Spoiler-free Review of “Baththa” – now streaming on Netflix

Prior to watching Baththa, I had read on social media lots of purely positive comments, with many ranking it as the best film of 2026 and some ranking it as the best Tamil film of all time. On seeing it, one understands the emotions that gave rise to such comments, but it also brings the sobering realization that, despite its many positives, Baththa simply does not level its current level of accolades.

Vijay Sethupathi plays the dreaded Baththa, a feared gangster, a terrifying father and an abusive husband. Sabari (Sai Prithviraj), a Grade three learner who is anxious to retrieve a treasured toy confiscated by his teacher, inadvertently crosses paths with the man he feared the most – Baththa. The nature of this interaction and its far-reaching consequences form the rest of the film.

The premise is excellent, the story laudably creative and a script that has numerous highpoints, but the first half of the film dilutes the film to an unpardonable extent. The pace of the first half is excruciatingly slow and the characterization of Baththa almost a caricature. The portrayal of Baththa’s standing in his community is laboured to the point of annoyance. The pace remains pedestrian for much of the film, but its high point would make post viewers forgive the rest of the film.

Vijay Sethupathi struggles to shrug off the poor characterization for most of the film but he shines brilliantly for most of the second half. His performance in the highly emotive scene with Sai Prithviraj shows his acting depth and class.

The star of the movie is undoubtedly a heart-warming, realistic portrayal by child star Sai Prithviraj (the younger brother of Maargan-fame Kayal). His cute expressions, his realistic portrayal of emotions and the earnestness of his performance will melt any heart. The best part of his performance comes from the way writer-director Balaji Tharaneetharan has etched out the character and written the script. What emerges is a convincing performance of a child with all the shortcomings and imperfections of a child’s logic – which is a far cry from the way most other child stars are conveyed on screen where the character’s, utterances and decisions are more like adults than children. The vulnerability and innocence of Sabari is what adds to the visual charm and the way he expresses himself. This is the finest performance by a child star in a very long time.

Lijomol Jose (Jai Bhim and Nooru Saami) delivers an outstanding portrayal of Baththa’s wife, Kannima. This character is well written, realistically developed and superbly enacted by Lijomol. She establishes a strong presence and an imposing character without the usual histrionics that the role could easily have deteriorated into.

Hari Krishnan as Thirunavakarasu and Santhy Balachandran as Selvi form an interesting juxtaposition with Baththa and Kannima. Sahasra Sree as their daughter plays an endearing role as Thenmozhi.

Arjun Chidambaram as Jyoti and Vishnu Govinden as Delhi are the best of the others.

Cinematographer Selvakumar SK, who made his debut in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Maanagaram, does nothing out of the ordinary with lighting, framing and angles.

Apart from the flawed screenplay, the film’s weakest link is the music by Sai Abhyankar. Apart from the lilting Chellame Magalle, none of the songs impress. The background score with a few exceptions has little relevance to the visuals.

Despite the unconvincing action sequences, slow-paced screenplay and flawed characterization, the overwhelming emotive impact of the film, boosted by the moving performance from Sai Prithviraj, makes the film a moving experience.

Baththa, which is produced by director Atlee, scores 7 points out of 10.