Mani Ratnam’s much-anticipated gangster drama Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR, and Trisha Krishnan, hit theatres on Thursday and instantly sparked a flurry of mixed reactions on social media. While some hailed the film’s first half and performances, particularly Kamal and Simbu’s camaraderie, others expressed disappointment over its second-half dip, calling it underwhelming and overly stretched.
Thug Life Twitter Reactions
Early reactions on X (formerly Twitter) praised the film’s initial pacing, tone, and narrative style.
A viewer noted that the first half evoked classics, writing: “#ThugLife Well made and decent first half which reminded me of Kurosowa’s #Ran and Mani’s own #Nayakan at some places. Nothing exceptional after the opening sequence but nothing to complain as well.”
Offering a more balanced view, one fan commented: “Definitely not as bad as the reviews I’ve been reading since morning. Pretty good gangster drama so far, in Mani Ratnam’s settled style. Kamal and STR are at their best… The negatives would be some Trisha portions and the interval block, but otherwise liking the film so far!”
#ThugLife Interval: Definitely not as bad as the reviews I’ve been reading since morning. Pretty good gangster drama so far, in Mani Ratnam’s settled style. Kamal and STR are at their best, the film had a solid start and for a change, I’ve enjoyed some conversational parts more… pic.twitter.com/4E3D7pPgrr
— Siddarth Srinivas (@sidhuwrites) June 5, 2025
Another post praised the chemistry and visuals, saying: “A neat gangster drama so far in Mani Ratnam style. #KamalHaasan shines while #SilambarasanTR steals the show! Kamal’s young look with de-aging and bond with young STR is. Some slow narration but good stretches too.”
One die-hard Kamal fan described it as cinematic brilliance, tweeting: “Haters, trollers, fakery, toxicity @ikamalhaasan has seen it all. Believe in you & me the common film lover who spend our own money #ThugLife is fantastic. A masterclass. Stop appreciating after 10 years do it now. Miss it not.”
AR Rahman’s score also received praise, though with some caveats: “Just in awe of KH’s acting throughout the movie and STR has delivered brilliantly too… ARR’s music is a huge strength but in some portions it felt a bit off.. 2nd half suffers from poor writing!”
Second Half Leaves Viewers Disappointed
While the first half earned admiration, many viewers felt the second act failed to maintain the momentum. One frustrated fan wrote: “#ThugLife -Monumental Disaster. As a hardcore Aandavar fan I am again disappointed after #Indian2. Routine and boring story. Not even one scene is good. Aandavar please stop writing your own stories and stop acting in your own stories.”
#ThugLife -Monumental Disaster
As a hardcore Aandavar fan I am again disappointed after #Indian2.Routine and boaring story. Not even one scene is good.Aandavar please stop writing your own stories and stop acting in your own stories.😭😭😭😭😭😭😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢.… pic.twitter.com/x13YRRSBiH
— Elon 3.0 (@Elon90Elon) June 5, 2025
Another noted the film’s sluggish pacing and lack of spark: “#ThugLife had potential but ends up dragging. Kamal Haasan delivers a solid performance, but his never-ending monologues wear you down. Simbu handles his part well, but even that can’t rescue the sluggish, flat second half. The trademark Mani Ratnam spark? Nowhere to be found.”
For one viewer, it was an acting win but a narrative miss: “#ThugLife – Predictable first half turns into a half baked second half. Kamal at his best as a performer. STR did a decent role but nailed in climax action sequence. A.R.R bgm & songs pure saviour of the film. Mani saab direction la something creepy happened. overall – OK.”
Others criticised the film’s originality and storytelling, with one calling it a mashup: “At the end of first half, felt the movie is a rehash & a simpler form of Mirzapur & Paatalok series.. Kamal & STR chemistry is the only thing that holds the film to some extent. #Thuglife.”
At the end of first half, felt the movie is a rehash & a simpler form of Mirzapur & Paatalok series.. Kamal & STR chemistry is the only thing that holds the film to some extent. #Thuglife pic.twitter.com/UWFii8oxLo
— Thana (@Pitstop387) June 5, 2025
Summing up the sentiment, another viewer wrote: “#ThugLife : The Film Begins with a Gripping Setup, but it quickly devolves into a Cliched Revenge Tale with Zero Surprises.#KamalHaasan and #SilambarasanTR was Good, but Trisha’s character felt Underwritten and largely Unnecessary. Overall, a Disappointing Experience.”
About Thug Life
Alongside its lead trio, Thug Life also features Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf, and Baburaj.
With polarising reactions flooding X, it remains to be seen whether Mani Ratnam’s latest gamble pays off at the box office—or fades into cinematic obscurity.
ALSO READ: Thug Life Review: Kamal Haasan Shines In A Stylish Yet Predictable Gangster Drama
