Max

2024 [KANNADA]

Action

7
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 80%
IMDb Rating 7.1/10 10 3923 3.9K

Director

Vijay Karthikeyan Photo
Vijay Karthikeyan

Top cast

Ilavarasu Photo
Ilavarasu as Head Constable Ravanan
Pramod Shetty Photo
Pramod Shetty as
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar Photo
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar as
Sudeep Photo
Sudeep as
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
1.13 GB
1280*720
Kannada 2.0
NR
Subtitles
25 fps
2 hr 5 min
Seeds 11
2.32 GB
1920*1080
Kannada 5.1
NR
Subtitles
25 fps
2 hr 5 min
Seeds 9

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by sanketsarwade 8 / 10

A Goosebump-Inducing, Rooted Action Thriller That Knows Exactly What It's Doing

Let me just say this upfront - Max (2024) is the kind of Kannada film I've been craving for. A high-octane, tightly packed action thriller that doesn't waste your time with fluff, melodrama, or unnecessary romantic angles. It grabs you by the collar in the first 10 minutes and doesn't let go until the final frame. And for someone like me who enjoys fast-paced, one-night or few-hours-type narratives, this movie was an absolute blast.Direction - Razor-Sharp and ConfidentVijay Karthikeyaa, take a bow. For a debut film, the direction here is not just good - it's mature, focused, and unapologetically Indian. He clearly knew what story he wanted to tell and how. No detours. No forced love stories. No unnecessary side plots. Just pure, raw intensity wrapped in a gripping thriller format. The pacing is tight, the mood is consistent, and most importantly, the film feels like it respects the viewer's intelligence. That's rare nowadays.BGM and Songs - GOOSEBUMPS. EVERY. TIME.Now let's talk about the music - holy sht*, the BGM is absolutely haunting in the best way possible. B. Ajaneesh Loknath delivers a background score that doesn't just support the scenes - it elevates them. There were multiple moments where the music gave me literal goosebumps, especially during the chase sequences and the confrontation scenes. It's the kind of score that stays with you long after the movie is over.And the songs? Minimal, yes. But when they come in, they feel earned. Not inserted for the sake of a musical break. They actually complement the story's vibe. That's how it should be.Editing - Crisp and CleanI cannot thank the editors enough for not bloating this movie with garbage scenes that slow everything down. No out-of-place romance. No flashbacks that add nothing. No long drawn-out monologues. Every scene in Max feels necessary. It's like the filmmakers had a clear respect for time - both theirs and the audience's.There's a sweet spot between making a film feel full and making it feel long - Max hits that sweet spot perfectly.Action - Brutal, Raw, and SatisfyingThis is where Max really punches through. The action choreography here doesn't feel like dance routines - it feels real. Gritty. Ground-level. There's blood, there's desperation, and most importantly, there's weight behind every hit. You feel the pain. You feel the stakes.The hero isn't doing superhero jumps or flying across rooftops. He's fighting with whatever he's got - fists, tools, surroundings - and it works so damn well. It reminded me of old-school Indian action films but with modern polish. Kichcha Sudeep looks and moves like a man possessed. Easily one of his best performances.Story - A Tight One-Night Thriller That DeliversI love stories that happen over one night or just a few hours. There's a built-in urgency that you can't replicate in stories spanning days or weeks. Max takes full advantage of that format.Without spoiling too much, the plot revolves around one man caught in a deadly situation with limited time and resources. What follows is a tense game of cat and mouse with twists that feel organic and earned. It's not trying to be clever for the sake of it - it's trying to stay real, grounded, and high-stakes.Characters and Performances - Real People, Not CaricaturesOne thing I truly appreciated was how Indian this movie felt - in the best way possible. The characters talk like real people. Their motivations are clear, their emotions are raw, and their reactions feel human. Even the villains aren't cartoony - they're threatening because they're believable.Sudeep owns the screen, of course. His portrayal of Max is intense but never over-the-top. You can see the rage, the confusion, the desperation - it's all in his eyes. No need for dramatic dialogues. His body language does the talking.The supporting cast is solid too. No one feels out of place. Everyone knows their role and plays it right.A Word on 'Marco' - And Why Max Feels So Much BetterI've got to say this - after sitting through something like Marco (which didn't even feel like an Indian movie to me), Max felt like a breath of fresh air. Or maybe like a punch of authenticity. Marco tried so hard to look like a Western action flick that it lost its soul somewhere in the process. Everything felt fake - the accents, the lighting, the behavior. Like a bad knock-off of John Wick but without any of the heart.Max, on the other hand, embraces its Indian roots - from the setting, to the way the characters behave, to the music. And because of that, it actually stands out. It's not pretending to be something it's not. It's fully aware of what it is - and that self-awareness makes it ten times more impactful.I like my action grounded. I like it emotional. I like it fast. Max gave me all of that and more.Final VerdictMax is the kind of film that doesn't waste your time. It's intense, fast, emotional, and most importantly, rooted in Indian storytelling. Every technical aspect - direction, BGM, editing, action - comes together beautifully to create a film that's both entertaining and satisfying.This isn't just a good Kannada film. This is a great film, period.My IMDb Rating: 8/10I highly recommend this to anyone who loves thrillers, action films, and tightly written scripts. Skip the flashy, soulless stuff like Marco. Watch Max instead - you'll be glad you did.
Reviewed by shivrajpb 8 / 10

Best action movie ever from sudeep

Wow..sudeep sir u r great. What a action packed movie. What a acting by sudeep. Manju also did well. Best direction and screenplay. Not a single min u get bored in a movie and seat edging story. I usually dont give opinion to sudeep movies but this one made me to give the rating and comments. Sudeep sir great acting and given yourself max to the max movie. Manju as usual proved he can play any role. Congrats to whole team and its efforts. No one act as sudrep sir does in this movie. His aggression and Anger for the police role covered best. Few silly mistakes are there but over all its a best movie.
Reviewed by sujanfaster 6 / 10

A well paced thriller but a topsy turvy ride

Max marks a significant release in the Kannada film industry, representing the return of a major star after a long gap. While I have great respect for actors like Shivanna and Upendra, it's clear that they no longer command the same level of stardom and fan following as Kichcha Sudeep or Yash. Max also comes with a backdrop of controversy, as there was notable silence from both the producer and the actor following the early announcements of the film. While the specifics of what transpired behind the scenes remain unclear, Kichcha Sudeep himself has mentioned in interviews that the movie took far longer to complete than originally anticipated. This delay is particularly noteworthy because Max is an event-based film, with its story unfolding over a very short span of time. For a star like Sudeep, known for headlining large-scale films with significant production timelines (often with a gap of nearly two years between each release), committing to a project like this required a considerable investment of time and effort. This makes his involvement in Max even more significant, given the time constraints and the nature of the film.There aren't many Kannada action films where the plot unfolds over a very short period of time, but Max successfully keeps the audience engaged with its tight screenplay and effective background score. The production design and cinematography are impressive, especially considering the entire movie takes place during the night. This ensures that the film remains visually compelling without feeling overwhelming. Some of the action sequences are sleek and stylish, while others tend to be a bit over the top. While the storyline doesn't carry the same level of intensity as a film like Kaithi-a comparison that's hard to avoid, given Max's similar setup around a police station over the course of a single night-the film's brisk pacing and sharp editing manage to maintain the audience's interest. The first half introduces some cleverly executed ideas, but the second half is mostly mindless action, which turns out to be quite a drawback.Max's main weaknesses lies in its casting, unnecessary characters, and simplistic dialogues. As the film is directed by a Tamil filmmaker and produced by a Tamil producer, several Tamil actors are given prominent roles, many of which involve significant dialogue. While actors like Ilavarasu, Redin Kingsley, and Varu Sarathkumar deliver decent performances, their dubbing feels off, and their characters lack the emotional depth needed to make a lasting impact. Additionally, the movie features an array of goon characters who fail to create any meaningful conflict or substantial threat for the protagonist. Characters played by Sunil, Vamsi Krishna, and Pramod Shetty, in particular, could have been consolidated into a single, stronger antagonist with a more personal vendetta against Sudeep's character. Although Max is an event-driven film, Sudeep's role as the cop Arjun Mahakshay would have benefitted from a brief introduction or flashback to better flesh out his character arc. That said, Sudeep does manage to shine through, thanks to his commanding screen presence, distinctive voice, and undeniable swagger. The supporting characters at the police station also have interesting roles, but at times their actions come across as overly dramatic and exaggerated.Max is a decent comeback for Sudeep after almost two and a half years making the best use of Sudeep's swag and stardom. It is a decent theatre experience but the movie had so much more potential to have become a landmark event based movie.
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