Critical reception
Sajin Shrijith of The Week rated the film four out of five stars and noted that "After Joseph and Nayattu , writer Shahi Kabir delivers another haunting investigative thriller, but this time with the slight trappings of a mass entertainer — a good one at that!" [13] Rohit Panikker of Times Now gave the film three-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "Officer On Duty is a well-crafted investigative thriller that tries to be different but still relies on quite a lot of the genre's established templates. The film is worth a watch for its technical superiority, gripping performances, and a tight screenplay that offers an interesting experience even though it may not be something entirely new." [14]
Anjana George of The Times of India gave it three out of five stars and wrote, "While Officer on Duty is a gripping, well-crafted thriller that keeps viewers on edge, it also serves as a stark reminder of how crime films continue to exploit the suffering of women for shock value." [15] Vignesh Madhu of The New Indian Express gave it three out of five stars and wrote, "Officer on Duty could have been among the riveting cop thrillers in recent times, if not for the 'commercial compromises' it settles for." [16]
Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave it two out of five stars and stated that "One of the film's biggest shortcomings is its inability to fully explore its emotional and dramatic moments. While the subject matter is undeniably serious and holds immense potential, Shahi Kabir's writing only scratches the surface, leaving many key moments feeling half-cooked". [17] Cris of The News Minute wrote, "Where the script lacks is in expanding it into a package and writing the 'bad' characters. As soon as the 'villain' gang appears on screen, you realise the film has gone back decades, bringing alive forgotten stereotypes of wrongful youngsters, by the way they look, behave and indulge in vices." [18]
S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote, "With Officer On Duty, Shahi Kabir conjures up yet another gripping police tale which works despite faltering at some points." [19] Swathi P. Ajith of Onmanorama wrote, "The movie doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it delivers a solid, well-packaged thriller. It doesn't go overboard and keeps things as grounded as possible. For those who enjoy a good investigative drama, 'Officer on Duty' is definitely worth a watch on the big screen." [20]
