O2 HD Released

 

Debutant director GS Viknesh's O2 may not be an edge-of-the-seat survival thriller, but it's powerful enough to keep you hooked throughout with distinct characters. 'Nature is ruthless when threatened,' says Nayanthara in the very first scene, giving us a gist of what we are about to the witness in the next couple of hours. The story revolves around the lives of a mother and her eight-year-old kid with breathing difficulties and how the former fights hard to keep him safe despite a life-threatening situation.

Within the first few minutes, we get introduced to Parvathy (Nayanthara) and her son, Veera (Rithvik), who is suffering from cystic fibrosis, an inherited disorder that causes severe breathing issues. While all we need is oxygen to survive, Veera is someone who has to carry an oxygen cylinder in his bag all day for life support. As Parvathy can no longer see him suffer, she decides to take him to a reputed hospital in Kochi from Coimbatore for treatment. Little does she realise that the journey would put their lives in danger.

The bus they travel in tumbles into a pit following a disastrous landslide. The two, along with other passengers, get trapped inside with bleak chance of survival. As the fight for oxygen begins, the rest of the film is all about how the mother saves her child and the only oxygen cylinder that is crucial for him.

O2 has its heart in right place and builds up the momentum periodically through a gripping narration. However, the writing gets weak towards the end, especially the climax sequence, which could have been more impactful. A medical student who is waiting to elope with his girl friend, an ex-MLA and an arrogant cop with horrific intentions — all of them get stuck in a situation where they gasp for oxygen. While all these make for interesting plot points, the character arc of everyone, except the lead characters, goes wrong terribly.

For instance, Rishikanth's character, a medical student, who tries to be a saviour of sorts initially only to his real colours as the film progresses. In fact, most of the characters in the film lose steam. At one point, every characters in the film displays a negative shade, which is completely fine, but here, it isn't believable and looks underwhelming.