Movie Name : #Cult
Release Date : October 30, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Vishwak Sen, Gayatri Bharadwaj, Tarak Ponnappa, Murali Sharma and Others
Director : Vishwak Sen
Producers : Sandeep Kakarala
Music Director : Ravi Basrur
Cinematographers : Aravind Vishwanathan
Editor : Ravi Teja Girijala
Related Links : Trailer
Cult is the latest outing from Vishwak Sen, which he himself directed. Touted to be India’s first-ever slasher film, Cult hit the big screens today. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
Elvin (Tarak Ponnappa), the son of Goa’s Home Minister, throws a grand birthday party, inviting all the big shots from across the country. What initially begins as a celebratory event soon turns into a dangerous game involving a killing spree. The venue is rigged with explosives, leaving the police with no scope to rescue the guests. DSP Sankalp Nayak (Vishwak Sen), who is also inside the party, rises to the occasion to save the day.
Plus Points:
Vishwak Sen has a solid screen presence, and who better than him to understand his own strengths? The action sequences involving him have come out well, with the actor’s swag and attitude on full display.
Some gags featuring Tarak Ponnappa’s frustration evoke decent laughs here and there. The movie finds its footing in the penultimate moments. The sequences showcasing the guests gathering courage and going after the perpetrators are good.
The backstory, with an emotional touch, is decently handled. Vivek Chepuri, who plays the antagonist, delivers a fine performance. Gayatri Bharadwaj, Murali Sharma, Srikanth Iyenger, Karthikeya, Anirudh Bhaskar, EZY, and the other supporting cast are decent in their roles.
Minus Points:
Since it’s a survival thriller, the audience must feel the tension in the proceedings and root for the characters to make it out alive. However, Cult stumbles in building the necessary tension despite the gore and heavy bloodshed.
Cult doesn’t shy away from admitting its inspiration from Squid Game, with a character openly mentioning the show’s name. However, the life-threatening games fail to pack a punch, and this is one area where Cult could have done much better. Not only are the games unexciting, they also come across as silly.
Till Vishwak Sen makes his entry, the narrative remains ineffective despite an interesting concept. The interval is neat, but the graph dips again in the post-interval portions. Some trimming was needed.
Technical Aspects:
Ravi Basrur’s background score is fiery, while cinematographer Aravind Viswanathan captures the action sequences well. The production design is good, with the birthday party setup established nicely. The editing could have been better.
Vishwak Sen scores well in the action part, but his direction works only in bits and pieces. The attempt to deliver a slick survival thriller is evident, but the execution leaves room for improvement.
Verdict:
On the whole, Cult is an okayish survival thriller with some moments working in its favour. Vishwak Sen does well, and the final thirty minutes are designed well. However, the film doesn’t effectively deliver the required tension and thrills due to the underwhelming survival games, preventing it from becoming a satisfying watch.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team