‘Kennedy’ Movie Review (2026): Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone fronted the “Kennedy” movie, which has been aired on Zee5, and it has brought back filmmaker Anurag Kashyap to familiar dark territory. But, this time, with a noticeably quieter and more restrained approach.
The movie is set in pandemic-era Mumbai and takes us to a bleak, atmospheric noir that follows a contract killer trapped inside a deeply compromised system. Kennedy is anchored by an intense central performance, and it focuses less on spectacle and more on psychological erosion, moral emptiness, and isolation.
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Kennedy Movie Rating and Details Breakdown
Baapofmovies.com Rating: 3.25/5
- Premiere Date: February 20, 2026
- Where to watch: Zee5
- Cast: Rahul Bhat, Sunny Leone, Mohit Takalkar, and others
- Runtime: 146 Minutes (2hr 26min)
Kennedy Story and Setting
The narrative follows Kennedy (played by Rahul Bhat), a man who was once a police officer named Uday Shetty. He is presumed dead, and now he survives as a hired assassin for a corrupt police commissioner. His only motivation is the promise of information about a gangster. He wants to hunt down for deeply personal reasons.
Mumbai has become a near-abandoned, suffocating city. The pandemic backdrop is smartly chosen, as it heightens the loneliness and emotional vacancy that define Kennedy’s existence. The story is spread across five nights that lead to an ominous event known simply as “The Night”. It slowly builds a sense of fatalism rather than traditional suspense.
A Character Study More Than a Crime Thriller
The first half settles into Kennedy’s routine that is silent drives and clinical executions. and minimal human interaction. He is emotionally numb and communicates more through violence than words. There are haunting voices of his past victims that echo in his mind, and the film never clarifies whether these are guilt-driven hallucinations or fragments of a fractured psyche.
The second half shifts focus to his psychological aspects, and we see the gradual emergence of the man he has become. Importantly, Kennedy does not frame its protagonist, but he is seen as a noble victim of circumstance. His downfall is portrayed as self-created.
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Performances That Hold the Film Together
Rahul Bhat has done a good job to deliver a tightly controlled and deeply unsettling performance. His portrayal relies on restraint, posture and silence. Kennedy feels dangerous even when standing still.
Opposite him is Sunny Leone, a lonely neighbour, and she becomes the only fragile emotional connection in Kennedy’s world. Their brief and awkward interactions offer rare warmth in an otherwise cold and mechanical film.
Direction, Cinematography and Music
The director and writer Anurag Kashyap has shown his strength as he touches the viewers’ mood and doesn’t focus on narrative complexity. Cinematographer Sylvester Fonseca does well to transform the city into a nocturnal maze of shadows, empty roads and dim interiors that make Mumbai feel like a silent accomplice to the violence.
The music is beautifully placed, as it complements the film’s emotional silence; contributions from Aamir Aziz and Raghav Bhati blend into the film’s subdued texture. Moreover, the recurring orchestral themes that are performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra work well to become a haunting emotional backbone.
What Works and What Doesn’t
What works well:
- Kennedy gives viewers a powerful, internalised lead performance.
- There is a strong atmospheric world-building that keeps audiences engaged.
- It has striking nighttime visuals.
- There is a subtle, mood-driven background score.
Where the film feels weaker:
- The screenplay is not as smooth, and it often feels deliberately sparse.
- There is a commentary on institutional corruption that doesn’t really work, and it remains underdeveloped.
- Emotional subplots that include the father-daughter angle feel briefly explored.
Final Verdict
All in all, Kennedy is not Anurag Kashyap’s most narratively tight film, but it is one of his most immersive. The film rides on the emotions of presence, texture and psychological tension rather than twists and plot mechanics.
Kennedy is one of the films that will stand out as a slow-burning noir that rewards viewers willing to surrender to its atmosphere.
Watch Kennedy Trailer
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