Jailer 2 reviews: Rajinikanth's swag and Anirudh's score carry an uneven sequel

Rajinikanth's Jailer 2 reached theatres on October 15, 2026, and the first reviews agree on one thing: the superstar's screen presence holds the film together.

Nelson Dilipkumar directs this sequel to the 2023 hit, which brings back Tiger Muthuvel Pandian. The villain from the first film is dead, and the smuggling network he served goes looking for his killer. That pulls the retired jailer into an open war with the gang's top leaders.

Critics loved the familiar Rajinikanth trademarks. A slow tug at his glasses is enough to set the crowd cheering, and Nelson builds the film around moments like that. Anirudh Ravichander's background score drew strong praise too, especially in the action blocks.

SJ Suryah plays the main antagonist with ease, though reviewers felt the stylish kingpin is ground he has covered before. Suraj Venjaramoodu also plays a villain, and Vidya Balan, Mithun Chakraborty and Yogi Babu fill out the cast.

Pacing is the shared complaint. Outside the comedy scenes, the opening takes its time to set up the story, and the second half sags in places.

Opinion splits sharply on the star cameos. Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, Jackie Shroff and Hrithik Roshan all turn up in special appearances. One review felt they add little to the plot. Another called them the biggest highlight of the film.

The overall verdicts follow the same split. One review calls it a decent watch held up mainly by Rajinikanth's style. Another calls it a celebration built for a packed, cheering hall.