CBI 5 – The Brain follows the investigation behind the string of murders which take place including that of a minister. What is the mystery behind this whodunnit? The story is your typical investigative drama which initially features the conflict between the police and the CBI only for the latter to take over the case. The screenplay is a twisted investigative thriller which I feel could have been slightly better as well. Standing at almost 3 hours, the screenplay is overwhelming but at the same time very watchable. It begins on an uneven note where the writer who was tasked of creating the world was caught up between rushing through things and tactfully creating a world. So what transpires is that the murders take place in a jiffy one scene after the other before the audience is settled in the drama.

What follows is a police investigation but then things start to get interesting with the entry of the protagonist who is in charge of the CBI. And it is this period that is the most twisted and thrilling one which features the investigation. There are multiple subplots designed to confuse you with multiple characters which will keeps you guessing. And the second half formulates an engaging goose hunt where some subplots are either left unanswered or they meet with a dead end. Nevertheless, the proceedings are thrilling and very engaging although there are minor loopholes here and there.

But then the issue again resurfaces at the ending. The grand reveal lacked the buildup(which was present in a film like 21 grams) and it was rather underwhelming as well despite the fact that I did not guess the final culprit. It just seemed too trivial and it didn’t match with where the drama was headed or the significance of it. Somehow, it just didn’t sit well for me summing up a screenplay which was thrilling and twisted for most parts but not without its share of shortcomings.