Konkona Sen Sharma Accused Netflix Movie Review

Konkona Sen Sharma and Pratibha Rannta star in Accused, a flat Netflix India thriller.

The Hollow Echo

Can a movie be too smart for its own good, yet too simple for its audience?

Accused, the latest Netflix offering from Anubhuti Kashyap and Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment, seems to suffer from a specific type of cinematic identity crisis.

It wants to be a gritty thriller, a sensitive study of a queer marriage, and a progressive social commentary all at once. But in trying to bite off the entire world, it ends up choking on its own plot.

Set in the polished backdrop of London, the film follows Dr. Geetika Sen (Konkona Sen Sharma) and her wife, Dr. Meera (Pratibha Rannta), as their lives are incinerated by a workplace sexual abuse allegation.

A High-Stakes Misfire

On paper, Accused is a powerhouse. You have Konkona, arguably the finest actor of her generation, and Pratibha Rannta, who recently proved her mettle in Laapataa Ladies.

Their scenes together offer glimpses of what the movie could have been—a nuanced look at trust and resentment in a long-term relationship. However, as the review suggests, these moments are just small islands in a sea of “lifeless” storytelling.

• The Problem: The film dumbs down its most complex themes, opting for “heavy-handed” messaging over genuine human emotion.
• The Pacing: Despite a crisp runtime, the narrative reportedly goes in circles, turning a thriller into a “chore.”
• The “Twist” Trap: Like many recent Hindi films, it relies on a forced shock factor that feels unearned and stilted.

The Netflix India Curse?

There is a recurring frustration with recent Netflix India releases like Do Patti and Murder Mubarak. They lure viewers in with high-concept posters and stellar casts, only to “crash within minutes.”

Accused falls right into this trap. It feels like a “hodgepodge of underdeveloped ideas” that lacks the intensity required for a topic as grave as sexual harassment. When the focus shifts to the supporting characters, the flaws don’t just show—they scream.

The Weight of the “Firsts”

Most critics focus on the plot holes, but the deeper tragedy here is the squandered opportunity for queer cinema.

Having a mainstream film with two female doctors in a committed marriage is a massive milestone. However, when the storytelling is this “uninteresting,” it does a disservice to the cause.

By making a queer-led thriller “flat” and “tedious,” the film risks proving the narrow-minded theory that “niche” stories don’t have mainstream legs. Representation shouldn’t just exist; it should excel.

Complexity Doesn’t Need a Loudspeaker

• Nuance Over Noise: If you are tackling sexual harassment, you don’t need “heavy-handed” dialogue. The silence between two people is often more terrifying than a scripted lecture.
• Leads Aren’t Life Rafts: You cannot expect two great actors to save a sinking script. A movie is only as strong as its weakest supporting character.
• The “Thrill” in Thriller: A thriller shouldn’t be “smarter” than the audience; it should be one step ahead of them. Accused seems to spend too much time congratulating itself on its premise to remember to actually thrill the viewer.

Key Takeaways:

• ‘Accused’ stars Konkona Sen Sharma and Pratibha Rannta as a queer couple in London.
• The film is criticized for being a “flat thriller” that lacks intensity and sensitivity.
• Directed by Anubhuti Kashyap, the movie struggles with a “heavy-handed” narrative.
• Critics view it as a squandered opportunity for progressive, mainstream queer representation.