Logout Movie Review: A Gripping & Well-Made Cyber Thriller Starring Babil Khan

There are only a handful of cyber thrillers made in India and most of them have been terrible. Last year, Vikramaditya Motwane directed a screenlife cyber thriller titled CTRL starring Ananya Panday which was a test of patience.

Is Babil Khan’s new cyber thriller Logout any good? Let’s find out below.

The Hot Take

I am not a fan of cyber thrillers, especially those made in India, as most are quite generic with a familiar plot and cringe execution. So, when the Logout trailer was released I had my preconceived notions but I am glad to report that I was wrong.

The only silver lining I had with respect to Logout was its writer and director, the former TVF members and the makers behind the two Netflix shows Maamla Legal Hai and Kaala Paani.

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Logout is about a social media influencer named Pratyush (Babil Khan) whose goal is to achieve 10 million followers on his social media account before his rival influencer. His life takes a turn for the worse when he realises that his phone is seemingly misplaced and the only help he gets is from his obsessive fan whom he has never met.

There is a moment in the film which was a tongue-in-cheek comment on the backlash “nepo kids” receive these days. When Babil is seen breaking down during a live session on social media, one of his followers comments, “Better acting than nepo kids.”

The meta humour here works on many levels since Babil is a nepo kid (Irrfan Khan’s son) but he is way better than the likes of those other mainstream star kids making their debuts these days.

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Such smart writing is the strength of Logout throughout its narrative. The film talks about how we are becoming slaves to our smartphones and social media that we have no space for real connections, conversations and relationships.

The character played by Babil Khan is the kind of person that you may have seen around you and hence the story hits close to home.

At 1 hour and 48 minutes, Logout grips you without venturing into the cringe territory thanks to Biswapati Sarka’s solid writing, director Amit Golani’s deft direction and Babil Khan’s strong performance.

Logout has a taut screenplay, relatable characters and the casting that works wonders.

Having said that, the only issue I had with the film was its predictability and tonality. Also, the last 20 minutes or so could’ve been better.

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The Performances

Logout majorly focuses on only one actor and Babil Khan holds the screen with his terrific performance.

Nimisha Nair stands out among the supporting cast members. The other actors in minor roles include Gandharv Dewan, Rasika Dugal and Anisha Victor and they have delivered fine performances.

Verdict

Logout is a well-made and fast-paced cyber thriller that is gripping and kind of eerie. Overall, the Zee5 film is a good watch.

Rating: 3.5/5