| Release Date: 26 April 2019 (USA) IMDb Rating: 8.5 Genre: Drama, Horror Language: Assamese Director: Bhaskar Hazarika Cast: Lima Das, Arghadeep Baruah, Neetali Das Screenplay: Bhaskar Hazarika Producers: Shyam Bora, Priyanka Agarwal |
Aamis received its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and is genuinely one of the boldest and offbeat products of Indian cinema I have seen in
recent times.
Starring Lima Das and Arghadeep Baruah, Aamis starts as a seemingly innocent bonding over food, but throughout its runtime turns on its head into a bonkers of a ride that will leave you shaken.
Nirmali, a married pediatrician lives in Guwahati, with a son and a husband who is mostly absent, and away in far off rural areas as a doctor. And into her life walks in Sumon, a Ph.D. student researching on the meat-eating habits in North Eastern India, who introduces her to the pleasures of eating fresh and unprocessed meat. What starts off as harmless trips for trying out various types of meat, gradually develops into unforeseen feelings, but their attempts to try and remain in denial, coupled with the probable social repercussions, take their bond down a twisted and unexpected path.
Arghadeep as Sumon and Lima as Nirmali are perfect for their roles, and it is the believable and slowly developing chemistry between them, that provides the beating heart to this story,
The performances are truly top-notch.
holding it together as you are left gasping for breath in the second half when things start going into the rabbit hole. And among the supporting cast, Neetali Das as Nirmali’s friend does an excellent job in providing both a foil and anchor to the character of Nirmali.
While I did indeed love the final shot with which the film ends, the final act leading to that shot was kind of a downer, where it ultimately seemed like a movie that was on such a daring and pathbreaking ride, seemed to find a way to tie up stuff in a relatively conventional fashion. I would have much rather preferred if Aamis had fully embraced its premise and went all in to the surreal territory for the finale.
Aamis is not a movie for everyone, and I can’t emphasize it enough, for some of the narrative choices taken, run the risk to rub you off the wrong way.
Tweet
But if you are open to challenge yourself, or just can’t wait, take a slice of a truly unique cinematic experience, Aamis is a treat you can’t afford to miss!
My Verdict:
