Housefull 5 Movie Review: A Loud, Long, and Logic-Less Misadventure That Misses Every Mark
There are films you watch for fun, and then there are films like Housefull 5—where fun feels like a distant memory. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, this 165-minute chaotic comedy is an exhausting attempt to extend a franchise that clearly needs a break. With a stellar cast and a lavish cruise setting, Housefull 5 could’ve been a zany family entertainer. Instead, it turns into an endless loop of juvenile gags, uncomfortable sexual innuendos, and a plotline that makes less sense with each passing scene.
The Premise – Or What’s Left of It
The film sets sail on the premise of a grand birthday cruise thrown in memory of the late billionaire Ranjeet Dobrayal. His heir? His son Jolly. Only, three men—played by Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, and Riteish Deshmukh—claim to be Jolly, arriving with their wives to stake their claim.
As boardroom politics clash with a potential murder mystery aboard the cruise, chaos ensues. Add in shady board members (Dino Morea, Chitrangada Singh, Shreyas Talpade), a looming assassin, and a detective duo played by Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff, and you’ve got the recipe for a madcap entertainer—if only the madness had any method to it.
Script Analysis: A Titanic Misfire
The writing is the weakest link, and that’s saying something in a film where nothing connects. The jokes are stale, often offensive, and terribly timed. The plot swings from absurd to absolutely nonsensical, with motivations that make no logical sense.
The film constantly objectifies its female characters, particularly Soundarya Sharma, reducing them to slow-motion glamour shots and cheap visual gags. Even nostalgia-driven callbacks to earlier Housefull films—like a monkey brawl or a murdered parrot—fall flat. What was once harmless slapstick has now devolved into lazy writing masked as comedy.
Despite the potential of its ensemble cast, everyone feels underutilized, and the screenplay refuses to offer them anything more than shallow, cartoonish dialogues.
Performances: Sinking With the Ship
Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan try to inject life into a script that gives them very little to work with. They’ve carried earlier parts of the franchise on their shoulders, but this time the weight of bad writing is simply too much.
Veterans like Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, and Sanjay Dutt make brief appearances that raise expectations—but those hopes are quickly dashed with cringeworthy songs (including a bizarre rap performance) and shallow character arcs.
The actresses are reduced to props, dolled up for visual appeal rather than plot relevance. The way they’re framed—especially in a tunnel sequence designed only for body shots—is problematic at best and downright regressive at worst.
Direction & Music: All Style, No Substance
Tarun Mansukhani’s direction lacks the sparkle and timing that a comedy of this scale demands. The narrative meanders, the pace drags, and the tone feels confused—unsure whether it’s parody, thriller, or spoof.
Visually, the cruise set is one of the film’s few redeeming aspects. It’s polished and opulent. But once the characters start speaking, even the scenic background can’t distract from the narrative mess.
The music is entirely forgettable, barring the mildly catchy ‘Laal Pari’. Even then, the songs feel like they were added out of obligation rather than narrative need.
Final Verdict: A Franchise Fatigue
Housefull 5 is not just a bad film—it’s a warning sign that some franchises need closure. What once was goofy fun has now become painful repetition. The comedy doesn’t land, the plot doesn’t matter, and the runtime feels never-ending.
By the end, the only mystery worth solving is: Why was this made at all?
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
A mind-numbing, tone-deaf comedy with nothing fresh to offer. Unless you enjoy cinematic self-punishment, you’re better off skipping this cruise altogether.
