Movies

Run Baby Run Review: RJ Balaji’s Crime Thriller Stumbles In The Second Half!

An Ineffective Thriller!

Director: Jiyan Krishnakumar

Cast: RJ Balaji, Aishwarya Rajesh, Radhika Sarathkumar, Isha Talwar, Smruthi Venkat, Raaj Aiyyappa

Any film starring RJ Balaji—LKG, Mookuthi Amman, or Veetla Visesham—we can grab our popcorn, make ourselves cozy, and look out for some fun. There was this high on promotions happening by the cast and crew, especially by RJ Balaji for his new film, Run Baby Run. The film hit the theatres on February 3, 2023. The film is helmed by Jiyan Krishnakumar and is bankrolled by S Lakshman Kumar, Prince pictures. Cinematography is done by S Yuva and edited by G Madhan.

Starting off with the one-liner, Run Baby Run is a thriller film about an ordinary man trapped in an extraordinary situation. The film opens with a medical student, Sophie, falling off a building. Sathya (RJ Balaji) is an upper-middle-class bank employee. When he returns to his car after purchasing a gift for his fiancée, he finds a woman, Thara (Aishwarya Rajesh), hiding under the back seat. She follows him and seeks shelter in his house. The next morning, Sathya finds her dead in his bathroom. He tries to get rid of her body but gets stuck, resulting in the death of a cab driver.

Officially, the protagonist has now entered into an entangled situation. A perplexed, guilt-ridden Sathya decides to jump off the building. Here comes the motherly instinct after Valimai, where Kutty’s (Raaj Aiyyappa, Sophie’s lover in Run Baby Run) mother senses something awful is going to happen to her kid. Radhika Sarathkumar, a physically challenged mother, calls Sathya and delivers a monologue. Sathya bounces back and sets out to find answers to these questions. Who is Thara? Why was she killed? What happened to Sophie? Sathya, who was a convincing and relatable protagonist in the first half, turns out to be a hero in the second half. In the first half, he runs for his life; in the second half, he runs after the bad guys.

Apparently, the film lacks logic in a number of instances, like when Sathya, though he senses that he will be in trouble if something happens to Thara, decides to let her stay and won’t even bother to check when she leaves. Jiyan Krishnakumar touches on various issues like doctoral admissions, rapes, murders, and a real-time man who turns into an action hero eventually.

Jiyan Krishnakumar’s writing pushes you to the edge of your seat, only to end it with a typical climax. Sam C S’s background score enhanced the thrill factor for most of the film. RJ Balaji manages to deliver a powerful performance, though this genre is completely new to him. Aishwarya Rajesh’s role as a strong-headed, brave woman is definitely a cakewalk for her. We did wish she had more screen time. Smruthi Venkat and Raaj Aiyyappa, did their best in the given roles. Run Baby Run stumbles but manages to deliver a decent thriller.

Rating: 2/5

Verdict: Watch Run Baby Run only to see RJ Balaji in his new avatar!

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