Suzhal: The Vortex Public review

Director duo Pushkar-Gayathri’s latest web series Suzhal is an investigative thriller. The usually sleepy Sambaloor is gearing up to stage its biggest event of the year

Crime investigative thrillers are not exactly alien territory -- especially ones that are set in sleepy, small towns.

The most recent example would be Kate Winslet’s Mare of Easttown. And it’s a hard space to keep the audience hooked and in suspense

Crime thrillers come with a caveat -- we know the actual criminal only will be revealed at the end. It’s like watching Scooby-Doo; you just know that the ‘suspects’ in the middle of the episode will be bogus.

Mare of Easttown does this by making the series more of a character study of its jaded, pessimist protagonist Mare

Suzhal does it by creating a world that is familiar but distinctive atypical. In broad strokes, the story and the characters feel familiar.

Suzhal subverts the stereotypes by simply changing the genders and identities involved.

Suzhal subverts cinematic stereotypes and maintains its edgy, dark tones throughout.