Gajab Raat

The film's most interesting thread is its depiction of a police officer who is part of the rot he is expected to confront. Bajpayee gives this contradiction its weight, with a lived-in quality to his performance that does not make the character instantly likeable, and that is to the film's advantage.

There's no cinematic style or technical wizardry to be found in Shah's storytelling, and despite Manoj Bajpayee's stellar performance and nuanced portrayal of his character's fluctuating morality, the script weaknesses, clumsy action, and flimsy characterization around him significantly undermine the film.

Gajab Raat has the makings of a gripping crime thriller. However, despite a promising premise and a race against time, the film struggles to deliver the twists and tension the genre demands. Gajab Raat is a watchable but unremarkable thriller that relies on Bajpayee to compensate for its narrative shortcomings.

The Netflix thriller, directed by Ritesh Shah and co-written by Neeraj Pandey, has corruption, a vaccine scam, and a morally conflicted protagonist, but very little convincing writing. There is hardly any gajabness (wonderment) here, only ajabness (bafflement).

Although the answer to these difficult questions is a bit obvious and unconvincing, it's Manoj Bajpayee who ultimately holds the reins tightly and makes it enjoyable till the end. However, beyond that, the film lacks the charm and novelty that you might expect from a collaboration like this.

Neeraj Pandey and Ritesh Shah team up for a crime drama starring Manoj Bajpayee as a quick-witted cop, but weak writing in the second half lets down an otherwise enthusiastic and promising beginning.

Manoj Bajpayee's Thriller Is a Big-Time Misfire... Gajab Raat is more ajeeb than gajab. At least bad films leave you with a headache, this one leaves you dumbfounded.

While it opens with promise, its increasingly complicated conspiracy and underwhelming climax prevent it from delivering a gripping crime drama.

The 123-minute thriller gets its momentum from a plot that takes place over 24 hours and its kicks from watching Manoj Bajpayee in action. Bajpayee's Ajay is so marvellously weaselly that he almost manages to sell the film's weak finale. Having revealed all kinds of strange goings-on over the course of several hours, Gajab Raat settles for a disappointingly ordinary, and implausible, solution.

An engaging plot and an electric ensemble make it a night to remember. With an electric ensemble and a gripping plot, director Ritesh Shah turns a routine police investigation into a breathless arena of institutional warfare.