A Serial Killer Thriller That Fails to Create Enough Thrill – OTT Review
It is a Telugu thriller that has now started streaming on Amazon Prime Video. With a runtime of around 2 hours 6 minutes, the movie comes with an interesting premise involving murders, a serial killer and an investigation. Looking at the trailer, there were expectations that the film would offer an engaging thriller experience. However, after watching the complete movie, the experience turns out to be quite disappointing. code 64
The movie has a few interesting ideas and technically decent visuals, but the weak writing, predictable investigation and an unconvincing flashback prevent it from becoming an effective thriller.
Movie Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Movie | Cheekatilo |
| Genre | Suspense, Thriller |
| Runtime | 2 Hours 6 Minutes |
| Certification | U/A 13+ |
| Year | 2026 |
| Lead Cast | Sobhita Dhulipala, Viswadev Rachakonda, Chaitanya Visalakshmi, Esha Chawla, Vadlamani Srinivas |
| Director | Sharan Kopisetty |
| Producer | D. Suresh Babu |
| Movie Link | Click Here |
| OTT Platform | Amazon Prime Video |
| Languages | Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and other available audio options |
| Verdict | Below Average |
| Rating | 2.25/5 |
Story
The story begins with a murder and gradually introduces the central character Sandhya, whose personal life and professional investigation become important parts of the narrative.
When Sandhya’s close friend is found dead under suspicious circumstances, she becomes determined to find out what really happened. The investigation slowly takes her towards a darker past, where several secrets and disturbing incidents begin to surface.
As the investigation continues, more deaths and clues enter the story. The central question becomes simple: Who is behind these murders and what is the reason for targeting these people?
The movie also uses a flashback portion to explain the motive behind the killings. This is where the film tries to provide an emotional and psychological explanation for the events.
The basic premise is interesting, but the execution doesn’t create the level of curiosity or tension required for a thriller.
First Half Review
The first half follows a familiar thriller template.
A murder takes place, the heroine’s personal life is established, and the investigation begins. From there, the film introduces different clues and characters while slowly moving towards the mystery surrounding the murders.
There are a few moments where the movie manages to create curiosity. Whenever a new clue is introduced, you may expect the investigation to move in an interesting direction.
However, the biggest problem is that the clues are not strong enough.
A good thriller should make the audience actively think about the mystery. It should give us enough information to form our own theories while keeping the actual truth hidden. Unfortunately, this movie doesn’t consistently achieve that.
Instead, several investigation scenes feel routine. Characters receive calls, warnings are given and another incident takes place, but the emotional impact is limited.
Because of this, the first half feels watchable but not genuinely thrilling.
Second Half Review
The second half is where the movie becomes weaker.
The film eventually starts explaining why the killings are happening and why certain characters are being targeted. There is a flashback that attempts to provide the necessary background.
The idea behind this portion could have worked, but the writing and presentation make it difficult to accept.
The flashback is supposed to make us understand the killer’s motivation, but some of the events feel exaggerated and illogical. Instead of creating sympathy, shock or emotional impact, certain scenes end up feeling over-the-top.
The movie also tries to explore relationships and trauma, but these portions needed to be more believable. When a thriller depends heavily on the psychological motivation of its characters, the audience needs to understand how and why those characters reached that point.
That emotional connection is missing here.
Investigation Doesn’t Create Enough Thrill
This is probably the biggest drawback of the movie.
The investigation should have been the main strength of a serial-killer thriller. The audience should feel involved in the process and constantly wonder about the identity of the killer.
Here, the investigation progresses without creating enough tension.
There are some clues, but they are not particularly clever. There are also several moments where the movie expects the audience to simply accept what is happening rather than making the developments feel naturally earned.
Once the movie starts revealing the direction of the story, the suspense becomes weaker.
The result is a thriller where the mystery exists, but the thrill doesn’t consistently work.
Performances
The performances are decent overall.
Sobhita Dhulipala is one of the central performers in the film and delivers a sincere performance. However, the bigger issue is the character itself.
The character is presented as someone dealing with both professional and personal challenges, but the writing doesn’t explore these aspects strongly enough.
Her dubbing also doesn’t make as much impact as expected, which affects some emotional scenes.
The supporting cast, including Esha Chawla and the actors playing the police characters, perform adequately. There are no major complaints about the performances, but there aren’t many scenes that provide the cast with enough scope to make a lasting impression.
Writing and Direction
The writing is where the movie struggles the most.
The director Sharan Kopisetty attempts to create a dark investigative thriller with psychological elements. The basic concept has potential, but the screenplay doesn’t maintain the required pace and tension.
For a thriller, every clue should have a purpose. Every major revelation should either change our understanding of the mystery or increase the tension.
Here, several developments feel predictable or insufficiently developed.
The flashback is especially important because it is supposed to explain the motive behind everything. But instead of making the previous events more meaningful, it raises questions about the logic of certain character decisions.
The movie needed tighter writing and a more convincing emotional foundation.
Cinematography
One of the positives is the cinematography.
The movie has a dark visual atmosphere that suits its thriller genre. The visuals help establish the mood and give the film a polished appearance.
The darker tone works well with the subject matter, although the visuals alone cannot compensate for the weaknesses in the screenplay.
Background Music
The background score is another area where the movie doesn’t make a major impact.
A thriller like this requires a strong and atmospheric score to build tension during investigations, murders and revelations.
However, the background music doesn’t consistently elevate these scenes. Some moments that could have been more suspenseful feel relatively flat because the music doesn’t add enough tension.
What Works?
- Interesting serial-killer thriller premise
- Decent performances
- Dark visual atmosphere
- Good cinematography
- A few interesting investigative moments
- The basic motive behind the murders has potential
What Doesn’t Work?
- Weak screenplay
- Investigation lacks enough excitement
- Clues are not particularly engaging
- Predictable thriller template
- Flashback feels illogical in places
- Some relationship-based scenes are over-the-top
- Emotional impact is limited
- Background score doesn’t elevate the suspense
- The climax doesn’t provide the expected satisfaction
Can You Watch It With Family?
The movie is rated U/A 13+. The content advisory indicates violence, foul language, tobacco depictions, alcohol use and mature content.
So, viewers should consider these elements before deciding whether to watch it with family.
Is It Worth Watching on OTT?
If you are a big fan of serial-killer investigations and thriller movies, you can give this a try on Prime Video, but it is better to keep your expectations low.
The movie isn’t completely without positives. The premise is interesting, the cinematography is good and the performances are decent. But a thriller ultimately needs to keep the audience engaged, and that is where this film struggles.
The biggest disappointment is that the movie had enough material to become a gripping investigative thriller, but the writing doesn’t extract the required tension from it.
Final Verdict
Overall, Cheekatilo is a below-average serial-killer thriller.
The movie starts with a familiar murder-investigation setup and has a few interesting ideas, but the screenplay fails to generate consistent suspense. The investigation doesn’t feel engaging enough, while the flashback that explains the motive becomes less convincing because of its exaggerated and illogical portions.
Sobhita Dhulipala and the supporting cast deliver decent performances, and the cinematography is good, but the weak writing and narration bring the movie down.
If you are looking for a highly engaging thriller with clever clues, strong investigation and an impactful climax, this may disappoint you. If you simply want to watch a one-time thriller on OTT, you can try it with limited expectations.
Final Rating: 2.25/5
OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Runtime: 2 Hours 6 Minutes
Verdict: Below Average – One-Time Watch for Thriller Fans