REVIEW: ‘Stephen (2025)’ Loses Steam In Its Underwhelming Ride

Marking the directorial debut of Mithun Balaji, Netflix’s latest psychological thriller, Stephen (2025), aims to dive deep into the mind of a serial killer. What starts off promising turns into a bloated, long-winded tale that loses steam long before it gets to its final big twist. Unfortunately, by the time it hits that major reveal, it comes too little too late to allow the audience to luxuriate in its implications. Instead, it registers as a last-ditch attempt to grab attention, rather than feeling truly earned in those final moments.

Opening with a beautifully psychological scene saturated in the deepest blood-reds, we open to the titular character in the present day. Balaji wastes no time in establishing Stephen’s (Gomathi Shankar) modus operandi, cutting through his murder routine with one woman after the other. This removes some of the illusions surrounding his innocence from the jump, yet once he turns himself in, the all-too-understandable question rises to the surface: Why did he do what he did?

Enter Seema (Smruthi Venkat), the psychiatrist sent to determine his sanity, and the Police Inspector Michael (Michael Thangadurai), hoping to find answers of his own. As characters, both of them are horribly underdeveloped, with the murderer’s confessions taking them on a wild ride. Venkat still infuses some presence into her role, but can’t quite add much else to give Seema something more for viewers to hold onto. Yet, there’s something to Seema’s empathy that paves the way for what might be Balaji’s thesis. 

Stephen (2025) explores the making of a killer, but loses sight of what makes that interesting.

Without giving too much away, Mithun Balaji, who co-wrote the screenplay with Shankar, pieces together the murderer’s profile from his recollections. Accompanied by the film’s opener and Sheema’s expositional dialogue, it soon becomes clear that Stephen’s words make him an unreliable narrator. That fact alone should be enough to generate interest. And yet, it can only sustain so much before interest wanes without the aid of plot devices.

Unfortunately, the secondary mystery and the arrival of a love interest, Krithika (Shrisha), in the third act muddy both the pacing and the plot. The execution of these subsequent story twists highlights the weakness in the writing, but also Balaji’s grasp of tone, particularly when delving into genre shifts. This is something that can be improved over time, but, regrettably, in Balaji’s case, the middle suffers from a loss of momentum and mishandling of tension. 

With more than its fair share of plot elements to plod through, the final twist in Stephen (2025) ultimately ends up frustrating more than surprising. For his part, Shankar does a phenomenal job, keeping the audience thoroughly in suspense throughout the film, which more than proves his capabilities and star power. However, with little to hold onto besides his unreliability, the writing ultimately fails him in what should be his most rousing moment.

Strong performances from the cast, ultimately, can’t save the underwhelm Stephen (2025) succumbs to.

It’s ultimately a shame, then, that Stephen (2025) ends with a muffled bang of surprise that never quite feels earned. And, what likely could have been a fascinating look into society’s need to psycholanalyze, almost to the point of infantilization, murderers and villains alike, ultimately shoots itself in the foot. A tighter story and stronger connective tissue leading up to the end could have led to a stronger, steadier finish.

A positive is that it is clear Balaji has a clear eye for visuals. Working in tandem with cinematographer Gokul Krishna, the two experiment with a variety of styles and looks throughout to encompass the genre shifts at play. From the deeply troubling Ferris Wheel sequence with distorted audio to the soft lens focus that evokes romanticism, and more, the openness to exploration is on screen. However, it does create a visually inconsistent feel.

Inconsistency is both a blessing and a curse in Stephen (2025). Where its titular character breathes and weaponizes the inconsistencies in his memories, the writing flounders under the weight of its own attempts to twist and turn.

As a feature directorial debut, Stephen (2025) gives a glimpse into the various directions Mithun Balaji wants to explore. Unfortunately, by throwing everything and more on the page, it doesn’t appear that he’s quite nailed his identity and voice just yet in long-form. But it’ll come based on the strength of the short film that came before. 

Stephen (2025) is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.