Patriot review: Taut spy thriller that refuses to play to the gallery

There's a lot going on in Patriot at any given moment. The story unfolds simultaneously across multiple locations, and we go back in time for backstories; there are political and personal stakes. A hapless girl that needs to be saved, and then there's this whole country. A betrayal of a lover, a friend, and even of a father. We travel to the UK, Faraha, Mangalore, Kochi, and several places beyond. There's a fight in a plane, one in an elevator, one in a house, and another on a road between SUVs. There's a live-in partner of the hero, and there's his estranged wife. And to top it all, the film features a reunion of perhaps the country's biggest performer-superstars.

Director Mahesh Narayanan's intricate, complex screenplay tries to bring it all together into an ambitiously slick, action-heavy thriller that works most of the time--and even when it doesn't, Patriot, spanning over 180 minutes, doesn't for once lose your attention. That's the film's biggest win.

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What the story is about

Dr Daniel James (Mammootty) of India's Defence Research Wing is secretly tasked by former two-time Prime Minister Nalini (Revathy) to investigate the misuse of a powerful defence spyware called Periscope on civilians, orchestrated by union minister JP Sundaram (Rajiv Menon) and his son Shakthi (Fahadh Faasil). Before Daniel can get to the bottom of things, Nalini dies and he flees the country. From the UK, he starts a vlog under the alias Vimathan — the Dissident. His attempts to expose JP's crimes are dismissed as anti-national activity. But when an insider feeds him more evidence, Daniel starts closing in, with old friend Rahim Naik (Mohanlal) stepping in as unlikely backup.

Where the writing sets it apart

Anti-mass surveillance and data privacy have been fodder for several films, but what makes Patriot distinctive is its writing. The film unravels beautifully, without clunky exposition. Mahesh Narayanan respects the viewer — the dense content is unpacked through brilliantly constructed sequences that are also slick and heroic. The very first conversation between Nalini and JP at a public gathering is a perfect example: they speak with brevity, yet the stakes emerge effortlessly from their exchange. Such dexterity runs through almost every scene. The film demands active participation — we aren't told what's happening, we're left to find it ourselves by following the scenes. Which is, after all, the point of cinema. While this approach is commonplace in Western spy thrillers, it's rare and genuinely refreshing to see such deliberation in a commercial film here.

Whenever Indian filmmakers attempt high-stakes thrillers--in colloquial terms, a "Hollywood-like movie"--they tend to emulate the scale, music, stunts, budget, glamour, and even the stakes, but never the writing. Patriot succeeds precisely on that count. The quality of the writing here overpowers the stunts and the scale.

Cracks in the armour

Yet there are chinks. The most glaring is that the origin stories of almost all the key players trace back to a single place, convenient to the point of being silly. And when Mohanlal's Rahim enters the fold, there's a noticeable disruption to the film's early rhythm, as we take a detour down memory lane to make things more heroic. While such digressions are pure fan service, they dent the seamless flow the first half builds so carefully.

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The performances

This is a film that doesn't let anyone besides its protagonist truly stand out. Mammootty yet again scores big, pulling off a stoic and restrained character with ease. By the time the credits roll, Dr Daniel James feels like a character with enough depth to anchor a franchise, there's a lot still left to dig into him. Fahadh Faasil's Shakthi gets room to perform, but the clichéd corporate-villain role doesn't leave a lasting impression. That's more the writing's fault than the actor's. As for the much-hyped superstar reunion, billed as a "blast" in the film itself, it puts a smile on your face. There's an emotional, almost meta moment of Mohanlal tending to an ailing Mammootty, and several lines of dialogue that tug at the heart. Mahesh Narayanan, to his credit, carefully avoids milking their collaboration for cheap pleasure.

No small feet

Patriot is the rare commercial thriller that earns its ambition. It's messy in places, occasionally indulgent, and asks more of its audience than most mainstream films dare to. But Mahesh Narayanan's commitment to smart writing, not just spectacle, is what sets it apart. The Mammootty-Mohanlal reunion could easily have been reduced to a nostalgic gimmick; instead, it's handled with restraint and genuine feeling. Flaws and all, Patriot holds your attention across three hours, and in the current landscape of Indian cinema, that is no small feat.