'Nishabdham' movie review: R Madhavan's horror flick only delivers silent disappointment

• Director: Hemant Madhukar
• Cast:  Anushka Shetty, R Madhavan, Michael Madsen, Anjali, Shalini Pandey, Subbaraju
• Producer: Kona Venkat, TG Vishwa Prasad
• Where to watch ‘Nishabdham’:  Amazon Prime Video

Nishabdham movie review

The Plot

Nishabdham is a film that revolves around a murder mystery that takes place in a haunted house. The film focuses on a couple, named Sakshi (Anushka Shetty) and Anthony (R Madhavan), who move into a new house in Seattle. Sakshi is mute and deaf but she is a classical musician. Her husband, Anthony is also a musician. While the couple is staying happily in their house, a tragic incident changes everything.

Sakshi witnesses the murder of her husband. This horrific incident shocks Sakshi. Soon, Maha (Anjali) and Richard Dawkins (Michael Maden, Captain of the police department) start investigating the murder. Anthony’s murder occurs at the same time when many women from the city have gone missing. The more the police investigate Anthony’s murder, the more secrets and mysteries are unravelled.

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Watch the Nishabdham trailer here:

What works?

R Madhavan, Anushka Shetty, Michael Madsen, and Anjali all have delivered good performances. The star cast works well for their designated roles. Some shots in the film are also commendable. Anushka Shetty and R Madhavan’s chemistry is also good.

What doesn’t?

Nishabdham falls silent even with a stunning star cast. The film’s storyline gets a promising start but soon fizzles out. The ample amount of mystery around Dawkins and Anthony’s character thickens the plot but does not provide any thrilling or horror aspect.

Director Hemant Madhukar fails to deliver with a promising lineup of actors. Throughout the film, many situations seem contrived. The film’s dialogue also does not help. Moreover, Nishabdham has been released in multiple languages. This has also reduced the quality of the dialogues. The Nishabdham cast has tried their best to dominate the film with their performances, but the film does not provide them with enough material.

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Final Thoughts

Nishabdham falls short in many aspects. Although the film starts on a high point, its descend starts right after some time. Even the finest actors could not save the film due to its poor story-telling. The film’s end seems too disappointing for the overall build-up provided throughout the film. Nishabdham tries too hard to prove a point but does not come close to doing so.

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