Rating – **** (4/5)
If you thought you’re constantly overwhelmed but just how consuming and exhausting social media, thirst for validation, cutthroat and ugly competition is in today’s times – you are somehow prepared for the wildness that direct Dibakar Banerjee brings with LSD 2 – a spiritual sequel to the path-breaking Love, Sex Aur Dhokha (2010). You can never expect and neither are you fully prepared for what Banerjee has in store for you with LSD 2.
There is an obvious Black Mirror-ish vibe to these stories that range from being about reality shows to a gaming YouTuber and the relentless hunger for likes, comments, downloads, shares etc. – and the consequences attached to it. Especially with the gaming YouTuber track, which was also my favourite out of the three. A consistent rise in the YouTuber’s subscribers and him hitting 10 million comes at a cost, he never anticipated and would have never wanted. But that’s not to take anything away from the sheer originality, innovation and finesse that Banerjee brings in with his storytelling. He’s always been an original voice, and that’s pronounced here as well.
What works for LSD 2 the most is the absolute lack of pretense, an unabashed look at the fakeness of virtual world, and spectacular performances that are raw and authentic.
Banerjee wants you to feel discomforted and wondering about everything you see on the screen, along with feeling bombarded with one shock after another. The film also works towards a crescendo that keeps getting crazier and weirder but forces you to think twice on it while wondering how eerily real it will be soon.
LSD 2 is a great follow-up to what was a trendsetter over a decade and a half ago, as it forces you to be left with questions, and possibly, try to learn from the gaps and have a better life.