Top critic
Rediff
Film review ·
8.0
Well shot and featuring mostly minimal background music, NH10 is starkly different from what we are routinely served up at the movies. It is a scary, compelling ride featuring an actress who surpasses herself.
NH10
out of 10
Recommendedmost critics liked it
Monk Score · 36 scored reviews · 10 not ratedA raw, unsettling thriller on honour killings, carried by a fierce Anushka Sharma.
Verdict tier Recommended, most critics liked it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
- Praised: Anushka Sharma's lead performance
- Criticised: Implausible plot logic and coincidences
Audience
User score 7.1 out of 10 from 33 ratings, Recommended
Read 4 audience reviews ↓Top cast
Critic consensus
What 41 critics are saying
NH10 receives broadly positive notices, with most critics praising it as a gripping, uncompromising thriller that stands apart from mainstream Bollywood fare. Anushka Sharma's performance is singled out repeatedly as a standout, and the film's unflinching portrayal of honour killings and patriarchal violence is widely commended for its social relevance and gritty authenticity. The most common criticisms centre on lapses in plot logic and an over-reliance on coincidence, with several critics also drawing comparisons to the British film Eden Lake and questioning the film's originality. A minority of reviewers found the unrelenting violence difficult to absorb, and a few felt the narrative loses energy or conviction in its second half.
How the 36 scores spread
10 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive / mixed / negative reviews
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 41 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyFrom the papers
Critic reviews (46)
Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Hindustan Times
Film review ·
7.0Navdeep keeps you at the edge of your seat. The supporting cast — Neil, Deepti Naval and especially Darshan Kumaar — is solid. But ultimately, NH10 rests on the able shoulders of Anushka, who doesn't hit a false note. Her transformation from confident city girl to shattered victim and eventually avenging angel is entirely convincing. The almost-silent climax is brilliant. Meera's face — defiant, pitiless and unafraid — stayed with me. Go, see NH 10.
Top critic
IBNLive
Film review ·
7.0It's often terrifying on this highway, but you'll be glad you were there for the ride...
Top critic
NDTV
Film review ·
6.0NH10 is an adventurous Bollywood film that breaks the shackles of convention and is none the worse for it. Eminently watchable.
Top critic
Indian Express
Film review ·
4.0It's not that Sharma, who has also produced the film, is not trying hard. She is, and up to a point, she is in fine fettle. But at the point when she turns from flee to fight, I stopped believing.
Top critic
Firstpost
Film review ·
...for all of NH10's accomplishments, there are a few questionable lapses in logic, like when the couple uses a map chart instead of Google Maps on their expensive iPhones, and still lose their way. At times, the film overdoes it and keeps telling you 'North India is full of horrible people', because everyone in the film is seemingly out to kill the couple. Yes, some of the patriarchal rubbish in this country needs to be addressed, but does every man in the film need to be antagonistic to convey the point?
Glamsham
Film review ·
10.0What you take home from the movie is this: Is it worth fuelling your ego? The horrific fact of honour killings. Jungle law on the outskirts of Delhi, ''where democracy ends,'' as one cop succinctly puts it and woman power of unrefined proportions. A word of caution: This one is not for the faint-hearted.
Bollywood Life
Film review ·
8.0It is very rare to find an action film, which is so believable and which will leave you dumbfounded. Anushka's NH10 is the brave kind of cinema which I look forward from Bollywood, which is not afraid to entertain by telling disturbing truths of our society. I give two thumbs up for NH10. Watch it for hard hitting action, and Anushka's praiseworthy performance.
DNA India
Film review ·
8.0It's a neatly constructed nail-biter. Go watch it.
India Today
Film review ·
8.0NH10 is also a cry of protest against patriarchy. The mindset that is prevalent in both men and women... Do watch this film. This film will give you a fear - fear that teaches you something, that gives you courage.
IndianNerve
Film review ·
8.0Blood, gore and a big middle finger to regression – NH10 packs it all. A recommended watch.
Mid-Day
Film review ·
8.0If one has to point out drawbacks, some of the twists in the story seem too convenient and the second half dips a wee bit in energy as compared to the first half. But, overall, the choice of locations, the performances and the brutally honest take on a story that needed to be told, makes this film a hell of a scary ride but absolutely worth it. Don't miss it.
NowRunning
Film review ·
8.0NH10 is a dark and wild ride into the lawless small town and villages of India, with plenty of thrills and gory action. Not meant for the fainthearted and tailor-made for cinema aficionados, Hindi cinema in 2015 hits a new high this weekend.
PinkVilla
Film review ·
8.0Watch NH 10 for a real, but cinematically brilliant ride. It's hard to stomach, but then so is the inimical Indian reality that it portrays on screen.
SKJBollywoodNews
Film review ·
8.0There is much to commend in this dark tale of a woman's night out with psychotic killers. Most of all , it coils its serpentine narrative around its character with such sinewy charm that your come away from the experience shaken, stirred and sobered down.
APotpourriOfVestiges
Film review ·
7.0NH10 doesn't come across as a crowd puller but it will certainly appeal to the sophisticated audiences. The movie is recommended for serious viewers and for those casual viewers who aren't easily turned off by violence.
Bollyspice
Film review ·
7.0NH10 makes an impact on you because the movie stays away from outlandish Bollywood drama – most of the times – and puts forth a day gone wrong situation which could happen to anyone. If you caught yourself looking over your shoulder more than once on the way back home you know this movie made an impact on you. Don't miss this one.
Daily Bhaskar
Film review ·
7.0Is it a typical Bollywood film? No. In fact, it is very brave of Anushka to have chosen such a project to mark her production debut in Indian film industry which usually serves women dolled up, acting like eye candies in the film. Talk about breaking the mould!
Gulf News
Film review ·
7.0NH10 is entertaining and creepy for most parts. It's an example for perfect casting too. Darshan Kumar as the rod-toting brute, Sharma as the vulnerable woman teetering on the edge of sanity and Bhoopalam as her sensitive partner fits right in. It's also devoid of melodrama, making NH10 an enjoyable ride.
India Today
Film review ·
7.0If you like action and revenge dramas this is great one! But if you can't watch blood and torture then there is no way you can watch this. NH10 is a power packed revenge drama!
KoiMoi
Film review ·
7.0NH10 is a need of the hour. There may be many road trips that you have taken but there can be nothing as gruesome as this. Watch it for girl power.
Sify
Film review ·
7.0Director Navdeep Singh who made the delightful Manorama Six Feet Under, whips up a film that's unrepentantly dark, gritty and gruesome. And you still watch with rapt attention, as the story that is unfolding is so deliciously intense and the performance by the leading lady so earnest and untethered. This is a jolt-filled ride you don't want to miss!
The Navhind Times
Film review ·
7.0Singh keeps you on the edge of the seat throughout the film, and the story cuts to the chase right from the word go. Sure there are some loopholes in the plot but you are willing to forgive them because the film is under two hours and for large parts it is crisp. The violence is unflinching and that makes the events even more effective.
Times Of India
Film review ·
7.0NH10 is a relentless thriller you wish you could see with your eyes closed - because truly, as its song goes, chill gaye naina.
Wogma
Film review ·
7.0...despite the intentional laxity in the writing, your muscles stay taut. The mind stays worked up and alert thinking of what you would do in real life, despite the unreal coincidences. Most of all, the intensity doesn't leave you long after you've left the theater. How many thrillers can you say that about?
Zee News
Film review ·
7.0Get ready for a new sojourn, only to feel the thrill while 'NH10' takes you to an unseen destination.
Bollywood Hungama
Film review ·
6.0NH10 is a wonderfully made film with an outstanding performance by Anushka Sharma. It will be well appreciatedby an intelligent audience that's gunning for women safety and empowerment. The sound cinematic credentials and gripping narrative is the high point of the film. But, as mentioned earlier, the glorification of violence isn't easy to stomach. You need to be really motivated to absorb it. This National Highway has its shares of potholes, but, it is a must visit. Do go the NH10 way!
BookMyShow
Film review ·
6.0NH10 deserves a watch for the sheer honesty and boldness of its execution. Watch out for Anushka's terrific performance!
Deccan Chronicle
Film review ·
6.0There's not much you take home from the film except a churned tummy perhaps, but if you're one who likes to tease your senses in the here and now, drive your way to NH10, but be warned of the sharp curves ahead.
FilmiBeat
Film review ·
6.0Navdeep Singh's NH10 starring Anushka Sharma is a must watch if you like romance, thrill, action and good story, mixed in one single film.
India Today
Film review ·
6.0Even as the edgy second half engrosses you, NH10 still feels contrived as it nears the finishing line. But that's not taking away from Sharma's performance, which adds vigour to an average screenplay and sets aside other characters as superfluous, so much so that you don't remember their names.
Mumbai Mirror
Film review ·
6.0NH10 is atmospheric, well acted, moody and crafted with a definite vision. A little more writing and less 'inspiration' would have made this its own distinct film. Perhaps if the filmmakers didn't assume that not more than fifty Indians have watched Eden Lake, I'd recommend this in a heartbeat. Of a strong, thumping heart.
Rediff
Film review ·
6.0An underwhelming climax, sadly, dilutes the triumphs of the stark thriller. Its consistently realistic tone plummets into standard avenging angel territory full of over-the-top theatrics and stylised rage. This compulsive need for a last word kills the impact of many a strong, better-off-silent scenes in Hindi films.
The W14
Film review ·
6.0While this one also gives off the feel of a horror flick, it is essentially a thriller. The number of coincidences in a plot is obviously inversely proportional to how credible the story seems. There are quite a few coincidences here, and an equal number of moments where some suspension of disbelief is a must.
Yahoo
Film review ·
6.0Watching NH 10, given the complexity of the story and the way it played out, seems an exercise in futility. The film makes for a frustrating watch, more so because it is such a squandered opportunity.
Hindustan Times
Film review ·
5.0Navdeep Singh nails it in the first half, but the second half lacks the same fluidity and penetration power. NH10 displays a great potential and then fails to capitalise on it.
India Glitz
Film review ·
5.0Mixing the grittiness of Kelly Reilly starrer 'Eden Lake' (2008) with the junk of Khap and the spunk of women power , Anushka Sharma's debut as producer 'NH10' is jaw dropping but unoriginal mess of impulsive and peculiar film-making.
Emirates247
Film review ·
Navdeep's less assured hands don't lend 'NH10' the punch it deserves. It's a good movie but not great.
Filmfare
Film review ·
Performances by Neil Bhoopalam, Darshan Kumar and Deepti Naval are credible. None of them falter, not even a bit in convincing you about their characters. As for the film itself, it does not offer the same conviction. It has the trappings to sway the average Hindi movie buff, some might even see a ggreat leveller in it. But to the Hollywood regular this one's just another release.
Firstpost
Film review ·
NH10 was not an easy film to make and it isn't an easy film to watch, but give it five minutes, and it will suck you into its menace-riddled story. A thoroughly average idea and a flawed script add up to a gripping experience, thanks to Singh's direction, Merchant's editing and Sharma's acting. That's rare, particularly in Bollywood.
IndiaTvNews
Film review ·
There is an urgent need for men to get involved in bringing an end to the violence against women and criticize it loud and clear every time it takes place until it ends in the end. Watch it as it speaks against everything that is wrong in our nation.
Komal Nahta's Blog
Film review ·
NH10 is raw and entertaining in its own way. No doubt, it is meant more for the class audience but since the investment in the film (Rs. 14 crore approximately) is not big, it would very easily fetch commission. Sadly, the recovery from all other sources, except India theatrical, would be very limited. In spite of that, the film will fetch profits. It is a film which will win a lot of critical acclaim and one which will make the producers, director, technicians and actors associated with it, proud.
LiveMint
Film review ·
The violence which almost caused the censors to ban the film is still there, and very disturbing indeed. Yet, it doesn't feel like a put-on. There's no flamboyance to it; it isn't movie violence—which is why I have a small issue (oblique, spoiler) with the last-gasp attempt to feed the audience's need for retribution. It may have been dramatically necessary—every nerve in my body was crying out for it—but it was also slightly implausible. Still, this is a minor quibble.
Reuters
Film review ·
"NH10" scares, thrills and entertains throughout its 115 minutes. It also suggests that Bollywood finally might have turned a corner this year, and is ready to churn out films that more faithfully reflect the country we inhabit – the whole country.
The Free Press Journal
Film review ·
The night-time cinematography is creditable, and the performances are pretty much adequate. Anushka. Neil and Darshan Kumar as the villain dig in well but it's a feisty Deepti Naval, who makes her all-too-brief cameo a memorable one. In fact her entry point is when the film picks up speed. Otherwise, Navdeep Singh's film is a mere genre pusher.
The Hindu
Film review ·
NH10 cannot be interpreted at a simple text and story level (Calling it a rip-off of Eden Lake would be as reductionist as stating that Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof is inspired by Spielberg's Duel) simply because a road trip is not about the car but about the road.
From our readers
Audience reviews (4)
33 ratings · user score 7.1
- Bindu CherungathMar 20157/10
NH 10, a thriller film by Navdeep Singh. Just last month we saw badlapur of Varun Dhawan and here is Anushka's badlapur story – NH 10. A great performance by Anushka. This is also a debut of Anushka as a producer. This movie is not a light-hearted entertaining movie, but definitely, it is going to touch your heart. It might leave you disturbed, make you wonder, why all these has to happen at all. Every now and then when we flip newspapers in the morning, the newspaper tells the story of honour killings in our country. Honour killing is a brutal act. I often think, how can one's own parents or a sibling can be reason of their murder. We as a society say that we are progressive, but is it really so? What progressiveness we are speaking about, we are still stuck in dualism: either-or, win-lose, me-you, us-them. I say that I adore my religion, but I have no space to accept others' religion. So much engrossed in 'me-ness' and 'me-right-attitude' that we are not able to look at other's right. In this 21st century also, we have so many honour killings in our country, just because one chooses his or her life partner going against the wishes of parents or so called societal norms/ traditions. NH 10 is a film, which shows, how a couple accidentally becomes witness to an honour killing and then what follows form the story. Anushka plays the role of Meera, a high profile corporate executive, and wife of Arjun (Neel Bhoopalam – Serial 24 fame – Arjun's profession is not clear but appears to be influential). Initial frames of the movie shows Meera and Arjun attending a high profile party. Meera has to leave the party due to urgent office work – a product launch, and is attacked by a group of men but survives the same. Arjun get a licensed gun for Meera (with the influence of his friendship with DIG officer) hoping that this is good for Meera's self-defense. Meera is traumatized after the incident. Arjun understands her trauma and wants to take her for a holiday on her birthday. And that is how, the story of NH 10 begin. Arjun and Meera start their getaway trip by road from Gurgaon – National Highway 10. Arjun has booked a private villa for them. When they stop at a road side dhaba for some food, they witness a young girl and her husband being picked up by a bunch of goons. Arjun tries to intervene, and stops the man clutching girl's hair, but is told that she is his sister. Arjun persists and gets slapped by the girl's brother Satbir (Darshan Kumar – Mary Kom movie fame). Enraged Arjun chases them in spite of Meera asking him not to do so, absolutely unaware of the danger which lies ahead. Arjun just wanted to teach the villagers a lesson. What happens thereafter? How Arjun and Meera's journey for relaxation turn out to be tumultuous and turbulent? What happens to them, when they become witness to this young couple's honour killing? How do they respond, when they find themselves in the middle of a land where they find the misfit between percption & reality
- Tejas NairApr 20155/10
Released just over a week after the controversial and incorrectly named documentary "India's Daughter" flocked the media, NH10 is a social commentary that neither inspires nor deciphers. A couple (Sharma & Bhoopalam) witness an aggressive incident of honor killing during a holiday trip. Abashing causes the ubiquitous male ego to splutter, and what follows is a serious commentary on crime in a morally corrupt rural India. Basically, the film is a chronicle about attacks and harassment against women that start from the core (national interiors) and spreads to the urbane neighborhood. It is surprising to learn that superstitional crime is spearheaded by a matriarch and that women are not at only the receiving end, but are even a part of it. It will be wise to conclude that Gandhi's ahimsa (violence) is the best way to look at the ongoing mishappenings around us, even if it means letting your ego go and sustain mental suffering. The terrorizing experience when an ordinary person gets embroiled in crime is greatly captured. But Mr Singh's amateur direction is evident throughout the narration. Suspense is created solely with the help of manipulative score and good photography. And while the themes are interesting, the screenplay may repel its sensitive audience. Which means, the intensity of crime elements will not be suitable for a person who enters the hall expecting typical Bollywood. Neil Bhoopalam is the new Arjun Rampal, with a wooden face, version 2. Anushka Sharma definitely steals the limelight, and I have to say she strikes the right chord with her maiden production (only if she had paid more attention to the originality and closure of the script). Deepti Naval's brief role was like Anil Kapoor's forgotten one in Mission: Impossible 4 (2011). Alas, the chronicle is narrated of a world which is a mixture of reality and artificiality. Since the beginning, the screenplay tries inventive ways to base its construction, but eventually falters. How else can one explain the procuring of firearm for women's safety as a way of disentanglement? And the film continues to work itself on fool's ideas. There is some more sermoning on the caste system in India, but it takes you nowhere. While the ugly side of India is captured well with obscene inscriptions behind restroom doors and decrepit walls that we often see in trains and elsewhere, the film loses traction when it turns into a revenge drama, hoping to provide a solution I told you about. It, thus ends up in an abyss of illogic and mindless pudding. And the aftermath is left to us, perhaps to increase our misery already pumped up by the highly uncomfortable watch. BOTTOMLINE: Advocating criminality in the name of women empowerment is ridiculous and an incorrect way of tackling the subject, and for that matter, NH10 does only that. Thus, while the film is a gripping thriller per se, it shouldn't be taken seriously, and thankfully for the way it is made, it most probably will not. 5/10.
- AyushDec 20158/10
I've seen Ghajini, I've seen Wanted.+_+ But NH10 is totally different. It's trailer proves why the movie is A-rated . Based on a Rural Background, NH10 focuses on the Narrow-mindedness of the village folks. The movie shows some unnatural scenes. Let's come to the acting. Neil Bhoopalam, the actor has no important role. Infact, he acts only in the first half of the movie. He's a actor who should act in a movie like "Happy New Year 2". Anushka Sharma, has played a role. She has displayed the theme of "Pain of Seperation " perfectly. Lol! I feel Indians are crazy. Some of them brought their small kids. Seriously? For a movie like "NH10". "Women empowerment " has been portrayed in the movie in the last part. The movie's script is OK. Not that great.
- Midhun Ben Thomas (Dilseben)Sept 20166/10
With the World Cup & exams in full swing, the films has been far & few in the last fortnight or so. Actually the last Bollywood film that I had watched was "Dum Laga Ke Haisa", which was pretty good though I haven't written the review for it. This week saw the release of "NH10" which has Anushka Sharma donning the role of a producer for the first time. It has been showcased as a road movie & the promos promises it to be an edge of the seat thriller. So has Anushka invested her money wisely??? Meera (Anushka Sharma) & Arjun (Neil Bhoopalam) are happily married couples settled in Gurgaon who decides to take a break from their high profile jobs to usher in Meera's birthday over the weekend at a private villa. They set off on their trip at a leisurely pace until they stop over at a dhaba for some refreshments. There they witness a couple being mercilessly thrashed by a bunch of hoodlums, who incidentally seemed to be led by the girl's brother. Arjun tries to intervene & placate the situation but to no avail as he gets slapped in the process before the gang leaves the scene with the couple in their grasp. Meera & Arjun resumes their journey, but on the way they witness the gang's vehicle & much to her displeasure he follows them. So what were the gang going to do to the couple & can Arjun save them from further torture??? After the critically acclaimed "Manorama Six Feet Under" which released in 2007, Navdeep Singh is back with his latest venture which yet again proves his credentials. The script by Sudip Sharma is undoubtedly inspired from "Eden Lake" & it has been Indianised quite impressively by bringing in the angle of honour killing. Navdeep gives us an ample view of the vast expanses of lawlessness & male dominated terrains still prevalent in many parts of the nation. Both the halves keeps us engaged & gives us a lump in the throat, when we realise that incidents like honour killing does exist in our society. All the technical aspects were spot on be it Jabeen Merchant's sharp editing, Arvind Kannabiran's impressive visuals or the BGM by Karan Gour which was in sync with the mood of the movie. Anushka Sharma was fantastic as the protagonist as her body language, expressions (oscillating from helplessness to nerves of steel) made the character so impactful. It wouldnt be prudent to proclaim that she is presently in pole position to sweep the awards. Neil Bhoopalam has done a fine job while Darshan Kumar does evoke a chill in our spines. The rest of the cast have done an equally praise worthy job & Navdeep needs to be appreciated for his apt choice of actors. A special word of mention for Deepti Naval who sizzled in a guest role as the village sarpanch. Verdict: The film is undoubtedly one of the best thrillers in recent times but it's going to appeal only to a niche audience. Since the investment is peanuts when compared to many of the other movies, I believe it wouldn't burn Anushka's fingers. In short, if you are ready for a dark thriller...this is surely an apt choice!!! Rating: 3/5 Regards...Ben
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