Retro is a 2025 Tamil action screenplay by Karthik Subbaraj action film. The film has Suriya and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles. The film is steered by Jyothika, Suriya, Kaarthekeyen Santhanam, and Rajsekar Pandian under the Entertainment Company Stone Bench Films, and 2D Entertainment and been released by Sakthi Film Factory, and Sithara Entertainments, Swagath Enterprises, Pen Marudhar Entertainment, and Vaika Merryland Release.
As per AsianetNews, the budget of the movie is said to be Rs 65 crore and the reported box office collection of the movie till date is said to be Rs 104 crore, which means the movie has even gained the momentum at the box office and is a profitable venture already. Coverage of camerawork by Shreyaas Krishna and Toning by Shafique Mohamed Ali. Composer of the pristine music is Santhosh Narayanan.
The film was playing in theaters since 1st May 2025, and is competing against titles such as Raid 2, Thunderbolts, and Hit 3. Raid 2 came out on the same day, hence the reluctance of many theatres to show it in many parts of India, even I watched this movie after that, Thunderbolts, shows on the same day, but the only theatres which showed this super duoplex had these two movies available to watch, don’t know why didn’t they show this movie, I have to travel to the another city to watch this movie.
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Review
Karthik Subbaraj’s Retro is a visually stunning, genre-bending film with influences from mythology, gangsterism and even political symbolism. Suriya is a revelation on screen as Paarivel Kannan (Paari), an orphan raised by a don, and the clash between violence, love, and fate becomes the pivotal point of the narrative. Based upon the mythology of Lord Krishna, the story about Paari is used to question the purpose of life, if one is born to bring peace like Buddha or fight like Krishna.
Retro’s first half is simply full of energy, emotional and dramatic. The iconic 15-minute single-shot sequence of action-dance is introduced by the hypnotic “Kanimaa” song, and is one example of unmistakable cinematic excellence. The cinematographer Shreyaas Krishna and the composer Santhosh Narayanan add the substance to the storytelling with ambient visuals and a heart-racing score.
Suriya is at his most complex in awhile. The character is given credit by his appearance, a man who never learned to smile and carries the scars of the psychological wounds. Pooja Hegde as Rukmini is honest but her character could have been better defined. Joju George stands out as the villain father, Thilagan, and the father-son dynamic makes the story richer.
The second half of the movie loses its steam, though. When the story has to take us to Black Island, which is inhabited by new villains such as Mirasdar (Nasser) and his son Michael, we get flooded with tales of cults, trafficking goldfish, and religious preaching. Its mythic references and political undertones are bold, but the flourishes are often forced and clunky.
To his credit, Karthik Subbaraj had every intention of doing something edgy and unusual. His themes of revolution, the search for identity, and the silence of voices are strong. But the saving grace of the movie is lost due to its indulgent script and uneven tone.
So in plain English, Retro is a stylish movie, well acted, and technically great, but it over-compensates. Well, for the fans of Suriya and Karthik Subbaraj, there is sufficient reason to watch the movie, which has been marketed sufficiently as being worth the cost of one’s ticket. Just be aware that it’s not a perfect film, which does not mean that you won’t enjoy its soaring moments.
Cast
The screen juicy dynamics and the on-screen work are not hindered by an uneven screenplay, primarily thanks to Retro’s commitments in lead and supporting parts. Amidst it all is Suriya, so earnest and dedicated in his rendering as Paarivel Kannan (Paari), an orphan, conditioned to be a gangster brought up by gangster whom he must find peace and identity in the face of all odds.
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Hailing from veterans of film, Suriya introspects the character brilliantly, as a sullied, wounded youngster who is transformed throughout the syndrome into a reluctance-wielding soldier. Clinton is another poignant and symbolic character as the man who cannot smile because of irreversible psychological trauma. This is the good return to form performance by Suriya, and it is going to give them this convince that, Suriya has the capabilities to do some serious work in the complex, versatile character, that can work for his fans, as well as the critics.
Pooja Hegde’s Rukmini is one of her best performances in the film. She brings a dignity and understated strength to the role, although it is under written in places, especially the second half. Her chemistry with Suriya comes very natural and is good especially in the Coorg sequences. Invested with the potential of emotional drama, she is a woman dashing between love and the attractiveness of one’s conscience.
Joju George as gangster dad figure Thilagan does a fine job. Present is the way that he conveys pleasure, vulnerability, and rage with the character. The views shared between him and Suriya are affecting.
Veteran Nasser and Vidhu appear in the second half and bring a little bit of theatrics to their negative roles, but it is very shallow writing. Sujith Shankar and Jayaram play smaller roles but whose scenes are as successful as they add both comic relief and local color, though not all their scenes are of equal measure.
All things considered, Retro is a movie that makes excellent use of its cast, and their performances anchor the movie with a sense of the natural that offsets its spirit of experimentation and visual outlandishness. That richness raises moments that might have otherwise fallen flat, and it demonstrates just how much casting matters in star-driven cinema.
All things considered, Retro is a film that exploits its cast extremely well, and their performances ground the movie in a sense of the natural which contrasts its spirit of experimentation and visual excesses. Glass buoys so many moments that would have otherwise flopped flatly, and it’s proof that casting is more important than any other element of star-powered cinema.
Critical Reviews
M Suganth of The Times of India gave the movie three stars out of five and wrote that Retro “kicks off with a fantastic mythological premise” and that Suriya delivers a star turn as a shrewd, almost godly hero. Though the film digs deeper with its themes and includes spectacularly moments, especially an incredible one-take scene, unfortunately the second half of the film gets bogged down with so many story lines. While the script does occasionally take a detour, the director’s hands and the music by Santhosh Narayanan keep the movie’s level of interest at a high.
Avinash Ramachandran, The Indian Express gave the film a three-star review out of five stars and writes, Karthik Subbaraj’s brave, multi-layered film tells the story of myth, politics and star power through Paarivel Kannan, played with aplomb by Suriya. Though the film spills the beans, visually and in terms of exploitation and score, the second half is annoyingly wordy and excessive. Yet despite pacing and writing issues, the film stands out for its heart and its political belief.
Janani K of India Today gave the movie two out of five stars and says, Retro is good in the first half with its emotion and fabulous visuals with Suriya’s performance, but the second half slows down. Though the film reaches for the big ideas of purpose, spirituality and politics, it becomes too heavy-handed and preachy in the parts of the Andaman. Although the movie’s weak character arcs and a dragged out narrative let it down, Santhosh Narayanan’s music and Karthik Subbaraj’s vision keep the movie alive.
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Latha Srinivasan of Hindustan Times gave a three-star rating to the movie out of five stars and wrote, Retro is a stylish attempt from Karthik Subbaraj and the movie would turn to be Suriya’s intense action-romantic role. The first half is technically brilliant and emotionally engaging, especially the 15-minute action-dance sequence, but the second half is excessively long, diffuses its focus and has too many sub-plots. The performances of Suriya and Pooja Hegde stand out, while Santosh Narayanan’s score on the other hand excels. The stilted script is the fatal flaw of this movie, preventing it from being great.
Sajin Shrijith of The Week has given the movie three stars out of five stars and writes that the movie starts very well with Suriya as the stoic gangster, Paari, but becomes uneven after that. Karthik Subbaraj’s lightest movie so far, and the one that allows maximum space for fun, and for Suriya, to be, well, Suriya and stylish (especially when he’s unable to smile). But in the shift to the island, its strangeness, the allusion to myths, the tonal leaps drain its power. It’s fun, but it leaves you a little empty.
Audiences Reviews
The movie has a bit positive audience rating of 6.6 stars out of 10 stars on IMDb. Upon searching user reviews I found it to be a bit of a hit and miss in terms of fan over or under reaction. The majority of audiences gave the movie around 8 out of 10, commending its ambition, acting, and direction, but some were disappointed by its second half and overall coherence.
Most people who have watched Retro have claimed that it is an emphatic comeback for Suriya. His screen presence, dramatic intensity and the requisite height to portray a multi-faceted character in Paarivel Kannan have been praised immensely. Many said it was his most powerful and life-changing performance in recent years. The chemistry between Suriya and Pooja Hegde onscreen has been lauded especially in the first half. Pooja’s de-glam avatar and emotional curve were found to be a welcome change, although some felt that her role was not well-developed in the second half.
The first half of the movie is unanimously praised for the brilliant set-up and thriller material, the highlight of which is probably the uninterrupted 15-minute one-shot scene of the song “Kanimaa.” The plot unfolds well around love and laughter and it’s a stylized blend of action and love. Another standout of the movie is the music by Santhosh Narayanan, especially the background score and all the songs, “Edharkaga Marubadi” and “The One” that have been praised for adding an edge to many scenes.
The second half of the film had some viewers complaining about the lucid dialogue and structure. Some felt that the “cult” plot and setting (Andaman Islands) was great visually, but very disjointed from the main storyline. Others found the writing choppy, the mythological and political references either obvious or undeveloped.
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While fanboys praised the film as a fresh zenith of cinematic expression, and as a classic-to-be, others labeled it bloated, tedious, and, in the end, when it came time to pay off its promises, watered down. But for the most part, one can say that Retro is a stylish, ambitious movie, and by and large, it’s good enough that if it isn’t perfect, the good central performance, and you definitely should make the trip to the cinema with this one.
A decent entertainer, with moments to remember, especially in its first half, and a comeback for Suriya, though the second half doesn’t live up to the promise completely.
Songs
In addition to elevating the emotional and visual pulsations of the film, the backdrop music, produced by Santhosh Narayanan, titled Retro (2025), is a vital element, not just as music but as a narrative tool. Impressively fascinating, the songs are custom-fit for the masses and classes, considering the multi-layered script of the movie, which is painstakingly textured and paced in Karthik Subbaraj’s mind’s vision.
The soundtrack is opened by “Love Detox” sung by Puniya Selva, Suriya and Santhosh Narayanan lyricized by Arunraja Kamaraj. The track, which is 3:30 minutes long, takes a toll on the love and freedom factor, unraveling the internal contest of Paari and Rukmini.
“Edharkaga Marubadi.” The song was composed by Vivek and performed by Puniya Selva and Narayanan, and lasts 4:17, with a theme of the redemption given to Paari due to his second chance, so prevalent in his character arc. “Mythos of Paari,” a forceful collaboration between Sid Sriram, Shan Vincent de Paul, and Narayanan, that is four minutes of pure melody meets rap, portrays Paari in the mythos as a savior.
“Kannadi Poove” (4:21), a soliloquy of reflection (and yearning) is a rare emotional release of the storyline as Narayanan sings to himself, while 808Krshnaa’s “Lose Your Fkin Mind” is the most minimal and most experimental (1:42), a brief breather with an anarchic edge that adds a poppycockety edge to other, more surreal moments in the film.
Then there’s the highlight of the album, “Kanamaa” (4:04), an astonishing single-take scene in the movie featuring Santhosh Narayanan and The Indian Choral Ensemble, which lasts for 15 minutes. It combines choral grandeur with Tamil folk rhythm and is unforgettable, both visually and audibly. In short, the Retro score is dystopian fusion; music that denies its future roots in the past and celebrates supernatural excellence of God.
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How to Watch the Retro Movie
Retro is currently showing in theatres. However, as I said above, this great film has been replaced in my area’s theater by other films. So, I had to go to another city to watch it. If you are interested and want to know if it is playing near you, you can use BookMyShow or the District app to find the theatres near you and check if they are playing it. You can go and watch it there if they are. Otherwise, you could consider checking another city or waiting until it becomes available on Netflix.
The digital OTT rights have been sold to Netflix and the release date of the movie on the platform is estimated 2-3 months after the end of the theatrical run. Once it is out, you can subscribe to Netflix, if you haven’t yet, and watch this masterpiece on your home theater.