‘Razor’ Review: Brutal Action, But No Real Thrill

Movie: Razor
Rating: 2/5
Banner: Flying Frogs Production
Cast: Ravi Babu, Tejal Vikyathi, Ronson Vincent, Tanish, Siddha Venkatesh, Charan Madhavneni, Inaya Sultana, Pranavi Manukonda, Meena Vasu, Mirchi Hemanth, Pragath Jadhav, and others
Screenplay: Satyanand
DOP: Charan Madhavaneni
Action: Satish Palloju
Written, Produced and Directed by: Ravi Babu
Release Date: May 08, 2026

Ravi Babu has always followed a distinct style of filmmaking. This time, he attempts a violent action drama, which was evident from the trailer itself.

Let’s find out whether “Razor” manages to impress.

Story
Kanakaraju, the Home Minister of the state, plots the murder of the Chief Minister with the ambition of taking over the top post. The assassination is accidentally captured on a security camera installed elsewhere. The security camera company is owned by Vishnu (Tanish).

Once Kanakaraju learns about the footage, he sends his men to eliminate Vishnu and recover the evidence. Vishnu and his wife are killed, but their daughter Teju (Tejal Vikyathi) survives by hiding inside a cupboard.

Rudra (Ravi Babu), who works for a dog grooming company and visits Vishnu’s house to groom their pet, rescues the little girl. Determined to uncover why Vishnu was targeted, Rudra begins searching for the hidden video file and the clues left behind by Vishnu.

The rest of the story follows how he exposes Kanakaraju.

Performances
Ravi Babu plays an action-oriented role loaded with brutal fight sequences. He performs several violent stunts, many of which are gruesome and difficult to watch. While he maintains his trademark expressionless performance throughout the film, the role demands more emotional depth than he delivers.

Baby Tejal Vikyathi does a commendable job and brings some emotional weight to the proceedings.

Tanish is decent in his limited role, while the rest of the cast delivers routine performances.

Technical Aspects
Technically, “Razor” carries the familiar visual style seen in Ravi Babu’s previous films, especially in production design and overall presentation. The major difference here is the heavy focus on violent action.

Satish Palloju’s stunt choreography is extremely brutal. Mass audiences who enjoyed films like the recent Malayalam hit “Marco” may appreciate the intensity, but many sequences are excessively graphic.

The film also suffers from pacing issues. Several scenes feel repetitive, and tighter editing could have improved the narrative flow considerably.

The background score is serviceable but not memorable.

Highlights
A few intense action sequences
Riddle and puzzle-based episodes involving the hidden video file

Drawbacks
Excessive violence
Feels heavily inspired by Hollywood and Korean thrillers
Lacks emotional impact
Predictable narrative after a point

Analysis
“Razor” instantly reminds viewers of the Malayalam hit “Marco,” which also revolved around a violent revenge arc. While “Marco” worked because of its stylish execution and strong technical quality, “Razor” relies mainly on brutality without offering comparable cinematic finesse.

The core story itself is quite familiar and resembles several older Telugu films, including “Pasivadi Pranam.” At the same time, portions of the screenplay appear inspired by Korean thrillers, while the assassination footage angle evokes memories of “Rangam.” The hacking and laptop-based investigative sequences feel similar to Hollywood thrillers like “Searching.”

There is hardly any truly original moment in the film. It often feels like a blend of multiple Hollywood, Korean, and web-series-inspired ideas. Still, Ravi Babu manages to hold interest in some middle portions. The riddle-based hunt for the hidden video file and the RGB-layered video concept are reasonably engaging.

However, the remaining portions turn tedious.

The excessive violence becomes exhausting after a while, and the film gradually loses momentum. Since the outcome is predictable, the later episodes fail to generate excitement. Even Ravi Babu’s backstory comes across as cliched and reminiscent of several Bollywood espionage thrillers.

Watching Ravi Babu in the lead role for nearly two hours also becomes tiring because of his limited emotional range and expressionless acting style.

Overall, “Razor” is an ultra-violent action thriller with a handful of engaging moments, but it ultimately lacks originality, emotional depth, and sustained excitement. It feels less like a standalone film and more like a mix of various Hollywood and Korean thrillers blended together.

Bottom line: No sharpness