A very artistically made neo-noir crime comedy thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seats and also with a smile on your face throughout! Vasan Bala’s grip on this quirky story is strong and he brings out the best out of the ensemble.

After Darlings, comes another Netflix Film worth every praise. While Bollywood might be failing at the Box-Office, there is a part of Bollywood which knows its strength and has nailed it right on the OTT. Monica, O My Darling is a neo-noir crime comedy thriller or a black-comedy in simple words. It is written & directed by Vasan Bala who also has films like ‘Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota’ and ‘Ray’ to his credits. Just like his other work, even this one is very artsy and quirky. Also, it stars the perfect ensemble that a script like this should have – Rajkumar Rao, Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte.

The film revolves around a middle-class genius robot-maker who is hired by the CEO to marry his daughter, Nikki (Akansha Ranjan Kapoor) as well as to lead the empire of the robotics company. He is tarpped in a comedy of errors when a plan to kill Monica, who is blackmailing him and a few other employees, backfires. The plot is extremely unpredictable, thrilling, and funny. On top of this, the treatment that the makers have given it is exceptional. Murder and intense sequences happening against the backdrop of retro music and the whole retro tone given to the film gives you the feel of a pulpy crime-thriller from the 80s. The director knows how to bring his vision to the screen. He is hands on with his craft and smoothly unravels the narrative while also bringing the best of the actors.

The movie has brilliant cinematography with artsy and creative shots. Swapnil S. Sonawane & Sukesh Viswanath have done a commendable job. The production design is great with the office being given an old look as well as retro look being given wherever needed. The outdoors have been well managed. The editing is great, as well. Atanu Mukherjee achieves the needed. One thing that deserves special and extra mention is the BGM and songs. Achint Thakkar who has worked on BGM for a variety of popular web-series including Scam 1992 hits it out of the park even in this one. The song ‘Yeh Ek Zindagi’ composed by Achint Thakkar, Mikey McCleary with lyrics by Varun Grover (Lyricst of Gangs of Waseypur, Udta Punjab, Fan, etc.) and sung by Anupama Chakraborty Shrivastava is such a vibe. It almost feels like a song from the 80s. Even the choreography and the whole dance sequence transports you to the 80s. Want to know what I am talking about? Check this out:

Coming to the performances – Rajkumar Rao is the face of offbeat movies. No one but him could have pulled this role off with as much ease and rawness. Huma Qureshi is brilliant, too. Her dialogue delivery and bold portrayal is praiseworthy. Two people who don’t have as much screen-time but deliver a memorable act are – Sikender Kher and Radhika Apte. Radhika Apte is and will always be the face of Netflix India. Both of them have  a very quirky character to play and they make you laugh the most.

On the whole, I see no reason why one should be skipping this film. Even if you don’t have a Netflix subscription, I think this film should be the one to start it with, with the hope that Netflix India keeps bringing more such movies. It is films like these that will not be appreciated at the Box-Office and the smaller screens are their best homes.

You can watch the trailer here: