Kingdom begins on solid footing, confident in both tone and storytelling. A visually striking opening set off the coast of Srikakulam in the 1920s sets the mood, a misty, sepia-toned sequence that introduces us to a masked tribal warrior and the battle for his people’s survival. Cinematographers Girish Gangadharan and Jomon T John bring a brooding beauty to the screen, while writer-director Gowtam Tinnanuri hints at the larger arc: decades later, someone else will inherit the crown. More than the who, the how — and more importantly, the why — keep us locked in.

A lot unfolds in the first act. Soori (Vijay Deverakonda) is sent on a covert mission to Sri Lanka; there is a brief prison stint in Jaffna, and he is reunited with his long-lost brother Shiva (Satyadev). It all moves a bit too quickly and neatly, but that is because the film is eager to get to its real story — a larger battle that draws in family, tribal history, and criminal cartels.

Gowtam does well to layer the narrative with perspectives beyond the lead pair — Soori’s family, the Divi island tribe, and those caught between the smugglers and the system all get space. The moral complexity of the brothers unfolds slowly; neither man is entirely heroic nor entirely compromised. Both are, instead, shaped by the brutal systems they navigate.

The visual world is rich and immersive, sunlit but never showy. Neeraja Kona’s costume design, full of burnt reds, browns and blacks, mirrors the earthy seriousness of the story. Anirudh Ravichander’s score plays its part, propelling the film when needed and smartly stepping back to let silences speak louder.

Vijay Deverakonda, intense and wordless for much of the film, delivers one of his most effective performances yet. His brooding restraint, particularly in a jungle chase sequence shot with stunning choreography, adds weight to the action. Satyadev matches him beat for beat, playing a character with his own motives and conflicts. Refreshingly, Shiva is not written just to make the hero look good; his journey is as textured and meaningful.

Kingdom does wobble in the second half. Once the action turns bloodier and more predictable, with overused cues like “nothing will happen tonight”, it loses some of the nuance built so carefully earlier. The climax, particularly, feels rushed and overly reliant on voiceover, a let-down after the silent strength of earlier scenes. A line like “there’s something in this soil that turns humans into demons” stays surface-level when it could have gone deeper.

There are standouts among the supporting cast. Ventikesh, in his Telugu debut, makes an impressive villain — cold, cocky, and brutal, speaking a mix of Sri Lankan Tamil and Telugu. Bhagyashri Borse has a small but substantial role, as does the actor playing Shiva’s wife. And fans of Jersey will be pleased to spot child actor Ronit Kamra in a pivotal part.

Unlike many half-baked franchise-minded action dramas, Kingdom gives us a fairly complete arc while still laying the groundwork for a sequel. Despite a slightly uneven and unconvincing latter half about the hero and his crown, the film scores with its emotional ambition, immersive craft, and a striking Vijay Deverakonda performance that reminds you why he matters. If only it had held its nerve till the very end, this could have been a knockout.