Cargo Review: An Impressive Space Opera with Tons of Potential!

In recent years, several Indian film industries attempted to showcase space operas on a bigger scale, which led to varied box-office results. Kollywood’s Tik Tik Tik and Antariksham 9000 KMPH from Tollywood cinema received critical acclaim but were more on the average range when it comes to ticket sales. While the 2019 Bollywood film, Mission Mangal, went on to become a decent success with Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan in the lead roles.

Nevertheless, in farther contrast to the previously mentioned films, which adjusted their narratives to appeal more to the general public. Debutant director, Arati Kadav, attempts to adopt the eccentric side of science fiction and puts together an endearing film with a captivating premise.

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Set in the year 2027, in a much different world to what we generally know, the galaxy is associated with two human species, Rakshas (demons) and Manushya (normal people), and the latter has entered the space age after signing a peace treaty with the normies. As a result, the futuristic rakshas community, which inhibits superpowers, reincarnates the commoners as part of their Post Death Transition Services program in their retro-themed spaceships. Eventually, on one of the space ship led by Agent Prahastha, things change when his assistant, Yuvishka, joins to help him at work, and the remainder of the film concentrates on the dynamic between the two.

Beginning with the positives, one of the primary aspects that is impressive about Cargo is the overall premise and the setup. The storyline of the film is rich as far as the possibilities go, and it maintained the engaging factor through and through by presenting the idea of two separate species, the mysterious tension between both the parties and the godlike abilities the Rakshas community possesses. Subsequently, the concept of samsara, providing a brand-new life, and the real purpose behind the revivification process added the much-needed intrigue to the overall film.

However, Arati Kadav decides not to put her effort into explaining these characters and opts to focus more on the pivotal characters of Prahastha and Yuvishka. Her story explores more the emotional side of things where the mentee makes her mentor realize that there is more to celebrate and care about in his seemingly long and lonely life. It centers around Vikrant Massey’s character learning and trying to confront his past mistakes, him trying to appreciate the little things at life, and feeling more cheerful when compared to the dead people he comes across every day.

Also incorporating a handful of Hindu mythology references, despite the lack of depth of the facets around the central characters, the pacing of Cargo, the movie, is decent for the most part. Although at times, I began to wonder where the film is steering its course towards, I understood Kadav’s intention of not trying to follow a conventional film template of setting up a storyline, developing it, and concluding it by the very end. And rather allotting more time in the 113-minute window for the primary characters to breathe and connect.

Speaking of the characters, the lead pair Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi, do a phenomenal job in making their roles more likable as I liked watching the duo together on-screen. The ancient army-strict attitude of Massey matched well with Tripathi’s millennial cell phone-heavy nature and resulted in some decent laughs here and there. Nandu Madhav as their director/omnipresent colleague fulfills his role well, and his old 80s heavy voice tone fitted the vibe of the film flawlessly.

Furthermore, the ambiance, atmosphere, and the vision Arati Kadav tried to showcase is brought together remarkably by her stellar technical team. Beginning with the production design team, who went ahead with the old-timey look that allowed the film to focus on the story rather than the tech. The background score by Shezan Shaikh centered on the quiet, soothing, subtle ambient music that corresponds to the tranquillity of space and it’s aesthetic beauty.

Overall, Cargo is unlike any science fiction film you’ve ever seen before. It is shot within small-budget and does not have a mid-film action sequence between the demons and the humans. But, Arati Kadav compiles a decent enough story with her two characters and fixes all her attention to storytelling with a pinch of black comedy.

Despite not receiving at least an imprecise explanation of the stuff happening around the characters, I am impressed with the overall product, which I think has all the elements already established to explore further in a sequel or a spin-off. Additionally, I’m also glad that odd-ball films like this and the recently released What are the Odds are finding a home at Netflix rather than testing their luck at cinemas. Watch ‘Cargo’ on Netflix here.

Rating – 3.25/5 | Grade – B

Images via Netflix