LIFT MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

Lift is a survival horror film written and directed by Vineeth Varaprasad, and has Kavin and Amritha Aiyer in the lead roles. It has Balaji Venugopal, Abdool and others in crucial supporting roles. The film is bankrolled by Hepzi under the banner Ekaa Entertainment. It was released on the OTT Platform Disney+ Hotstar.

Kavin plays the role of Guru, a sincere IT team lead who takes up the task of making his team's project a success, despite the team having a bad reputation in the company. Amritha Aiyer plays the role of Harini, an HR officer in the same company. Guru has a bad past with Harini, and initially there's some friction between them. When Guru's boss asks him to stay back late in the night and complete a task, he encounters the presence of a ghost. He then realises he's not the only one in the office, and both are unable to get out of the office. What follows next, and how they survive the night forms the rest of the plot.

What is wonderful and admirable about Lift is that it wants to keep everything simple right from the word go. Kavin is given a simple introduction. The way the romance develops between him and Amritha is simple. The premise is simple, and the way the film handles it is simple.

There are a few humorous bits in the film, and even they don't look forced. The film doesn't mind a missed chance for a joke. It knows that the sole intention is to scare the audience and send a chill down their spine.

Kavin comes up with an earnest and matured performance while Amritha Aiyer has given her best. Abdool's one liners before the horror portions begin have worked out well. The limited cast makes it easier for the audience to remember everyone.

The film's flaws start at the writing phase itself. For a large chunk of its runtime, the film depends so much on jump scares to evoke fear. What it doesn't realise is the potential it has as a story to evoke the same emotion. This pattern continues till mid way into the second half, and that affects the engagement.

Britto Michael's music is electrifying, especially the background score. The decision to not have the Inna Mylu song as a part of the final cut despite its popularity is a fantastic edit decision. The cinematography offers exactly what's required for the film.

Overall, had Lift put in a little more effort in the early horror portions and been a bit more innovative, it would have worked extremely well. Nevertheless it has enough stuff in it to satisfy the fans of this genre to an extent.

LIFT VIDEO REVIEW