The Tamil film, Stephen, is a psychological crime thriller, featuring Gomathi Shankar as the titular character, ‘Stephen’, Smruthi Venkat as criminal psychiatrist, ‘Seema’, and Michael Thangadurai as investigating officer, ‘Michael’. The film is an unusual take on a serial killer movie, where the focus of the story lies more on why the victims were killed rather than who committed the act. Unlike the usual cat-and-mouse chase stories involving criminals and investigators, Stephen offers a fresh angle, a delve into the killer’s psyche. Here’s our review on whether or not the movie is worth your time.
‘Stephen’s’ crime confession opens the movie on a confusing note
Stephen begins with a seemingly calm and soft-spoken man named ‘Stephen Jebaraj’ (Gomathi Shankar), walking into a police station and voluntarily confessing to the brutal murders of nine young women, whom he lured with fake acting auditions. It confused viewers about why such crucial information is spoiled right in the beginning of the movie. However, over time, they come to understand the significance of the scene and the movie’s direction. Rather than ‘who-dunnit’, it focuses on ‘why-dunnit’ and explores the thought process behind a serial killer’s chilling manslaughter.
