O2 review: Nayanthara’s film is a decent survival thriller 

If there’s something that sets apart Nayanthara from her counterparts, it’s her willingness to experiment with projects wherein she does all the heavy lifting. From time to time, she has spearheaded many women-centric films that have not only helped her chart her own path but have also given major breaks to several first-time filmmakers.

With her latest outing, O2 (2022), a survival thriller that is predominantly set inside a bus, she gives first-time filmmaker GS Viknesh an opportunity to leave his mark, and he does a decent job. O2 has its share of flaws and logic loopholes, but it’s an attempt you can’t write off easily. 

Nayanthara plays Pavitra, a single mother to an eight-year-old son Veera, who suffers from a rare disease, cystic fibrosis, which doesn’t allow him to breathe normally. This means he’s always on oxygen support. Pavitra’s last hope to see her son get well is to have him undergo surgery in Cochin. The film revolves around a bunch of people, including Pavitra and her son, who gets trapped in a landslide while on their way to Cochin from Coimbatore in a bus. 

For a survival thriller that mostly takes place inside a bus, the film works to a large extent. It manages to create a claustrophobic mood and tension with the aid of spectacular cinematography. The writing does feel predictable and silly at times but the film makes up for it with good direction, especially the constant tension when the passengers start losing control over themselves after running out of oxygen. Most of the action that takes place inside the bus and the way it's shot keep the viewer engaged for the most part. 

The performances are also a plus point. Nayanthara and child actor Rithvik as the mother-son duo have great chemistry and the latter performs confidently, making a solid impact in crucial scenes. It’s the character of Veera that allows audiences to sympathize with the characters trapped in an unimaginable situation even more. The cinematography by Tamizh Azhagan plays a very key role in keeping the visuals gripping right to the end. 

O2 is being streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.