The Girlfriend

“Films are not made in vacuum. One way or other, they always capture things happening around us. Similarly, they cannot be watched or reviewed in a vacuum either.”

“The Girlfriend becomes a matter of pertinence as it goes about studying the skewed nature of the gender dynamics around us, and for all its other shortcomings, it still beams bright for opting to pursue its study from really up close. It is in this inspired portrayal that Rashmika Mandanna reveals her own evolution as an actor.”

“This film mirrors the realities of many young women by exposing affection disguised as control with parents and romantic partners and unveiling raw human emotions. With its emotionally powerful storytelling, director Rahul Ravindran crafts a gripping drama that doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truths of modern relationships.”

“The Girlfriend is not your typical love story and may not be screened in as many theatres as you'd like to, but it is definitely worth lauding for showing us the mirror about how we normalise toxic behaviour instead of taking a preachy tone.”

“‘The Girlfriend’ is a feminist's answer to all the misogynistic movies out there.”

“Rashmika Mandanna delivers her most emotionally charged performance yet in The Girlfriend, though the film's execution falls short of its potential.”

“Rashmika's sincere performance stands out, but the film around her remains exhausting and toxicity extended beyond bearable limits. Whether the director is warning young women to be cautious in relationships or simply mishandling the narrative, *The Girlfriend* ends up being a missed opportunity.”

“The Girlfriend works best as a character study of emotional suffocation within a relationship. Its metaphoric visual storytelling and Rashmika's magnetic performance are its strengths. However, the stretched narrative and exaggerated contrasts between the leads make parts of the film feel unrealistic.”

“Rahul Ravindran’s ‘The Girlfriend’ captures both the pain and the conditioning that define gendered relationships, elevated by Rashmika Mandanna’s career-best performance.”

“We experience this dissonance quite a bit through the film, up until the climax. But through all of the warts, the writing stays strong. It doesn’t advocate virtue signalling, and neither does it place the onus on women to fix men.”

“The Girlfriend is a film for the ages. Its layered exploration of men, women, and the childhood experiences that shape their adult relationships is timeless. Writer and director Rahul Ravindran crafts a slow-burn drama that cuts close to the bone — close enough to make us pause and reflect on our emotional maturity and approach to love.”