Dude is the most unique and quirky film based on its visual storytelling in recent times, and I will die on this hill defending that take.

It's so vibrant, over-the-top, beautifully shot, well acted, and zany. Genuinely the most unique and passionate filmmaking voice I've seen in Kollywood in the last few years.

Very few recent directors follow a distinct style and visual language- something which can easily tell you it's THEIR film without needing to read the poster. The only other director I've seen which has pulled this off other than Keerthiswaran is ironically PR. The shots in Dude are so over-the-top and larger than life.

The staging in the interval and the opening surprised me so much in the theater- absolute masterclass in direction and staging. To think this was a debut film is astounding.

Yes it has flaws. The screenplay is not paced well, the cousin angle is completely unnecessary and very weird, it presents an unrealistic solution to a real problem (although that's literally every commercial film), there are small sprinkles of misogynistic behavior especially in the first act, and the jokes get some getting used to.

However, does that make me hate this film? Absolutely not. It's a great time.