7:11 PM Movie Review

Lately, Mythri Movie Makers have been releasing content-based small-budget films, and this week they are coming up with a futuristic sci-fi movie titled 7:11 pm. While the movie has created some good buzz among movie lovers with its teaser and trailer, Let’s see whether it meets its expectations or not.

Plot:

The film starts on a fateful day in 1999 when future humans from an alien planet 400 years in the future arrive in a small Indian town called Hamsaladeevi. They are in pursuit of answers that hold the key to the survival of humans. Also, on the same day, events are unfolding rapidly to destroy the town, and at this point, Ravi (Saahas) gets on a public bus in 1999 and lands in Melbourne, Australia, in 2024. Why did Ravi get on a public bus? How did Ravi travel from 1999 to 2024? Where does the third timeline fits into the story and how all these are connected to 7:11 pm forms the crux of the story.

Performances:

When it comes to the performances of the actors, Saahas delivered a decent portrayal in his role. He possesses a commendable physique and screen presence, but there is room for improvement in his acting skills. Particularly in key scenes, his performance fell short of expectations. On the other hand, Deepika Reddy proved to be well-suited for her character, displaying a fitting portrayal. However, Tess Walsh and another foreign actor who had significant roles in the film struggled to deliver convincing performances. Their acting appeared weak, and their dubbing with fake Telugu accents came across as amateurish. Unfortunately, Dr. Bharat Reddy was given a forgettable role, lacking the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Technicalities:

As it is a time-travel film, VFX plays a major role in it. But the VFX work is poor, and it had a larger impact on the film. The music by Gyaani is okay, but the background score is unimpressive. The cinematography by Siva Shankar and Fabio Capodivento is decent. The editing could have been better, and Srinu Thota should have chopped off many unnecessary scenes in the first half to make things crisp. Coming to the director, Chaitu Madala, did a below-par job with his directorial debut. Though the second half is nicely presented, the first half is ineffective and boring.

Thumbs Up:

The core idea of 7:11 pm
Second half

Thumbs Down:

Poor VFX
Boring first half
Poor Performances
Uneven narration

Analysis:

The whole idea of making a futuristic sci-fi Telugu film looks good on paper, but the real struggle lies in execution. With a very small budget and new actors, it’s very hard to pull off a film like 7:11 pm. In general, it takes time for the audience to adjust to new actors, and things were made even harder due to poor VFX.

Sci-fi films should transport the audience to their world right away to stay connected with the story. In this particular film, the director takes a considerable amount of time to initiate the storyline, which results in a disconnection between the audience and the narrative. While Chaitu manages to engage the viewers to some extent, particularly in the second half with a tightly woven screenplay, the first half feels routine and lacks depth until midway. The uneven narration acts as a significant hindrance to the overall experience of 7:11 pm. Moreover, poorly-written characters merely exist on the screen without much substance.

The film further falls short in terms of background score, failing to deliver a decent impact. Additionally, the editing could have been improved significantly, as the final product feels disjointed and choppy.

On the whole, “7:11 pm” begins as an underwhelming film but manages to redeem itself slightly in the latter half with some well-executed twists. Nevertheless, it remains a disappointing affair. Sci-fi enthusiasts may give it a chance for a weekend watch, but only if no other compelling options are available.

Bottom Line : Good Idea With Poor Execution!

Rating: 2/5