Sebastian P.C. 524 Review – Home Watch Thriller

BOTTOM LINE
Home Watch Thriller

OUR RATING
2/5

CENSOR
2h 9m, ‘U/A’ Certified.

What Is the Film About?
Sebastian (Kiran Abbavaram) is a constable with night blindness. He gets transferred multiple times due to his condition, even though it stays hidden. The reason is he fails in night duties. Finally, Sebastian is posted to his home town Madanapalli, and things look rosy for a brief period.

Sebastian one day has no choice but to take night duty even after many requests. Unfortunately, a murder takes place on the same night. How does Sebastian find the culprit? Who is the killer? Sebastian fulfilling his mother’s wish to remain the police forms the basic story.

Performances
Kiran Abbavaram is fine playing the role of a constable. The idea is nice, and it is a welcome change after playing a typical youngster falling in love twice. It also helps that, for the most part, there is a grounded quality to the character. There are a few elevations, but they aren’t in the typical commercial sense.

Since Sebastian is a simple and ordinary guy, Kiran Abbavaram easily pulls it off and adds relatability. But that is all, and there is no extra effort here to make it memorable or stand out.

Analysis
Balaji Sayyapureddy debuts as a director with Sebastian PC5254. He has come up with an exciting hook and subject for his first outing. It is a thriller with the protagonist having night blindness. One can guess what happens next.

The first thing that comes to our mind is how a guy with night blindness would become police in the first place. There is no answer to the question. The director takes us directly into the proceedings, taking a leap of faith regarding this logic. This predicament itself could be a make or break deal for a few. There are some decent bits filling the narrative if one goes beyond it.

The problem with Sebastian PC524 is that the intriguing core mystery is short and small. We can know this only in hindsight after everything is over, though.

As mentioned earlier, there are a few interesting bits, and most of those happen in the first half. What we have otherwise is filler stuff to provide comedy and build some drama. The hero’s personal track never works and is dragging stuff compared to the intriguing parts.

The scenes around the interval are the most intriguing of the lot. The one especially involving the hero’s challenge raises hopes in the second half.

Unfortunately, the second half is a big letdown. A lot of time is wasted in needless drama. It ties to another aspect mentioned earlier that the core mystery regarding the murder is very small. It is further marred by the fact that the faces are already revealed. The misery piles up additionally with two years passing on the same case.

The second half, therefore, feels like one too many repeatedly stabs to a person after he is killed with the first blow itself. It’s like flogging a dead horse. The bottom line is the interest is killed very soon, and things drag to a predictable end. It makes the narrative very tiresome. A two hours something film feels like an eternity.

Unfortunately, the director and team don’t feel that way. A few more twists are planned to lead the hero to the expected result. It ultimately involves the reason for the murder in the first place. Needless to say, the revelation puts salt on the wound. To think that after all the wait and pain and trouble, we get that reason is the ultimate disappointment.

Overall, Sebastian PC524 has an interesting hook. But the script fills it with needless drama and filler sequences, so much so that you would so badly want a remote in your hand to forward stuff. The screenplay dilutes whatever little curiosity one had regarding the plot. In the end, it is a misfire that goes terribly wrong.

Others?
Nuveksha and Komalee Prasad are the female leads. They don’t play heroines in a typical sense and are part of the narrative. They have nothing much to do, and to make matters worse, the sketchy characterizations make it hard to impress or stand out. Adarsh Balakrishnan, Srikanth Iyenger are other actors with considerable screen time. But, even they don’t add much to the narrative via their act. They all look disposable.

Music and Other Departments?
The music by Ghibran is alright. The background is okay in parts, but it is too loud otherwise. Raj K Nalli’s cinematography could have added a gritty yet earthy vibe to the proceedings. But, there is nothing of that sort here. Viplav Nyshadam’s editing gives a messy and dragging feel to the whole narrative. The writing is alright.

Highlights?
Basic Plot On Paper
Interval Scene
Intriguing Bits

Drawbacks?
Extreme Drag
Screenplay
Poorly Written Supporting Parts
Basic Suspense Revelation

Alternative Take
A few years ago, our neighbouring industries were making plenty of thrillers. Now that we see a barrage of movies in the genre may be a lesson or two in the screenplay, and holding a suspense element would do a world of good for our filmmakers. The lack of ‘holding’ the audience’s interest with suspense is apparent in Sebastian PC524.

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes In Parts

Will You Recommend It?
No

Sebastian P.C. 524 Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti