Stephen

“What rescues Stephen, and brings it back to its initial sharpness, is the last act with all its revelatory strands. Smartly shot and enacted, the portion is chilling, just the way it ought to be in a film like this. For a film like this, then, to be able to predict what will happen much before its actually does, isn't the best look.”

“A twist-filled whydunit that delves into the mental anatomy of a killer, powered by strong performances and a sharp psychological payoff”

“Stephen is a gripping psychological thriller featuring Gomathi Shankar as the titular character that intrigues more than it falters.”

“A psychological thriller that spins out of control”

“Whatever qualms one has about some of the dragged-out sequences, this film offers a peculiar experience with a disturbingly interesting serial killer character in an investigative thriller that tests patience.”

“Stephen spends much of its two-hour runtime appearing as a run-of-the-mill psychopath story... the film appears quite amateurish, playing all the keys of a forgettable melody. However, the brilliance in the script comes to the fore when the writer makes even the audience empathise with Stephen, and the inventive climax reinvents the serial killer archetype—though Stephen fumbles as it never feels like a pulsating crescendo reaching its peak.”