Agra (2023) Poster

(2023)

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6/10
Violent (MAMI MFF 2023 #9)
nairtejas31 October 2023
Agra has a fantastic opening for a film that aims to talk about things that is rarely talked about in India. An incel, living with a family where the guardian has brought in his lover to stay with his wife and children, is at the centre of the story. He is sexually repressed and is unable to focus on his life's progress. The film unravels slowly, taking its own sweet time to meander through a few scenes to show what it really means to be a involuntary celibate in a crowded city like Agra that is also known for a mental hospital. There is a lot of nudity and violence here and I'm not sure what to make of the former but I'm certain this is going to ruffle a few feathers if and when it premieres theatrically. Terrific performances make this a must-watch.

(Watched its India premiere at the 2023 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)
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6/10
Good concept, can be better treatment.
hitlersom1 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I loved the concept and I even attended the q&a session so got the gist what the makers were eyeing on. By saying this, I do not belittle the hard work and the profound nature the film explores.

Just the thing that didn't work out for me was the authenticity in the message. Firstly if we have a certain idea or a kind of character or an issue which we want to address and probably empathise with, we need to look for the sensitivity it carries. Sexual repression is still a complex subject to dwell upon, and to show it explicitly without having a solution to the problem or from where the problem arises can be a little problematic. If you have the solution than target that like other so called social dramas, and if don't then just raising questions among the society and addressing the points that has been overlooked is a good option, but sexual literacy in a country like India is still not up to the mark, and okay, I empathise with your character, but what am I meant to do with the empathy?
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7/10
Probably the most messed up Indian movie I have seen?
chenp-547085 May 2024
When it comes to Indian cinema, shock value or really dark stories tend to not be often explored but with Agra, the movie carries some really interesting, yet, disturbing and pretty messed up concepts with strong direction from the filmmaker, flawed, yet, interesting characters, and strong performances from the cast members.

Following a character who is sexually repressed and an incel, the main character is well-explored in a slow burn study on examining his behavior as the movie does a good job on exploring his descent into madness, violent, and sex. With good camerawork, production, and sound designs, many of the performances are terrific and memorable to date.

Due to it being a slow-burn, there were some pacing issues that could have been improved and certain character decisions were questionable but not in a good way. Including some poor dialogue choices. But overall, it's messed up narrative yet interesting character studies helped to maintain it's structure.
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