The Kerala Story is an emotionally chilling drama built around a subject that genuinely matters and deserves to be told.
The story of young women manipulated, groomed and trafficked into extremism is disturbing – and it should be. Adah Sharma commits fearlessly to a punishing role, anchoring the film through its darkest passages with raw, physical intensity.
But the filmmakers, having landed on a genuinely powerful subject, couldn't resist over-telling it. The middle section drags with repetitive sequences that hammer the same emotional notes long after the point has landed. A firm 10-15 minute edit would have sharpened the impact considerably and elevated this from good to genuinely great.
A slightly missed opportunity at something superlative – but the subject is too important, and Sharma too compelling, to dismiss. Watch it. 7.5/10.