Groufie

Plot: Karthik, a photojournalist, is battling for his life and he remembers an adventurous trip that took him to the Western Ghats and interior Karnataka. How did it prove to be fatal?

Review: Groupfies are group selfies and mandatory when one is out with friends, especially on trips. Groufie refers to the same and tries to weave one such click as a turning point in a thriller set against picturesque locales. Does this film work? It almost does, but could have been tighter in its execution.

Karthik is a photojournalist who sets out to do a feature story on the hillside beauty and lifestyle of the people living in interior Karnataka. During his stay, he finds a bunch of students who are there to trek and explore the area around. He finds friends and even love in this gang of five. Just when he thinks everything is hunky dory, he discovers an uncomfortable truth.

The idea behind Groufie is interesting. But, the story becomes predictable just half an hour into the narrative. This becomes the biggest setback, as the story takes much longer to unfold, even though one might have guessed what will come thereafter. So, the relatively shorter film ends up seeming longer than it is.

The acting by the six youngsters is earnest. But the shock value that the thriller is meant to bring is underwhelming at times. Groufie is a decent effort that had scope to be much better.