Odela 2

Despite its flaws, Odela 2 is a bold attempt to push genre boundaries in Indian cinema. Watch it for Tamannaah’s powerful transformation and the rooted horror setting. But don’t expect a consistently gripping ride—this one’s more atmospheric than arresting.

Even Tamannaah Bhatia's Performance Can't Save This Underwhelming Supernatural Thriller

The first part was compelling simply because of its shock value and the fact that most of us are kinder to direct-to-OTT films, the second part doesn't even have that excuse. Odela 2 is plagued with the problem of underwritten or completely absent characters that don't add anything to the narrative except to wail unnecessarily, and amidst all this chaos and cacophony, Odela 2 forgets to be an engaging drama.

There's a poster of Odela 2 where Tamannaah Bhatia's character walks on skulls. Those skulls might belong to the audiences who stepped out of the test screening

If not for Tamannaah, it would have been an ordeal to sit through this uninspired horror fable. Odela 2 is interested in the subtle pleasures of horror filmmaking but invests in being a loud, categorically low-stakes CGI showreel with little emotional impact. There is only so much a committed, sincere performance from Tamannaah can do to save a film that is falling apart at the seams, one scene at a time.

Unlike Odela Railway Station, which stuck confidently to its crime thriller roots, Odela 2 tries to be a bit of devotional, action-packed and suspense-filled entertainer, and ends up being none of them. The writing is mostly lazy, loud, and overwrought, while the action leaning heavily on gore, laced with uncomfortable, sleazy undertones.