Prime Video’s latest Tamil web series, Snakes and Ladders, attempts to take viewers through the ups and downs faced by its central characters as they navigate a convoluted series of events. However, the series experiences more pitfalls than triumphs, akin to hoping for a ladder in the middle of a snake pit.
Set against the backdrop of a fictional hill station called Rettamugadu in 2006, Snakes and Ladders follows a group of young friends—Gilbert (M.S. Samrith), Iraiyan (S Surya Ragaveshwar), Sandy (S Surya Kumar), and Bala (Tarun Yuvraaj)—who find themselves embroiled in a controversial event following the death of a criminal known as Blade (Ramachandran). Blade had vanished after a heist involving a highly valuable locket, which subsequently entangles not just gangsters and law enforcement but also teachers, parents, and even the notorious school bully in a web of chaos.
From its very outset, the series evokes a sense of nostalgia with its setting and characters that seem to be a nod to popular adventure stories like Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ and ‘Secret Seven’. The narrative also resonates with the supernatural intrigue of ET and Stranger Things, while echoing familiar domestic themes akin to those found in Anjali. The series ambitiously shifts between being a serious thriller and a dark comedy, even feeling like Panchatanthiram but with a younger cast. It’s almost as if one of the main characters could have been a precursor to Kamal Haasan’s character in Papanasam.
One commendable aspect of Snakes and Ladders is its treatment of the young protagonists. The series does not resort to making them overly naive or irritatingly precocious. Contrary to this well-considered characterization of the young cast, the adults often appear irrationally petty, leading to a reversal of expected maturity levels. The protagonists are presented as young adults, acutely conscious of the repercussions of their impulsive actions caused by their age, which adds depth to the storyline.
. Despite featuring teenagers as leads, Snakes and Ladders is not in the realm of a mere children’s adventure. The series includes the expected level of violence and profane language typical of Indian OTT content without making these elements seem overly contrived. If Game of Thrones can feature child actors in intense roles, why should Snakes and Ladders hold back?
Unfortunately, despite these moments of insight and creativity—such as the scene where the kids almost evade trouble but are discovered by a parent, or the symbolic shot of a child on a swing representing a man’s vacillating thoughts—these instances are sparse. The series struggles with an identity crisis, lost between trying to be a captivating young-adult thriller and a twisted dark comedy. This indecision results in an underwhelming experience that fails to do justice to either genre. The characterization, particularly of the adults, is disappointingly one-dimensional. The male characters are either relentless villains or principled good guys, while the female characters often appear as confused individuals needing rescue. Even among the lead youths, the stereotypes prevail, with the studious one being stereotypically bespectacled and the only girl struggling with a medical issue.
The series treats its plot and character arcs as large components of a machine rather than pieces of a cohesive puzzle that need to fit seamlessly together to form a complete picture. This approach neglects the deeper exploration of the children’s minds and moral compass amidst harsh circumstances, opting for easy resolutions instead. Consequently, the gang’s adventures are made unnecessarily complex and sometimes even excessively grim.
The segment involving gangsters leaves much to be desired, and the climactic, Rolex-like season finale does little to salvage the show. The series ultimately fails to utilize its seasoned actors like Naveen Chandra, Nandaa, and Manoj Bharathiraja to their full potential, which is disappointing especially after Naveen’s previous successful collaboration with Prime Video in Inspector Rishi. Overall, Snakes and Ladders falls short, failing to meet the standards set by Prime Video’s other thriller offerings, marred by inconsistent writing and an erratic tone.
