Prime Video’s latest Tamil web series “Snakes and Ladders” attempts to portray a riveting tale of unexpected twists and turns, drawing a parallel to the classic board game after which it is named. However, the series in its ambitiously tangled narrative unfortunately resembles the real-life odds of finding a ladder in a snake pit—rare and mostly elusive. Just as the name suggests, the series could have been an intricate dance of successes and missteps but leans heavily on the side of the latter.
Set against the backdrop of the fictional 2006 hill station of Rettamugadu, “Snakes and Ladders” revolves around a group of adventurous youngsters, including Gilbert (M.S. Samrith), Iraiyan (S Surya Ragaveshwar), Sandy (S Surya Kumar), and Bala (Tarun Yuvraaj). These young souls find themselves entangled in a vortex of unforeseen events following a fatal incident involving a notorious criminal, Blade (Ramachandran). The circumstances get increasingly convoluted when Blade’s failure to return after a heist for a precious locket spirals into a chain of chaotic incidents. This misadventure drags in an array of characters, from local gangsters to law enforcement officials, and even reaches into the seemingly insulated domain of the children’s teachers and parents.
The series gives an initial impression of an idyllic adventure reminiscent of classic childhood ensembles like Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ or ‘Secret Seven,’ a flavor further enhanced by cinematic echoes of “ET,” “Stranger Things,” and “Anjali.” The frequent tonal shifts between a tense thriller and dark comedy might remind the audience of movies like “Panchatanthiram,” albeit with adolescent protagonists. Tantalizingly, the series hints at being a prequel to Kamal Haasan’s “Papanasam” with its engaging storyline.
“Snakes and Ladders” makes an effort to tread carefully over its child protagonists, avoiding the twin traps of infantilizing them or making them unnaturally wise-beyond-their-years. Ironically, the adults in the series, characterized with a touch of caricature, appear much more juvenile in their roles. The show efficiently handles its young leads as burgeoning young adults, conscious of the consequences emerging from their impulsive decisions—a narrative choice that proves to be both advantageous and detrimental.
Despite the presence of teens as the central characters, the series veers away from being a typical children’s romp, introducing elements of violence and profanity that align with the expected norms of Indian OTT content.
. This calculated step away from childish themes makes it more akin to a young adult thriller, although the lack of finely crafted sequences loosely anchors it to that identity.
Embedded within “Snakes and Ladders” are glimpses of promising writing—a scene where the children are almost discovered by their parents, and another creatively capturing a man’s inner conflict with a visual metaphor of a swing. Nevertheless, these scattered moments of ingenuity remain few, echoing the series’ struggle to maintain a coherent narrative. It vacillates between being an edgy young-adult thriller and a dark comedic exploration, yet unfortunately does little to accommodate either genre convincingly. The adult characters, coerced into unidimensional roles, fail to stimulate empathy or interest. Male characters emerge as either nefarious villains willing to go to any lengths or stalwart policemen driven by duty, while the females drift into predictable arcs of being damsels in distress.
Likewise, the youngster’s depiction lacks originality—the archetypally studious one is donned with glasses, and the sole female member of the group is conveniently afflicted with a health condition. These clichés dilute potential nuanced storytelling.
Moreover, the series treats its character and narrative framework as moving parts of an oversized machine rather than interlocking pieces of a puzzle meant to form a coherent whole. The brisk hopping from one dramatic set-piece to another inadvertently reduces the effectiveness of critical moments. The narrative neglects to delve into the psychological landscapes of its young protagonists, sidestepping the complexities of their moral compasses for simplistic plot resolutions.
Notably, the gangster subplot fails to deliver the grit and authenticity it demands, culminating in an ending reminiscent of lackluster clichés rather than a compelling finale. Despite a talented cast featuring seasoned actors such as Naveen Chandra, Nandaa, and Manoj Bharathiraja, their potential remains largely untapped—unfortunate, given Naveen Chandra’s previous successful collaboration with Prime Video in “Inspector Rishi.”
In conclusion, “Snakes and Ladders” embarks on a journey laden with potential but ultimately falters due to inconsistent writing and tonal disparities, falling short of the high standard set by Prime Video’s other offerings in the thriller genre. The dice seem irreparably stacked against it. Nevertheless, for curious viewers, the series is currently streaming on Prime Video.
