AK vs AK

Details: Cast: Anil Kapoor, Anurag Kashyap

Release Date: December 24, 2020

MPAA Rating: TV-MA

Pros: Going into this movie I did not know what to expect. Generally with Bollywood movies, they tend to be very similar to pre-existing Hollywood movies. Because of this, I was trying my best to figure out which film this one would resemble. The first 2 minutes of this movie automatically let me know that this was not only going to be an original film, but it was going to be like nothing I've ever seen before. Out of the gate Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap both give arguably the best performances of their careers. This was especially evident in the second half of the film when both characters seemed to reach peak desperation. For a minute, I forgot this was a mockumentary and truly believed the events in the film occurred in real life. This leads me to the second point I wanted to make. The way the events unfold in the movie occur in such a way where the audience is at the edge of their seat the entire time. By the end of the movie, I was left reeling at the 2 hours I had just experienced. The pacing of the movie helped deliver suspense consistently throughout the film. While the ending could have been delivered a little bit better, overall the events in the movie were executed pretty well. The thing in the movie that really is getting people riled up is the themes it presents. I believe AK vs AK did a very good job tackling fame and success in the Bollywood industry. It shows the extreme version of an accomplished actor and an equally accomplished director. The arrogance and equally as prevalent, the insecurities of both of these individuals are shown in a stylistic and brutal way. These attributes of the two protagonists show the toxicity of fame in a way where the audience can empathize with both Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap. It also demonstrated how the public has such a strong hold over celebrities. Most people wish to be famous as they think they can have whatever they want and do whatever they please. AK vs AK shows this is not the case. Throughout the course of the film Anil Kapoor is shown to have to take pictures and videos with his fans as he tries and finds his kidnapped daughter. No matter how much he pleads for help, the public are so desperate to reach the status of him or to be recognized that they completely ignore him. On the opposite side of the spectrum, no one knows who Anurag Kashyap is. The running gag in the movie is people constantly saying his name wrong showing how, even though he puts out some of the most well made films of the 21st century, if the audience doesn't like it, they won't care. Overall, I was desperate for more long after the movie was over.

Cons: Generally, most things in this movie resonated well with me. There were some editing decisions that are questionable such as speeding up multiple sequences of the movie and some of the cinematography bugged me. These are relatively minor issues that doesn't impact the way I saw this film drastically but I thought it was worth pointing out. Additionally, the ending was a little bit of a stretch. While I understand why they executed the twist the way they did, after so many things that happened in the movie, I felt as though the director was asking the audience to suspend their belief one more time which left me with a little bit more to desire.

Star Rating: 8.5/10

Final Thoughts: Overall AK vs AK is a very refreshing original movie filled with thought provoking themes, some of the best acting this year, and a very well executed plot, AK vs AK was one of the most surprising films this year.