Ek Villain Returns (2022)

Ek Villain Returns is the kind of glossy, pulse-quickening thriller that knows exactly how to seduce you: with slick visuals, a propulsive soundtrack, and a noir-ish mood where romance and menace keep bleeding into each other. Mohit Suri stages the action like a music video with teeth, letting the city glow and snarl while the story plays a cat-and-mouse game between privilege, obsession, and guilt. John Abraham and Arjun Kapoor bring contrasting energies that keep the film humming, and Tara Sutaria gives the emotional stakes a pop-star sheen that fits the movie’s stylish brutality. It’s not for the squeamish—this one leans hard into violence and dark psychology—but if you want a twisty, high-volume crime ride that prioritizes vibe and thrills, it delivers.

Ek Villain Returns is clearly aiming for a slick, pulpy thriller where everyone’s a suspect and love, obsession, and violence blur into one nasty knot. The problem is it often mistakes “twisty” for “smart,” piling on reveals that can feel illogical and confusing rather than tense, especially in a first half that drags and a plot that keeps resetting the rules. If you’re sensitive to misogynistic undertones, objectification, or brutality used more for shock than substance, this one may leave you more irritated than thrilled. On the plus side, Mohit Suri still delivers a few stylish moments and a dark, glossy mood, so it may work for viewers who just want a violent, messy ride and don’t mind coherence taking a back seat.