Identity plays with the concept of good and evil, throwing us into a cat-and-mouse chase as the assumed bad man always stays a step ahead. But is he actually the evil guy here? There is also a woman witness, a police officer, a doctor, and even a cat. Interestingly, each of their actions and true identity remains mysterious which ramps up our curiosity, keeping us on the edge of our seats for most of the first half.

When Haran (Tovino Thomas) meets his new neighbor Allen, a police officer (Vinay), and Alisha (Trisha), the film sets us up for a thrilling hide-and-seek game. Props to the writers, the little details that are sprinkled in passing create impactful moments even as you connect the dots later. For instance, when Allen initially introduces himself as a Karnataka police officer, the scene is set in a way that we chuckle at his urge to proudly establish his profession among his new neighbors. However, this tiny dialogue has a much bigger reflection later in the story. Similarly, there are bite-sized clues packed into simple events like a cat climbing a wall, a store owner trying to catch a criminal, etc.

Thanks to such nuanced details, Akhil Paul and Anas Khan build a world full of mystery, perfect for a thriller to unfold with so many possibilities that we keep wondering where the story will take us next. Each character carries along a mystery and a twist or two in their backpack. When a few are revealed like Alisha suffering from a rare condition where she can’t recognize the facial features of human beings, it amps up the storytelling, creating a certain effect of thrill. However, besides just unraveling the built mysteries, the makers begin to add multiple threads that are as interesting as the previous one but with every character playing a trick, we feel overstuffed after a point. Which is why the clever setup with excellent research work offers us both the best and least interesting aspects of Identity. In addition, the film decides to settle for all things predictable in the second half. If something isn’t predictable, the subplot ticks it off with a convoluted twist. So, the organic aura of enigma slowly washes away from both the characters, and the film’s world.

But by the time we are done with the guessing game and feel a little distracted, the makers make it up through a few clever sequences, topped with action. That the most thrilling part of the film is not in its exciting first half, but in its less engaging second half says it all. This portion where we see Tovino’s Haran trying to avert an operation is again designed with the cleverness the initial setup offered, making a big difference. The performances too keep us engaged when the story becomes a tad confusing. While Trisha gets little to do after a point, Tovino and Vinay go all out, especially with the changes they bring to their body language. Haran is usually a straight-faced, perfection-obsessed human being, but the tiny moments where Tovino breaks down humanises this man whose intentions we hardly know. Identity, just like its characters remains mysterious and confused in equal parts. So even though the film doesn’t realise its full potential, as it takes on different identities that move away from the core plot, the intriguing sequences make for an engaging watch.

Rating – 2.5/ 5