Watching ‘Eklo-I’ can make you feel lonely—not because the film explores solitude, but because a few viewers may walk out while it is still playing.

A film can be slow, complex, or demanding, yet still hold its audience. ‘Eklo-I’ struggles to do that, even when its ambition deserves acknowledgement.

Marketed as Nepal’s first science fiction film, ‘Eklo-I’ takes a bold leap in an industry dominated by social melodramas and familiar family conflicts. Creating something new in a market that often rewards the familiar is not easy. But ambition, unfortunately, does not always translate into effective storytelling.

Set in 2090, in the aftermath of a global pandemic in 2030, the story follows astronauts returning to Earth who discover a lone survivor and mysterious guardians hidden in Himalayan caves.

On paper, the premise sounds exciting. It promises mystery, post-apocalyptic tension, and speculative imagination rooted in Nepal’s geography. The problem lies not in the idea, but in its execution.

The film fails to establish strong emotional or narrative anchors. Characters appear without meaningful backstories, and their motivations remain underdeveloped. Several characters exist without a clear purpose, and their presence or absence barely alters the narrative. As a result, the audience is detached from their journeys. When characters lack depth, even the most imaginative world feels hollow.

Dialogue becomes one of the film’s biggest weaknesses. Heavy, repetitive conversations dominate the screenplay, often delivered in both English and Nepali, sometimes within the same scene. Instead of adding layers, this repetition becomes exhausting. The film explains everything. It tells rather than shows. Subtlety is sacrificed for overexplanation, as if the audience cannot be trusted to read between the lines.

This lack of trust becomes even more evident in the portrayal of a child character. The child is written as overly philosophical, emotionally mature, and socially aware to an unrealistic degree. Rather than appearing insightful, the character feels artificial. The intention may have been to evoke wisdom beyond age, but it ends up sounding forced and, at times, unintentionally humorous.

Cinema thrives on metaphor, silence, and visual storytelling. ‘Eklo-I’ rarely allows images to speak for themselves. Almost every idea is spelt out through dialogue. The film spoon-feeds meaning, leaving little room for interpretation. One wonders why the filmmaker assumes Nepali audiences require constant verbal guidance instead of visual cues. Does science fiction not invite curiosity and decoding?

The film’s treatment of female characters raises deeper concerns. Women are objectified to an extreme degree, and this portrayal is neither clearly critiqued nor thoughtfully contextualised. The Maharani (Benisha Hamal) is reduced to an object of desire, not only for her husband, portrayed by Sunil Thapa, but also for her stepson. The narrative includes sexual abuse, yet fails to handle it with sensitivity or purpose.

Kabita Nepali’s character, who returns to earth from space, faces a similar fate. Despite her status as a space dweller, she is still viewed primarily through the lens of lust. What is the film trying to say here? Do women, regardless of power or achievement, remain objects? If so, the film does not question this reality strongly enough. Instead, it risks reinforcing it through uncritical depiction.

As a science fiction film, ‘Eklo-I’ naturally builds expectations of strong visual effects and immersive world-building. However, the excitement fades quickly. The visual effects are minimal and often underwhelming. A glowing sword, a small ball of fire, an asteroid falling from the sky, an AI robot and a rocket appear, but none leave a lasting impression. In a genre driven by visual wonder, these elements feel insufficient.

Pacing further weakens the experience. Scenes stretch longer than necessary, and the screenplay moves at a sluggish pace. What could have been atmospheric becomes tedious. Suspense turns into boredom. By the midpoint, the film’s promise begins to wear thin, and patience is tested.

Pradeep Khadka’s presence adds to the disappointment. Marketed prominently, his role is barely more than what the trailer reveals. Fans expecting a substantial performance may feel misled. His limited screen time does little to impact the story, making his casting feel more like a promotional strategy than a narrative necessity.

To the film’s credit, the visuals are grand. The backgrounds are striking, and the scale feels larger than most Nepali productions. The background score supports the mood without overpowering it. Technically, the film shows glimpses of what Nepali cinema could achieve with better narrative control.

Another commendable aspect of ‘Eklo-I’ is its use of Nepali subtitles for portions in which characters speak English. This has made the movie more accessible to a wider Nepali-speaking audience.

Since ‘Eklo-I’ is Part One, the film feels more like an extended introduction than a complete cinematic experience. It sets the stage but fails to offer a satisfying arc. Waiting until 2027 for the sequel may feel too long for viewers who are already struggling to stay invested.

Eklo-I

Director: Pradeep Shahi

Cast: Kabita Nepali, Pradeep Khadka, Jamie Bacon

Duration: 140 minutes

Year: 2026

Language: Nepali and English