Retro Disaster: Netizens Call Suriya's Latest Film As Kanguva 2, Time And Money Waste; Hattrick Flop For Suriya

DMK-sympathizing Dravidianist actor Suriya, appears to have walked into yet another box-office disaster with Retro, leaving audiences once again disappointed-especially on the heels of his recent flop, Kanguva . Viewers have pointed out that in both films, Suriya's performance swings between excessive shouting and overacting, lacking the subtlety expected from a seasoned actor.

Directed by Karthik Subbaraj, Retro was touted as a highly anticipated Tamil romantic action drama. Featuring Suriya and Pooja Hegde in lead roles, the film hit theaters worldwide on 1 May 2025. Produced by Stone Bench Creations and 2D Entertainment, expectations were high due to the film's unique genre blend, acclaimed cast, and the director's strong track record.

Set amidst themes of love, crime, and redemption, the story follows Paarivel 'Paari' Kannan-a gangster trying to leave behind his violent past to start a new life with his wife Rukmini, played by Pooja Hegde. However, as old enemies resurface and secrets unravel, Paari's journey toward peace spirals into emotional turmoil and action-laced conflict.

Despite the promising premise and strong production team, the film failed to leave a lasting impact. Viewers and netizens alike criticized Retro for being a time-waster, arguing that no amount of star power or technical finesse can salvage a film lacking in emotional engagement or a gripping storyline.

Some of the audience reactions and criticisms are summarized below:

One of the netizens lamented, "#Retro - an overstuffed tiring, exhausting bore fest that loses engagement after the 25 min mark. At times had to look at my watch as to when the movie would end. @Suriya_offl deserves better than this film, not one bit a comeback."

Another netizens reviewed the movie stating, "#Retro too many layers , too many plots and too many minutes precisely 168 minutes wasted as well , though there are exceptional scenes here and there it lacks the coherence and is disappointing."

Another netizen lamented, "After Watching Retro, we are the Joker. Worst Movie."

Another netizens reviewd the movie stating, "#Retro review. Dei Karthik Subbaraj, you'll never be okay… why did you make it this cringe? 😭😭😭😭😭😭 Suriya could've toned down his overacting… the jail scene was straight-up laughable. Please quit cinema… you've made us cry like this… Hey sk fans, you will pay for this."

Another netizen reviewed the movie stating, "Retro Movie Review #RetroReview FDFS Review from my US Friend. Another disaster from Surya. deadly boring Positives: Pooja Hegde Negatives: All others Criticism: Poor screen play. Karthik Subburaj should have given the screenplay impacting, or film should have been sprinkled with comedy. Mixed with both, film struggles where to be serious and where to sow comedy Result? Painful for the watchers."

Another netizen shared a video of a frustrated moviegoer who slammed the film, saying it was a complete waste of money. The viewer sarcastically remarked, "For spending ₹250 in the morning, they made us to laugh (comedy show). It wasn't goosebumps it was Kanguva 2." Alongside the video, the netizen trolled, "Kanguva 2, huh? I thought he'd move up from tier 2 to tier 1… but Suriya's fallen to tier 3 instead." in the video the audience lamented saying, "For spending 250 ruppe they have made us laugh. It was not a goosebump, its Kanguva 2"

Another netizen mocked, "At least in Kanguva you could have run out of the theater saying the shouting gave you ear pain… 😂 But Retro? It's not like that - you can peacefully fall asleep… 😂 Despite this if you are still thinking of watching it? Then you're going to end up like '3-movie Dhanush'"

Another netizen mocked the film by sharing a satirical news card claiming that Suriya's 'Retro' struggled to fill seats even for its First Day First Show, leaving theatre owners stunned.

One of the audience, frustrated after watching the movie Retro, told the media, "Retro didn't really connect with me. It felt like they combined two or three movies into one and stuffed on us. I don't understand why they took such lengthy one. It's a three-hour film, and it has so much content takes that long just to tell the story. There's so much drag and lag. Once the first half is over, it feels like the movie ends there, the second half is entirely different content for film."

He continued, "It felt like Suriya wanted to showcase everything his emotions, action in a single film. And the climax of this film felt like a remake of Jigarthanda 2 climax. If you look at the film in parts, Santhosh Narayanan did well with the music, and Pooja Hegde gave her career-best performance. But when you see it as a whole, you're left wondering-why such huge content, such length? It was very lengthy and dragging." He added, "He goes in search of love, then full action, then back to love, and again full-on action. It starts in one place, wanders off somewhere else, and finally ends in Jigarthanda 2 climax." He rated the film 6 out of 10.

Another audience member shared their thoughts, "Both the first and second halves are too lengthy. Suriya's presence was good, and the songs was also good. The vibe of the 'Kanima' song was awesome. What else? Well, we expected more from the story, but if you go in with low expectations, the movie is enjoyable. It was a comeback for Suriya he performed his part well."

He continued, "I'd say go in with lower expectations, and you'll probably enjoy the movie more. I went in with high expectations, so I felt a bit let down. The film runs for three hours, so there's definitely a lag. They tried to make up for it with fight sequences-it worked to some extent, but not entirely. There's a lot of action, and he has done martial arts in the film too."

Another viewer harshly criticized the film, calling it strictly average even when watched in theatres. He remarked, "Bro, this is just an average movie. It's nowhere to claim being 'super' or 'awesome.' Even with the theatre experience, it felt average and if you're watching on OTT, you can't watch."

He went on to say the script felt very plain and unimpressive. "Usually, movies pick up pace in the second half, but here, only the first half had some energy. After the flashback scene, people were just watching it casually. I don't think it really made an impact on anyone."

He lamented, "The entry and opening for him were solid, and his fight scene was impressive-but once the actual story began, there was nothing. That is the problem"

To sum up in a single line, Suriya's 'Retro' falls flat; Dravidianist sympathizer faces another audience letdown.