bigger battle lying ahead. No, not the ‘ Avengers: Endgame’, but the one awaiting it offscreen.

Director Sujoy Ghosh lays out a detailed, conversational thriller that’s high on the quality of ingredients, even if the flavors are all too familiar and predictable. But the point of ‘Badla’ isn’t to surprise you as much as it is to make you pay attention and revel in the atmosphere. Plus, of course the top notch acting that rivets, diverts, and then delivers a climactic scene that’s more heartbreaking triumph than a twist.