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Spa is not plot-heavy or single-character-driven. It thrives on fleeting yet memorable encounters. Among them, Vineeth Thattil’s Mathan stands out as the most rounded and endearing. A middle-aged rustic man who may appear intimidating, Mathan is in truth a gentle giant, or as a character aptly calls him, “Pookie Mathan”. For someone with no prior female interaction, this visit becomes more than mere rejuvenation. Vineeth beautifully captures the character’s vulnerability, impulsiveness, and unexpected longing for romance. His scenes with Radhika Radhakrishnan unfold organically, with the actress navigating delicate situations with admirable restraint.

All the female actors deliver assured performances, especially Shruthy Menon as the leader of the pack. We are repeatedly told she is the best among them, and her body language and interactions convincingly convey the confidence of a seasoned professional. Though the film does not deeply explore their camaraderie, whatever little we glimpse feels authentic and perhaps even Bechdel Test-worthy.

Spa aligns itself with earlier attempts like Trivandrum Lodge, Hotel California, Vedivazhipadu, and Paapam Cheyyathavar Kalleriyattewhich also examined desire and hypocrisy in a humorous tone. Yet Shine isn’t ambitious enough, as he neither pushes the envelope into biting social satire nor ventures into radical storytelling territory. But what ultimately holds Spa back is its clumsy final act. The sudden introduction of two new characters and a Kill Bill-style subplot seems designed to trigger a tonal shift and subvert expectations. However, the writing around these characters feels underdeveloped, and the action sequences lack conviction. If the aim was to deliver an adrenaline rush, Shine has previously demonstrated far sharper staging of martial arts and close combat in his 2020 film, The Kung Fu Master. Here, however, the stretch feels forced, leaving us wondering about its purpose.

In a film that features one too many ‘happy endings’, it is ironically the ending itself that does not quite land.