Monthly Archives: August 2026

The Calendar Killer

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Vampire Owl: I was once called the Calendar Vampire.

Vampire Bat: It is quite an absurd name for a vampire.

Vampire Owl: I am an owl who has a calendar collection. So, that works.

Vampire Bat: What does a centuries-old vampire who lost track of time do with a calendar?

Vampire Owl: I am aware of the passage of time and dates.

Vampire Bat: I would always doubt your awareness.

Vampire Owl: Is it because I admire the work of Dr. Frankenstein?

Vampire Bat: What Mr. Frankenstein is doing is more like the lack of work.

Vampire Owl: I would appreciate Frankenstein the scientist all the time.

Vampire Bat: As someone who keeps killing dead people through experiments.

[Gets a sweet samosa and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jules Tannenberg (Sabin Tambrea) works at a telephone helpline service which has the limited duty of talking to people walking home alone, especially women, and help them to go on and make sure that they reach home or their immediate destination safely. He is someone who was only recently widowed, after his wife committed suicide and had also lost two of his three children at the same wretched hour. He has successfully completely a good number of walks through phone with possible victims, saving many from harassment. One day, he gets distressed call from Klara Vernet (Luise Heyer) who seems to be in a lot of panic. Klara tells him that she was targeted by a psychotic murderer known only by the media-provided pseudonym, Calendar Killer. This particular killer who had risen to a celebrity status through social media and new channels is known to mark his victims’ death dates in advance on the walls of their homes with a horrifying ultimatum, “Him or You” which means that one among the husband and wife will be murdered, unless one partner kills the other.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Jules attempts to keep her calm and guide her through phone, he suspects that there is domestic violence involved, and more details about her is revealed. She tells him that her husband Martin Vernet (Friedrich Mücke), a high-ranking state official has been subjecting her to years of domestic violence, some of them psychological in nature, which has led her already struggling mental health to get worse. Klara was running away from him as Martin had tied her up in the middle of a secret club and punished her in front of everyone else on the day of their wedding anniversary. She had left her six-year-old daughter Amelie (Romy Miesner) with a young babysitter named Vigo (Shadi Eck) and was afraid that she would loss custody of her daughter as her declining mental health had led to her being admitted to psychiatric institutions. Now with a killer also on her back and with her husband refusing to believe that there is a psychopath, she has no hope – but can this hope be revived through that phone call or will the killer take a life?

The defence of The Calendar Killer :: The run-time of a little above one and half hours is very much favourable to the movie which keeps the pace going. The cold and wintery aesthetic paired with the midnight deadline facing murder or death, creates some genuine suspense in the first half, as there is uncertainty, haunting and some surprise waiting to arrive for the viewer. The camera work by Christian Huck plays a big role in making the whole thing captivating – the settings and darkness had become allies of the movie from the early stages itself, and we are aware that there is something unexpected and sinister not just with the psychopathic killer, but also about other people. The scenes in the club comes as big revealing moments about the characters and that becomes the first surprise delivered. The final twist related to the murder is quite a big surprise for the audience who might not have guessed that multiple shocks were coming that way as people seem to be someone else in unexpected masks. The strong emotional performance of the leading lady adds to the overall quality of the movie and keeps us further interested in the proceedings.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does seem to lose its way at times, seemingly deviating from its most important elements. The focus which should have been on the psycho killer often wanders here and there as if never sure about which direction it should be heading. We can see a number of far-fetched coincidences which seems to be forced into the proceedings and then there are those illogical character choices which keeps the movie further confused. The exaggerations are also there, and we wonder if the leading protagonist is really crazy due to some of her choices and actions. Then there is the attempt to balance a usual serial killer with a psychopath on the hunt with a serious domestic abuse trauma narrative, which gives both sides some struggle. The exaggeration of domestic struggle flashback into the intentionally weakened psycho killer tale will have the audience in peril on many occasions in between, and if it was not for the performance of the lady in the lead, would have never connected well like we have here. Then there are also some characters that never gets the due.

The performers of the soul :: Luise Heyer clearly leads the way and plays the victim to a state of near-perfection. The excels in those moments of sadness and pain, and shows the pain of being under a dominant and influential partner who takes advantage of her. At the same time, she shows the determination that such a character gains when facing even bigger trouble, and fights herself to keep her soul instead of having her revenge. The emotional weight of the terrified, exhausted mother stays at full strength with her – we can feel her anguish at her present and the past as flashback works even better. At the same time, Sabin Tambrea comes up with a dual-layered performance which shows a higher level of calibre. There is a certain emotional side to him and the journey through multiple layers has our attention. Martin Vernet’s work also brings a certain impact as we never see the performance getting any weaker. Rainer Bock also remains solid throughout the run-time. Andreas Döhler also has a memorable quick role here.

How it finishes :: The movie in based on a German novel, Sebastian Fitzek’s Der Heimweg, and any comparison to the same can only be done by those who have actually read it. This psychological thriller makes the most of its small runtime and claustrophobic premise even while maintaining a little too many flaws than one would want it to have. The message about domestic violence keeps struggling and often pulls the psychopath down with, but in the end, it manages to come out strong enough to make the whole thing better. The final surprise saves the movie despite the ending just happening with ease. Anchored by Luise Heyer’s memorable vulnerability and emotional side as well as Sabin Tambrea’s surprise strength that takes a divergent path, the film nicely uses the real-time tension against a bleak and wintery setting. The usual phone-helpline narrative with a twist keeps this unsettling world interesting for us. The struggles in between can be often forgotten as the world holds together. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video to take your free time.

Release date: 16 January 2025
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Adolfo J Kolmerer
Starring: Luise Heyer, Sabin Tambrea, Friedrich Mücke, Rainer Bock, Andreas Döhler, and Romy Miesner

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Hell in Paradise

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Vampire Owl: You think that hell can be loaded into paradise?

Vampire Bat: Maybe a little bit of space can be reserved for the same.

Vampire Owl: Yes, even Dracula Castle has space for a portal to hell.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about that strange experiment by Mr. Frankenstein.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein comes up with the perfect experiments every time.

Vampire Bat: Yes, the frank man always makes a mess of things.

Vampire Owl: You know that he is a man of science with divergence.

Vampire Bat: The only divergence he has is from the path of science.

Vampire Owl: It is possible as he is also a man of history.

Vampire Bat: The only history he knows is about himself.

[Gets a poori masala and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: Nina (Nora Arnezeder) is a young single woman living in Marseille of France, struggling to make the ends meet as she also has to support her separated mother, Sam (Maria Bello). She becomes aware that she cannot go on like this forever, and while looking for financial stability and a new beginning at a new place, Nina accepts the position of a receptionist at a grand five-star luxury island resort in the Maldives which seemingly own one side of the sea. The place is considered to be one of the prestigious luxury destinations of the local owners who are part of a royal family and they control a lot of assets of the nation through different business ventures. When she arrives, the resort appears to be a beautiful sanctuary of turquoise lagoons and extravagant villas, with just tranquility all around. Nina quickly integrates into the daily routine, interacting with the wealthy international clients with ease due to her mother being American and she having a good accent and expertise in English.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She becomes good friends with her roommate Valeria (Joséphine de La Baume) who is from another Asian country as well as the resort’s general manager – a local man, Azaan (Alyy Khan) who appreciates her work. Tariq (Shubham Saraf) who takes care of the boats of the resort and also manages some cooking in the background also becomes good friends with her as he understands her confusions being in a kind of nation to which she has no familiarity with. As the nation blend the common law with Sharia law with all citizens required to be Muslim, she had to be careful as a foreigner who does not believe much in religion. As only the resort islands serve alcohol and pork as well as allow her to wear bikini or even the usual clothing she used to wear in France, she stays there for almost all his life in Maldives, and is surprised to see people using drugs inside the resort even though it is not legal and if possessed in huge quantities, can even lead to death penalty.

And how well can she earn well and remain happy while away from home? :: The divide between the ultra-rich guests and the invisible migrant workforce that keeps the resort working is noted by her, but they are all happy as they are paid well, and the tourism of the nation remains its strong and most valued side. Her happy moments take a twist when Nina is asked by resort management to step outside her receptionist duties and keep a watchful eye on three young children whose mother does not want to care for them and creation a situation there in front of her helpless husband who calls for the family to stay together and enjoy their time. Nina tells everyone that she has no experience with children and is not trained for any similar kind of job, but is forced to take the job as four staff members had taken the day off. The children are unruly and justifies why their mother wanted to get rid of them, and a girl child manages to move away when Nina was taking care of the smaller kid and she drowns in a pool. This leads to her being targeted as the only person responsible for the death, and as the country’s laws are not favourable to single women who do not wish to marry and have children, she finds herself taken advantage of, and facing prison – can she survive?

The defence of Hell in Pradise :: Nora Arnezeder holds this character right on her shoulders, and she delivers a grounded performance which has us supporting her and hoping for her to escape this torture which feels continuous. Her journey from a hopeful expatriate to a desperate fugitive as she suffers the psychological toll of isolation and anxiety makes her the one person whom we keep supporting from till the end. After some of the sweeter moments which come in the beginning, the tension just rises above them all. As the movie progresses, we feel her anxiety and we know that there is something going on to trap the protagonist with all the blame on her, as her doubts never feel like outside reason. With the moments of further danger, we keep more immersed in the tension. The beauty of the world keeps us interested, and there is a certain need to travel to the island that arises early. The display of parents who cannot look after their own children is a reminder to all of us not to trust such fathers and mothers are to be looked at with contempt with the need for random people to look after their kids.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is slow to get going, and in the end, it seems to bring a very quick end out of nowhere, as the protagonist seems to find a way all of a sudden, and the ending moments also lack some clarity – the character change is a little too quick as she manages to be someone so smart and capable when she is at her lowest point. This makes one feel it is a strange mixture which never really mixes everything in the right quantity and one can also wonder about the balance. The film also forgets its strengths and deviates at times, making one wonder if it is every going to reach anywhere as repetitions are there and we keep seeing similar things again and again. A wrongfully accused protagonist trying to save herself is a common cinematic formula and there is not much of an innovation at work here. A number of characters also feel one-dimensional and there is a certain amount of predictability about them. The useless moronic parents are also not given the hatred that they deserve, and such people always deserve to be shown as the true evil representations, much above those who try to save their names.

How it finishes :: Hell in Paradise is an interesting movie not just with its tale of being caught in a nation one is not familiar with, but also with some incredibly beautiful visuals which will make us fall in love with Maldives, and also has us feeling exactly like the protagonist in trouble, with the film’s situations making us wonder what we would do in such a situation. We feel what the protagonist feels facing the unknown laws of unfamiliar lands, as being in a nation with severe restrictions except for as a tourist will have us tensed. The movie’s service as a high-tension thriller that takes a nightmare scenario works for most of the time. It successfully taps into the primal fear of being trapped in a foreign justice system with no friends or influence, completely at the mercy of wealthy and corrupt institutions which discriminate you and make you a criminal for gender and foreign nationality. On another day, this could be even worse, but this protagonist does have some hope in the end against all odds, even though that seems more manufactured than anything else – to add to it, you have Nora Arnezeder who delivers this as one of us.

Release date: 26 November 2025
Running time: 102 minutes
Directed by: Leïla Sy
Starring: Nora Arnezeder, Maria Bello, Alyy Khan, Joséphine de La Baume, Shubham Saraf, Ranjit Krishnama

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Beast Race

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Vampire Owl: I think that they are talking about the races held by werewolves.

Vampire Bat: Werewolves are not the only official beasts in the world.

Vampire Owl: Humans call us beasts, but they are mistaken.

Vampire Bat: For some humans, beast is a positive thing.

Vampire Owl: I heard that demons and witches unleash beasts.

Vampire Bat: Those are just rumours spread to scare people around.

Vampire Owl: You think that even shadow demons don’t have beasts?

Vampire Bat: The shadow demons are beasts themselves.

Vampire Owl: They are also immortal, aren’t they?

Vampire Bat: We know that demons are forever, towards infinity.

[Gets an onion uthappam and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: Many years have passed, and Rio de Janeiro tries to survive with some grand transformation occurring in the area after the disappearance of the sea around it. With the whole world feeling the effect of strange natural phenomenon, the city becomes an entity separate from any kind of universal brotherhood or globalization. The climate change and disasters have changed the division between the rich and the poor, making it even worse for the latter, with no resources and no way of living. The wealthy elites who control everything and go on with their days in luxury, while the poor struggle to survive in the slums and their known world which have turned into wasteland areas. To control the people from rioting, the rich and the influential bring back Brazil’s traditional illegal animal lottery which was present in one way or the other in different formats, and transforms it into a deadly, high-stakes sport called the Beast Race. This game replaces animals with humans wearing animal tattoos and masks, and are called by the names of the creatures whom they choose to represent.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: In the game, the runners who take on animal alter-egos like Pig, Horse, Lion, Bull, Eagle, Cat etc have to race through lethal obstacle courses across four elimination stages set in urban or rural areas and maybe even forests. The ultimate winner earns a grand fortune along with the fame and respect. But every runner must offer a loved one as human collateral to enter the, and if the runner loses or dies, their collateral is condemned to the mysterious, dreaded place called Coast of Hell where they are experimented on, unless being bought by one of the elite wealthy people to be one of their slaves, but that comes at a very high price. The game is managed by Abu (Rodrigo Santoro), a former champion runner who won the race so many times and with relative ease that he went on to become the game’s mastermind, and holds a high status among the elite class who treat the runners as their disposable playable characters in the running game. He gets to make many decisions which are even frowned upon by the rich and the influential.

And what more to follow here in a world of races with lives at stake and a revolution in waiting? :: Mano (Matheus Abreu) is the biggest opponent of the idea of this game, as he leads a rebel enclave in a zone. He keeps fighting against the games by taking out racers who attempt to take the easy path through his territory as the race usually takes place around the perimeter area. Mano’s plans for revolution against elite class and the game is shattered when the boyfriend of his younger sister, Dalva (Thainá Duarte), secretly enters the race and is forced to offer her up as his human collateral. This means that Mano needs to replace the weak boyfriend who seems like someone who could lose in the initial rounds – he does the same, and takes the alter-ego of the Cat. Nadine (Isis Valverde) takes over as his player, guiding him as his eyes, as she joins in for the first time. She is also determined to take control from the usual winners and emerge as the new leading player by making her runner win, as she herself was a slave who was bought by an elite class man and used for his pleasure until reaching this level. As Nadine and Mano work hard to prove a point, will there be a change in a world of hopelessness?

The defence of Beast Race :: The apocalyptic world here has been built with a difference, and the dystopian touch also has our attention. The parkour moves through what seems to be more or less dangerous obstacle courses across apocalyptic environments makes this creative and highly entertaining. The world has been nicely built and we see the environment undergoing the needed variations for the world after the apocalyptic situation. There is a lot of action around, and we do enjoy the same, especially with some nail-biting finishes during the game. Matheus Abreu as Mano makes an impressive journey as the runner despite the beginning stages not seeming to do that much. The most notable character is Isis Valverde as Nadine, one of the most solid performances in a movie of this genre; the kind of character that we should see in Hollywood movies too – she might be the best thing about this movie, as we see her coming out of nowhere. Rodrigo Santoro as Abu becomes one of the smartest villains you might ever see. Thainá Duarte also has her moments around here.

Positives and negatives :: There are many classic moments which this movie could have had, but it often hesitates to take the extra risk and does not fully work on the rebellion against the rich and the influential – maybe the same is kept for a possible sequel in the future. A number of characters feel side-lined, and the final big rebellion never really arrives. The romantic side arrives late, but works when it makes an impact related to the need for revolution from a shared post. That earlier setting for the rebellion goes unanswered, leaving the climax feeling more like an unfinished pilot for a developing franchise rather than one movie which starts and ends with itself. Some of the ideas of the movie feels only partially unexplored as there is no further development of a few elements which decides the seriousness and danger of the movie. The true nature of the Coast of Hell is never really revealed and the much broader politics controlling the game are left unresolved, as we keep wondering about how slaves come up in the ranks in a world which deprives even the common citizens of their rights.

How it finishes :: Those who watched The Running Man are sure to be interested in this one, and there is a certain amount of divergence related to this one too. This also serves as the Latin American version of The Hunger Games, even though that much of a huge fight and talk about rebellion is not around. This is also one movie which makes us feel why we cannot have such a movie in regional film industries of India too, as the end of the world could exist with divergence in all parts of the world, and could develop divergent dystopias. The movie here does the best during its high-octane parkour sequences and survival races, anchored by strong environment and surprising performances which rise in level later. The movie’s success in creating an entertaining, dystopian and post-apocalyptic spectacle that pushes the boundaries makes us interested. This was actually discovered surprisingly on Amazon Prime Video, and it is available in multiple languages including English and Hindi. You should give this one a try if you have loved this kind of worlds and survival games.

Release date: 17 March 2026
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles, Rodrigo Pesavento, Ernesto Solis
Starring: Matheus Abreu, Rodrigo Santoro, Isis Valverde, Bruno Gagliasso, Seu Jorge, Grazi Massafera, Leandro Firmino, Silvero Pereira, João Guilherme, Anitta

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Supergirl

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Vampire Owl: I have heard some strange things about this movie.

Vampire Bat: The trailer itself was rather strange for a superhero movie.

Vampire Owl: I was wondering if this was really a superhero or a girl calling herself super.

Vampire Bat: There is nothing super about humans or their alien friends.

Vampire Owl: Yes, you are talking about chaos and destruction caused by them.

Vampire Bat: Devastation, explosion, annihilation, end of the world, everything awaits.

Vampire Owl: It is great that they have remained without their immortality.

Vampire Bat: Still, there is no shortage of infinite hopelessness in them.

Vampire Owl: I see no point in any alien trying save the humans.

Vampire Bat: You should know that vampire elders voted for human extinction three million nine thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven times in history.

[Gets a sambar vada and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Zor-El (David Krumholtz) who was a leading scientist in the planet of Krypton along with his wife Alura In-Ze (Emily Beecham) and a number of people who had chosen to follow him, had moved to Argo City in the centre of the planet, during an event which destabilized the core of the planet leading to its destruction. A forcefield around city and its surroundings, going some distance down, had saved it from the explosion of the core. But it is discovered that the separation of Argo City from the planet had exposed a mineral known as Kryptonite which is slowly killing the citizens through a certain kind of radiation which affected their cells. After Alura dies due toto Kryptonite poisoning, Zor-El decides to send their daughter Kara (Milly Alcock) to Earth with their pet dog. As she reaches Earth, she meets her cousin Kal-El (David Corenswet) who was sent to the planet before the explosion of their planet’s core. After a series of events, Kara decides to go on with her life partying on planets with red suns where she can get drunk unlike Earth with yellow sun which heals her and takes her dog Krypto with her.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As she parties in celebration of her twenty third birthday, she stops at the planet Holzherr. There she finds Ruthye (Eve Ridley) who is the last survivor of her family who were murdered by Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), the leader of a merciless bandit group known as the Brigands who haunts the galaxy as space pirates and human traffickers. Ruthye who is assisted by Kara to retrieve her family sword follows her and requests her assistance so that she can kill the man responsible and have her vengeance, but the Kryptonian is not interested at all. Krem who follows them takes Kara’s ship to escape from the planet as his spacecraft was destroyed by Ruthye’s parents. He shoots Krypto with a poisonous dart when he tries to stop them and the dog is left with only three days to live. Kara decides to go after Krem to get the antidote which only their race possesses, and is forced to keep Ruthye as her companion in the journey. They find an alien mercenary and bounty hunter named Lobo (Jason Momoa) who is also chasing the bandits – can they complete their mission in time?

The defence of Supergirl :: There is always something about a superhero movie which has a vulnerable superhero, whether it is with the psychological side and physical side as the person tries to get through different kinds of trouble in life. The idea of having the superhuman go on a journey of self-discovery surely works, and the funny side also comes effective at times. The action is surely interesting, even though not on that huge a scale – the fight in the flight and the final battle do have the power to keep things interesting though. But the interplanetary journeys work well, like it did in Thor: Ragnarok, and does not make her feel like the miserable Captain Marvel who gets more irritating and is more alien than anyone from another planet could be. The fact that there is not that much of the irritating dog in this movie keeps things better. The movie moving from Metropolis cityscapes to an intergalactic revenge quest across alien worlds has the divergence that we have been looking for, but has been missing in this particular universe. The world-building surely has taken some skill, and we see that the same has been given a lot of attention. Then we feel that a new movie with both the super people is going to be grand.

The claws of flaw :: The movie struggles to keep the superhero model alive on a lot of occasions as there might be an identity crisis coming in here and there. One keep wondering if the main character had that much of a trauma to be irritating to the people around her, and the dog even becomes another name for irritation. If it had any more screen-time in a superhero movie about humans, aliens and different plants, that would be seriously disturbing, but this one escapes the same by a few minutes. The struggle related to balancing the dark themes of vengeance, trauma and heavy drinking) which comes against the silliness and the comic book action can be seen around. Some of the settings of the movie also shows some weaker designs of not much of an interest. A number of characters are not seen like having much of a development to think about. Then there are the first few minutes of the movie which does seem to make it interesting at all; this was another one of those films which we wonder if we can finish or have a positive opinion about, after we watch the beginning with the girl and the dog.

The performers of the soul :: Milly Alcock, seems to handle a different kind of Supergirl really well, even though never the kind we wanted or expected in this universe – we had a feeling what to expect from the Superman movie for sure. She is surely fun, even when the character does not walk the path needed for such a character as we would think about. But it is still a lot better than having a too-powerful and no physical or psychological weakness psycho-hero in the form of Captain Marvel. There is surely some fine development of her character despite that dumb beginning to the flick. She surely fits in as this version of Supergirl, and we see her doing so well in the middle part of the movie. The world’s most super irritating dog is also there, and as it is not there for the full run after that character being paralyzed, we can safely go with the humans now. Jason Momoa also makes a fine impact here even though we would have always loved him more as the Aquaman ruling the oceans with Amber Heard by his side as Mera. Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll also brings some additional fun around here. Matthias Schoenaerts as the villain remains effective too.

How it finishes :: Despite the movie not becoming a success, and going rather too low with the box-office collections, one has to feel that it is not of such low level. It might not have that superheroic quality as one would expect and there is no doubt about it. But it is still better than Superman which released earlier, and seems to have more work done around here. This one is indeed ambitious, non-traditional comic book adaptation that gets into a darker sci-fi territory, and the feeling of danger is surely more and realistic than in Marvel, which used too much of the funny side as it made its superheroes, especially Thor, feel like a buffoon. This movie here might not be a universal crowd-pleaser and has surely fallen a long way from the status of a commercial blockbuster, But Milly Alcock’s performance in the second half of the movie and the central dynamic with the new-found partner traveler offer a fresh look here. Yet, one would think that if the earlier universe had continued with its existing strength, the world would have survived better, or at least if a parallel universe was unlocked before this one.

Release date: 26 June 2026
Running time: 108 minutes
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet, Jason Momoa

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Mortal Kombat II

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Vampire Owl: So, it is that time of the year when we fight against them all.

Vampire Bat: We do immortal combat and do not fight mortals.

Vampire Owl: Why should we immortals engage in immortal wars?

Vampire Bat: We have had our immortal war moments in the last few years.

Vampire Owl: But zombies disintegrate, werewolves live and die. Where are the immortals?

Vampire Bat: The shadow demons are immortal, and our fight is with them.

Vampire Owl: They have not reached the realm yet, as far as I know.

Vampire Bat: The tunnels connecting our realm and the shadow world are active.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that there is activity down there?

Vampire Bat: Yes, vampire scouts are expecting a surprise attack soon.

[Gets a ghee podi masala dosa and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) had defeated and killed King Jerrod (Desmond Chiam) as part of the final battle against Edenia, and took Queen Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen) as his new queen but completely under his control. Later Shao train Jade (Tati Gabrielle) whom he found in a slave pit, and he also has Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) who is the daughter of Jerrod and Sindel by his side, as he also keeps her ready to fight on his side. Many years later, with the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament is about to happen, Quan Chi (Damon Herriman) revives Kung Lao (Max Huang) and Kano (Josh Lawson) as they are in need for more warriors to serve their purpose. While Kung Lao becomes under their control, Kano remains the same, greedy and selfish, not able to be controlled by anyone. Meanwhile, Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) and Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) approach a former Hollywood star who has lost his roles with his age, Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) to recruit him as their fifth champion alongside Sonya, Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Jax Briggs (Mehcad Broks) and Cole Young (Lewis Tan).

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But as he understands that he stands no change against fighting to conquer Earth with superpowers, and knowing that he could just die in the arena with ease, Johnny refuses to participate. Even though he returns to Earth, he is drafted into a battle with Kitana who wins the same with ease, but she does not kill him even though Shao Kahn asks her to. At the same time, Sonya is taken into face Sindel whom she ends up killing after some initial difficulty. Jade discovers that Kitana is working as a spy for Rayden, and captures her with the help of her guards while returning from Earth and presents her to Shao Kahn. Feeling betrayed and angry, he orders for Kitana to be tied up in the centre of the city for everyone to see her as a dishonoured traitor on display with chains stretching her arms and legs. Jade asks her to seek forgiveness from Shao Kahn, but she refuses and chooses to stay in bondage. The resurrected Kung Lao travels through the path in which Kitana journeyed to Earth and wounds Raiden, allowing Quan Chi to take his power into an amulet, which they bind to Shao Kahn.

And what more can happen here as end seems near for Earth and its people? :: This process makes Shao Khan immortal, but Raiden is almost killed in the process. Johny and Sonya are defeated by the attacking fighters who are quick to knock them unconscious, and at the same time, the second round had begun and three fighters were already at the battlegrounds. Liu Kang and Kung Lao face off against each other, and despite the former trying his best to reason with the former to return as Earth’s hero, the fight continues – Liu Kang is forced to kill Kung Leo by throwing him to his own bladed hat. Jax who fights with Jade also finds it easy to defeat her as she stands no chance against his strong mechanical arms, but he spares her life as Kitana had asked for the same earlier when she visited them. Cole fights and almost kills Shao Kahn, but his wounds heal instantly, shocking him. Shao Kahn who calls for the Scorpion blood brutally kills him and throws his body away, keeping the competition between two worlds close. With Shao Kahn being invincible and Raiden on life support, and running out of fighters, can Earth be saved from invasion?

The defence of Mortal Kombat II :: Calling all the attention to himself, Karl Urban steals the show nicely with this one. He had some fine action movies failing despite being so good, most notable one being Dredd, but this stays strong to avoid that fate. He nails this character and it is the one character that stays strong and also brings the fun. The fight choreography has also managed to be better, and it feels so much like a real arena fight, and the gaming nostalgia nicely comes back here. As fans of this one game which kept us so much interested in multiplayer as much as single player with so many options, this nostalgia keeps us interested at all times, as the danger gets ready to unleash itself on our world. There is the violence which stays close to the game, as we feel the shades of those fatalities which seems to be straight out of the game. The new characters and situations also add the epic dark-fantasy scale that can inspire a sequel – the world-building has been top class and more can follow in the franchise.

Positives and negatives :: Those who are looking for full-strength, well-planned scheduled tournament of fights in order would be disappointed. Some characters could have also developed further with better understanding of new worlds and fights occurring in a variety of settings. There could have also been adventurous journeys to serve the purpose. Even though the tournament gets active, there is not much of a fight among the audience or something that is shown continuously as grand battle. The movie’s female leading fighters Jessica McNamee and Adeline Rudolph are just too good too, and their fights are admirable. Jessica would have done nicely to have more fights too, while Scorpion and Sub-Zero not with the best glory might keep people wondering. This happens even when the characters do not undergo that much of a development. There is also no real terrifying character, as the terror is not built that much, as the game might be the scarier and more effective thing compared to the movie as many other gaming adaptations from Hitman to Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Monster Hunter and Doom.

How it finishes :: The movie takes the live-action franchise further forward, delivering a sequel that is sharper in moving through what fans expect from a computer game adaptation. It delivers a thoroughly entertaining spectacle with action that levels up from the predecessor in an even better world. The change of protagonist also seems to have served the movie well, even though one big tournament fight with him would have been nice. The nostalgia that we feel related to this franchise is also really a lot, and we never are never really out of it – I remember traveling so many kilometres to play a version of this game as it could only be played on Pentium IV Processor and above with a GeForce Card. Quan Chi’s double knee stomp was a favourite as he jumps up and keeps on walking on the opponents, then Scorpion and Sub-Zero also remained. We might never have a game based on some of the classic titles like Unreal Tournament and Age of Empires, and so we enjoy what we have, as it has been well-set before us. We might have missed it at the theatres, but the need to watch this one never really left us.

Release date: May 8, 2026
Running time: 116 minutes
Directed by: Simon McQuoid
Starring: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Martyn Ford

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Thudakkam

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember how long it took for us to watch another movie in the theatre?

Vampire Bat: Yes, I remember that the last movie we watched in the theatre was Anomie.

Vampire Owl: And it was Sarvam Maya before that.

Vampire Bat: That is like one movie in every three to four months.

Vampire Owl: Going by this rate, we will only watch one more movie this year.

Vampire Bat: Unlike those days when we watched like two movies a weekend.

Vampire Owl: Yes, hundred plus movies in one year at theatre used to be natural then.

Vampire Bat: Do you know how that would have cost now in rupees?

Vampire Owl: Yes, two-hundred-rupee ticket for two people for one hundred movies.

Vampire Bat: Forty-thousand rupees in one year – too much to spend for the cinema when nobody really reads these reviews in this hopeless world of meaningless existence of ours.

[Gets some cheese popcorn and three cups of masala tea].

What is the movie about? :: Meenu (Vismaya Mohanlal) is an independent and happy young woman who has only recently moved to an isolated high-range estate region the Idukki region in Kerala. She is a graduate who has been appearing for many government examinations, but not managing to clear any of them. Her father Ravi (Sai Kumar) was only recently transferred to the area as the village officer who is very punctual with his work. Meenu also has memories of a trauma that goes a long way back, as she had lost her mother, and her father is not able to walk without a stick, even though he is still extremely good at his work. As soon as they arrive, she makes some good friends at the new place including the neighbours and locals whom she sees on the way. With the help of Pauly (Pauly Valsan), an elder lady who lives nearby and after befriending Sariga (Nilja K Baby) who is a nurse from the nearby hospital, she manages to find a place to teach children of lower classes. More and more families become willing to send their children to her due to her charming nature and happy way of going through life.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: One day, she travels to Cochin to write another one of those examinations, and Ravi is shocked to find her not returning home even after so much time into night. He receives one call from her during which he is scolding a man for his deeds, and then the mobile phone is switched off, scaring Ravi, who calls her friend who also wrote the same examination, but is not able to connect to her. He rushes to the police station and meets CPO Vijayan (Jaffar Idukki) who promises to do everything in his power to help him. But CPO Baijudev (Gibin Gopinath) who has no respect for public or women deduces that Meenu might have eloped with someone. It is revealed that Meenu was stalked by a man named Jithu (Ashish Joe Antony), a criminal who is known for the most violent crimes all around India. But it is revealed that she had manage to evade the criminal and reach home, but it seems that it won’t be the end of the problem as it would come after her. Meanwhile, Meenu’s neighbour and teacher of local school, Joseph (Kottayam Ramesh) is targeted by his own brother Esthappan (Bobby Kurian). As danger lurks around them, can they survive?

The defence of Thudakkam :: The movie’s biggest advantage is its first half, as it has the world so well-set with the first few scenes. The initial scenes are a reminder of the terror which is to follow, and when the antagonist is nicely established there, we know that there will be some real danger and it will be inescapable without the best efforts. This only keeps getting more terrifying as story moves forward, and the fear generation is at the highest until it reaches the best point during the interval. As the villainy is established before anything else, the mood sets in without much of a problem. The use of darkness in the purpose also has to be appreciated, as moments of fear are created. The atmosphere with that technical side and action with that require gore on both sides need to be appreciated. The movie’s take on harassment, stalking, victim-blaming, and above all, drug abuse will leave a message or two. It can also be seen that even the lesser-known supporting cast members do some fantastic job, whether it is about the local unruly youth on the side of the road or the twin girls who are worried about getting home in time. The music also forms the movie’s effective side.

The claws of flaw :: The movie has its struggles in the second half and manages to undo a number of things it establishes in the first half. One of them is indeed that extreme fear factor surrounding the antagonist who is left without having much to do after that post-interval punch. The predictability in the second half is surely too high, an we wonder if movie can go anywhere else than force that unfair advantage to the protagonist, and for the same, a cameo is added as the needed motivation, that too with a fight which comes out of nowhere. The emotional side is not that effective either, and even at the most emotional moments, there seems to be a little bit of lag, and in second half, the focus seems to be not in the existence of the narrative, but in the journey towards that pre-determined, speeded-up ending which could have been better planned. The final fight scenes also seem to go like a cliché with the person who gets beaten up and one the floor remembers something from childhood and stands up, and during the same time, the villains are just sitting and waiting for the protagonist to stand up and finish the initiation into fighting position, then do not even come together at the person. Even the final dialogues feel late by a few years.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is indeed the one thing Vismaya Mohanlal on his debut makes better with her charm and a type of work which would have been less effective if any other star kid of our time was doing this – the rest who does anything similar would only be nepo kids, but our protagonist is skillfully made a classy one from the beginning itself. The way in which she handles the action needs a lot of appreciation. Then on another one of those days when an antagonist outperforms everyone else, Ashish Joe Antony on his first full-movie role, delivers a performance which shines with the least dialogues which even adds to terrifying presence of the character. Bobby Kurian also serves well as a supporting villain. Sai Kumar’s fatherly figure is a man of reason, and along with the characters of Kottayam Ramesh and Manoj K Jayan, forms the voices which make sense in a movie in which most people seem to work according to their egos and prejudices. Mohanlal’s cameo is fine, but one can only wonder it was needed in the film, maybe it is still a yes for the blind fans, and our producer Antony Perumbavoor also comes in right there as expected. Nilja K Baby in a smaller role catches our attention too.

How it finishes :: The movie can be considered as an effective beginning, as the title suggests, for the daughter of the legendary actor and the son of one of the best-known film producers of Malayalam cinema industry. The same has been delivered well as they come up with shining colours, and we appreciate the quality of their work, even though the level of this movie coming down in the second half and its rushed climax with cliches remain sad considering how big a start it had managed and pushed through in the first half towards interval. The emotions could have worked better and the ending should not have brought this much predictability, and yet we enjoy this movie and that early effect is there to stay. This one will be seen as an entertaining theatrical watch for action fan even without being a memorable or groundbreaking entry here. If the title really has some significance, this is only a beginning, and there is more to come, with a sequel or a spin-off, for there can be an improvement on this – a Drishyam model series of movies, maybe? After Drishyam is an inspiration for such extensions in multiple languages.

Release date: 7 August 2026
Running time: 137 minutes
Directed by: Jude Anthany Joseph
Starring: Vismaya Mohanlal, Ashish Joe Antony, Sai Kumar, Manoj K Jayan, Bobby Kurian, Mohanlal, K B Ganesh Kumar, Miya George, Sijoy Varghese, Pauly Valsan, Nilja K Baby, Sivadas Kannur, T G Ravi, Jaffar Idukki, Chippy Renjith, Dinesh Prabhakar, Gibin Gopinath, Aadukalam Naren, Nsihanth Sagar, Kottayam Ramesh, Gilu Jose, Jaya Kurup, Antony Perumbavoor, Vijaykumar Prabhakaran

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Uyir

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Vampire Owl: I had some high expectations about this one.

Vampire Bat: But we waited for its release on Jio Hotstar to be sure.

Vampire Owl: And here we are here again to watch another investigation.

Vampire Bat: I do like the cast very much with this one.

Vampire Owl: We love it when they have performers over the superstars.

Vampire Bat: Yes, in the world of super stars, mega stars, power stars, young stars and whatever.

Vampire Owl: Stars kill every movie industry, don’t they?

Vampire Bat: We can agree about that towards infinity in a world of chaos.

Vampire Owl: How many movies with investigation can still stand the test of time?

Vampire Bat: As long as they have psycho killers, serial murderers and such interesting people.

[Gets a plate of paneer tikka and three cups of Sikkim tea].

What is the movie about? :: Probation SI Ajeeb (Roshan Mathew) is working in his first police station which seems to be located in a comparatively peaceful area. He is leading a happy life with Shehna (Athulya Chandra) with no children and memories of a past in which he had lost his sister in a train at a very long age. Though Ajeeb works hard and tries to be a good husband, he is quietly haunted by his childhood trauma of losing his younger sister and has panic attacks whenever he hears the sound of passing trains – he never travels in trains anymore; even when there is no direct buses, and during times when he has to travel more distance taking a longer path, he chooses to travel by road. His biggest support is his experienced colleague ASI Joy (Baiju Santhosh), who with his wife Molly Joy (Divya M Nair), a couple who is waiting for their first child and undergoing treatments which do not seem to work for them. He advices Ajeeb on cases as he is more experiences than him, even though not higher in rank.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ajeeb finds himself with his first major case which is rather sensational in nature when the decomposed body of an unidentified woman is found in an abandoned local well. Ajeeb begins digging deep into the case despite his seniors’ doubts about his capability. They identify the dead person as Shobha (Shruthy Menon), a migrant worker from Karnataka who had moved to Kerala with her husband and two young children, and started living in the border area. But her husband and children seem to be missing, but after some more digging deep into the situation, Ajeeb and Joy track down Shobha’s husband, Raju (Vinod Sagar) in Karnataka with the help of the local police there. As Raju offers emotional stories and conflicting statements related to their lives and those incidents which changed their lives in between, police face different complications. They will need the help of a Mumbai police officer, Keerthi Deshpande (Saiyami Kher) in this to their surprise too. Can the two policemen find a solution here in time?

The defence of Uyir :: There are not many movies which can bring humanity to a tale of more than one murder and following investigation, but this one takes that and places the same at the right place to keep the interest of the family audience alive, it seems. As this is supposed to be inspired by actual police records of Kerala, everything feels grounded and realistic, and the last few moments feel very much close to heart. There are not many investigative movies that touches the heart, but this one does, even though the same is achieved a little late. The policemen are shown as common men, even though the women police officers could have also had something to do like the movie Dridam which had more balance and a higher level of danger and twists associated with it. The feeling of mystery is still maintained right from the behind. The character detailing is nice, especially with the main character, who is played to perfection by Roshan Mathew with classic support from the rest of the cast. At the same time, the message of humanity works, and the journey here is without exaggeration close to realism.

The claws of flaw :: The story here drags during the middle by trying to force suspense and twists into a story that seems to be more or less like an emotional character journey rather than anything else. Some of these twists do not seem to belong here at all, and the investigation also seems to be done randomly without much trouble. The melodrama often gets out of control, and we often think why this is going the emotional path when finding the killer was of so much significance. The final few minutes feel like the weakest as the movement from a usual murder mystery to a human-centric drama goes through a struggle, especially with the search being just a random thing of no real significance, even with the humane side. The way in which the pace goes down so many times, and the way in which the police keep focusing on a person, who keeps on becoming the centre of attraction again and again with one thing or other – it feels like repetition for sure. Everything seems more like coming to the police directly, and after they complicate things, the situation seems to be solved rather easily too, and then they extend the same to add more complications.

The performers of the soul :: The movie thrives on a brilliant performance from Roshan Mathew, who seems to make a police officer that we would remember. He is once again not a hero that one needs to remember for the superhuman acts, but as a flawed police officer, the kind that we have always loved as one among us. The emotional conflicts of the character are shown nicely too, and we have Athulya Chandra in the wife role, as the two share beautiful chemistry with underlying love and support which runs through their marriage with understanding. Athulya might be one of those actresses who had less number of main roles in major movies than she deserved, as she carries a certain amount of life even when playing this character who never really had that much to work with. Baiju Santhosh’s Joy is also a character whom we would all love, and he handles the same with a serenity that everyone should love see. The star of Kismat, the highly underrated Shruthy Menon also comes up with a work to remember with her return, and Vinod Sagar remains solid. Vineeth Thattil David, Santhosh Thrivikraman and Saiyami Kher are also police officers who catch our attention so well with their realistic work.

How it finishes :: As Roshan Mathew brings both restraint and emotional depth to his character carrying the film’s themes of guilt, remorse, empathy and redemption effectively, we have the movie’s mood and aim served well. The question still remains if this was the aim which the audience would have had considering the fact that this a movie revolving around one murder or two, along with a murderer on the loose manipulating the police. The thrills are kept at the minimum, and we feel that there was the scope for many engaging sequences with chance of bringing chaos always present against all odds. One can safely say that drama gets to be a lot above the thrills and the investigation itself, which would always be considered strange as we look at the genre here. We keep thinking if it is what we wanted, and a strange feel-good factor that creeps in to bring a conclusion with a happy ending in a journey which is rather personal than part of the case, would not bring the best for everyone for sure. Well, this is not your highly engaging, highly paced, intelligent and twisted police investigation for sure.

Release date: 26th June 2026
Running time: 138 minutes
Directed by: M Padmakumar
Starring: Roshan Mathew, Saiyami Kher, Baiju Santhosh, Athulya Chandra, Shruthy Menon, Vineeth Thattil David, Santhosh Thrivikraman, Vinod Sagar, Shaju Sreedhar, Divya M Nair, Srikant Murali, Mahesh Shetty

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

A Working Man

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Vampire Owl: We are all working all the time, you know.

Vampire Bat: Everybody including Uncle Dracula knows that you do no work at all.

Vampire Owl: I work at my own office within my room.

Vampire Bat: You know that there is no business firms allowed in the Dracula Castle.

Vampire Owl: This is just me showing my skills making blood milk shake and blood cake.

Vampire Bat: Do you even know the sugar levels of vampires of the castle?

Vampire Owl: It is approved by Dr. Frankenstein and his medical company.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein has never been a real doctor who can do that.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein has presented and published a research paper on vampire blood sugar and was appreciated for the same by different universities.

Vampire Bat: I have heard that they were promised infinite amount of money just to accept the abstract and let him present it.

[Gets a paneer samosa and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: Levon Cade (Jason Statham) is a retired Royal Marines Officer, now working as a construction foreman in Chicago, leaving the United Kingdom after his service and settling down in the United States as his American wife had committed suicide, and his father-in-law Jordan Roth (Richard Heap) who had settled down in the same city does not allow him to see his only daughter Merry Cade (Isla Gie) as he is known to suffer from PTSD and has been struggling to gain custody of his daughter. Levon maintains a close friendship with the family who employs him at the construction site – Joe Garcia (Michael Pena), his wife, Carla Garcia (Noemi Gonzalez) and their daughter, Jenny Garcia (Arianna Rivas), as they consider him as one of their own. One night, while Jenny is out at a bar, enjoying with her friends, she is kidnapped by two Russian traffickers who randomly choose their victims from the night club, the ruthless mercenaries known by the names Viper (Emmett J Scanlan) and Artemis (Eve Mauro).

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Joe and Carla report the case of their missing daughter to the police, but they are unable to find any leads, and do not seem to keep this anywhere close to priority. Desperate to find their daughter, the parents who know about Levon’s military past, offer him money to find Jenny, but he refuses to do anything about it, as he feels that his past was responsible for the death of his wife and hostility of his father-in-law who has always been a pacifist. But after consulting his former friend and comrade in arms in the military Gunny Lefferty (David Harbour), decides to what he does his best and follow his heart, as he had once promised Jenny to watch and protect her, making sure that no harm would come upon her. As he decides to use his best skills for the purpose, follows the bartender who was there at the time when Jenny went missing, and finds connection to Russian mafia which has been involved in human trafficking in the past. He finds out that the situation is more complicated than he thought. Can he find more clues and reach Jenny before time runs out?

The defence of A Working Man :: Watching this movie, one feels that this is a movie well set for Jason Statham to come up with all the action, and the same is asserted again and again as the movie progresses and gets close to the end. The action sequences are excellent and staying within the willing suspension of disbelief limits. It was best seen with that beginning fight scene and it just gets bigger in the final scenes as there is a lot to be done. We see something to root for the protagonist every moment as the film progresses – there is also an emotional touch to the main character, and we connect to the same with the feelings rightly felt. There is also that feeling of nostalgia that runs through in the movie reminding us those other earlier movies that we have seen before. The stylish and immensely evil Russian mobsters to a biker gang leader sitting on a literal throne in a basement with his black-wearing people, the variety of villains that make quite some impact. The visuals are quite nice, with different settings nicely used for the situation.

The claws of flaw :: The movie feels like a Taken-inspired weaker version with search for one woman who has taken by drug traffickers often forced into prostitution, as even the less appreciated Malayalam movie Karam doing better than this particular one. Yet, one feels that the danger is not that much felt here with the kidnapped woman, as she seems to be too comfortable with the same even when in so much of a terrifying situation as part of her captivity. For some reason, we do not see facing that much of a terror, and she seems to be more military-trained than even the main protagonist – this is where the other movies dealing with the same premise dealt with the situations much better. Even the search for the woman seems to be lagging, as the pace comes down. Then those fast cuts and shaky camera work during the quick action makes things feel rather strange, and leaves a lot to be desired. The title of the movie is also never really justified as the construction work never really gets the attention again.

The performers of the soul :: Jason Statham once again does what he does best as he has a strong physical presence, charm, as well as nice fight scenes including hand-to-hand combat and some shooting to go with it. Starting with a construction site fight and finishing after a full set of climax battle sequences keep us satisfied. It is once again asserted that he is the man for this kind of a job, after Liam Neeson did the same multiple times with his one series of movies starting with saving his daughter from human traffickers. Being a part of The Mechanic and one among of Hobbs and Shaw battling in Fast and Furious series had made us hope for him even in Hitman: Agent 47 which would have been perfect for him. After John Wick and friends in a chaotic murder spree universe, he remains seemingly best choice for this kind of worlds. Arianna Rivas as Jenny Garcia does not get much except for those last moments when there seems to be a fight forced on her – in a movie focused on her kidnapping, she is just not shown enough. Then the antagonists seem balanced, rightly there to be menacing enough.

How it finishes :: This remains an interesting movie, even though nothing much new in its content, and reminds us of many other movies in the past. The movie gains the advantage from Jason Statham as the main character, and even when there is not much to raise the level in the narrative, the man takes the movie straight up to another level. But we cannot help feeling that he could have done more if the search was better arranged and if the danger was really felt except for the kidnapped not shown much after being kidnapped except for the end, and due to the hero quickly going through the villains without that much of a difficulty as one should be having when facing a mafia, The emotional side with daughter works, but not with the kidnapped one as we rarely feel that she is in trouble, and yet we feel that the poor mafia members are really in bigger trouble – this is something which should not have happened in a movie like this which does not go over the line with its action. Well, the fight scenes work really well, and keeps us interested, and we are thrilled to see the happenings on the screen; often that much is enough for the genre, but not for a second watch on any day.

Release date: 28 March 2025
Running time: 116 minutes
Directed by: David Ayer
Starring: Jason Statham, David Harbour, Michael Peña, Jason Flemyng, Arianna Rivas

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✠ The Vampire Bat.