Dee Movie Review: A haunting jungle riddle let down by narrative chaos

There’s sincerity here — even flashes of brilliance — but also a disjointed structure that leaves the film emotionally unfocused and narratively overgrown

In Dee — also called D — writer-director and lead actor Vinay Vasudev attempts a blend of psychological drama, eco-thriller, and survival adventure. The ambition is believable, as is the labour poured into the film’s aesthetic and thematic layers. With its deep forest setting, intense character conflicts, and mystical overtones, Dee aspires to be meditative and primal, but the final product often feels like a tangle of unfinished thoughts. There’s sincerity here — even flashes of brilliance — but also a disjointed structure that leaves the film emotionally unfocused and narratively overgrown.

Direction – Vinay Vasudev

Cast – Vinay Vasudev, Disha Ramesh, Bala Rajwadi, Harini Srikanth, Nagendra Urs

The story begins with a forest guard hearing strange noises in the shadows of a vast and unforgiving jungle. He shoots what he believes is a threat. It turns out to be a human. The question of what makes a man more dangerous than a beast is posed early — a potent thesis. This tension is mirrored by the film's setting: the Sirsi forest — lush, untamed, and gorgeously captured by the cinematographer Allen. Practical shots blend with CGI in an uneven mix; some sequences — such as a bear encounter — and scenes involving snakes and elephants feel digitally flat and unnecessary. Why give an artificial look to those gracious beasts? It would have been better even if real animal footage had been used.

At the center is Deepak (Vinay Vasudev), a man caught between a tumultuous past and a confusing present. He’s introduced in a violent, bloodied state — feral and fleeing from an unseen danger. As he escapes a bear by climbing a tree, we drop into a flashback, marking the film's reliance on non-linear storytelling. Memories, hallucinations, and reality blur — though not always effectively.

The plot is simple at its core but suddenly alerts the viewer to its deeper complexities. Deepak and Divya (Disha Ramesh), just married, go to the woods in Sirsi for a two-day trip to spend some quality time together. But this is where things take a serious turn. The couple unfortunately gets separated while taking a photo. In come the forest guards; a few forest fugitives, the protagonist’s parents, and the deep forest inmates — all initiate a frantic search for Deepak and Divya. Though destiny brings them back together, fate has other plans — leading to the film’s climax. As a summary, this plot is neat. But then, abruptly, it fractures into too many trails.

The first is muddled, especially the first half — with slow pacing, redundant exposition, repetitive incidents, and a cryptic buildup that delays emotional investment. Characters appear without clear motivations, and while the screenplay seems to revel in ambiguity, the lack of structural coherence makes it difficult to grasp what exactly is at stake.

The film tries to juggle too many things. The jungle is a living entity; the animals represent primal instincts; the characters’ psychological wounds mirror the physical wilderness. At its best, the film taps into an elemental rhythm — especially in scenes where Deepak and Divya, isolated and desperate, must rely on instinct and mutual understanding. But just as often, these themes are undercut by clunky editing, awkward sequences, and odd tonal inconsistencies.

Supporting performances by Harini Srikanth and Bala Rajwadi as Deepak’s parents, and Nagendra Urs as a weary forest officer, offer moments of clarity amid the fog. But the film lacks a stable emotional anchor. Who is this story about — Deepak? Divya? Or the forest itself? The answer is never firmly given — and perhaps intentionally so.

Ultimately, Dee is a film of contrasts: visually poetic yet narratively clumsy; thematically ambitious but structurally confused. It is a story about humans lost in the wilderness — both physical and psychological — but it never quite finds its own compass. There’s much to admire in the raw sincerity of Vinay Vasudev’s vision. His dedication and hard work as a director and actor are evident. But admiration isn’t always enough. The forest may be alive and kicking, which gets all the brownie points, but Dee ultimately loses its direction in the wilderness, never quite earning its place on the green carpet.