Firefly Movie Review: Vamshi Krishna's ode to Gen Z glows through its gaps

New Indian Express

26-04-2025

Firefly
is not a film you watch for answers; it's one you experience for the questions it dares to ask—and sometimes, simply lets linger. Structurally experimental and often surreal, Vamshi Krishna's directorial debut is a confessional collage of a young man's fractured mind—one that teeters on the edge of breakdown and becoming.
At the centre is Vivekananda, fondly called Vicky (Vamshi Krishna), a young man who returns home after years abroad, only to be met by sudden tragedy—the death of his parents (Achyuth Kumar and Sudharani)—and shortly after, he briefly goes into a coma. What follows is not your typical narrative arc. Instead,
Firefly
feels like memory itself: jagged, fragmented, and haunted by what could've been said or done. Vicky seeks not meaning but something more elusive—peace and the ability to sleep.
To describe Vamshi Krishna's first outing—both in front of and behind the camera—he leaves a trail of clues, clearly signalling that this isn't mere storytelling; it's a study. The visuals speak in codes, the tone flirts with precision, but beneath it all lies a quiet case file on how Gen Z navigates the blur between breakdown and becoming. But will it cater to all?
Director:
Vamshi Krishna
Cast:
Vamshi Krishna, Rachana Inder, Achyuth Kumar, Sudharani, Sheetal Shetty, Anand Ninasam, and Chitkala Biradar
The narrative unfolds in fragments, narrated by Vicky like pages torn from a personal journal. Upon waking from his coma, he steps into a world buzzing with advice from well-meaning but emotionally distant friends and family. He reluctantly moves into his Doddamma's house—a place offering more judgement than comfort. The alienation is tactile. His days are tightly regimented—meals on time, routines intact—but his emotional core remains hollowed out.
In one situation, Vicky turns to paper—not as a diary or artistic outlet, but almost like a prescription. Whether he's sketching, scribbling, journaling, or even swallowing pills, it's a desperate search for sleep. He even provokes fights, hoping sheer exhaustion might bring relief. In one poignant moment, he cries for the first time in 195 days and says, 'If tears had colour, this would be a good painting.'
Another scene that stands out is when Vicky imagines a device called the Time Machine—a curious metaphor for therapy, time travel, or self-reflection. Though ambitious in thought, it doesn't fully connect. His brief stint as a schoolteacher—arranged by a sympathetic uncle—ends after just one class. Grief, as portrayed here, refuses to be boxed into roles or timelines. Vicky is not ready for the world, and perhaps the world isn't ready for his version of grief either.
While
Firefly
features an ensemble—relatives, support group attendees—they remain secondary, almost ornamental. The camera rarely strays from Vicky, which both strengthens and strains the narrative. Vamshi Krishna carries the film with sincerity and vulnerability, though the performance occasionally struggles to universalise Vicky's pain. Still, his dual role as actor-director is a commendable feat, especially for a debut. His sincerity is never in question.
A fleeting cameo by Shivarajkumar brings a touch of lightness. The film's second half softens, taking on an indie-romantic hue. Vicky meets Neha (Rachana Inder) on a dating app—a girl rooted in the present and someone who believes in imperfection and presence. She confesses she isn't flawless, and neither is their connection. But what they share feels genuine.
A visit to a farmhouse—a property quietly purchased by his father years ago—becomes another turning point. Away from the city, among fading memories and a quiet caretaker, Vicky begins to understand that healing doesn't mean forgetting. He learns not to 'move on' but to move with. Grief doesn't vanish—it reshapes. Vicky sheds the broken skin of his past and steps into a version of himself that chooses to smile, fight and live. The message is clear: 'Be kind to your mind. A smile is the best laughter—and the key.'
Firefly
is unafraid to show its protagonist stumbling. Vicky says the wrong things, walks away, comes back. His journey is messy, tangled, and far from linear, but that's what makes it real. The film allows space for imperfections and, in doing so, finds honesty in the chaos.
Technically,
Firefly
complements its emotional tone. Charan Raj's music drifts between melancholy and fragile hope, while Abhilash Kalathi's cinematography captures the quiet turbulence of Vicky's mind. That said, not all choices land. Some segments feel overwritten; others, undercooked. The disjointed structure—though intentional—may alienate viewers seeking clarity. But in a film that's ultimately about a troubled mind trying to piece itself back together, that fragmentation is part of the point.
Firefly
stumbles. It fumbles. But it means well. And that heart—vulnerable, bruised, searching—is unmistakable. A film by Vamshi Krishna, still finding his voice, yet already with something to say. The film also marks the maiden production venture of Niveditha Shivarajkumar, who backs a cinema that dares to be different.
In the end,
Firefly
lives up to its name—not a steady flame, but a flicker in the dark. Fleeting, imperfect, but illuminating just enough for the next step forward.