Film Review: Jujji (2024) - Gripping Pakistani Thriller on the Demons that Haunt us All

The world that Jujji presents immediately pulls the viewers deep into the dark, silent, and violent space. From the first shot and the slow, tension-building monologue of an apparently random street vendor, the film shows that it can more than handle its central mystery. 

The premise of this Pakistani thriller centers on a serial killer pursued by two police officers. One officer is young and motivated. However, despite the fact that he's driven by his sense of justice, he is fighting his own demons from the past and many somber realities of his country. His partner, on the other hand, is an older and more morally flexible police veteran, who provides a completely different perspective not just on the case, but life itself, and their role as officers of peace. 

Jujji is masterfully directed by Habib Shahzad, who does wonders with the photography of the film. Each frame is crafted almost perfectly and uses the most out of natural lighting. The same rings through in both day and night scenes, along with the fact that Shahzad never forgets about its characters. This is best seen in the flashback story near the end of the film, which shows a tragic rescue of a kidnapped girl. The entire muted sequence is a small masterpiece of atmosphere and suspense. 

Through this relentless focus on characters, each setting or situation, Shahzad still manages to revert to the people in it. This approach remains steadfast, regardless of whether they're the main characters or someone like a poor passerby who stumbles upon a lifeless body. 

Finally, it is amazing to see that Jujji manages to do so much with a film based on a true story in just under 80 minutes. This too is the testament of the directorial skill of Shahzad and the natural storytelling talent, which is why he never loses a single beat in the film. The same makes the film one of the best Asian thrillers in recent years and should place Pakistan on the international map of all cinema goers. 

Film Review: A House of Dynamite (2025)

Don't fear the nuclear reaper is what most of the characters in A House of Dynamite are constantly trying to say to one another. At the same time, they're doing it through bewildered, terrified, or tearful eyes, continually trying to phone someone in the government or their uknowing family members. 

All of this is taking place as a single nuclear missile is traveling towards the continental US, which is a cycle of about 20 minutes that the film shows three times. In each of those, the director Kathryn Bigelow presents a different set of individuals making decisions around the same launch. The first group tries to intercept it, the second to understand it, while the last, spearheaded by the President of the county, should react to it - in a nuclear fashion, naturally. 

The concept of the film is gripping, and its stellar cast makes good on the script's promise to keep us glued to it until the very end. But, there's also a rational and realistic void in there as well. We're never really in the mind of anyone for long, while some characters, like Cathy Rogers, a FEMA official with the Office of National Continuity Programs, make no sense whatsoever.

The best way to perceive A House of Dynamite is likely to understand it as a deep dive into the US nuclear doctrine by a top-notch reporter team from an outlet like The Guardian. It's incredibly well-researched, somewhat liberal-leaning, and intensely smart, but doesn't allow for any feelings nor does it linger very long after you read the final, cautionary sentence.