Prime Video’s newest Tamil web series, ‘Snakes and Ladders,’ ventures into the world of twists, turns, and unexpected outcomes that its title so aptly symbolizes. This series attempts to navigate a narrative landscape filled with ups and downs, representative of the perennial game of chance its name suggests. However, the show’s execution leaves much to be desired, resembling more the unpredictability of finding a ‘ladder’ amidst a ‘snake park’ rather than the strategic climbs and falls that could have made it gripping.
Set against the backdrop of 2006 in a fictional hill station known as Rettamugadu, ‘Snakes and Ladders’ unfolds with a group of young friends accidentally embroiled in the aftermath of a crime. The incident centers around Gilbert, Iraiyan, Sandy, and Bala, who witness the fallout from the death of a criminal named Blade. Blade, after a heist involving a valuable locket, fails to return to his gang’s headquarters, triggering a domino effect of chaotic events involving an array of characters from criminals to law enforcers and even meddlesome school bullies.
At the heart of ‘Snakes and Ladders’, the setup and motifs resonate with nostalgic undertones, reminiscent of Enid Blyton’s beloved series such as the ‘Famous Five’ and ‘Secret Seven.’ It nods towards popular culture phenomena like ‘ET,’ ‘Stranger Things,’ and Indian classics such as ‘Anjali.’ Furthermore, the juxtaposition between thrilling mysteries and elements of dark comedy evokes the spirit of age-old comedies like ‘Panchatanthiram’ albeit featuring a cast of pre-teen protagonists. The narrative suggests that maybe a character named Suyambulingam could have connected it as a prequel to Kamal Haasan’s ‘Papanasam.’
The creators of ‘Snakes and Ladders’ deserve a nod for not infantilizing their youthful protagonists. There’s a certain gravitas given to the children, portraying them as astute young individuals aware of their consequence-bearing actions. This approach, however, fails to extend to the adult characters, who are often caricatured and presented with less maturity than their younger co-stars. This storytelling choice renders the series uneven, at times capitalizing on its thematic potential, and at others, losing coherence and depth.
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The show further distances itself from being labeled as merely a children’s adventure, incorporating scenes of violence and sporadic profanity, echoing tones familiar to an audience that consumes Indian OTT content. These elements, while reflective of today’s storytelling landscape, sometimes veer into gratuitous territory, failing to be as profound as they intend.
Unfortunately, ‘Snakes and Ladders’ struggles with an identity crisis. It vacillates uneasily between being a thrilling young-adult narrative and a whimsically dark comedy. This indecisiveness fails to honor both genres it juggles, leaving the show feeling less complete and more like a mosaic of disjointed tones. Many adult characters default into flat archetypes—menacing villains or righteous policemen, for instance—while female roles are often reduced to simplistic tropes of damsels in distress.
The primary ensemble doesn’t escape stereotyping either. The ‘academic’ wears glasses and a stutter, while the solitary female character within the group grapples with a medical issue, reinforcing rather predictable narratives. Instead of each scene slotting seamlessly into a bigger picture, ‘Snakes and Ladders’ treats its setting and the myriad situations as oversized cogs in a machine, losing intricate storytelling in the process.
Remarkably, this extends even to the overarching segments involving gangsters. The criminal arc fails to leave an impression as the finale takes an awkward, Rolex-like inconclusive turn, disempowering the seasoned ensemble of actors, including Naveen Chandra, Nandaa, and Manoj Bharathiraja. The comparison to Naveen’s previous, more compelling collaboration with Prime Video, ‘Inspector Rishi’, underscores the inconsistencies and unfulfilled potential that mar the storytelling of ‘Snakes and Ladders.’
Lamentably, the series falls short of the high benchmark set by Prime Video’s other thrilling endeavors, bogged down by sporadic writing and tonal discord. As ‘Snakes and Ladders’ continues to stream on Prime Video, what could have been an intriguing exploration of fate’s unpredictability becomes a cautionary tale about the importance of balance and clear directions in storytelling.
