Toxic early reviews: Yash's raging fairytale leaves a bitter taste, Kiara Advani gets a raw deal

Yash's much-awaited Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups has finally hit screens, and if early reactions are anything to go by, audiences are deeply divided, though not always in the way the trailers might have suggested. Directed by Geetu Mohandas and co-written by the director alongside Yash himself, the film carried enormous expectations after months of buzz, a bold marketing push, and advance bookings that reportedly crossed Rs 45 crore ahead of release.

A recurring theme across early reactions is that Toxic looks the part but struggles to hold together as a story. One reviewer didn't mince words, calling the film a total disaster where nothing in the narrative seems to connect. Others have been similarly blunt, with the film's punishing runtime, reportedly clocking in at 194 minutes, being singled out as a major sticking point, with at least one critic dubbing it the Saaho of Yash's career, a pointed reference to the 2019 pan-India project that opened big but left audiences cold on content.

Another broke down the film's first half in detail, pointing to an overcrowded character roster and an editing style so relentlessly fast-paced that emotional beats never get room to breathe. They did carve out praise for the film's action choreography, specifically highlighting a circus sequence as one of the standout set pieces where Yash's screen presence truly shines, though the same review took issue with the film's heavily stylised dialogue, criticising its overuse of rhyme and repetitive analogies as more grating than impactful.

Other reactions have been considerably harsher. Another widely shared post described the film's screenplay as chaotic and its character introductions as virtually nonexistent, arguing that the plot's lack of a coherent flow leaves viewers confused about what's actually happening on screen for long stretches.

The same critique took aim at the dialogue writing and editing, and didn't spare Ravi Basrur's background score either, suggesting it only compounds the film's problems rather than elevating them. Yash's screen presence, a handful of individual scenes, and a stronger final act were among the few elements singled out as working, with the reviewer ultimately calling the film less a flawed watch and more a straightforward disaster.

Apart from the pacing and writing concerns, several reviewers have pointed to a strong sense of déjà vu. Multiple early reactions note that Yash's character, his action sequences, and his larger-than-life "mass" moments feel heavily reminiscent of Rocky from the KGF franchise, the very role that made Yash a pan-India star. For some viewers, that comparison works in the film's favour; for others, it reads as a lack of reinvention, with the actor seemingly leaning on an established persona rather than carving out something new.

Criticism hasn't been limited to writing and pacing. Some reactions have flagged the film's heavy reliance on violence, glamour and bold visual choices as a substitute for actual story progression, with a few reviewers specifically criticising how the film's female characters, including Kiara Advani's Nadia, are used within the narrative, calling out what they saw as a regressive treatment reminiscent of similar criticism levelled at other recent mass-hero films.

Across nearly every review, certain elements keep resurfacing as genuine positives: Yash's commanding screen presence, the film's rich production values and cinematography, and a handful of standout scenes, particularly the circus action sequence and moments shared between Yash and Kiara Advani, are being consistently praised, even by the film's harshest critics. Several reviewers have also pointed to a stronger, better-executed climax as one of the film's saving graces, suggesting the film finds its footing right when it matters most, even if it takes a while to get there.