If you’ve seen Jithu Madhavan’s Malayalam films Romancham (2023) and Aavesham (2024), you know his Tamil debut, Scene, will be the most unserious film you’ll sit through. To complain that an ‘investigative film’ like Scene is overtly convenient or not smart enough is like complaining American Psycho (2000) wasn’t realistic. Even something like serial murders will not stop him from rolling with the punches and toeing the line between camp and flat-out absurdity. The more you lean into the asinine plot, the more fun you have.
A scene referencing a famous song from Avatharam (1995) is entwined with a reference to a famous scene from Ghajini (2005), which goes from funny to borderline sad. It feels like there’s a reason why Nazriya’s character is named Maya, a reference to Kaakha Kaakha (2003). But what happens with this is also that you’re so lost in the tomfoolery that you almost forget at times that there’s a broader plot to look at.
Because this is still a Jithu film, and he will find a way to humble his protagonist, none of it lasts for long. As sad as a Jithu film can get, that is. And in moments that Jithu also remembers to veer things back to it, Scene delivers some of its most Suriya-like massy moments. Suriya truly has fun poking fun at himself and his character in Scene, and it shows. He just might have a hat trick on his hands after Karuppu and Vishwanath & Sons. Naslen also revels in playing someone with the face of an angel and the cunningness of a jinn. Nazriya is effortless as a woman who does not let her trauma define her. Given the seriousness of the core story of Scene, this film could’ve gone either way. But Jithu remains sensitive and punches up instead of down, leaving you with a Diwali film that crackles.
