It’s consistently engaging, but doesn’t get under your skin like some of Kashyap’s other films, particularly Black Friday,Gangs of Wasseypur, and the criminally overlooked Ugly.

There are some mesmeric bits in here, which belong to Siddiqui. But those are not enough. Without those crucial elements, the film is rendered atmospheric yet hollow, and we are turned into cringing voyeurs, into reluctant participants, without redemption.

No Bollywood-style revenge or anger, just pure sadism. Ramanna’s purity, despite his cruelty is spine-chilling, especially when juxtaposed with Raghavan’s uncontrolled violence.

Raman Raghav 2.0 has only good performances to watch else the film is surely not worth your ticket price. Since there are multiple releases this Friday, pick this only if you are an ardent Nawazzudin Siddiqui or Vicky Kaushal fan, because the film holds no promise of entertaining you.

Kaushal displays a lot of brave acting, including a terrific confrontation scene with his father (Vipin Sharma in a brief appearance). There is real good cinema in that scene towards the end of the film, and also a reminder that Kashyap has a lot of talent. He just needs to stop making films that are very similar.

Extending Kashyap’s continuing probe into the horrors of dehumanisation, Raman Raghav 2.0 dives deeper into the cesspit than any of the director’s earlier films – to deliver a dystopian study that is at once fascinating and nauseating.

The biggest problem with Raman Raghav 2.0 is that it glorifies the gore. The climax monologue will run your patience thin. Can you buy the logic that killing for insanity is better than killing in the name of religion? It is crude, callous but in trying to whip up suspense, it loses sight of vulnerability.

Director Kashyap is obviously inspired by Sriram Raghavan’s short film on Raman Raghav, lifting several scenes. But in his attempt to make it an edgier, contemporary narrative, Kashyap loses out on the potency of the plot.

Don’t miss this scary and unapologetically sadistic movie where Nawaz is at his creepiest best.

Raman Raghav 2.0 is another triumph for Anurag Kashyap. It sure is not a Gangs of Wasseypur, but the filmmaker knows what to do with his viewers. Shocking people, disturbing them, stirring them come naturally to this man as killing comes to Ramanna. Watch the film. ‘Sa-prem’!

It’s hard to imagine what Raman Raghav 2.0 could have been had it been made by a different director. It’s a film that utterly suits the style of Anurag Kashyap; yet he fails to create a captivating experience. This ends up making Nawazuddin Siddiqui the saving grace in the end, and he handles this responsibility like a boss. Raman Raghav 2.0 is to be watched if you wish to dive into the convoluted mind of a serial killer. If you’re not interested in that, you can give this one a miss.

Though RAMAN RAGHAV 2.0 promises to be an edgy thriller, the film fails to deliver. It is only Nawazuddin’s brilliant performance that helps you sit through this 140 mins long film.

While this is a compelling story, there are just too many loopholes in this thriller to keep it gripping throughout its runtime. For once, it seemed that Anurag Kashyap was more caught up with the stylistic elements than with the actual narrative in this story.

Whether you like the frills or not, there’s no denying that RR2 is a film that haunts you. It has the ability to shock and disturb. It glorifies violence and murderers. And it can only be enjoyed if you can accept misogyny, death and gore as integral parts of reality. Otherwise, this movie can be quite the nerve-wracking experience.

Those looking for a dark, de noire, and grisly time on screen with a twist in inhumanity powered by Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s topnotch performance. RAMAN RAGHAV 2.0 makes the kill. Hit it.

Kashyap’s vision is almost devoid of humanism; he wants us not only to examine the muck, but literally drown in it (as Ramanna literally does at one point). The problem is that there’s no way to do that without feeling utterly disgusted by yourself.

It is dark, very dark and deprived of even a shred of dignity. It makes you feel nauseated at the shocking spread of depravity served to you. But then again, it is unique storytelling. Go for it, if you have the suitable palate.

This is film that doesn’t flinch from the fearful ugliness of existence. It’s also a brutal and haunting reminder of how rapidly the lines dividing the law-makers and law-breakers are disappearing. ‘Raman’ and ‘Raghav’ are no  longer the archetypal Villain and Hero that we sought in our cinema for moral comfort. They are now the best of friends and our worst of enemies.

Raman Raghav 2.0 is layered, gripping from the word go, unnerving and, in a twisted way, hugely entertaining. It is also a stinging commentary on the times we live in.
He is back, people. Anurag Kashyap is back.

Anurag Kashyap delivers a gritty, grimy, gut-wrenching story of opposites in order to tell you that they’re not really so. Takes a while to come to the point, but you understand why it is so difficult to edit out stuff that is so deliciously dark. The opposites played by Vicky Kaushal and Nawazuddin Siddiqui are so equally ugly, you know the director has made his point when you cannot swallow popcorn.

Raman Raghav 2.0 is not for everyone but if you are a fan of Anurag Kashyap’s brazen style of story-telling, you might forgive the predictable second half and still come out happy! It falters, but Nawazuddin Siddiqui makes it worth your time.

No filmmaker I know has managed to bring to life the filth, the underbelly, and, yes there is no other word, the sheer grime, of India on to the screen as Anurag Kashyap has (right from Paanch, down to Ugly). Indeed his contribution to films over the past couple of years (or even in the long-run) far exceeds his work as director. Is this even close to his best? Nope, perhaps because there is, in that sense, hardly anything new. Does it jolt you still? Hugely, for the most part.

Raman Raghav 2.0 deserves a watch mainly for Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s superb performance. Even if you’re not a fan of dark themes and graphic violence, carry a paper bag, but do not miss this movie!

Watch it for Nawaz and Vicky’s jugalbandi act, but don’t go expecting a tight murder drama.

A gleefully amoral serial killer film with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in terrific form…

Raman Raghav 2.0 is a cleverly crafted and compelling film.

Indian slasher films (the few that have managed to be produced) have been typical fare: solely focusing on the act and the investigation that leads to the capture of the offender. But Raman Raghav 2.0 offers access to the dark mental alleys of its troubled hero, so much so that his parallel world and sick mind achieve a twisted logic. This one’s certainly not a date film. But hey, a jolty squeeze on the upper arm can do much for your love life.

These sort of films aren’t exactly evergreen material. The content, we mean. Crime films, dark films, disturbing films are watched often, but the deal is that the audience needs a certain novelty in presentation. You could call it shock value if there’s emphasis on the negativity, but the idea really is to give the audience a sense of seeing something they’ve not seen before.

More than the story itself, it is the quirky telling that is the key. Structured around eight chapters, vividly shot in the slums, pulsating with raucous music, Raman Raghav 2.0 is a taut thriller, full of energy and brimming over with tension. It doesn’t flag even once and holds the viewer tightly in its grip. Such is the dizzying momentum and pace that you even stop caring about some missing pieces of the jigsaw that would have been niggling you. Clear-cut, uncomplicated Raman Raghav 2.0 takes you on an entertainment high.

At times it can feel as if you are being bludgeoned. But Kashyap’s thriller will keep you glued to your seat in spite of an expected end.

Both Kaushal and Dhulipala come up with brilliant performances, but it is truly Siddiqui who steals the show.

Raman Raghav 2.0 is strictly meant for Anurag Kashyap fans. The film maker is known to make films that are hatke, and Raman Raghav is no exception to that.

Raman Raghav 2.0, is a must watch as this kind of dark psychotic film comes very rarely in Bollywood. The film is brilliantly made and the actors performances are excellent. They can scare the living hell out of you. If you like dark movies you should surely watch this, but if you like only romantic films and are weak hearted, give this a miss!

Raman Raghav lacks the vulnerability of Ugly. It’s just black. It could be in a Swiss account. In theatres it just seemed pointless to me.

As the film’s final credits roll down, you have an unsettling feeling about it. Torn between your strong tug to appreciate the quirky bent of mind and slam the filmmaker’s over indulgence, you are left in lurch unsure about what to say about the movie. In such a scenario, one thing is certain. You definitely didn’t like what you saw. The material had potential but the vision was clouded by the need to prove a point.

The idea that Raghav is merging into Ramanna is provocative and thought-provoking, but the movie doesn’t elaborate on its cleverness and focuses instead on delivering shocks and jolts. They come unfailingly whenever Ramanna is on the screen, swinging an iron rod and wearing a helmet to add his personal touch to an already macabre scene.

Now, for Kashyap’s fans, this is totally his type of a film and if you missed watching his disturbing yet so real dramas, do not miss this one. However, there are a few of us who watch films like these with half of their faces covered with their hands, well, we too wouldn’t regret watching it. But this one is a serious no no for the faint hearted ones.

If you are a normal human being with normal emotions and sensibilities, stay away from this one by miles. With this film, Kashyap reaffirms that he is not a bit interested in the normal audience, even if he can con some, and many internationally at obscure festivals, into admiring such undiluted nauseating bilge.  

The violent scenes are spooky enough to haunt your thoughts and run through your mind for many days to come.