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Hacked Movie Review: Hina Khan's Cyber Crime Thriller Fails To Evoke Sympathy
Hina Khan starrer Hacked begins to warn you about the impact of technology on society but instead, we get a two-hour long episode of crime petrol where the victim becomes the criminal.
Language: Hindi
Duration: 102 minutes
Story: Hacked directed by Vikram Bhatt tries to warn you against all that could happen in a world taken over by technology and an endless medium- the internet. The thriller explores the dark side of cybercrime and the effects of cyberbullying.
Review: Starring Hina Khan in the lead role, Hacked starts with a clear agenda in mind, to warn the audience who are oblivious to the impact, the internet has on their lives. While the film tries to prove there is no place to hide, we stumble upon a predictable thriller about a woman who ends up becoming a criminal to stop another.
The film starts at the end, we get to see a woman with nails painted in red at a crime scene, but before we could learn something more, we are taken back in time, to 4 months ago. Here, Hina Khan aka Sam is a successful Chief Editor at a fashion magazine, has a wonderful house, friends expect no loved one to fall back on. Her mother has been on life support for quite some time, Sam aware of her pain is still unable to let go of her. She also has a partner, Om Kapoor who is a married man, and has been lying to her and stringing her along.
Her life isn't perfect but she has someone who takes care of the little things, Vivek. Her 19-year-old kid neighbour, who helps get coffee on her way to work, while she drops him off to college. Vivek even calls it a symbiotic relationship. But the dynamics change when Sam makes a big blunder under the influence of alcohol and Vivek begins to fall in love with her.
There are several themes to the story written and directed by Vikram Bhatt, from hackers, cybercrimes, cyberbullying, women empowerment to sociopaths and psychopaths. While during the first half we have Vivek played by Rohan Shah as the powerful computer genius hacker, but soon he divulges into a deranged young adult character, who would kill anyone in his way. There are several other cases and incidents that Vivek partakes in which are cringy and make you feel unsafe.
Several other characters also turn faces throughout the film, including Sam, but the transition for Hina Khan's character is much smoother and easier to watch. The television actress turned Bollywood debutante has done the best with what's given to her. For most of the first half, we barely get to see her act or have any dialogues other than filler words. The second half of the film does get interesting with Sam trying to win back control of her life. Thanks to Hina Khan, it is fun to watch the back and forth and double-crossing tactics she uses on Vivek. But Sam's ultimate reveal, however, appears unsatisfactory.
We also have a male character who does the same things as Vivek but is deemed good. When Sam earlier had already deemed Vivek bad for the same things and announced, she does not need anyone's help and that she is capable of taking care of herself. The screenplay keeps the plot moving from one scene to another, without being able to create a connection with the audience. As for the film's music, while most songs seem unnecessary, one even tries to justify Vivek's obsession with Sam. Hacked focuses more on how the film looks, in terms of costumes and the hacker's lair than the look and feel of the story. Overall Hacked, keeps you waiting till the end of the film.
