Story of Things review: Of obsessing over things that take a life of its own

Language: Tamil

Director: George Antoney

Cast: Vinoth Kishan, Gauthami, Aditi Balan, Bharath

Story of Things is an exploration of the obsessive connection that humans develop with certain things during their lifetime. I for one, have this unexplainable connection to a miniature sculpture of an elephant made of wood. I carry it with me everywhere and, that tiny piece of wood has probably seen a lot of my life unfold. The highs and lows both. Now, imagine if this thing were to carry a part me even after my passing. The things that other humans may experience in its presence after me. To say that it is intriguing is an understatement.

The best thing about the anthology series currently available on SonyLiv is how each thing that the anthology centers on is simple and unassuming. Weighing Scale, an old Nokia mobile phone, a vintage car, an antique mirror, and the compressor of an old AC. Each chapter showcases the horror that these things bring upon in the lives of humans around it. However, the horror doesn’t unfold out in the open. It unfolds within the minds of humans.

Each thing is intricately connected to an intense emotion that humans experience in its presence. There is fear, hatred, guilt, love, and finally a seeking of connection. How each character grows or disappears as a result of this unexplainable experience makes each chapter of the anthology engaging. The world that each chapter builds is small yet invasively deep. The cinematography by Harshvardhan Waghdhare and the music by Madly Blues is of great support, and in certain places, it plays foil to the story.

Take, for instance, the first chapter Weighing Scale featuring Bharath Niwas and Linga. It is about a young aspiring actor, who gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to audition for a film. On his way to the audition, he causes harm to someone and the guilt that builds up over the hours gets spotlighted through close-up shots. The electric and melancholic music hints at building tension within the confines of the lead character’s head. It is an unexplainable pressure, one that makes you feel as if you have a splitting headache.

It feels as if everything is just about ready to come crashing down on you, but you can do nothing but brace through it. All of this comes across really well through the performance of the lead actors and the background score. Similarly, the other chapters capture your attention. My favourite of the five was the final chapter called Mirror.

The lead actors Vinoth Kishan and Anshita Anand play the role of a heartbroken college student and a child diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy respectively. However, what is refreshing about this tale is how it uses a supernatural connection to build a bridge between two people of unexpected backgrounds. The man whose heart is broken is healed through his conversations with the child. The child in turn finds hope and friendship at a time when she is braves through fighting cancer. It is heartwarming and at the same time thoughtful about how it deals with the trope of ‘angry young men’.

Following Mirror, another personal favourite is Cellular, which portrays the relationship between a single mother and daughter. If I were to rate the five films, I would follow this up with Weighing Scale, Car and finally Compressor. In fact, Compressor is the weak link in many ways in the series.

Rating: 3.5 (out of 5 stars)

Priyanka Sundar is a film journalist who covers films and series of different languages with a special focus on identity and gender politics.

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