Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- energetic
- tense
- melodramatic
- bollywood movie night
- action movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an entertaining but uneven masala crime drama elevated by Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui's performances, despite familiar storytelling and a long runtime.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Raees builds a bootlegging empire while helping people around him, making his criminal power inseparable from his personal loyalty and moral contradictions.
Raees's rise depends on bootlegging in Gujarat, a state enforcing prohibition, turning alcohol smuggling into the central engine of the plot.
The film uses flamboyant introductions, emotionally charged confrontations, stylized shootouts, and Shah Rukh Khan's star presence in a Hindi masala mode.
Raees's empire and the persistent investigation led by IPS officer Jaideep Ambalal Majmudar form the film's central dramatic engine.
Films like Raees, and why
Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai
Shared Bollywood crime drama, charismatic antihero, bootlegging milieu, and cat-and-mouse pursuit by an incorruptible police officer.
Agneepath
Shared gangster rise-and-fall structure, period crime setting, stylized action, and morally conflicted central criminal.
Company
Shared Indian crime saga centered on ambition, organized crime, star-driven performance, and escalating police pressure.
Don
Shared masala crime storytelling, powerful underworld protagonist, action spectacle, and emotional relationships amid criminal ambition.
Movie Details
- Director
- Rahul Dholakia
- Release Date
- 2017-01-25
- Runtime
- 143 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (267)
Cast
- Shah Rukh Khan
- Mahira Khan
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui
- Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub
- Sheeba Chaddha
- Narendra Jha
- Uday Tikekar
- Anil Charanjeett
- Sunny Leone
- Jaideep Ahlawat
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Raees about?
- A charismatic bootlegger transforms Gujarat’s prohibition economy into a criminal empire while an honest cop relentlessly closes in.
- What is Raees like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Raees as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Raees violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Raees as graphic.
- What did critics think of Raees?
- Critics broadly found the film an entertaining but uneven masala crime drama elevated by Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui's performances, despite familiar storytelling and a long runtime.
- Which films are like Raees?
- Films with a similar feel include Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Agneepath, Company, and Don.
- How long is Raees?
- Raees runs 143 minutes.
- Where can I watch Raees?
- In United States, Raees is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
