Dorothy — Review
Karthik Subbaraj at his bravest and his most divisive. Two extraordinary performances in a story that softens nothing.
The best-reviewed Tamil release of the month, and not an easy watch. Every published star rating was 4 or above, including a 5 out of 5. Several major reviews gave no rating at all and were far more mixed, calling it bloated and overlong.
Nobody on either side disputes the acting. Rishikanth and Sananth were called phenomenal even in the critical reviews. If you want a film that takes a real risk, this is the one. If you want a comfortable evening, it is not.
Released in cinemas on 25 September 2026, after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September. Netflix is reported to be streaming it from about 23 October 2026, in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. Outlets differ by a day on the date, and Esquire India noted that neither Netflix nor the makers had confirmed it when it wrote. Check the Netflix app.
See every place to stream Dorothy Box office collection: ₹15.15 crore net so far, after Day 20The scorecard
Story & Screenplay
4A friendship story that turns into something much harder. This section gives away the turn.
It is set in a village in 1990s Tamil Nadu. Karthi and Subbu are inseparable friends. Dorothy, who has just married into Subbu's family, dies early in the film.
The next sentences give away what the film is built on. Subbu withdraws from the world, and when she comes back out she tells her family that she is a woman, and takes the name Dorothy. Her family decides this cannot stand and pays Karthi to kill her. He cannot do it. The rest of the film is what that refusal costs them both.
M. Suganth in the Times of India said Karthik Subbaraj deserves credit for refusing the safer route and taking the story to its uncompromising end. Nandini Ramnath in Scroll called it a terrific subversion of the usual Tamil film romance, while noting avoidable bloat and some overwrought writing.
The main objection came from Anupama Chopra, who found the sharp turns and the central twist inorganic. The ideas are strong; the film jolts you into them rather than building up to them.
Direction
4Karthik Subbaraj swings big here. Critics split on whether it holds.
Sajin Shrijith in The Week gave it 5 out of 5 and called it Karthik Subbaraj's most complex work and a major upgrade. Gopi Selva in Tamil Guardian gave 4.5, calling it both his most grounded and his most daring film.
The structure is unusual. The present is in black and white and the flashbacks are in colour. Prathyush Parasuraman in the Hollywood Reporter India said the device works, while describing the film overall as reckless, messy, turgidly long and forcefully stylish.
Cinema Express summed up the whole argument neatly: Karthik Subbaraj gives an arthouse idea a mass-film treatment. Whether that lands depends on whether you think those two things belong together.
Acting
4.5Two little-known actors give the performances of the year.
Sananth plays Subbu and Rishikanth plays Karthi, and the film lives or dies on them. The Week called both phenomenal. Even the reviews that disliked the writing said the pair were extraordinary.
The relationship between them is the real subject. It has to hold friendship, love, shame and violence without ever announcing which one a scene is about, and it does.
Keerthy Suresh is the name on the poster and plays Dorothy well, but she is not the lead. Worth knowing before you buy a ticket for her.
Camera & Visuals
4.5Tirru shoots it beautifully and uses the frame to tell the story.
The camerawork drew praise from nearly everyone. Deccan Herald gave 4 out of 5 and picked out the wide shots, the deliberately blurred ones and the near-caricature framing of some characters.
The Week noted the contrast the film keeps returning to — wide open village space against tight, closed-in rooms. The village is where Subbu is watched. The rooms are where she is trapped.
Length is the one technical complaint. At 146 minutes, more than one reviewer felt scenes were held past their point.
Music
4.5Ilaiyaraaja, and a reminder of why that name still matters.
Ilaiyaraaja scoring a Karthik Subbaraj film about 1990s village life is close to perfect casting, and reviewers treated it that way. The music was named a strength in nearly every review, including the mixed ones.
The score never pushes you toward a feeling. In a film this uncomfortable, that restraint is a large part of why the hardest scenes work.
Audience Reaction
3.5Admired more than enjoyed, which was always likely.
It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September, two weeks before the Indian release, and the festival response set the tone — serious, ambitious, difficult.
General audiences have been more divided than critics. Viewer scores have sat well below the review scores, which is usually what happens when a film is this far from a normal Friday watch.
It opened the same day as Meesaya Murukku 2 and took much the better notices of the two.
What the critics said
Sajin Shrijith: Karthik Subbaraj's most complex work and a major upgrade, with phenomenal turns from Rishikanth and Sananth.
Gopi Selva: bold and brilliant, and both Karthik Subbaraj's most grounded and most daring film.
A visually intelligent, humane film built on gorgeous wide shots and careful framing.
👍 Watch it if
- •Anyone who follows Karthik Subbaraj — this is his most ambitious film
- •Two of the best performances in Tamil cinema this year
- •Ilaiyaraaja's score, which almost every reviewer singled out
- •Viewers who want a film that takes a real risk rather than a safe one
👎 Skip it if
- •You want an easy watch. It is about a family's violent response to one of its own
- •You are buying a ticket for Keerthy Suresh as the lead. She is very good, and it is not her film
- •Slow, held scenes frustrate you — several critics called it overlong at 146 minutes
- •You would rather wait for streaming, which has not been announced
Common questions
Is Dorothy good or bad?
Karthik Subbaraj at his bravest and his most divisive. Two extraordinary performances in a story that softens nothing. Across 3 published reviews it scored 4/5 to 5/5, which makes it good rather than a clear hit or a disaster.
Is Dorothy worth watching?
The best-reviewed Tamil release of the month, and not an easy watch. Every published star rating was 4 or above, including a 5 out of 5. Several major reviews gave no rating at all and were far more mixed, calling it bloated and overlong.
What is the rating for Dorothy?
Our consensus rating is 4 out of 5, drawn from 3 published reviews ranging from 4/5 to 5/5.
What is Dorothy rated out of 10?
About 8 out of 10. Indian critics publish out of 5, so this is our 4/5 consensus doubled rather than a separate score.
How is the story & screenplay in Dorothy?
A friendship story that turns into something much harder. This section gives away the turn. It is set in a village in 1990s Tamil Nadu. Karthi and Subbu are inseparable friends. Dorothy, who has just married into Subbu's family, dies early in the film.
How is the direction in Dorothy?
Karthik Subbaraj swings big here. Critics split on whether it holds. Sajin Shrijith in The Week gave it 5 out of 5 and called it Karthik Subbaraj's most complex work and a major upgrade. Gopi Selva in Tamil Guardian gave 4.5, calling it both his most grounded and his most daring film.
How is the acting in Dorothy?
Two little-known actors give the performances of the year. Sananth plays Subbu and Rishikanth plays Karthi, and the film lives or dies on them. The Week called both phenomenal. Even the reviews that disliked the writing said the pair were extraordinary.
How is the camera & visuals in Dorothy?
Tirru shoots it beautifully and uses the frame to tell the story. The camerawork drew praise from nearly everyone. Deccan Herald gave 4 out of 5 and picked out the wide shots, the deliberately blurred ones and the near-caricature framing of some characters.
How is the music in Dorothy?
Ilaiyaraaja, and a reminder of why that name still matters. Ilaiyaraaja scoring a Karthik Subbaraj film about 1990s village life is close to perfect casting, and reviewers treated it that way. The music was named a strength in nearly every review, including the mixed ones.
How is the audience reaction in Dorothy?
Admired more than enjoyed, which was always likely. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September, two weeks before the Indian release, and the festival response set the tone — serious, ambitious, difficult.
Cast & crew
- Karthik Subbaraj
- Tirru
- Ganesh Siva
- Ilaiyaraaja
- Keerthy Suresh, Sananth, Rishikanth, Soundararaja, Gajaraj, Ramachandran Durairaj, Muthazhagi