Recommended For You is a thriller short film directed by Shamik Sen Gupta and stars Ayush Mehra in the lead role. The film has a runtime of around 25 minutes.
– Recommended For You Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
Recommended For You is a cautionary tale for all of us as we live our lives increasingly on the internet, so much so that our online lives spill out into the real world. The short, first and foremost, will remind you of movies such as Choose or Die and Unfriended: Dark Web, but with a shorter runtime.
The movie works on simple logic and doesn’t try to make things too complicated. The idea here is that if there is anything that can take videos, you can rest assured that it’s going to be used for nefarious purposes.
The short does a good job at building the tension in a short runtime. Although the storyline isn’t very unique, considering the same thing has been shown multiple times previously in other horror movies, it still manages to create a gripping atmosphere. And, at 25 minutes, it’s a short and simple adrenaline rush.
If you’re someone who has enjoyed the above-mentioned movies and like found footage, internet death-type shows, then Recommended For You will be right up your alley. The goal here is simple, and if you’ve watched enough of these types of movies, you know where this is going. The movie ends on a cliffhanger to keep you guessing, and the implications are quite chilling, but it, unfortunately, doesn’t stick because the movie doesn’t let the audience do any guesswork.
Now, considering that the short film doesn’t do anything new, it’s somewhat of a misfire, especially for genre fans. It starts out intriguing, and you expect it to go in some other direction. But when you’re in a few minutes, you clearly see where this is going, and you get more and more disappointed as the runtime goes up.
Again, for first-time viewers, it’s a good watch, especially if you don’t like hardcore horror movies. It has very less at stake and doesn’t try to get too deep, so you get this comfortably uncomfortable viewing experience. However, for anyone who wants more than just a PSA on the perils of the internet and how the world is going towards dangerous times, Recommended For You will disappoint.
Now, the points that the movie wants to make are clear and somewhat in-your-face. It doesn’t try to play coy by showcasing that going down murder rabbit holes isn’t the best idea, especially when your bitcoins are involved. It’s actually a bit disappointing that the movie handholds the audience and literally spoon-feeds information to us – that definitely brings the mystery and thrill down a notch.
I must wonder, however, why a business would kill its cash cow and how that is a feasible business model, but then again, in a country with a population of 138 crores (and counting!), I am sure there are greener pastures to visit.
Summing up: Recommended For You
Recommended For You is a good watch if you’re in the mood for a quick and attachment-free thrill. However, it does nothing new and loses itself in genre tropes after a while, showcasing that murder is fun when it’s happening to others, but when it’s someone you know and love, things get too personal!
Recommended For You is streaming on Amazon miniTV.
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