'Scene' review: Suriya's unconventional detective splits critics, Naslen's villain earn praise

Highlights

• Scene, released on Friday 6 November, stars Suriya as Inbaraj, a reckless cop pulled back into a complex case, with Naslen as a serial killer who is easy to overlook
• Critics are sharply divided, with ratings ranging from 4.5/5 to 2/5, and Naslen's villain and the film's slapstick humour are the main points of disagreement
• Even reviewers who like it disagree on whether the first or second half is better
• It opens on the same pre-Diwali weekend as Ramayana Part 1

Scene is not the Suriya film many fans expected. Directed by the Malayalam filmmaker Jithu Madhavan, in his first Tamil outing after Romancham and Aavesham, it puts the superstar in an eccentric, unconventional role and sets him against a villain who is nothing like the usual screen killer. On its opening day, the critical verdict is anything but settled.

This roundup is spoiler-free: it avoids plot twists, cameos and specific scenes.

What is 'Scene' about?

Suriya plays Inbaraj, a talented but reckless DSP who has been trying to retire, according to the Hollywood Reporter India, until a complex case pulls him back in. Nazriya Nazim, returning to Tamil cinema after 12 years, plays Maya, a crucial ally. Naslen, in his Tamil debut and his first villain role, plays Eswaran, the killer. The film is produced by Suriya and Jyotika's 2D Entertainment and Zhagaram Studios, with music by Sushin Shyam. It is Suriya's third release of 2026, after Karuppu and Vishwanath and Sons.

What have the critics said?

Suriya's most unusual role in years

Reviewers agree on one thing: this is not a conventional Suriya film. Pinkvilla called it one of his most experimental performances in recent years, with a quirky, flawed cop who sheds his usual righteous mass-hero image. The Hollywood Reporter India praised the "laid-back" Suriya of Ayan and Pithamagan, an actor allowed to make fun of himself. The Week argued that fans of Singam or Karuppu may be put off, while those who prefer Ghajini or 24 will find it palatable.

The disagreement is over how well the film uses its central idea. Deccan Chronicle found it interesting but under-explored, while the Hollywood Reporter India felt the film gets better as the conflict between its two leads builds.

Naslen's killer: menace or missed chance?

Naslen's Eswaran may be the film's most divisive element. For The Week, the pleasure is in a killer who behaves like the guy next door, a villain whose strength is that he doesn't stand out. The Hollywood Reporter India called him a spectacularly well-written serial killer, and Pinkvilla called the transition from Naslen's boy-next-door image a major surprise.

Not everyone agrees. Telugu360, in a reaction on X, felt the character was much hyped but lacks substance, and Deccan Chronicle said Naslen's track fails to develop in an engaging way.

Nazriya Nazim's return

Critics were warmer on Nazriya. Pinkvilla called her return to Tamil cinema powerful, with action moments of her own. The Week noted that Maya is more in command of her situation than the hero is.

Where do the critics clash?

On the humour, on the pacing and, surprisingly, on Inbaraj's parents. The Week found much of the slapstick, especially from Lal's superior officer, patience-testing, and said the humour works only when Inba's parents appear. Telugu360 said those very parents fail to land, and Deccan Chronicle felt their scenes have moments but add little.

They also disagree over which half works. The Hollywood Reporter India found the first half unlike anything it had seen or heard before, and the third act even better. Pinkvilla said the first half takes time to find its rhythm before a fast-paced second half, and one early X reaction called the second half far stronger than the first. Telugu360 and Pinkvilla both flagged convenient coincidences in the investigation.

Tributes to Tamil cinema

For admirers, the film's biggest delight is its love of Tamil cinema. The Hollywood Reporter India says it is full of nods to Suriya's earlier films and to the music that Malayali fans of Tamil cinema adore, and Pinkvilla's trailer review noted a homage to Vijay.

A Tamil film or a Malayalam one?

Before release, Madhavan said the film was a "proper Tamil film". The Week's reviewer disagrees: for him, it is basically a Malayalam crime comedy written in Tamil, and he likened the director to Nelson Dilipkumar for his love of oddball characters in extraordinary situations. Pinkvilla's advice for fans of Aavesham: this is not that film, but it is still fun.

The verdict

If there is a consensus, it is that Scene is a bold, inventive and uneven experiment. Its biggest supporters call it fresh and fearless. Its detractors find a clever idea stretched across too much slapstick. Suriya's fans will have to decide which camp they belong to.