Jasmeet Bhamra aka Jass (Kareena Kapoor Khan) is a detective who has suffered from a tragic loss, as her son gets killed in an open firing incident by a maniac in the UK. Though the culprit is sentenced to death, Jass finds it tough to overcome her grief. She is transferred to another city on her wish and there she is appointed to handle the missing case of an Indian boy. Jass starts the investigation, which gets tougher as it progresses because of so many suspects and layers added to the boy’s missing. The rest of the story is how Jass connects all the dots and identifies the murderer.
Kareena Kapoor Khan puts up a stellar act as Jasmeet Bhamra. Her teary eyes and controlled attitude and behavior add depth to the character and movie as well. Ranveer Brar, and Ash Tandon were perfect and never went overboard though their characters demand eccentricity at times, Prabhleen Sandhu made a terrific impact whenever she appeared on-screen. Keith Allen and other English artists fitted their roles perfectly.
Hansal Mehta, who is known for his works like Aligarh, Shahid, and Scam 1992, attempted an investigative thriller with The Buckingham Murders. Though the film’s runtime is very short (114 minutes), the filmmaker tried to put many layers in the narrative. The first half starts on a poignant note and because of the setting, it drifts a bit until the midpoint despite the intensity in the proceedings getting higher. The second half gets better as there is so much happening and the reasons/stories behind the murder provide a shock value. The climax twist can be guessed, but it works well.
The film established perfectly how the detectives work with the police, along with the concept of a Family Liaison Officer. The emotional turmoil of Jasmeet Bhamra is shown effectively within a few minutes into the film. Moreover, the differences between two families of suspect and victim provide the required intrigue. The last half an hour when all the big reveals come one after another, is gripping and gives a satisfactory feel.
Despite the film having a perfect potential which is needed for a who dun it thriller, The narration of the film fails to move accordingly and gets jaded on regular occasions. The communal angle shown between Muslims and Sikhs appeared namesake. Some characters/scenes appear very ordinary and do not add to the suspense. Including elements like domestic abuse, drugs addiction and queer representation gives a predictable feel to the film.
