Stephen is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller film directed by Mithun Balaji in his directorial debut[1] and produced by Jayakumar and Mohan produce the film under the JM Production House banner. The film stars Gomathi Shankar in the titular role alongside Michael Thangadurai and Smruthi Venkat in pivotal roles.[2] The film marks the debut of Gomathi Shankar in the lead role, who had earlier appeared in supporting roles in films such as Dharala Prabhu (2020), Gargi (2022), and Lover (2024). Apart from acting, Shankar has also contributed as a writer along with Mithun.[3]
Stephen was premiered on Netflix on 5 December 2025 in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi languages.[4]
Reception
Jayabhuvaneshwari B of Cinema Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote "A twist-filled whydunit that delves into the mental anatomy of a killer, powered by strong performances and a sharp psychological payoff."[5] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "A fantastic subversion in the final act flips what seemed like a juvenile psycho-thriller into a genre-redefining effort, but it is a tough bargain to ask audiences to wade through murk to reach the payoff."[6] Janani K of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Director Mithun Balaji shows promise in his ability to build atmosphere and maintain tension. [...] However, the film's fatal flaw lies in its overambitious climax. In trying to deliver one twist too many, it undermines the careful character study it had been building."[7] Anusha Sundar of OTT Play gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Stephen is an engaging psycho thriller which honestly wants to stir away from the cliches of the genre. [...] But it isn’t flawless either. The film, while escaping the cliches of serial killer genre, becomes a victim when it goes fat-stretched to be unique. Still a decent attempt."[8]
Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu wrote "A fantastic subversion in the final act flips what seemed like a juvenile psycho-thriller into a genre-redefining effort, but it is a tough bargain to ask audiences to wade through murk to reach the payoff."[9]
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