Prime Video’s latest Tamil web series, “Snakes and Ladders,” attempts to captivate viewers with its intriguing title, symbolizing the uneven journey of its central characters as they grapple with unforeseen consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, the series struggles to reach any significant peaks, finding itself beset by far more pitfalls in its narrative execution, leaving viewers feeling as if they’re more likely to encounter a ladder in a snake’s den.
Set in the fictional hill station of Rettamugadu in 2006, “Snakes and Ladders” follows a group of children—Gilbert (M.S. Samrith), Iraiyan (S Surya Ragaveshwar), Sandy (S Surya Kumar), and Bala (Tarun Yuvraaj). These young protagonists find themselves ensnared in a web of chaos and crime following the death of a notorious crook known as Blade (Ramachandran). Blade’s failure to return after a heist involving a valuable locket triggers a chain of tumultuous events, drawing the involvement of various characters, ranging from gangsters and policemen to teachers, parents, and even the local school bully.
The series, in its initial tones, draws parallels with the adventures found in Enid Blyton’s classics like ‘Famous Five’ and ‘Secret Seven,’ while also evoking reflections of works such as “ET,” “Stranger Things,” and the Indian film “Anjali.” The storyline oscillates between a serious thriller and dark comedy, echoing vibes similar to “Panchatanthiram,” albeit with its pre-teen cast. The narrative is sprinkled with imaginative ideas, providing enough room for wild speculations that one of its characters could have easily been construed as a younger version of Suyambulingam, thereby retrofitting the series as a prequel to Kamal Haasan’s “Papanasam.”
“Snakes and Ladders” commendably navigates the tricky waters of portraying its young actors with maturity rather than reducing them to mere caricatures of precocious children. Ironically, it’s the adult characters in the series who come off as juvenile and caricaturish. The treatment of the young leads as burgeoning adults aware of both their spontaneous actions and the resulting consequences serves both as an advantage and a drawback for the series. Despite featuring teenagers as protagonists, it transcends being mere children’s adventure fiction, woven with the familiar intensity of violence and language typical of Indian OTT content. Much like “Game of Thrones,” the series doesn’t shy away from employing children as central figures who drive the narrative into mature territory.
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However, the show is hampered by inconsistent writing. While there are flashes of thoughtful storytelling, like when the youngsters almost escape their misdeeds only to face parental discovery, or the metaphorical use of a swinging child to reflect a man’s vacillating mindset, these moments are sporadic. The series dangles between the realms of a young-adult thriller and comedic dark humor, failing to do justice to either. The characters—especially the adult ones—remain frustratingly one-dimensional. Men are either ruthless villains or virtuous cops in pursuit of the truth, while the women are confined to roles of helplessness and distress. Even among the youngsters, there’s little ingenuity; the most studious character is stereotypically bespectacled and plagued by a stutter, while the sole girl is marred by a medical ailment.
Instead of weaving its characters and scenarios into an intricate tapestry wherein each piece meaningfully contributes to the bigger picture, the series treats them as large mechanical cogs. This results in a narrative that seems unable to dwell in its moments, bouncing from one plot point to another without pausing to explore the mental and moral complexities faced by its young leads in the face of adversity. The series unfortunately opts for convenient resolutions that while challenging for the gang, veer into excessively dark territory.
The subplot revolving around gangsters is largely uninspiring, exacerbated by an anticlimactic Rolex-like finish to the season. The series offers little to seasoned performers like Naveen Chandra, Nandaa, and Manoj Bharathiraja, who are left with scant material to work with. This proves disappointing, especially considering Naveen’s previous successful collaboration with Prime Video in “Inspector Rishi.” “Snakes and Ladders” fails to live up to the standard set by the platform’s other thrillers, hindered by its inconsistent writing and tonal instability.
The series is now streaming on Prime Video, though it falls short of expectations.
