U-Turn Review: Alaya F Holds Her Own in a Chaotic Supernatural Thriller

Alaya F’s U-Turn, at the very onset, is an unusual supernatural thriller marred with unnecessary twists and turns, adding very little value to the element of anticipation. The story begins when sinister events unfold after offenders disrupt a divider and take a U-turn on a Chandigarh road. 

A remake of the 2016 Kannada film with the same name, the story follows Radhika Bakshi (Alaya F), a reporter, who is on a mission to figure out a way to hinder the offenders from further violating traffic rules. However, there is more to her backstory that adds the much-needed gravitas to her seemingly unreasonable fixation. 

Inspector Arjun Sinha (Priyanshu Painyuli) also attempts to help Radhika’s efforts. And their somewhat unlikely partnership becomes the driving force of the plot going forward. Unfortunately, despite the somewhat engaging premise, the narrative fails to be coherent. 

This is not to say U-Turn isn’t replete with jump scares that are the hallmark of any good supernatural thriller. Arif Khan’s first directorial venture skillfully incorporates some key tropes that make for an entertaining watch. But despite efforts, going by the book does not add much value to the story. 

The primary predicament of the plot stems from the unlikely number of deaths taking place after the offenders take the U-turn. But it doesn’t occur while taking the turn but after they are in the comfort of their respective homes or elsewhere. This forms the crux of the plot. 

As the mystery unfolds and we dive further into this seemingly genre-bending film, all that remains is to uncover the truth. With a bizarre chain of events, the audience will be left questioning, if it’s a police procedural, a whodunnit or a supernatural thriller. The most fitting answer is that it’s all of the above, with a little bit of psychological horror thrown into the mix. 

To that end, the sheer range of possibilities further disrupts what could have been a smooth trajectory. Peppered with strong performances by Alaya and Priyanshu, they create a launching pad for the plot to gain momentum. But, in more ways than one, the story meanders and loses focus.

U-Turn seems to have so much on its plate, that it sometimes forgets to completely dent into one plotline before venturing into another. Through the course of the film, some of the side stories remain conveniently bypassed, especially the one with Radhika’s mother. 

In the end, despite strong performances and a moderately good premise – the audiences will likely be left scratching their heads as to what exactly is happening. And perhaps that is the USP of the film. But upon closer inspection that's unlikely as it doesn’t add an element of surprise as much as it adds to the overall confusion.