Serial killer-themed films never seem to be average. Either they are incredibly boring or they perform flawlessly. With its plot and writing, the middle ground is a new frontier for Footfairy. It is a terrible imitation of Bong Joon-Memories Ho’s of a Murder, a legendary criminal thriller released in 2003. It follows veteran officer Vivaan as he searches for a serial killer who slashes the foot of his victims after they die. The modest execution of Footfairy and the methodical inquiry that draws the viewer in make it entertaining. Let’s watch how everything plays out.
Spoilers upcoming
Is Joshua The Serial Killer? Does Vivaan Find Evidence Against Joshua?
Footfairy begins with a woman walking alongside the railroad tracks when she is startled by a man who covers her head with a plastic bag and suffocates her to death. Then, after dragging her body to a remote location, he starts cutting her feet. The victim’s body is discovered in a red suitcase in the next scene by inspector Vivaan, who has been assigned to the case. FootFairy, the town’s serial murderer who kills innocent ladies, has claimed more victims in the past than just this one. Vivaan learns that the woman was not slain at the site where they found her body, but they are unsure of the reason why the murderer abandoned it there. They only know that the deaths take place close to railroad tracks and that the women almost always had open-toed shoes on. Because he doesn’t want to defend the police in a news debate, Vivaan’s supervisor asks him to solve the case as soon as possible.
The movie pulls off a few funny jokes. As with other pieces of content, we had resorted to using obscene allegories as a way to inject humour into the plot. A magazine covered in male sperm is discovered at the crime scene as the police continue their investigation. They discovered after several tests that it might belong to a cab driver by the name of Ravi Kale. When they bring him in for interrogation, they discover that he isn’t the murderer because his alibi is plausible. In the meanwhile, a woman by the name of Vanessa D Souza was murdered. In an effort to spot her killer there, the police attend the funeral service. He does arrive, but escapes before they can capture him. The authorities discovered, after following every possible lead, that all of the victims had visited Love, Stock, and Burgers a few days prior to their demise. Joshua, the owner, is known to have a penchant for feet. He had violent tendencies, according to his ex-testimony. girlfriend’s However, the evidence is insufficient to get a warrant for his arrest.
We find it interesting that the movie led us to believe that the killings were motivated by a foot fetish. Because preliminary data indicates that it is among the most prevalent fetishes worldwide. We don’t see how a foot fetish would combine with the typical hatred of women that motivates serial killers to kill women.
In the meantime, Vivaan devises a strategy to gather evidence against the proprietor of the burger joint. After telling Joshua, he convinces Shakhin, one of the regulars, to act as though she is alone while she walks along the railroad lines. However, she becomes frightened, and they are forced to abort the idea. Shakhin wasn’t someone who frequently rode the train. By focusing on her, the FootFairy would be departing from their usual strategy. However, a man by the name of Sandeep eventually steps forward and claims to have seen the FootFairy. When asked if he knew him, he points to Joshua’s and another man’s pictures as potential suspects. This is enough to obtain a warrant for them. Joshua is taken into custody but is released on bail while the tests are conducted. A fresh victim is discovered, though. She is the daughter of Vivaan’s neighbour, who he had feelings for. This causes him to reach a breaking point. Now, the desire for vengeance has been added to the search for the murderer. But what happens afterwards alters how the entire investigation is conducted. Joshua is not identified as the offender, but he does end up accusing the police of slander, which essentially puts an end to the investigation. On the other hand, the murders halt.
Ending Explained: Does Vivaan Find The Footfairy? What Does The End Credits Scene Signify?
In the seven years that follow, Vivaan is running his own security company after quitting his employment, as shown in the movie. Everything appears to be tranquil now that everyone has moved on with their lives. Vivaan walks over to the railroad tracks where the murders took place and just stands there, staring. He and the other person are gazing at the railroad tracks when a kid asks them why. The child admits, after some prodding, that the other guy claimed he had left a bag there decades earlier and was simply inspecting the location. It is clear to Vivaan that he is referring to the FootFairy. Where did the man go, he queries. The child gestures in the direction of where the railroad tracks will be when the movie is over.
We observe a woman walking in the final scene. Both the location and the woman are not in India. When she turns around after being hit with a snowball, a plastic cap is placed over her head, and the screen goes black. This indicates that the Footfairy is still in business, albeit in another nation.
Possible Theories: Who Could Be The Footfairy Killer?
Vivaan: We are stuck with the idea that Vivaan could be the footfairy. He was aware of the timings of his neighbor’s daughter, thus it seemed strange that he was fixated on accusing Joshua of being the culprit. At one point, Devika questions if Vivaan believes Joshua is the murderer out of genuine conviction or simply because it makes the investigation simpler. The real FootFairy does appear in that scene at Vanessa’s grave, though. Was that a convenient red herring he used? He probably had to stop operating once Joshua filed a defamation lawsuit, but the accomplice went rogue. In the end credits, we saw the FootFairy in a distant country, yet Vivaan is a resident of Bangalore with his family. Perhaps we should take the youngster’s account seriously and stick to the straightforward conclusion that Vivaan is not at fault and that the real offender is somewhere else. If they decide to make a sequel, that is when we will find out. If not, we shall have to fight against our theories.
Joshua: From the outset, all fingers are pointing at him. Two months before to the killings, he opened his cafe. He had a method for focusing on particular victims, and when he shuttered his cafe and left, the killings truly ceased. Not to mention the fact that his girlfriend claimed she thought he was responsible for the killings because of the way he appeared to enjoy choking her. When Vivaan finds the girl’s body and assaults Joshua for admitting to killing her, Joshua responds that he has. But he acknowledges that he is merely saying it to satisfy Vivaan’s curiosity. Harsh arrives with the forensic findings just in time for him to shoot him. Joshua’s DNA does not match that of the FootFairy. If he had a partner, as we previously theorised, this would make sense. However, a part of us thinks it is too obvious. He simply doesn’t seem to be the one who got away. He was upfront about his foot fetish, however, and was thinking about something more specific. By suppressing their darkest, most disturbing ideas, serial killers are created. For these reasons, should the producers decide to make him the serial killer in a sequel, we won’t be happy with it.
We don’t instantly think about Rishabh:colleague Vivaan’s until two crucial details are made clear in the closing few minutes: first, Rishabh is in Russia; and second, the end credits show the FootFairy functioning in a foreign nation. This brings to mind the fact that he was the one who directed Vivaan to Joshua. The fact that the victims had visited the same burger restaurant a week or two prior to their deaths is such an improbable connection to make. If you weren’t the genuine mastermind, how could you have known this information in the first place? He was always the first to arrive at a crime scene. Let’s not forget that the FootFairy deftly dodged inquiry techniques while appearing to comprehend them. That can imply that he is an individual with expertise of police tactics or investigations. He was present when the FootFairy served Vanessa, so that’s true, but could that have been a cover or a complete red herring?
We lean toward the fourth possibility the most simply because we’re attempting to adopt the writer’s point of view. It’s clear that the authors intended for the audience to develop their own theories, but who would they have seen as the serial killer? Was the character ever given a face, or was he merely a symbol for Vivaan’s sorrow and obsession? If that’s the case, it would probably be better if there wasn’t a sequel, just to make sure the goal was achieved. However, another part of us, one that seeks clarification just as Vivaan does, desires that the narrative proceed and that we learn the true identity of the FootFairy. We will eventually settle on a favoured theory and select the thriller, but we would also be interested in learning more about the author’s thought process.
Final Thoughts: What Works For The Film?
One would assume that the abundance of conspiracies that this film can inspire has improved its standing from merely passable to something truly excellent. But we still maintain that the film’s straightforward plot is what makes it most effective. The creators don’t try to do too much and keep it straightforward—a man is searching for a shady murderer. And that s it. It was so nice to see a cop who is not tortured by his past. And some of the jokes, like the tsunami one or that about turning a softcover to hardcover, actually made us chuckle. We think that happened because they did not try to forcefully fit them into the narrative but let them happen organically. There might be a sequel, with Vivaan trying to get to the killer, or it could just end with a comparison between two men: one obsessed with feet to the point of killing for them, and the other obsessed with this killer to the extent that it becomes the focus of his life. We don t mind either of these two routes. While not a must-watch, it is engaging enough for a lazy afternoon and can be enjoyed as such.
Footfairy is a 2020 Drama Thriller film directed by Kanishk Varma.
