After lengthy critical anticipation, Vikramaditya Motwane’s directorial venture Trapped hit the screens on Friday. The discerning fans have been eagerly waiting to see Rajukummar Rao’s work in the movie as the protagonist who locks himself up in an apartment within a high-rise Mumbai building for almost a week. And if you are someone who likes to read reviews before jetting out to the theatres, here’s what the critics have to say about Trapped.

‘Mounting tension makes you overlook flaws’ – ToI (3.5/5)

The Times of India’s Renuka Vyavahare calls the movie a terrific ‘one-man show’ staged by Rajkummar, who ‘allows the film to solely feed on his character’s despair.’ ‘A few occurrences seem implausible. How come even fire doesn’t draw any attention? Nonetheless, the mounting tension makes you overlook these flaws and a bloated run time. ‘SH** happens’,’ she added.

‘Little struggles and victories assume epic proportions’ – NDTV (3.5/5)

Raja Sen, in his review for NDTV, has given full marks to the director, who does his best to ‘show how every struggle – the smallest of struggles – assumes epic proportions when viewed in extreme close-up, and how all those little victories add up toward a big one.’ His top moment from the film sees Rao ‘wielding a slingshot fashioned from the waistband of his briefs to hunt himself one of the city’s ubiquitous pigeons, but then arises another hiccup: this man is a vegetarian.’

‘Motwane and Rao form a lethal team’ – HT (3.5/5)

More praise has flown in for the director from Hindustan Times’ Rohit Vats. According to him, Trapped is a defining film for Motwane who has become braver in using small spaces and silence. It’s the beginning of a style that we must see in his next films. The actor-director partnership has been spoken of highly. ‘Motwane and Rao form a lethal team that keep us hooked for 102 minutes, quite easily, wrote Vats and added, ‘It remains a personal story, more like a leaf out of Shaurya’s life than a cinematic celebration of a survivor.’

‘Rao should have added up more’ – Firstpost (2/5)

In her column for Firstpost, Anna M Vetticad has expressed disappointment after watching the movie. ‘Trapped is interesting to begin with. It also makes telling comments about the loneliness of individuals in a crowd and the downside of a city that never sleeps: if no one is ever silent long enough to listen, how can your cry for help – literal or metaphorical – ever be heard?’ she asserted but then added, ‘Sadly though, the film is unable to maintain those interest levels through its 102 minutes and 56 seconds running time. This promising premise combined with the formidable talents of Vikramaditya Motwane and Rajkummar Rao should have added up to much more.’