Review: The Stoneman Murders

It's 1983 'Bombay', a serial killer is on the loose, crushing heads of beggars sleeping on Mumbai pavements at midnights.

Suspended cop Sanjay Shelar (Kay Kay) takes it as a right opportunity to get reinstated back in the force as he is confident that he can solve the case.

His unit in-charge Satam (Vikram Gokhale) though doesn't take him back into the force, allows him to do a parallel investigation of the same. Sanjay with the help of a supportive constable, Kamble (Virendra Saxena) begins his work.

Soon enough though he realises that he is the one being hunted. Things get complicated when Sanjay gets implicated and becomes a suspect.

Debutante director Manish Gupta (writer of Sarkar) has made a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge throughout its one hour 40 minutes runtime.

Taking inspiration from a real life incident that made headlines in the 80s and weaving a fictional story around it, Gupta does a good job in giving the film a realistic touch and yet keeping it entertaining.

Gupta gradually builds up the tension and staying away from actual blood and gore, manages to scare you whenever the Stoneman comes onscreen. But what may be debatable for many will be the 'cover up' drama shown by the Mumbai Police force after nabbing the culprit.

The inclusion of Rukhsar (who plays Kay Kay's wife) in the script and her bareback scene appear completely deliberate. Also the banter between the couple also doesn't really add up to anything substantial. Also unnecessary is the item song.

Kay Kay as the hotheaded cop is brilliant. Don't miss the change in his body language as he moves from being the cop-in-control to a desperate man being hounded by the killer.

FIRST LOOK: The Stoneman Murders