Save the cinema, kill the critic: review of the film Chup: Revenge of the Artist (2022)

Abstract

Chup is a terrifying thriller about a psychopath who tortures and murders film critics for giving unfair ratings. The murderer is portrayed as a self-proclaimed crusader seeking to enforce the dictatorship of aesthetics and preserve movies from incompe-tence. Chup is a hunt by both the killer and the police. Alternatively, it may refer to a cat-and-mouse game between the police and the culprit. The film is different from the usual thrillers and depicts many shades of a psycho-path killer ’ s character, as an annoyed filmmaker, a frustrated actor, and a genuine cinema buff. The script combines genres as varied as crime, romance, psychology, police enforcement, and movie criticism. Balki (2022) adopts a moderate stance and exemplifies the value of critical analysis of cinema. The 135-minute film Chup starts with cinema critic