Razor review: A Mix of Korean and Hollywood thrillers

What’s Razor about?

A CCTV camera accidentally captures the assassination of the Chief Minister. Home Minister Kanakaraju and his son are seen executing the murder, hoping to clear the path for Kanakaraju to become the next CM.

When their tech expert discovers that the footage may have been accessed through a nearby surveillance network, Kanakaraju’s men target Vishnu (Tanish), the owner of the CCTV system. Vishnu and his wife are brutally killed, but before dying, he asks his little daughter Teju (Tejal Vikyathi) to hide inside a cupboard, saving her life.

Rudra (Ravi Babu), a dog grooming expert who arrives at the house, rescues Teju from danger. However, Kanakaraju’s men continue hunting for both the girl and the crucial video evidence, which Vishnu had hidden using a highly secure cyber trail filled with clues.

The rest of the story follows how Rudra protects Teju, deciphers the clues left behind by Vishnu, and races against time to retrieve the footage that can expose the powerful minister.

Analysis

The moment the story settles into its core plot after the initial twenty minutes, it becomes evident that Ravi Babu’s “Razor” heavily borrows from the Korean thriller “The Man From Nowhere”(2010). It is not merely the basic premise; even the narrative structure and the stylized violent action appear to be directly inspired by that film. Incidentally, this is not the first time Ravi Babu has drawn from Korean cinema. Earlier too, he adapted elements from films like “Memories of Murder.”

In “Razor,” Ravi Babu goes beyond taking inspiration from “The Man From Nowhere.” He also lifts several moments from Hollywood thrillers such as “Enemy of the State” and other contemporary action dramas.

Yet, despite its derivative nature, Ravi Babu manages to make portions of the film reasonably engaging, particularly in the middle stretch. The episodes involving riddles, hidden clues, and the tracking of the video footage generate some curiosity.

The action, however, is relentlessly brutal. Several violent sequences are hard to sit through: from slicing a man apart by pulling his fingers wide open, to drilling into a victim’s shoulder and chest, and smashing faces with iron rods. The film fully embraces gore, which explains its strict A (adults-only) certification.

While a few portions hold attention, much of the film constantly gives the impression of being a patchwork of Korean and Hollywood thrillers rather than an original work.

Ravi Babu once again relies on his trademark straight-faced performance in the lead role. Baby Tejal Vikyathi delivers a neat and effective performance. The supporting cast performs adequately within the limited scope of their roles.

Technically, the film’s biggest emphasis is on action choreography. The stunt sequences are designed to shock with graphic violence and brutal killings. Though a few action episodes are effective, most of them feel unnecessarily excessive. The film also suffers from repetitive narration and stretched-out scenes that affect the pacing.

The biggest drawback, however, is its predictability. Once the basic setup is established, the film proceeds exactly as expected without offering any real surprises.

Bottom-line: “Razor” depends heavily on violence and borrowed thriller elements, particularly from the Korean film “The Man From Nowhere.” Although a few investigative episodes and action stretches manage to engage, the film ultimately lacks originality and a gripping narrative.

By: Jalapathy Gudelli

Rating: 2/5

Movie Name	Razor
Cast	Ravi Babu, Tejal Vikyathi, Tanish, Pranavi Manukonda, Meena Vasu, Mirchi Hemanth, Pragath Jadhav, and others
Screenplay	Satyanand
Music	Rajesh S
DOP	Charan Madhavaneni
Editor	Bhalla Satyanarayana
Production design	Narayana Reddy
Action stunts	Satish Palloju
Written, produced and Directed by	Ravi Babu
Release Date	May 08, 2026