Spa Movie Review: A daring, engaging experiment that falters late
Spa Movie Review(3 / 5)
Spa Movie Review:
Very early in Spa, we see a filmmaker trying hard to persuade his therapist to share her story and experiences, convinced that a potential film lies somewhere within. He explains why every story needs conflict and resolution for the audience to root for, the three-act structure, and the 5Ws, but to no avail. In hindsight, this feels like Abrid Shine foreshadowing what is to come.
Shine has often shown a reluctance to be confined by conventional cinematic grammar. His films, irrespective of their box office fate, carry a distinct signature, be it in narrative structure, treatment, or performances. Spa is yet another experiment where he revisits the Action Hero Biju mode of storytelling: episodic and largely devoid of dramatic highs or convenient resolutions. The intent here is to expose society’s moral hypocrisies, and he succeeds for the most part, even if the film wobbles towards the end.
Cast: Shruthy Menon, Vineeth Thattil, Radhika Radhakrishnan, Sreeja Das, Poojitha Menon, Rima Dutt, Sidharth Bharathan
Director: Abrid Shine
Rating: 3/5
Set in a spa at the heart of the city, the film brings together clients from different walks of society, from a sawmill worker to a doctor, an artist, and even a film star. Most of them are here for sensual pleasures in the pretext of getting a body massage, and it's often amusing to watch the therapists handle these men. Some come armed with weird kinks, some search for a muse, some presume entitlement that overrides consent, while others grow emotionally attached to their masseuse. Though a few episodes are intercut, Shine, who also scripts the film, mostly keeps the storytelling simple and linear.
The release of Spa coincides with the BJP-led Thiruvananthapuram corporation’s crackdown on cross-massaging, deemed against the “culture of the land.” The film, however, is not interested in such moral posturing. Instead, it tears into the mask of pseudo-morality, be it the father who fumes when his son uses the F-word but seeks arousal in profanity himself, or the film star desperate for recognition yet unable to reveal his identity.
Refreshingly, the women working at the spa are portrayed without sentimental cliches. They are neither coerced victims nor women burdened by tragic backstories. Or perhaps they are, but the film does not feel compelled to spell it out. They know what they are doing and do not bother justifying it. “If those who seek these services do not have a moral conundrum, why should we?” one of them asks. It is among the few instances where the film states its position a bit too bluntly.
Spa is not plot-heavy or single-character-driven. It thrives on fleeting yet memorable encounters. Among them, Vineeth Thattil’s Mathan stands out as the most rounded and endearing. A middle-aged rustic man who may appear intimidating, Mathan is in truth a gentle giant, or as a character aptly calls him, “Pookie Mathan”. For someone with no prior female interaction, this visit becomes more than mere rejuvenation. Vineeth beautifully captures the character’s vulnerability, impulsiveness, and unexpected longing for romance. His scenes with Radhika Radhakrishnan unfold organically, with the actress navigating delicate situations with admirable restraint.
All the female actors deliver assured performances, especially Shruthy Menon as the leader of the pack. We are repeatedly told she is the best among them, and her body language and interactions convincingly convey the confidence of a seasoned professional. Though the film does not deeply explore their camaraderie, whatever little we glimpse feels authentic and perhaps even Bechdel Test-worthy.
Spa aligns itself with earlier attempts like Trivandrum Lodge, Hotel California, Vedivazhipadu, and Paapam Cheyyathavar Kalleriyatte, which also examined desire and hypocrisy in a humorous tone. Yet Shine isn't ambitious enough, as he neither pushes the envelope into biting social satire nor ventures into radical storytelling territory. But what ultimately holds Spa back is its clumsy final act. The sudden introduction of two new characters and a Kill Bill-style subplot seems designed to trigger a tonal shift and subvert expectations. However, the writing around these characters feels underdeveloped, and the action sequences lack conviction. If the aim was to deliver an adrenaline rush, Shine has previously demonstrated far sharper staging of martial arts and close combat in his 2020 film, The Kung Fu Master. Here, however, the stretch feels forced, leaving us wondering about its purpose.
In a film that features one too many ‘happy endings’, it is ironically the ending itself that does not quite land.