The film released on May 23, 2025, is a romantic crime-comedy in Tamil starring Vijay Sethupathi, with Rukmini Vasanth and Yogi Babu. The film was made on a moderately-sized budget of ₹35 crores, with much anticipation since Sethupathi is a big star, and the genre also promised to do well. However, with the property being such, Ace failed, somehow not managing to garner enough footfalls in its opening week.

Box Office Performance & Collection Breakdown

With a wide release of 400 screens, the film picked up a lukewarm start, garnering ₹1 crore net on the start day in India. Sales slightly picked up on Saturday, to ₹1.62 crore, but on Sunday, it fell to ₹0.70 crore and further went down through the week. Days 1 to 7 saw the movie reaching net collections of ₹6.47 crore in total from the domestic circuit. There being very little overseas traction could be estimated by the global gross collections barely crossing ₹6.50 crore.

Despite a strong pre-release buzz and over 25,000 ticket bookings via BookMyShow on its second day, the film failed to maintain momentum. Viewer turnout was modest, with occupancy rates hovering around 16.5% in Tamil Nadu. While Chennai showed relatively stronger interest, other regions did not contribute significantly.

Budget and Verdict

With a production cost of ₹35 crores, Ace was positioned as a mid-range venture in the Tamil film market. Typically, Tamil films need to earn at least twice their budget to be considered successful. In this case, Ace needed ₹70–₹100 crores globally to be labeled a hit. Given its actual performance, the film has been deemed a flop.

Critical Response

Reviews from top media outlets were mixed. While The Times of India gave it a 3/5 for its entertaining elements and second-half engagement, others like 123telugu and News18 criticized it for predictable storytelling and lack of coherence. Some appreciation was given to the comedic chemistry between Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu, as well as a few lighter moments.

Conclusion

Ace faced an uphill battle. With throngs of fans and plenty of hype preceding the release, it failed to live up to expectations. Being released alongside the Hollywood film Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, it faced strong competition while average occupancy and negative reviews affected its box office leg. With the potential to be a summer blockbuster, Ace lost out on its opportunity to really make a mark.