--- title: "Santosh: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/santosh/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/santosh" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Santosh (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 14 reviews: 9 positive, 5 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics find Santosh a compelling police procedural, with praise centred on Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar’s performances and the uneasy relationship between their characters. The reviews repeatedly credit the film with showing how caste, sexism and institutional loyalty shape police power. Its attention to everyday procedure gives that scrutiny force, while several critics admire how the social criticism emerges through character and incident rather than speeches. The lean is positive, with reservations rather than outright dismissals. The disagreement concerns how far the film trusts its audience and how close it lets them get to Santosh. Some reviews find its restraint revealing; others see an emotional distance that limits the human drama, particularly her grief. The AV Club and Little White Lies argue that the film overstates its conclusions, weakening its ambiguity. Predictable crime plotting is another reservation, though even the more qualified responses generally find the investigation engrossing. ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 March 2025. Bradshaw finds the film tense, politically astute and satisfying, praising its lead performances by Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar. He especially singles out how their uneasy partnership exposes sexism, caste prejudice and abuses of police power. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/21/santosh-review-india-police-sexist-caste-sunita-rajwar-shahana-goswami) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 24 March 2025. The review presents the film as gripping and powerfully feminist. It praises its crime-procedural approach to murder and corruption. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/santosh-review-2024) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Lovia Gyarkye Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2024. Festival review. Gyarkye finds the film smart, compelling, and immersive, while noting that more detail about Santosh’s grief would help. She particularly praises the performances of Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, and the screenplay’s subtle portrayal of India’s political realities. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/santosh-review-1235905295/) ## IndieWire — Proma Khosla Rating B. 20 May 2024. Festival review. Khosla finds the film subtle and thought-provoking, letting its social critique emerge through story rather than speeches. She praises the naturalistic non-actors and lead performances, especially their grounded portrayal of life in rural India. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/santosh-review-sandhya-suri-1235006687/) ## Slant Magazine — Ross McIndoe Rating 3/4. 18 December 2024. The critic finds the film extremely effective as a depiction of bleak systemic realities, though its crime-mystery turns are seldom surprising. They praise Shahana Goswami’s restrained performance and the film’s portrayal of how power can recruit the vulnerable into oppression. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/santosh-review-sandhya-suri/) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 March 2025. The critic finds that Suri largely succeeds in exposing corruption and prejudice within the police system, though the film leaves some of its ideas underdeveloped. They praise the bond between Santosh and Geeta as a rare source of affection amid the violence and misogyny. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/santosh-indian-police-drama-explores-messy-intersections-class-gender-caste) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating B-. 27 December 2024. Vishnevetsky finds the film compelling as a subverted police procedural but ultimately too predictable and moralizing. He praises the dimensionality of Santosh and Geeta, while criticizing the unsubtle thesis statement at the climax. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/santosh-review) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 10 January 2025. Abele finds the film intelligent and compelling, though its clinical distance keeps it from fully realizing its human drama. He praises its incisive critique of police cliques and institutional abuse, supported by coolly observant cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-01-10/santosh-review-india-police) ## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2024. Festival review. The accessible page does not reveal Ide’s verdict or specific praise or criticism. Its standfirst frames the film as a probing Indian police procedural centered on a female officer’s controversial case. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/santosh-cannes-review/5193425.article) ## Variety — Siddhant Adlakha Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2024. The review finds the film intellectually stimulating and sharply critical, though often emotionally distancing. It praises Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar’s performances for revealing how caste, religion, and status shape the exercise of police power. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/santosh-review-1236005099/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2024. The page is identified as a review of Santosh, but its review text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be established from the available page. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/26/movies/santosh-review-when-justice-isnt-just.html) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 4/3/3. 20 March 2025. Jenkins finds the film engrossing and compelling, though he thinks it overstates its thesis. He praises its detailed procedural intrigue but criticizes its failure to sustain ambiguity and its efforts to absolve Santosh. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/santosh) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2024. Festival review. The critic finds the film an effective, unsettling examination of policing and injustice. Shahana Goswami’s nuanced performance and the film’s restrained closing shot are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/santosh-review-shahana-goswami-cannes/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2024. Wilkinson finds the film a compelling crime drama whose moral scrutiny grows more rigorous as the thriller unfolds. She praises the crackling performances of Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, while stressing that society’s acceptance of corruption is the film’s sharpest indictment. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/santosh-2024-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/santosh.md