SummaryA government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a low-caste girl is found raped and murdered, she is pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.
Directed By:Sandhya Suri
Written By:Sandhya Suri
Santosh
Metascore
Generally Favorable
75
User score
Mixed or Average
5.4
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
94% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
6% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jan 11, 2025
90
Despite some of the movie's flaws, Santosh's cast truly shines, particularly Shahana Goswami in the titular role. Serving as an audience surrogate, Goswami nicely balances the feeling of curiosity and uncertainty as she becomes more embroiled in the case and her job.
Mar 21, 2025
80
Writer-director Sandhya Suri has made a tense, violent and politically savvy crime procedural set in India: a film about sexism, caste bigotry and Islamophobia that doubles as a study in the complex relationship between two female cops, a cynical veteran and a wide-eyed rookie.
User score
Mixed or Average
40% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
27% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
33% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
May 25, 2024
80
Santosh positions its protagonist as a fundamentally decent woman in an impossible situation, rather than a crusading cop on mission. If ‘Training Day with more grey areas’ sounds dull, it’s anything but.
Jan 30, 2025
78
It seems that its depiction of institutional misogyny, police incompetence, and the continued strength of the caste system didn’t sit well with the censors. If nothing else, that’s a sign that it’s served its purpose by hitting the powerful uncomfortably close to the bone.
May 25, 2024
75
Suri’s film is full of non-actors who excel at being themselves in front of the camera, the result so eminently watchable because it feels so remarkably like the real India.
Jan 3, 2025
67
In its most compelling stretches, Santosh operates as a kind of subverted procedural in which every aspect of the investigation is, at best, an informality of dubious legal standing.
Mar 20, 2025
60
It’s a slow, detailed procedural, one which carefully draws you into its dismal intrigue – and it’s engrossing for much of its runtime.
Jul 26, 2025
6
Uma história forte e pertinente sobre as entranhas das tradições misóginas e as dificuldades de uma oficial em bater de frente com estruturas rígidas, e ainda que o roteiro pese a mão nos tipos, não é de duvidar a materialidade da situação, funcionando como filme reflexivo. O problema mesmo é a forma burocrática demais como tudo ocorre, até mesmo a sonoplastia do filme parece preguiçosa, além das atuações bem ruins e dos planos novelescos. Lá para o final, a direção resolve criar planos mais interessantes, mas é muito pouco. Um filme que poderia ter uma execução melhor, mas acaba sendo superficial e rasteiro em suas críticas, além de um sabor amargo e desesperançoso.
Production Company:
- Haut et Court
- Razor Film Produktion GmbH
- Suitable Pictures
- Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
- ARTE
- L'Aide aux cinémas du monde
- Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC)
- Institut français
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
- British Film Institute (BFI)
- Good Chaos
- Inflammable Films
Release Date:Dec 27, 2024
Duration:2 h
Rating:R
Tagline:Nothing is more dangerous than following orders.
Awards
British Independent Film Awards
• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations
Asian Film Awards
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Tokyo FILMeX
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations




























