The Test

Anwar Says: What a waste of a top star cast by the director S. Shashikath , who played with the expectations of audiences. Netflix viewers were eagerly waiting for this movie and expecting an engaging one, but the slow pace and timid writing made it a quite mediocre.

The plot has so much to deliver and the best of Kollywood were cast and they tried to give their best but Shashikath Saheb was adamant to present it in a snail's pace and in spite of Maddy's large than screen presence in a grey character and reasonably appreciable performance by Nayanthara , it failed to click. Sidharth also kept on yelling or taking on phone throughout. Meera has nothing much to do except in one scene when she overpowered Sidharth.

On the whole, an excellent plot with terrific cast has been killed by director-editor duo.

#netflix #anwarsays #matchfixing #cricketlife #hydrofuel #overambitious #rmadhavan #nayanthara #sshashikath #weakdirection.

No major spoilers - just a few thoughts on setup and structure.

I watched TEST on Netflix and found it underwhelming. "Meh" is probably the best way to put it.

I'm generally not a fan of films where money is the primary driver, unless the story is truly compelling. Movies like Ocean's 11 and Soodhu Kavvum didn't work for me. I prefer narratives like Blood Diamond or Catch Me If You Can, where character depth leads the way.

In TEST, cricket is central to the story, not just a side element. But even with that, the movie leans too heavily on the assumption that cricket alone will keep viewers engaged. This reminded me of The G. O. A. T., where cricket was thrown in randomly without adding value. In contrast, Lagaan succeeded because cricket supported a well-crafted story.

I watched the movie for Nayanthara, one of my favorites, but the plot didn't add up. A Boston MIT graduate running a canteen? That's how the film starts, logically unconvincing, not a spoiler. The pacing is slow, and the two parallel storylines take too long to intersect, which made me skip ahead at times.

Surprisingly, Siddharth, whom I usually find hard to tolerate, was actually okay in this role.

A few heartfelt conversations stood out, particularly where characters logically justify their actions. But those moments were too few to carry the film.

In the end, despite strong names like Madhavan and Nayanthara, TEST didn't quite pass for me.

I was really looking forward to this amazing cast and hoping they would bring a fantastic performance and story... Honestly shocking! Why would they sign up for this utterly boring movie. There was no saving grace anywhere in those 2+ hrs.

The movie is sort of cricket oriented but there is no cricket in there. You see troubles of the female char, but some of those don't make much sense. The lead char is a person who is angry, frustrated and on the phone all the time.

Definitely not a movie that can be watched for fun, or good storyline or time pass. Subpar script and mediocre acting. Very disappointed!

Test (2025)" is a textbook example of a wasted opportunity. Despite a star-studded cast, the film falls flat due to its painfully dull screenplay and uninspired execution.

Madhavan seems to be trying hard to carry the film, but even his efforts can't save the sinking ship. Nayanthara appears completely out of sync with the narrative-her character lacks depth, and her presence feels more ornamental than impactful. Siddharth, on the other hand, delivers a robotic performance with zero emotional range, making it hard to connect with his character at any point.

The biggest letdown is the screenplay-disjointed, sluggish, and lacking any engaging moments. It drags without purpose, testing the patience of the audience rather than offering any meaningful cinematic experience.

Cricket scenes were disastrous.

Test arrives with a promising cast and an intriguing premise centered around cricket, but unfortunately, it stumbles in execution. While the actors give solid performances, they're let down by a disjointed narrative and lackluster writing.

Sidharth's character, portraying a cricketer, feels like the weakest link. Rather than driving the story forward, his role feels bland and underwritten, lacking the emotional depth or arc needed to engage the audience. What's most frustrating is how the film teases cricket as a major theme, yet barely touches it until well into the second half, making the first hour feel like a slog.

The story itself is a confusing jumble, with scenes and subplots that don't seem to connect meaningfully. Dialogues are flat and uninspired, doing little to elevate the already muddled storytelling. Despite the potential, Test fails to capitalize on either its cast or its central theme, ending up as a movie that's more forgettable than impactful. Great cast, wasted potential. If you're a cricket fan, you'll be waiting too long for too little.