Author Archives: Tennyson

Garudan

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Vampire Owl: How many investigation thrillers have we watched in such a short period of time?

Vampire Bat: I feel that this movie could be more than just a usual thriller.

Vampire Owl: The reviews have surely been good.

Vampire Bat: I think that some vampires read the title as guardian.

Vampire Owl: Well, both names sound pretty good.

Vampire Bat: There have been so many serial killers.

Vampire Owl: I know that most humans are serial killers.

Vampire Bat: They are killers of environment.

Vampire Owl: And killers by nature.

Vampire Bat: Destroyers of nature as we know it.

[Gets a Paneer Tikka Pizza and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Theresa Philip (Chaithanya Prakash), a student of a reputed arts and science college in the city returns home late after the rehearsal for a theatre programme. As she walked through the streets on a rainy day, she is sexually assaulted by an unknown person. But a local worker called Salam Kaiperi (Jagadish) who reaches the local building site where the incident takes place, and the assaulter makes a quick escape. A police officer with a clean track record, SP Harish Madhav IPS (Suresh Gopi) is assigned to the case. Even after checking the area for evidence and questioning everyone who might have some information, there are no clues though. Theresa’s father and retired army man Colonel Philip George (Thalaivasal Vijay) is desperate for answers. As so much of time passes without any clue, the case is about to be passed to the crime branch, and Harish goes for the DNA sample test, and comes out with possibilities, and the same is narrowed down to one person in the city. Salam also identifies the man as the one who was responsible for the sexual assault. This makes Harish confident to proceed with the arrest.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The newly discovered culprit is Dr. Nishanth Kumar (Biju Menon), Assistant Professor in the Department of Commerce at the same college, one of the best teachers around with a PhD in Finance and Taxation. He has been known as a figure with no match for his speaking and teaching skills, but his world involving his wife Haritha (Divya Pillai) and child gets twisted with that grand revelation. He is convicted by the court and sent to prison, and the scene shifts to many years later to that week when Harish is on the verge of retirement. Nishanth is outside, and begins to make an attempt to prove that he innocent. He had kept a low profile in the prison, but it turns out that he has done a lot of work, and is ready to present his case. This has Harish and his best friend Advocate Thomas Iype (Siddique) who pleaded the case in surprise. Are they ready for the return of Harish, or will the returning convict get the best of them?

The defence of Garudan :: The beginning of Garudan is exactly as one would expect from this kind of a movie, with a strong attachment to the roots. There is the crime and the investigation that follows while the case goes on to become more and more sensational. There are some twists which are of high quality, and they make appearance out of nowhere. The emotional side is also strong, and it keeps the drama going, especially with the father’s angle getting strong on feelings. There is strength in the way in which the world keeps turning one way or the other, heroes and villains are further asserted by the incredible power of the visual media. The visuals are really good, and the presence of darkness with the settings remains interesting as well as setting up the mood. The foreshadowing which is used in the movie is really good, and we see that from the beginning theatrical scene on the stage itself. The presence of Suresh Gopi itself is a kind of eternal reminder of a foreshadowing if you ask me. Red herrings somewhat holds on. It is clear that Midhun Manuel Thomas can get a thriller moving with his writing at any moment, and can bring the suspense out of thin air.

The claws of flaw :: The ending of the movie could have surely been better, and sitting in front of a table and explaining everything about the crime is not really the thing to do. Listing out an entire history of crime would pale in comparison to things coming to light, or being revealed in parts through dialogues. The final scenes are surely overdone, and asking about John Wick is misplaced just like tying up someone else with a plastic cover over the head for the police to prove a point. The movie could have maintained a certain amount of strength with the ways of investigation, and bring out a real surprise instead of finally ending up with the usual. Even with the initial scenes, there is not much of an investigation being shown, and one gets to march towards the culprit too soon. The personal stories also get a little bit too stretched, and we could have been left with those elements which had direct connection to the major event. The power of the interval punch is not that much carried over to the second half, as we await more than what meets the eye.

The performers of the soul :: Suresh Gopi leads the movie as expected, and there are moments which are custom made for his kind of roles. Some of them could have undergone some change, but he surely suits the role as usual. There are not many things that can substitute Suresh Gopi as a police officer leading an investigation. Biju Menon on the other side, often steals the show from the rest of the cast. He controls the movie with his multiple layers of emotions, and one can continue to trust him with all kinds of roles. Thalaivasal Vijay is the one actor here who makes us feel the emotions, as the other side of the film also comes into the picture. Siddique continues to provide the support as he has always done, and Jagadish’s very serious role is something that catches our attention. The two female leads Abhirami and Divya Pillai have very less to do. It is good to see in Chaithanya Prakash of Star Magic fame in big films. Nishanth Sagar once again proves that he deserves more from each role. Usual supporters like Dileesh Pothan and Major Ravi remains strong in the small roles.

How it finishes :: The movie becomes more suitable for family audiences as it does not have any violence despite having serial killer mode activated from the beginning itself. From Forensic, Anjaam Paathira, Antakshari, Heaven, Cold Case, Paappan, Twenty One Grams, John Luther and the others, we have had a great dose of thrillers that came one after the other. This movie is another interesting addition to that list of investigative thrillers. In a world where there is too much presence of evil, and with humanity embracing the inherent evil, there will always be the presence of darkness, and serial killers to be caught by investigators through multiple movies. This is the kind of genre that suits our age, and I am sure that more of similar movies will follow. But one needs to remember that these are the kind of movies which can also go out of hand completely. Yet, we would choose to trust Malayalam films not to overdo its serial killers and bring them to the level of being jokers under the superstars.

Release date: 3rd November 2023
Running time: 138 minutes
Directed by: Arun Varma
Starring: Suresh Gopi, Biju Menon, Siddique, Jagadish, Thalaivasal Vijay, Abhirami, Divya Pillai, Dileesh Pothan, Nishanth Sagar, Chaithanya Prakash, Josekutty Jacob, Dinesh Prabhakar, Arjun Nandhakumar, Sadiq, Saranya Anand, Prem Prakash, Kichu Tellus, Jayan Cherthala, Major Ravi, Pradeep Chandran, Shyna Chandran

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Leo

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Vampire Owl: The theatre requires more area, doesn’t it?

Vampire Bat: The movie has been taken up as a celebration by the audience.

Vampire Owl: These are the Pooja Holidays. So, it is expected.

Vampire Bat: Even for such a holiday rush, this is quite a lot.

Vampire Owl: It is only the blog which has lacked any rush this year.

Vampire Bat: We have been too busy this year.

Vampire Owl: We have always been busy towards eternity.

Vampire Bat: This is also the first Vijay movie that we are reviewing.

Vampire Owl: Yes, we had at least one review of most of the other stars already.

Vampire Bat: There is always a chance in violence for a new beginning.

[Gets a plate of chilli porotta and three cups of mint tea].

What is the movie about? :: Parthiban (Vijay) is an animal rescuer and a chocolate-specialized café owner who is now settled in Theog, Himachal Pradesh. He lives with his wife Sathya (Trisha Krishnan) and two children Siddharth (Mathew Thomas) and Mathi (Iyal) in a cottage which is located some distance away from the main town. Their only family friends are Forest Ranger Joshy Andrews (Gautham Vasudev Menon) and his wife Priya Joshy Andrews (Priya Anand). Parthiban wishes to keep himself away from public attention, which he somewhat manages to do despite him being able to tame a hyena which attacks the town with the help of Joshy and Siddharth. But when his café is attacked by a group of robbers and one of them tries to sexually harass his employee Shruthi (Janany Kunaseelan), he takes matters into his hands, and seeing his daughter in grave danger, ends up murdering all of them using their gun, despite never having used any firearms before. The court declares it self-defense, but the family of one of the robbers swear vengeance and his photos also become part of different newspapers all around India.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: After the incident, Parthiban becomes very careful about his family’s safety, installing CCTV cameras everywhere and checking the entry points to his home. He wakes up at night, feeling the requirement to protect his family from evil forces. His photos which were published in newspapers come to the attention of some of the gangsters in Telangana and the news spread further. Harold Das (Arjun Sarja), a notorious and ruthless gangster with roots in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He informs his brother Antony Das (Sanja Dutt) who is a dreaded crime lord running an international drug business. Antony and Harold seem to identify Parthiban with another name Leo Das, as Antony’s son who was supposed to be dead some years ago. At the same time, facing threats from the relatives of Shanmugam (Mysskin) the leader of the robbers whom he murdered, Police Officer Napoleon (George Maryan) is assigned to his protection. Napoleon spends most of his time sleeping during duty, much to the dismay of Parthiban who feels that his home remains unprotected despite the best efforts.

And what more is to follow when chaos unleashes itself in the hilly terrain? :: Antony reaches the quiet town of Himachal Pradesh with his large group of henchmen. He gets to the café run by Parthiban and calls him Leo. But Parthiban refuses to acknowledge even knowing the man and the name which has been put on him. Antony meets Sathya and saves her from the relatives of Shanmugam and murders all members of the gang who were trying to hurt Parthiban’s family, while reminding them that the children are his own blood, the offsprings of Leo. This sets a sequence of confusing elements in motion, as Joshy Andrews visits Hridayaraj D’Souza (Mansoor Ali Khan), a former gangster now in prison, and he lets out a flashback about Leo and his twin sister Elisa Das (Madonna Sebastian). Meanwhile, Sathya and Priya goes on with their own methods to search more about Leo and Parthiban. But it seems that the truth is not something that they can find out easily. But they would need to unearth that early enough with Antony wandering around the town of Theog and Parthiban seemingly losing his mind. The question remains if they can be quick enough to do that.

The defence of Leo :: The movie, as expected is held strong by Vijay, and the action sequences here are difference, and in this world, mindless action makes way for more classic action. Vijay suits well in a new world of violence without that repeated style of action that we usually see. The action here remains more memorable as much as the violence. The visuals are breathtaking and the locations for the fights are so good that we will keep remembering them for the next few days. There is also no shortage of style, which is yet kept in control not to go overboard. We also have no slow-motion overdose here, even though the tendency would have been there. The final revelations nicely set things in motion here for more, and the good supporting cast means that this can contribute more to the overall universe of the same kind of movies. The background music remains stunning at all times, and we are made to go with the flow which is already supported by the visuals. Mathew Thomas of Kumbalangi Nights, Thanneermathan Dinangal and Jo and Jo also get the honours. The team of Gautham Vasudev Menon, Trisha, Priya Anand and George Maryan are very good and so are the menacing villains played by Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Sarja.

The claws of flaw :: The flashback remains a weak point of the movie, as Madonna Sebastian, despite making a quick impact with a return to the past, is done away too soon, and the same can be seen about Babu Antony who does not even get a name for his character after seemingly getting back to power with RDX again. The initial group of robbers are also disposed too early despite the scope which was exhibited. The movie also has that overdose of style even though not that much as one would fear. Some moments seem to be like from a game, and some of the action just goes a little too much ahead. Some characters actually needed to be stronger, and the antagonists could have been more than people of style and threatening. Considering the scale here, there could have been more to achieve, especially with the earlier avatar of the main character. A movie like this one requires to be more complex with its subplots getting further attention, but the secondary elements just seem to be there for providing support to the newly established hero. The movie, without that much of a tale from the past, could have surely been shorter too.

How it finishes :: Leo feels much divergent from other films of Vijay, and has a certain amount of Hollywood touch to it – the control that it manages to exhibit is to be appreciated as it does not go the way of Baahubali and RRR, overdoing with heroism. Our protagonist has been nicely managed in comparison, and so is his world, a small one in a large canvas which the viewer can relate with touch of horror running in the mind. The movie nicely blends into the bigger universe, and one can hope that there would be much more to come in future. After Jai Bhim, it took a long time to watch another Tamil film even though the first Tamil film review happened here a longer time ago in the form of David, and it is evident that this is movie here is worth the time. The huge collections that it received would feel worth it, as an exit into a world which feels magically terrifying with the spectacle of a view that is not seen so often. The fans would find this as the bliss of their free-time, but one can find no trouble in being assured that the movie is for everyone, despite a little bit of extra violence added here and there. Blood and gore have been on our list for some time too.

Release date: 19th October 2023
Running time: 164 minutes
Directed by: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Starring: Vijay, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Madonna Sebastian, Babu Antony, George Maryan, Mathew Thomas, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priya Anand, Iyal, Mansoor Ali Khan, Shanthi Master, Janany Kunaseelan, Sandy Master, Madhusudhan Rao, Sachin Mani, Denzil Smith, Santhi Mayadevi, Leela Samson

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Orphan: First Kill

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember watching the first Orphan movie earlier?

Vampire Bat: I do not remember like that. I remember back in centuries.

Vampire Owl: You are not supposed to go that long back with memories.

Vampire Bat: Well, Uncle Dracula goes back longer than that.

Vampire Owl: He can go back as long as the vampire elders can go infinitely.

Vampire Bat: You know the elders. They don’t count.

Vampire Owl: They have been further violent during these years.

Vampire Bat: It is quite natural, considering their loss of fangs.

Vampire Owl: The lost fangs can be recreated with the help of the witches.

Vampire Bat: I hope it is not left in the hands of Doctor Frankenstein.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: Leena Klammer (Isabelle Fuhrman), a thirty one year old woman with the appearance of a ten year old child has been locked in psychiatric hospital in Estonia for a long time, but has been planning an escape for a long time. She finds a way by hiding inside the car of Anna (Gwendolyn Collins), an art therapist, whom she kills after breaking into her house. She temporarily finds a new home in her place. She looks up for missing girls in the United States of America, and finds that she looks similar to a girl named Esther Albright. For her, it also seems to be an interesting home to live. This gives her a new idea, and she pretends to be the same American child who had gone missing a few years ago. She gets herself found in a children’s park by a police officer who has absolutely no doubts about her, as she has planned the whole thing really well. Allen Albright (Rossif Sutherland) and Tricia Albright (Julia Stiles) get the news that their disappeared daughter has been found in Eastern Europe, and couldn’t get any happier as they were sure that she was lost forever.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Tricia brings her home, she begins to have doubts about her soon enough, as she has forgotten that their grandmother died, and has developed some painting skills which she never really came close to possessing. Detective Donnan (Hiro Kanagawa) and the child psychologist Dr Segar (Samantha Walkes) feel that there is surely something wrong about her, but they don’t really know what it is. She seems to be rather too different, and doesn’t act like a child at all times. She doesn’t seem to get along well with the brother Gunnar Albright (Matthew Finlan) either. Soon, it turns out that there are family secrets that are being hidden in the house. Leena keeps getting closer to her newly discovered father-figure, which upsets the others in the family. Soon, she will be facing her family which suspects her, but she has her plans to rise above those doubts. But how long can she go on playing this role which only seems to get more and more difficult for her? She would have to get rid of the detective soon enough, but is that an easy job to do? How can she achieve this without being deported back to the mental asylum back in Estonia?

The defence of Orphan: First Kill :: This movie is powered by that antagonist who continues to be a favourite among the horror lovers, and that stays as an advantage. The atmosphere here is interesting, and the setting provides an assurance that there will be some nice moments to remember. The early setting of the mental asylum is more than just interesting. We keep feeling that there could be something more coming up at all times in the first half, the big reveal only set things up well for a grand battle of women. The movie’s hesitation often has it lagging, but it does manage to make things better in the very next scene or so. The cast members do manage to overcome them all, and this selection of the leading performers comes as an advantage. The movie is also a reminder for us to not fall a prey to the cute ones, especially children who are not too far away from the Lord of the Flies situation of William Golding. Well, the cutest among them all might be the one diabolical evil creature which needs to be feared at all times.

The claws of flaw :: Orphan: First Kill doesn’t raise the level from the original movie at all. There were so many opportunities with this idea when going back, but that much is not taken here. This one has also come too late for anyone’s liking, as the gap between the original and this prequel is rather too much. The antagonist does seem to have a more artificial look in comparison to the looks in the first flick. Yet, there are also too many similarities with the first movie, and we also have the absence of surprises here, with twists not getting the required strength either. We know too much about the main character as we have watched the earlier film, and bringing a certain secret ingredient was a necessity. We could have also had some creepy sequences around here which could have managed to balance the situation, but such an attempt is also not made here. It is only with another prequel set almost completely in a mental asylum in Estonia that the bar can be raised now.

The performers of the soul :: Isabelle Fuhrman continues to make Esther an interesting character, a role which she had performed at a young age, and made it a thing of quality. Isabelle does have a challenge in here, as despite the experience that she may have earned through the years, she is still not of that same age anymore. In comparison to her other roles, her work as Esther or Leena is something that has her raising the bar each and every time. Julia Stiles makes another strong character here, and two main lady characters show their strength even further when they are standing against each other, even when not showing the hatred that much. Rossif Sutherland also has his moments here. Matthew Finlan comes out strong in the later stages of the film, and that too when less expected. Gwendolyn Collins makes an initial impression well, and it is sad that she had to disappear too early. Hiro Kanagawa also leaves a mark, and needed more time on screen.

How it finishes :: Orphan: First Kill cannot be compared to the original movie which set something up so well, and it was also something which felt much innovative at that time. The fans would have been expecting a film which would score better than this one. After all, Esther has become a horror icon like no other, and the earlier movie’s twist was something which people didn’t really except. But the prequel has been organized well, and we can see that at the end of the movie, things come together well to bring the possibilities of the next one on to the scene. This one does deserve to become a much longer franchise with a deeper idea about the origins of the main character given. A fine psychopath of the antagonist’s level can do magic for the genre. After all, movies like these serve as those the reminders that we cannot trust anyone, especially someone with the cute side on display – this is a mad world indeed, and has the worst in store for us.

Release date: 19th August 2022
Running time: 99 minutes
Directed by: William Brent Bell
Starring: Isabelle Fuhrman, Rossif Sutherland, Hiro Kanagawa, Matthew Finlan, Julia Stiles

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

RDX

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Vampire Owl: Are humans talking about explosives again?

Vampire Bat: Humans have always been interested in destruction using explosives.

Vampire Owl: So, can we expect some complete devastation?

Vampire Bat: This is more about fighting rather than using explosion.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that there is an explosion of fighting.

Vampire Bat: You can say that. We are no strangers to that.

Vampire Owl: Vampires do not fight within.

Vampire Bat: Not when there is are cold vampires involved.

Vampire Owl: The cold vampires are just a myth.

Vampire Bat: The cold vampires are gods among the elders and a matter of faith. Let us not play with matters of faith, belief and hope.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Robert Philip (Shane Nigam), his brother Dony Philip (Antony Varghese) and their best friend Xavier Antony (Neeraj Madhav) have been training in martial arts and picking up fights in the city and the outskirts. Antony Aashaan (Babu Antony) who is their karate and boxing master still reminds them that martial arts is not for fighting with others, but only for self-defense. Despite the promises which they make to the master, there is always one fight or the other which they are part of, much to the dismay of their father Philip (Lal) and mother Kunjumol (Maala Parvathi). Circle Inspector of Police, Roy (Baiju Santhosh), Philip’s brother-in-law is the only one who seems to be able to take care of solving their problems from the side of the law. Robert finds a girlfriend in the form of Mini (Mahima Nambiar) who is from a different social, economic and religious side after helping her to deal with a repetitious problem. But their relationship is being noted by people from her colony. At the same time, Dony is in love with Simi (Aima Rosmy Sebastian), a school teacher in the nearby school, which seems to be a more acceptable relationship.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: To make sure that their wedding happens very soon, Robert makes Simi reveal her relationship with Dony, and gets the marriage alliance fixed with no delay. He feels that now he can go forward with a marriage alliance to Mini as he has a nice plan in getting respectable a job in the city. But soon, they find themselves in the centre of Cochin Carnival where Mini has a dance performance. But it turns out that the whole carnival is full of people from Mini’s colony, and most of them are not happy with Robert having a relationship with her. There is another score to settle for Anas (Harisankar Rajendran), who had a fight with Robert, Dony and Xavier during an earlier cricket match was never completed. This would lead to a fight with not only Anas, but also with the leader figure of the colony, Jaison (Sujith Shanker), his younger brother Paulson (Vishnu Agasthya), as well as their sidekicks Davis (Nishanth Sagar), Seban (Sandeep Raj) and Faisal (Midhun Venugopal) among others. This would lead to a long sequence of events which would leads to families and relationships breaking up without chances for mending, and soon there might be no way home.

The defence of RDX: Robert Dony Xavier :: This is one movie which rises above the rest of the action films so effectively with a cast that feels so perfectly suited for the roles. The action is of top quality, and it has also managed to keep a realistic side to the genre with ease. The characters here makes the feelings stronger, The emotional connection is also too good, and the fights with family bond that comes with it never gets old. Unlike Thallumaala which dealt with too much of action and remained not serious, this takes the much serious and dark tone right into it. The dialogues also work out really well, and the setting as well as the situations can be directly connected to the common audience. The one memorable song in the movie keeps us going forward with the musical elements too. We will keep remembering the song as the second best of the year after the 2018 song unless some other comes up. The fight at the carnival and final exchange at the ground are very much memorable. The movie has the ability to have everyone in a family immersed in its proceedings, and its beauty is more than what is felt in the beginning stages.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not bring anything new, as we look at it. We can see that it follows the same policy as one would expect a film of this genre to follow. There could have been some fine additional elements which would make things better. This also happens to be another movie which has a superhit romantic song, but there is no romantic success to keep it in memory as part of romantic success. The flashback could have also been less predictable, as we just go through the usual thing with fights going on all the time with a terrible turn of events that makes the whole thing even worse. Where it lags behind Thallumaala is the lack of experimentation with the usual stuff. Despite the initial feeling and small burst in the end, the women in the film have much less to do, even with the romantic side going strong beyond the fight. The final fighting sequences just become the reason to finish things, and not more. Despite the grand success, the question will remain if this movie could have become this grand if its competition was better.

The performers of the soul :: Shane Nigam clearly leads the movie, and is in an avatar with which we do not usually associated him. He has nicely blended into the proceedings here, and proves well that action genre also suits him well. The romantic side of the youth has always been safe in his hands. Antony Varghese has already proven that action is his fortress, and this kind of action might still feel new to him, but he manages the same well too. Among the three, it is Neeraj Madhav who scores the most with action. His use of the traditional chainsticks will remain as a highlight here. Mahima Nambiar who plays the female lead after a number of smaller, notable roles, does a fine job – one still wishes that she could have been there for longer. The last scenes have one special moment for her. Babu Antony’s screen presence is magnificent here, even though he only has less action moments than wanted. Aima Rosmy Sebastian returning after five years adds well to proceedings. Lal is once again very good in a role that suits him. Vishnu Agasthya’s villain feels like a fine prospect for future. Sujith Shanker and Nishanth Sagar could have been there for longer, as they do create some fine impact with their moments.

How it finishes :: RDX maintains its similarities with Thallumaala as much as the differences. While former maintains the emotional side well with addition of the family side, latter was never an emotional adventure, with the absence of categorization into good and evil. The Tovino Thomas starrer was never about defeating the antagonist who becomes a challenge to a life with family, but about finishing something which was left unfinished. RDX has nicely eclipsed the releases of the same time such as Dulquer Salmaan’s King of Kotha and Nivin Pauly’s Ramachandra Boss and Co which were supposed to be the bigger releases of the festival. The movie has also overtaken Thallumaala to get to the hundred crore mark with ease. The non-linear narration of Thallumaala is done away with, and the movie here deals with more connectable kind of people, which led to the bigger success of RDX. To add to it, Thallumaala did not have that much of a story. Basically, both movies are for different kind of people, and in finding the type of people for which it would appeal, RDX has won the battle with ease, and that too without that big superstar set for action.

Release date: 24th September 2023 (Netflix); 25th August 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 146 minutes
Directed by: Nahas Hidayath
Starring: Shane Nigam, Antony Varghese, Neeraj Madhav, Babu Antony, Aima Rosmy Sebasian, Lal, Mahima Nambiar, Baiju Santhosh, Maala Parvathi, Vishnu Agasthya, Siraj, Harisankar Rajendran, Midhun Venugopal, Dineesh Aleppey, Rigil Mundakkal, Aravind Thampan, Sandeep Raj, Nishanth Sagar, Sujith Shanker as Jaison, Arya Salim, Nahas Hidayath

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the previous action-filled film review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kurukkan

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Vampire Owl: So, we are talking about a clever fox here.

Vampire Bat: I don’t think that vampire foxes can be clever.

Vampire Owl: I do not see any mention of this fox being a vampire.

Vampire Bat: The possibility of a vampire fox cannot be ignored.

Vampire Owl: What about the vampire wolf among werewolves?

Vampire Bat: A vampire wolf shall only be a werewolf.

Vampire Owl: I thought we were categorizing them into two.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula has said that we shall trust no wolf.

Vampire Owl: I thought we were using wolves against wolves infinitely.

Vampire Bat: We don’t do divide and rule here. It is the job of humans.

[Gets some butterscotch pastry and three cups of Siliguri tea].

What is the movie about? :: Krishnan Rajasekharan (Sreenivasan) is a documenter who keeps appearing in the court to falsely testify, as a witness. He had only recently become a witness to win over a case which was almost lost. He has proven to be helpful in many different cases, and his motive is the monetary benefit. It is then that a model and social media influencer Neenu Iype (Mareena Michael Kurisingal) is found dead in her huge mansion. CI Dinesh KT (Vineeth Sreenivasan) is in charge of the investigation. Commissioner Balachandran K (Joji John) wants the case to be solved as early as possible, as the media hype is rather too much to handle. Neenu’s roommate Anjitha Narayanan (Ansiba Hassan) and Manager Bhagat (Nandan Unni) are confident that she is in no relationship and has no enemies at all. There is also no clue of anyone having entered the house and there are no male finger prints. Dinesh and his subordinates SI Reena Mathew (Sruthy Jayan) and SI Sajad Hassan (Aswath Lal) come under immense pressure.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: At the same time, Dinesh’s friend provides the information that there are drugs in a certain room in a popular hotel in the city. Dinesh, who was looking for an opportunity to improve his image, arrests two people from the same room after finding some white powder. But upon examination by the experts, it is discovered to be just gypsum powder. Dinesh who feels ashamed about the situation tries to frame the man who delivered the newspapers at Neenu’s house, Hari (Shine Tom Chacko) in the case to save his image. Dinesh plans the whole thing and arrests Hari while going to attend a PSC examination, much to the dismay of his lover, Arya (Malavika Menon). He also tries to prove that Hari does not have a good record in his past, and gets the support of the public prosecutor, despite the commissioner not being sure about this case’s progress. Now, it is up to Hari to prove his innocence, but once again Krishnan is there to give false witness. It is not easy to find a way out.

The defence of Kurukkan :: The attempt to move from the usual to become divergent is interesting indeed. The movie certainly required its seriousness along with the comic side, and that has been managed for most of its run. For the same, it has created the perfect partners in crime out of the right father-son duo; their adventures could have actually been longer. The final court scenes are hilarious, and the best moments are well-adjusted to the final shots of the movie. As one wonders if such scenes are actually possible, it is certainly far more realistic than what Jana Gana Mana dialogues make us feel in an artificial manner. The basic human nature can also be seen reflected here, as people continue to be what they do not seem to be. The inherent evil in man would find it difficult to let the innocent thrive, and the film shows it through multiple instances. There are no shortages for foxes in our world, and it is the innocent who have to take the blame, as it is shown in the movie. The smart evil ones often make the best out of their opportunities.

The claws of flaw :: The inability of Kurukkan to thrive on its advantages can be clearly seen throughout its run. There were so many opportunities to gain advantage here, but the same is not used effectively. The scene at the beginning which is the recreation of a known case is rather foolish and a sign of lacking in creativity and innovation. The use of some of the performers in the respective roles is questionable considering how the characters have been written. The main character here could have been developed better, especially with his personal relations. The mystery is also not effectively solved in the end, as the blending of genres often goes through a certain amount of struggle which makes some characters wonder about their existence. We have also reached a situation when talking about social media influencers do not concern the common man who go through their daily struggles any more. The comic side on some occasions also feel a little bit overdone in a film which has kept itself as normal as possible otherwise. Kurukkan could have mixed its world like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and evoked laugher, but it couldn’t really do that.

The performers of the soul :: In terms of performances, it is Vineeth Sreenivasan who stands out, and further excels in the final moments of the movie. He is not the usual cop, even for the comic standards, as a separate identity has been built efficiently by him. Another person standing tall is the real-life father and the reel-life partner in crime, Sreenivasan who has his fine moments of comedy. He once again pulls off a twisted role with ease. Shine Tom Chacko does not have the usual role when he is suspected as part of proceedings by the audience, as this time, the innocence is easily felt – but the role is not without his usual tendencies that are visible yet again. Malavika Menon has a neat role to perform here, and does a fine job to continue giving the feeling that she is here for stronger roles. Mareena Michael Kurisingal and Ansiba Hassan do not have much to do around here while Sruthy Jayan and Gowri Nandha have more notable moments. Aswath Lal also does some nice work here. Then, it is always nice to see Azees Nedumangad getting some roles to be noted.

How it finishes :: Kurukkan will have our attention with moments for sure. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and finding faults around here might not be a difficult task. It is not a movie to be taken that seriously and is not to be a movie full of laughs, taking care of both genres in one way or the other. The final moments of the film would make sure that it finishes well, and there is also that poetic justice very well provided. Kurukkan could surely have a sequel, or even a prequel, as the adventures of the main character deserved more. The movies like these are the type which we watch at some later time period when there is a lot of time at hand, and when the need for some nice little humour has arisen. We have had some interesting movies like Madhura Manohara Moham and Nalla Nilaavulla Raarthri which were not given that much hype. This one had created a better interest among the audience with the trailers, but the others might have turned out to be bigger movies in the end, except for the climax where this movie scores the most.

Release date: 25th August 2023 (Amazon Prime Video); 27th July 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 123 minutes
Directed by: Jayalal Divakaran
Starring: Vineeth Sreenivasan, Sreenivasan, Shine Tom Chacko, Srikant Murali, Dileep Menon, Joji John, Sudheer Karamana, Mareena Michael Kurisingal, Malavika Menon, Ansiba Hassan, Sruthy Jayan, Aswath Lal, Balaji Sharma, Krishnan Balakrishnan, Azees Nedumangad, Nandan Unni, Rashmi Anil, Anjali Sathyanath, Sohan Seenulal, Ancy Sarah, Shaji Marad, Ajay Joseph, Mel Saju John, Riyaz Pattambi, Bijesh Naduvil, Manup Jaganathan

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Madhura Manohara Moham

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Vampire Owl: It is too early to go back to the feel-good factor.

Vampire Bat: Well, there was also feel-good in slasher mode.

Vampire Owl: Yes, considering the number of dead humans, it feels good.

Vampire Bat: We do know that the dead in these situations deserve their killers.

Vampire Owl: We would have had to ask someone like Thanos otherwise.

Vampire Bat: Human existence has threatened everyone too much.

Vampire Owl: Do we need to call for alien support?

Vampire Bat: Let us wait and see if there will be self-destruction.

Vampire Owl: We cannot depend on humans for anything.

Vampire Bat: Yes, I know the trust issues with them.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of Assam tea].

What is the movie about? :: Manu Mohan (Sharaf U Dheen) lives a happy but boring life after getting a government job post the demise of his father. His interest in the job is minimal, and is not able to do work well enough. He has his life based on the usual journey in bus to the office, and is in love with Salabha Kurup (Aarsha Chandini Baiju). His family includes his mother Ushamma Mohan (Bindu Panicker) and his younger sisters Meera Mohan (Rajisha Vijayan) and Malavika Mohan (Meenakshi Warrier). While Meera is studying Final Year B.Com at the nearby college along with taking commerce tuitions at home, Malavika has only recently joined the college. Salabha also studies at the same college for another course, but they are not really fond of each other. His best friends are his senior at the government office Jose (Biju Sopanam) and a neighbour Ambadi Nair (Althaf Salim), who supports him in all his endeavours. Manu remains a much-loved young man in the village, and Meera has even a better opinion spread about her in the local area.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As the love affair between Manu and Salabha is discovered by Indrasena Kurup (Vijayaraghavan), there is no real problem, as they belong to the same caste, community and religion, with not much gap in their economic and social status. But they soon figure out that Meera’s case is rather different. She is also in love, but it is complicated, and finding a solution to her problem would require them to think more divergently than ever. At the same time, there is the alliance of an eligible bachelor Jeevan Raj (Saiju Kurup) which they also don’t want to reject at any cost. Then comes another surprising alliance proposal, and more about Meera’s complicated life is revealed. Even with the best of support, this seems to be a complicated problem of love and matrimonial alliances, with all of them being very proud of their caste and community identities, always attempting to keep a respectful position in the area. Can some involve in all of these and solve the problem before time runs out?

The defence of Madhura Manohara Moham :: The movie maintains a funny and interesting vibrance throughout its run. There is no dull moment and the film uses the simplest of incidents in the movie to evoke laughter as well as thoughts. Life in a simple village in Pathanamthitta has been nicely portrayed, with all its sweetness as well as weirdness in comparison to the modern world. It has its messages to be added, and leaves us with the realization that there will always be borders, and even individually, people have their walls to keep others out effectively. We will always have people who look suspiciously at others when matrimonial alliances are concerned, there will always be those self-proclaimed high families who will do anything to keep their level of pride higher. All of these are shown in a creatively humorous manner that keeps the whole thing thoroughly enjoyable. The visuals of the greenery also serve the purpose. The movie also comes to the end really well, and the feel-good factor is successfully maintained without troubles.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not go through all the possibilities of the main female character whose actions define the further proceedings of the film. Her moments in the college and surroundings could have also provided some good situations in the movie. The situations which brought us to that ending of the movie is never given that much of a significance, as we are presented with the make-believe situation rather too quickly. The repetition is present as one would expect, and it never rises above the limitations which it gains in between due to the requirement to come up with a feel-good ending rather than the more possible one. The plot could have been arranged better in reaching the same. There is the feeling of having some forced moments in between too. The music is not that interesting, as the songs do not catch our attention much – it should have done that because this works on making people feel good, or maybe better. The movie depends on some dialogues to keep it going rather than working on some overall stuff.

The performers of the soul :: Sharaf U Dheen plays the character of the simple man from village with ease, and he makes a likable character at all times. He displays the helplessness and hope of everyman with things to be done in life, as realistic as possible. Among the performers, it is Rajisha Vijayan who stands out, as she shifts gears for her character at regular intervals. The Kerala State Award Winner for Best Actress with Anuraga Karikkin Vellam had some great time here too, and as someone who is capable of carrying the film all by herself like she did in Keedam, June, Finals and Kho-Kho, the actress maintains a lot of subtle energy here. Bindu Panicker’s mother figure is also someone whom we will remember for a very long time, as does Vijayaraghavan in the role of protagonist’s future father-in-law. Aarsha Chandini Baiju has a really cute performance in store here too. Biju Sopanam and Althaf Salim with the support feels very much suitable for the situation. Saiju Kurup’s extra addition of humour is also something to be appreciated. Sunil Sukhada has another interesting role to which he is no stranger.

How it finishes :: Madhura Manohara Moham is the kind of movie which has its interesting twists, and having a family feel-good movie doing these well can be considered as a nice journey. It serves as a reminder that people are not what we expect, and there is more to them than what meets the eye – for the same, there are only a few exceptions. It also reminds us that the divisions remain part of a social construct which remains the same, and despite the deviations, a complete change is not possible. It also reminds the viewers that all the romance that has been shown in the movies in the past is expendable, and there can be suitable replacements to all of them. In the new world, there is no scope for romantic love in the old style – we have gone a long way from there, and it is time for us to realize that the true realistic genres resemble horror. A movie like Forensic, Anjaam Paathira, Paappan, Twenty One Grams, Heaven or John Luther would be better truths than those dumb romantic movies which keep coming in Bollywood again and again.

Release date: 22nd August 2023 (Highrich); 16th June 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 117 minutes
Directed by: Stephy Zaviour
Starring: Sharaf U Dheen, Rajisha Vijayan, Bindu Panicker, Aarsha Chandini Baiju, Vijayaraghavan, Biju Sopanam, Saiju Kurup, Niranj Maniyanpilla Raju, Sunil Sukhada, Neena Kurup, Althaf Salim, Meenakshi Warrier as Malu Mohan Aravind SK, Sanju Madhu, Jai Vishnu, Sooraj Nair, Shine Tom Chacko

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Nalla Nilavulla Rathri

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Vampire Owl: So, do we finally get a slasher in Malayalam?

Vampire Bat: I don’t see a reason why we should not.

Vampire Owl: This is the season when slasher horror has been struggling.

Vampire Bat: That is in Hollywood which has gone weaker in content.

Vampire Owl: We have always required the best of all genres.

Vampire Bat: After all, slasher horror is closer to reality than any other genre.

Vampire Owl: Especially the categories like romance which is far away from truth.

Vampire Bat: And we also have the realization that there is no true feel-good.

Vampire Owl: I can suggest a few feel-bad movies.

Vampire Bat: We just have to live among humans to get the feel-bad.

[Gets some paneer momos and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Rajeev (Nithin George) and Peter (Rony David) are partners in an organic farming business in the hilly terrain of Idukki. The two have been good friends and collegemates, and two more old friends Dominic (Jinu Joseph) and Joshi (Binu Pappu) join, only two begin a rift between them with a certain ideology conflicting with the need to make profit. The four friends remain a group of two within the team. Kurien (Baburaj) is their old friend who used to be a senior at college, and is into real estate business which has left him in need for a lot of money. The moneylender is all prepared to make a move on his property. The old friends meet on an unexpected day, and decides to work together, along with Kurien’s relative, Paul (Sajin Cherukayil), as if to expand the business, for which Kurien will provide the land. Kurien intends to sell them the land in Shivamogga, which he had brought with a small amount, and through the process, he intends to make them believe that he is doing them a favour. He assures them that this land will help them better.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As the location is deep into Karnataka, and some help with the language and locals is required, they call another old friend Irumban (Chemban Vinod Jose) who is now living in Mysore and has a certain influence in the area. Both Peter and Rajeev are not happy with this deal, as new plot would mean them losing control over the land which was originally under their names. Dominic understands that there is something about Kurien, and this deal will profit him more than anyone else. As Peter’s daughter needs a surgery soon, he is also reluctant to leave his home. But as the tension builds between them, the four partners decide to go with Kurien and Paul and see the area and make a decision. They also call Aneesh (Ganapathi S Poduval) as their driver, and are soon joined by Irumban at the mansion which is located at the centre of the 200 plus acres of land in the middle of nowhere. But soon they understand that they are not alone, and that someone is stalking them, with Rajeev being murdered. Who could be after them? What would anyone have to do in an area where nobody lives?

The defence of Nalla Nilavulla Rathri :: It is always good to see slasher horror getting something to do in the Malayalam film industry. There are some moments of brilliance in relation to genre, and this has worked differently from the Hollywood slashers. The movie still in the Hollywood style, with the possibility of a sequel kept alive with the open ending. The camera angles and the visuals add nicely to the quality of the film. The chosen setting for the adventure is really good in the middle of nowhere, and the darkness nicely adds to the suspense as safety is never guaranteed for the characters here. The evil human nature to get hold of what is desired is shown here from the beginning itself, and the final moments are also reflections of the same. The inherent evil in man comes out during different moments of the film, as for most people, success and money at the cost of others is the key. Most of the characters never really seem to deserve any sympathy, as they are not straight-forward or righteous in any manner.

The claws of flaw :: As a slasher, the movie could have achieved more, and a better backdrop for the sequence of violent events was also possible. The transformation into a slasher in the form of home invasion thriller often feels complicated as the struggle gets more intense. With this case, the script often makes way for too much of swearing words which could have been avoided – it seems to be a fashion to use these during our times. A bigger and better ending could have also been nice, and some of the action sequences have a little more than required. Slashers can actually use different kind of endings rather than the usual horror. There is some dragging effect which can be seen here, and the struggle towards the end does not help. The predictability factor is also present around here. Those who are looking for serial killers like in Forensic, Anjaam Paathira, John Luther, Twenty One Grams and Paappan might be disappointed.

The performers of the soul :: The movie does not focus on any one character or put the spotlight on anyone who plays any role. Baburaj and Chemban Vinod Jose are the biggest names in the movie, and manages to carry the movie on their shoulders. Chemban surely has that menacing strength which adds to the dark side of the movie. Nithin George of Luca fame and Rony David of Aanandam fame plays the two characters with whom we would feel some sympathy. Binu Pappu plays a solid role among the friends, as we have seen him do earlier in Thallumaala with ease. Jinu Joseph’s negative side is something which we have seen since Iyobinte Pusthakam and he continues to do the same. Sai Kumar’s role is something with power as much as a certain amount of mystery about his nameless character that stays. Ganapathi makes a quick, interesting appearance when least expected. Sajin Cherukayil adds a certain amount of humour around here, but it is also not that much. The female characters do not have much to add to this film – they just come, show their faces and leave as fast as they can.

How it finishes :: Nalla Nilavulla Rathri is the first movie from Sandra Thomas Productions which separated from Friday Film House. This has brought some more spark into the horror genre in the form of a slasher inception. At a time when horror struggles to make an impact, the slasher element can nicely support the process. The movie is progress towards the variety which Malayalam movie industry required in a separate field. There should be no question about the industry’s ability to frighten its audience with blood and gore even more than the usual scares right out darkness and the elements of nature. This can be considered as a positive step towards brining back horror with all its possibilities – with or without the presence of the supernatural. We can always have more than one simple horror film with a ghost wandering around. A supernatural slasher addition can always do wonders to a new generation of scary movies.

Release date: 30th August 2023 (Amazon Prime Video); 30th June 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 126 minutes
Directed by: Murphy Devasy
Starring: Baburaj, Chemban Vinod Jose, Jinu Joseph, Rony David, Binu Pappu, Nithin George, Sai Kumar, Ganapathi S Poduval, Sajin Cherukayil, Shravan Satya

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The Invitation

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Vampire Owl: You are talking about the invitation to the witches’ lair.

Vampire Bat: No vampire goes to the land of the witches.

Vampire Owl: You are afraid of the curse.

Vampire Bat: There is no witch who can curse a vampire.

Vampire Owl: You mean vampirism itself is a curse.

Vampire Bat: We have the curse that has become a blessing.

Vampire Owl: The vampire curse has been suspected by many.

Vampire Bat: Your favourite doctor called it a bane.

Vampire Owl: Doctor Frankenstein can be wrong once in a year.

Vampire Bat: At least you agree to it now.

[Gets a chocolate brownie and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Evelyn (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Grace (Courtney Taylor) are two friends who keeps doing some freelancing for a catering business, and it seems to be working just okay for them. After taking a DNA test, Evelyn discovers that she has a distant cousin in England named Oliver Alexander (Hugh Skinner). They meet each other, and after Oliver tells Evelyn about the great scandal which happened with their grandparents, and also about a wedding of their cousin which is to take place soon. He invites her to the wedding in England, and even though it feels strange, Evelyn accepts the offer, as it is a full-paid trip all the way to another nation in another continent; she doesn’t have anyone else as part of family either. As she arrives at the grand manor of the De Ville family to whom their cousin is going to be married, she finds Walter De Ville (Thomas Doherty), the Lord of the Manor. She finds herself instantly attracted to his good looks and polite manners, even though Grace advices her not to be foolish in her actions, at least in the early stages in the manor.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Evelyn finds out that there is something strange occurring in the manor, especially at night. She meets the maids of honour Lucy (Alana Boden) and Viktoria (Stephanie Corneliussen), both of them having nothing in common. It is revealed that a lady had committed suicide by hanging, and maids have started disappearing while shadowy figures seem to wander in the darkness of the night. There seems to be a certain secret about her grandmother that would be revealed, and she would feel that there is more to it than what meets the eye. But as she is infatuated with Walter, she avoids negative sides. But soon, the truth about the families would be revealed to her, and when she knows everything, it might be too late for to call for help or escape from this trap. Will Evelyn be able to escape from this family haunting and go back to the New World in the same form as she arrived in England?

The defence of The Invitation :: This is a movie which thrives on the atmosphere, as we have almost the whole of the movie happening in a very old mansion, which seems to be separated from the civilization with a long line of trees which run through the sides of the road which leads there. The reminder of a certain mystery about the family’s dark past is always there. The darkness is used by the movie to the best of effects, and there are enough terrifying effects that make fine additions. The beginning shot itself gives a clue about what is to come, and there is something eerie in the air at all times. This film reminds us that there is always something dangerous lurking in the dark shadows, nothing comes for free, even if it is within the family. The movie has the skill of creating something dangerous out of what seems to be the usual sequences, and the scares often come out of nowhere to make an impact. When we see the evil presence revealing itself, we feel the strength of truth in horror. The cast nicely works on this revelation, and the audience would enjoy it with a touch of fear. For the same, the costumes also work like a dream.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have had a smarter ending, and the extra edition which comes after the death of the main antagonist is a big disappointment, as this is no superhero or vigilante movie to get a deviation like that. The world seemed to promise more, as we are transported to that dark atmosphere where the building and the clothing of the people around seems to hide more than what is revealed around there. The script does not try to go deep though, as the idea used here would not look that new for most people, and the attempt to end the whole thing goes through a struggle too. An opportunity at the exploration of evil has gone missing. The first half is surely better than the second, as in the end, the movie seems to be only working at going in one direction without the surprises which could have been there and connected well. The director also seems to talk about a few things which are not really connected to this film, and when losing focus just because there is a female protagonist does not do this film any good. There were many directions through which this film could have traveled, and here we only see the easy one.

The performers of the soul :: The cast is led by Nathalie Emmanuel who proves to be another talented scream queen to be added to the list. We have already seen her skills in Army of Thieves and Fast and Furious franchise where she excelled in her own way. The way in which she blends into the atmosphere of this movie leaves us impressed. Her scenes with other main characters feel very much natural and suitable for the situation. With the supporting roles, Stephanie Corneliussen goes through the more interesting and believable path. Alana Boden has a cure presence here, even though there is more about the character; yet she is used less. Thomas Doherty also makes his presence felt, and the transformation that comes across him is memorable. Hugh Skinner plays another character with a mysterious side to him, which threatens to come out. Sean Pertwee also has a strong and memorable presence. Courtney Taylor plays the small good friend role fine enough. Tian Chaudhry and Carol Ann Crawford have those smaller and yet notable roles here.

How it finishes :: We have a tale of terror nicely told here, and the entry of the vampires in a world of darkness only makes things better. The settings in this movie reminds us of the type of horror which was evident in Crimson Peak. Guillermo del Toro’s version of horror, even without vampires was a beautiful piece of horror. The Invitation does go through an unnecessary shift in between, which seems to make it lose the focus, as the mystery is revealed a little too early. But the movie stays strong with its cast and the environment which never ceases to keep us interested. We could always have a sequel to this movie though, as world like that of Byzantium or Night Teeth could be made for the vampires. Good movies with vampires have been more difficult to find these days in comparison to the world of Dracula, Carmilla and Ruthven, and taking that into consideration, this one could develop into something more with a search for blood and bloodlines.

Release date: 26th August 2022
Running time: 104 minutes
Directed by: Jessica M Thompson
Starring: Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Doherty, Stephanie Corneliussen, Alana Boden, Hugh Skinner, Sean Pertwee, Courtney Taylor, Tian Chaudhry

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Speak No Evil

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Vampire Owl: We cannot be ordered to speak no evil.

Vampire Bat: You can surely live without speaking evil for a day.

Vampire Owl: But we are supposed to be the true undead evil.

Vampire Bat: There are no written rules about the nature of evil.

Vampire Owl: So, there is no chance of being pure evil above them all?

Vampire Bat: Well, you have already watched See No Evil.

Vampire Owl: Yet, I find no relation between that movie and this one.

Vampire Bat: Yes, this is a Danish movie and the first of its kind reviewed here.

Vampire Owl: That took some time to find a review.

Vampire Bat: Well, you know the world – as busy as it can get.

[Gets a vegetable pizza and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: Bjørn (Morten Burian) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch) are a couple from Denmark who is having a long vacation in Tuscany, having some fantastic Italian food and becoming part of the culture. Their only child Agnes (Liva Forsberg) is also with them. During one of their explorations of the tourist destinations, they come across another interesting couple Patrick (Fedja van Huêt) and Karin (Karina Smulders) with their child Abel (Marius Damslev) who cannot talk, as he was born without a tongue, seemingly suffering from congenital aglossia. Even though this family is Dutch, they get along with the Danish family quite well. Bjørn and Louise find the new friends to fun-loving and respectful to other cultures as much as people. Later, the Dutch couple also provides them with an invitation to visit their house in the countryside of Netherlands. The two are excited about another foreign trip, and this time, they could drive all the way to the location and would be able to stay at a new place without spending that much, like the best offer ever. It is eight hours of drive, and when they final reach the new destination, the hosts seem to be really polite and understanding.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The two groups seem to get along, but not for long. The hosts seem to intentionally forget about Louise’s vegetarianism and also seem to be abusive to their own child. One day, they go on a dinner in a restaurant where there are more arguments which also occur on the way back. Back in the house, the couple find the hosts intruding into their privacy again and again, while also making strange decisions for Agnus. They decide to leave and finally does the same, only to return for the doll which had gone missing in the house. The hosts apologize and convince them to stay. But this reconciliation does not stay for long, as the hosts seem to repeat similar if not the same mistakes again and again. Then, Bjørn discovers a cabin just behind the house, and there he finds a secret which he should not have known. Now, as he knows this truth, there would be no more staying at this house. He decides to leave with his family, but it is not so easy. The sinister mysteries of the hosts might have enough backup to keep their secrets hidden from the outside world. Can he save his family in time or will he realize that nobody gets out alive from these things heard and seen?

The defence of Speak No Evil :: The movie is a beautifully evil reminder that humans are inherently evil, and trusting strangers would only land you in terror. The idea that people have a lot of capacity for goodness is proven to be wrong, but you would have already known that if you had a look at the rich keeps earning for, and moves on walking on the bodies of the poor. A charming family with a kid can easily be evil, make no doubts about it, as people point to living with families with children and staying close to them as safer options. The dark visuals add to the same, and it is a fine deviation from the light and colourful visuals of the beginning stages. There are some nice twists and revelations in here, and the moments where we feel that things are going to be better, but then darkness engulfs them all. The script is indeed well-designed with mastery over the proceedings to make sure about it. The fact that this movie explores evil as a natural thing rather going deep into its roots makes us remember to be careful about strangers again – a long time after our parents told us to keep away from them. Well, this is the psychological thriller with class that teaches the same.

Positives and negatives :: The movie can be rather shocking with its revelation, as it uses kids as bait to create an atmosphere of safety – but this is a terrifying reality for kids as much as adults. The feeling that children would be spared is a myth here, as the movie points to a fate that will repeat itself. There is a certain twist related to that, and a clue is left with the kid in the early stages of protagonists’ stay there. It also points to the title of the film itself, as evil shall go unspoken. The next big clue is indeed about the profession, and that also leaves something for the viewers to hold on to. The movie could have been a little bit quicker with the early moments though. But once it opens the box of weirdness, the level is elevated all of a sudden – then we remember that there were moments which pointed to this situation with some shots and music earlier itself. This is the kind of movie which makes one think twice before going on a cheap trip with family just because someone provided a sweet invitation. Well, the wise has always said that cheap cannot mean better, and there are many hidden terrible costs that one would have to pay.

The performers of the soul :: The performances here surely deserves an applause, as only four adults really get the chance to do a lot in this movie. None of these characters go against evil here, as some are part of it and others are too weak to stop the never-ending progress of evil. Among the main characters, it is Sidsel Siem Koch plays the most balanced one – she feels that there is something wrong much earlier, and wants to leave. Here is a character played naturally and realistically without pretensions. Morten Burian plays the main character who makes a little too many mistakes and has his family paying for it in the end – the feelings are well-justified in his case. Fedja van Huêt plays the psychotic character really well, and we feel that there is something more about him early enough. Karina Smulders who plays his partner in crime might feel like a sweet young lady who can be nothing less than a lovely host, but the peaceful side of her enjoying the terror can also been seen. Liva Forsberg and Marius Damslev makes children with scope for some nice roles. Hichem Yacoubi plays the other notable character here, and does that pretty well.

How it finishes :: Speak No Evil is that one film which deserves to be among the creepy horror with a misanthropic side to it that feels very realistic. It could be the reason why it will return in 2024 in the form of an English film starring big names like James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis. The movie serves as a cautionary tale against going for cheap options instead of the safe ones and trusting strangers in remote location. It reminds us that not all invitations mean that we are welcome, and not all smiles are truly what they seem to be. It also adds that a family with a mother and a kid does not mean anything, and living with families rather than bachelors do not make the situation any safer. The protagonists of the film learn this the hard way, and the movie happens to be an entertaining dark adventure related to the same. This is the first Danish movie reviewed on this website, and I am only glad to have chosen this one instead of the many others. This is the thriller that dares to take the risks and manages to score high due to its ability to go beyond the limitations.

Release date: 17th March 2022 (Theatre); 14th October 2022 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Christian Tafdrup
Starring: Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van Huêt, Karina Smulders, Liva Forsberg, Marius Damslev, Hichem Yacoubi

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Warriors of Future

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Vampire Owl: I don’t know these warriors at all.

Vampire Bat: They are from the future. We belong to the past.

Vampire Owl: Eternity is not something of the past.

Vampire Bat: The quality of eternity is that it always begins in a past.

Vampire Owl: We do not always sit in a future to see it.

Vampire Bat: We are currently in a future of that eternity’s past.

Vampire Owl: Why do you sound like parts of an X-Men movie?

Vampire Bat: You could also ask your Frankenstein for answers.

Vampire Owl: Doctor Frankenstein do not answer to speculations.

Vampire Bat: Well, it is because he is not a real doctor at all.

[Gets a chicken puffs and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: The story moves to a world in crisis in a distant future. Humans have been fighting each other for years without thinking about the consequences of their actions, and the invention of battle robots which were made specifically for combat and mass destruction made things even worse. There have been countries going against each other and people against their own kind. Humans never learned their lessons, and people had to pay the price for the non-stop wars which led to devastation of environment with polluted air and water, as well as devastated ecological balance. Earth has turned not suitable for living for most creatures, and it particularly affected the health of humans. The newly born children had terrible diseases, and some of them barely lived past a few years. Then, the governments all around the world wishes to fix things, and built machines called Skynets to purify the air. These Skynets do manage to bring fresh air to some sectors of the major cities, but in a restricted manner. Then on one day, a giant meteorite falls into one of those sectors, and a giant plant begins to emerge out of it.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The plant would wreak havoc everywhere whenever it comes into contact with water, and scientists called it Pandora after the box from the Greek myth. The plant has the power to reclaim environment and get Earth to its previous state, but it only goes on destroying cities as it grows when it comes into contact with water. Scientists feel that there should be some method through which it could be made useful to humanity, instead of causing chaos, but that seems to be hope against all hope. Pandora’s growth has been proportional to the amount of rain it gets. It absorbs pollutants, then releases hydrogen, and the new idea of the scientists is to use a virus to alter Pandora. If the plant can be stopped from growing using the virus before the next thunderstorm, it could actually save a lot of lives, as the air will be purified, and the plant would not grow to take over anything more. But the mission is a very difficult one, as nobody knows how exactly the alien plant would reach to the humans coming near it with machines and trying to drop a virus which it would consider harmful.

And what more can happen in this future world of chaos and destruction? :: There could be side-effects to the initial Plan A, and Plan B is not something positive, as there would be massive destruction all around. The only backup plan is to destroy the whole plant from a distance along with the many people and structures which surround it. The number of corpses would then be more than anyone could have seen before from a single event. Usually, people would not keep such a plan at all with lives at stake. But there are people who wishes to keep the Skynets working instead of Pandora replacing the machines. They would want to keep their prized possession at the top. So, not everyone wants this mission to be successful, and with some possibility of chaos around, can the mission be successful quickly enough and save lives? Are the troops which were sent for the purpose experienced enough, and are their gadgets good enough to serve the objective well enough? As the plant also has its own defense mechanisms, things might not be that easy as healing a random plant with a medicine. So what kind of a future are we looking at as far as humanity is concerned?

The defence of Warriors of Future :: Here is another Chinese movie which gets the science fiction and apocalyptic world closer to an enjoyable reality. Russian films have also come close to making such things happen, and here we see a visual treat of a future world plagued by pollution and an alien plant which grows without limits. The idea has been nicely put into picture, and the action sequences are really good. The creatures are well-detailed and so are the robots. There are deviations from the usual pictures of monsters in armour and skin nicely brought to light here. The Skynet and Pandora visuals are nicely created to bring the special feel of the environment. The performances are really good, and the leading cast seems to be wisely chosen to keep the seriousness alive even while adding some nice humour here and there. They have nicely contributed to being part of a science fiction action thriller set in the distant future with the right elements. The high box-office collections of the movie are a reminder that it would have been a fine spectacle on the big screen in Hong Kong, as we find the visual strength to be worth watching in the theatres.

The claws of flaw :: This movie was supposed to release three years earlier, and if that had happened the visual effects would have been even further ahead – it still remains a visual effect treat as of now. One can feel that there is some inspiration taken from other works here too. This journey feels like the return to a zombie-infested world like in Peninsula or Army of the Dead to do the near impossible task. The world, even though not explored from everyman’s point of view, can be a part of the list of our favourite ones from fiction. The alien creatures could have been more terrifying in appearance rather than having similarities with a few that we already know to be scarier. We could have also had more alien attacks, even though not in the mode as explored in the Alien franchise. The robots could have had some more battles in the earlier stages of the movie, as the early war is not that much shown with all the devastation which occurred to Earth’s flora and fauna. The movie could actually have a sequel too, as the tree still remains a mystery, and more could follow it.

How it finishes :: Warriors of Future makes another interesting piece of science fiction from China like The Wandering Earth which had raised the level of the possibility of an apocalyptic scenario to something very interesting as well as divergent in nature – with films like The Soul bringing even more divergence. The movie here, despite having some similarities with other titles, do have the divergence of its own. Outside Hollywood, Russia also had so much of entertaining science fiction ideas with movies like Superdeep, Coma, Sputnik and The Blackout. During these days, science fiction needs to have its divergence from all languages and cultures, and this film takes another fine step towards it. At the same time, we see another warning against wars and weapons of mass destruction as well as the actions against environment. Then you have the science fiction entertainment with an apocalyptic scenario right here. We keep watching some fine horror and science fiction from all around the world, and they make us feel like that is the closest to truth and a probable future that we can get.

Release date: 25th August 2022 (China); 2nd December 2022 (Netflix)
Running time: 99 minutes
Directed by: Ng Yuen-fai
Starring: Louis Koo, Sean Lau, Carina Lau, Philip Keung, Tse Kwan-ho, Nick Cheung, Janice Wu, Wan Guopeng as Connor Kwon, Eddy Ko, Sakurako Okubo

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ivanna

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Vampire Owl: This would make a nice name for a modern vampire.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that I have met vampires with such names before.

Vampire Owl: Well, not in this half of the immortal life.

Vampire Bat: There is only one long immortal life and you have to remember the names.

Vampire Owl: If there was a name exactly like this, I would remember.

Vampire Bat: Your memory has faded in the absence of longer nights.

Vampire Owl: With the abundance of artificial lights, you cannot trust the darkness.

Vampire Bat: We still believe in the absence of light.

Vampire Owl: We believe in Uncle Dracula’s ability to bring a darker world.

Vampire Bat: Darkness has already spread far, without his assistance.

[Gets an onion vada and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ambar (Caitlin Halderman) and Dika (Jovarel Callum) are siblings who leave their home in the city for the countryside of the island nation after the death of their parents. They are taken to a nursing home owned by their parents’ best friend, with most of the inmates not around there due to Eid coming soon. Even though there are small disagreements, the two are mostly welcome. Agus (Shandy William) takes care of the place with the support of the nurse Rina (Taskya Namya) who is also his girlfriend. The three elders left in the building, Kakek Farid (Yayu Unru), Oma Ida (Rina Hasyim) and Nenek Ani (Yati Surachman) are happy to have the new young ones around there. Ambar’s vision has been failing for some time, and through her faded vision, she feels that she sees things which nobody else can see. She uses a walking stick as the blurred vision often has her struggling to understand the line between reality and imagination. Ambar also has an eerie vision of a past which might have been part of the building where they begin to live.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Arthur (Junior Roberts) who is the favourite grandson of the elders also makes a visit. He joins Ambar and Dika as they find a headless statue in the basement under one of the rooms. They decide to leave it behind, but soon find that it has reached their drawing room. Each of them feels that one of the others might have brought it inside the home as a prank. Ambar has the vision of a Dutch lady at night, and to her surprise, she is able to see the woman clearly, as she seems to be trying to escape from something. Soon, Nenek Ani goes missing, as she is not found in her room or any of the areas in the main building. They find the diary of the Dutch woman named Ivanna van Dijk (Sonia Alyssa) which tells most of her story which includes their family falling in love with Indonesia and deciding to stay in the nation, but met some terrible fate. So, is this fate going to be repeated once again? Is there a serial killer or a supernatural entity stalking them in the house? How long will it take for the police to come and figure things out on the Eid holiday?

The defence of Ivanna :: This is one movie which is highly atmospheric as far as mysteries and the supernatural are concerned. It uses the darkness very well as a world of mystery and terror should at all times, and the setting is really good. The lighting with the colours of the surroundings adds to the overall style. The background works in its favour, and there are some good sound effects that support the horror. The creepiness never really leaves the movie, as a headless spirit looking to create headless bodies never ceases to create more to inspire the imagination. This world is not that different from a cabin in the woods setting, but the change in setting brings the divergence with ease. The haunted house with a mystery works like the nightmare that we have always wanted. The body without the head has our attention every time it makes an appearance. The fear factor has the support of the unknown to make things further effective. The fine camera work also contributes to the same, as we get the best effects with the angles too. We often see that the simplest thing is often elevated due to some interesting job in the background.

Positives and negatives :: The attempt to create something different from the usual formula of horror needs to be appreciated at all times. It is to be noted that there was also some risk involved with this kind of a topic, but we know that the film did well at the box-office there. We have often looked at Korean, Chinese and Thai movies to lead such paths among Asian flicks, but here we see that Indonesian works have a powerful touch of horror that keeps it interesting even while going through a different journey. There are still repetitions, especially in relation to the headless Dutch lady. It is to be noted that violence is always present, and blood runs through this world with heads being separated from bodies. This film is not that far away from being part of the slasher genre too, as decapacitation of people belonging to any category is the main event of terror happening throughout this movie. Sometimes, we feel that there could be more actions of terrifying murders, but there is one restriction in the way of taking those souls.

The performers of the soul :: The movie has indeed brought some fine performers who suit the genre really well. Caitlin Halderman as Ambar leads the way as the one person makes the difference among the people with clear sight. She plays the struggling youngster really well, and also becomes the scream queen to remember. It can be seen that the fear that she feels is more than what she sees, and it is this image of the faded vision that keeps the film moving in the right direction. Taskya Namya follows a similar path and ends up strong as a supporting scream queen in the movie. We do feel that she could have had even bigger moments in the film. Sonia Alyssa’s work as the titular character is to be remembered too. She would make a fine antagonist in a work not supernatural too. She shines in the flashback scenes too, as we go through the final moments of resistance and death. Shandy William and Junior Roberts plays two usual characters in the horror film, but works really well with the content. The characters from flashback quickly do the job well.

How it finishes :: Indonesia has provided us with some fine horror movies like Impetigore, a movie which feels like a horror classic out of another world. This film here is no different as it makes us feel the supernatural with a vibe that is not usually seen in the usual world of horror. Yet, this particular horror movies makes it feel closer to the horror that could happen in a world that we know well. The power of the need for revenge has been asserted again through the supernatural. The ending seems to make us feel that there could be more of headless supernatural beings. In a world where horror does not get enough accolades, this film gains ground. It is a positive thing for horror fans all around the world. We have always wanted more horror, and we have received too less. It is a necessity to look into more international films right now as the strength of The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun trio has also been fading in the last few years. There is not that much that can be expected from Insidious and Sinister series of flicks, which leads us back to the films of Asia.

Release date: 14th July 2022 (Indonesia); 1st December 2022 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 103 minutes
Directed by: Kimo Stamboel
Starring: Caitlin Halderman, Jovarel Callum, Junior Roberts, Shandy William, Sonia Alyssa, Taskya Namya, Yayu Unru, Farid Rina Hasyim, Ida Yati Surachman, Ani Tanta Ginting, Muhammad Khan, Hiroaki Kato, Kenes Andari

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Furies

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Vampire Owl: We get to watch a Vietnamese film after a long time.

Vampire Bat: Well, this is the prequel of the other Vietnamese movie which we watched.

Vampire Owl: That should remind us to watch more of the same kind.

Vampire Bat: Do you think that we will have time?

Vampire Owl: We are immortals. We have all the time in the end.

Vampire Bat: But the world is everything except immortal.

Vampire Owl: Immortality is subjective as long as we remain vampires.

Vampire Bat: The werewolves and zombies would call us quasi-immortal.

Vampire Owl: Immortality can vary according to situations.

Vampire Bat: All kinds of immortality should serve the purpose.

[Gets a chicken samosa and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Bi (Đồng Ánh Quỳnh) is forced to leave her home in the countryside after her mother is murdered, and she kills the man who is responsible for the plight and had also assaulted her. She is forced to leave her home for Ho Chi Minh City as it is also burned to ashes. She lives in the new city doing some small jobs and also through a little pickpocketing which she masters. She meets Jacqueline (Veronica Ngo) who saves her from being assaulted by her usual opponents in the streets. She decides to go with her instead of continuing to wander around the streets. She finds out that there are many other homeless children in Jacqueline’s place. But there is more the lady she just met than what meets the eye for the first time. She meets Thanh (Tóc Tiên) and Hong (Rima Thanh Vy), who seem to have been taken under the care of Jacqueline just like her. The two girls don’t seem to like the newcomer that much, as she seems to be incapable of blending in, with less skills including the social ones. These girls also feel like well-trained in the unexpected.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The girls have formed a vigilante group to protect women from the gangs of the city which have been involved in trafficking young women and girls for brothels. As of now, Bi seems to be the weakling among all of them. But she manages to prove her point there, with not being ready to back down. This group known as the Wild Daisies targets the city’s major gang leader Hai a.k.a. Mad Dog (Thuận Nguyễn), who manages trafficking of young women to serve in his brothels with a casino as the front office for all the illegal activities. His dominance is assured by his trusted lieutenants, Long bồ đà (Song Luân), Sơn Lai (Gi A Nguyễn) and Tèo mặt sẹo (Phan Thanh Hiền). But Hai is not without enemies, as there is a continuous gang war going on. Jacqueline also seeks vengeance on him for the atrocities he committed on her family. But the requirement for revenge might not be enough to progress in her mission. There is a long way to go, and she goes through a difficult path with the new girls.

The defence of Furies :: There need to be time spent for the appreciation of the action that we see on the screen here. It is not dependent on heroism or overdose of effects or properties, but seemingly dependent on what actually can be done. The training sessions that we see here are almost as good as the fighting scenes outside. The fighting basically never really has a long pause after the procedure begins. The Vietnamese style of Martial arts never really cease to catch our attention either. The colours that we see around here add to overall beauty of the action that we have around here. It is not just limited to the inside environments, as the streets also add to that colourful side. The feeling of being in a world of crime which moves on towards terror is always there, and the villainy is something that works like a dream. The characters do remain interesting at all times, and we have the tales of bonding against all odds, adding a certain emotional side. The ending also nicely sets the world to go to the previous movie whose incidents happen later.

The claws of flaw :: Furies had to fit into the shoes of Furie, which was then selected as the Vietnamese choice for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, and it can be safely said that the effort is very good. The beginning might have the viewers in a little bit of doubt, but those questions never really survive for that long. But the film never gets to the quality of the previous one, as there are moments which seems to be rather forced. Some moments lose the realistic touch, and the emotions here are not able to match the feelings which were so strong in Furie. This film could have surely been much more with some twists and turns along with a more satisfying ending. The adrenaline rush could have also been more. At times, you are reminded of movies like Charlie’s Angels, but without the comic side and having a much darker angle to it. One can be sure that if this movie was produced by Hollywood or Bollywood, it would have looked a lot different, even if most of the violent side is maintained without second thoughts.

The performers of the soul :: Veronica Ngo who played the leading role in the earlier movie also leads the way here. She continues the good form, and the fighting skills go on to exhibit the same strength as the previous flick, even though not for that long – she doesn’t remain the focus of attention here for quite a long period of time as there is the team of three that takes the spotlight. Among the girls, it is Rima Thanh Vy who adds a certain lighter side to the proceedings. There fun whenever she is around, and that stands apart from the rest. Tóc Tiên has the stronger presence among them all, and can be considered as the action star above the rest. Đồng Ánh Quỳnh plays the emotions and trauma of her character really well. Thuận Nguyễn makes a nice villain in the process. Vovinam, the Vietnamese way of martial arts seems to have been effectively used by all the performers well, while elements of Chinese and Japanese systems of fighting can also be seen. The release in Netflix means that the movie will have better viewership than its predecessor.

How it finishes :: Furies serves as a prequel to Furie which released earlier, does that particular job which was given to it really well. A highly stylized martial arts film with female protagonists leading the way is found here with fully powered action sequences. It is only some time back that we had John Wick once again bringing the never-ending action to the big screens, but this kind of a martial arts mixture has been missing for long enough, whether we had Hitman, Transporter, Kate, Mechanic, Accountant or any such character in between. This world with the stylish lighting of Ho Chi Minh City and what lies beneath makes an environment which stays distant from the usual Hollywood-style setting, and yet maintains quality within its divergence. If you are looking for a classic martial arts movie which does not overdo anything and still manages to have so much of action, you have it here. There were opportunities to be lost in the available options, but the movie has risen above them to provide us with an experience which is to be remembered with many other action films.

Release date: 23rd December 2022 (Vietnam); 23rd March 2023 (Netflix)
Running time: 109 minutes
Directed by: Veronica Ngo
Starring: Veronica Ngo, Đồng Ánh Quỳnh, Tóc Tiên, Rima Thanh, Vy Thuận Nguyễn, Song Luân, Gi A Nguyễn, Phan Thanh Hiền

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2018

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What is the movie about? :: In the village of Aruvikkulam, things seem to go on as usual, with the usual incidents and small problems which comes naturally to such an area which is close to the highlands. Anoop (Tovino Thomas) is a former solider who left the army as he was frightening by two deaths at the India-Pakistan border. He had arranged a fake medical certificate for the purpose and tries to go to Middle East to get a job. He has always been afraid that someone would come from Delhi to collect information about him and take him back to the one of the army camps. This leaves him suspicious about Manju (Tanvi Ram) who is appointed at the nearby school after living in the Indian capital for a very long time. The fear is reinforced by his friends who come with a similar idea about the new teacher. But the complicated relationship soon leads to their marriage getting fixed. After leaving the army, Anoop has remained a favourite young man in the village, and this leads to the wedding function being arranged as a grand ceremony.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Nixon (Asif Ali) has always wanted to be a popular model, as he performs in small roles in films and advertisements. He detests the fishing job which is followed by elder brother Winston (Narain) and father Mathachan (Lal). He feels that he does not have anything to do with sea and that catching fish is not his cup of tea. As Nixon falls in love with the daughter of the rich businessman Chandy (Joy Mathew), the future father-in-love makes fun of his modelling job and family background related to fishing, which leads to further conflict between him and his family. Only Chandy’s son Alex (Hari Krishnan), who is also Anoop’s friend shows some interest in the marriage alliance. Meanwhile, the reporter Noora (Aparna Balamurali) is covering news about rivers, floods and droughts on both sides of Western Ghats, and feels that the rain which has caused floods in some areas of Kerala will mean much more in the coming days. She had only previously reported about increasing droughts on the other side of Mullaperiyar.

And what more is to follow with water coming out of everywhere? :: Home Secretary Shaji Punnoose (Kunchacko Boban) also feels that they needs to be prepared. He had only recently built a new house, and has fear for the safety of his own lands too. Rameshan (Vineeth Sreenivasan) who is working in Abu Dhabi is arranging a job for Anoop there, and is returning home due to his mother landing in the hospital, but the airplane is diverted from Cochin to Coimbatore because of the bad weather. His problems with his wife Anupama (Gauthami Nair) have reached the peak, closing in on divorce. Koshy (Aju Varghese) is struggling to make a trip happen with the two Polish tourists whom he wished to take to Cherai, Fort Cochin, Aleppey and Munnar, but the plans get foiled due to one problem or the other caused by the continuous rain. There is news about multiple low-pressure areas formed in the Arabian Sea which could turn into cyclones. The dams in the state are almost completely filled and needs to be opened. There seems to be something terrible awaiting most of the areas of Kerala, and it is worse than what they had imagined.

The defence of 2018 :: The movie, along with finding the right members of the cast for even supporting roles, thrives with the moments which it had recreated from the 2018 Kerala Floods, which formed the most devastating series of disasters in the state’s history. The scenes like fishermen coming to the rescue as a selfless act and the helicopter rescue are some of the most memorable moments which we take back from our memories. For some people, these calamities might have been just random news, but for those who were most affected by it would feel this differently and strongly. What Jude Anthany Joseph has managed is to come up with the struggles during the flood not as someone who views from outside, but as a person who has been part of it. The visual effects look nice on the screen, and is a fine step which can be followed while making disaster movies. The emotional side of the movie remains really strong, as the humanity and hopelessness displayed here feels so real, and this could be the tale of flood not only in Kerala, but also somewhere else, as natural disasters limit the division between people and brings them together in hope for a better world.

Positives and negatives :: The movie’s first half might feel too calm for the viewers, and it is also a short time period before the interval, after which the movie gains in length and comes up with the scenes of interest. It could feel like a little bit too much of time taken for people’s liking. There are surely those moments which could have been explored more, but while creating a world which incorporates so many elements, we just cannot ask to bring the focus to everything. There is the feeling that keeps this close to Virus, another film which showed how Kerala fought against the epidemic of Nipah. Virus was quick to get into action and keep the focus on the core at all times, even though both movies are of almost same length. There are also a number of main actors like Tovino Thomas and Kunchacko Boban who are common to both movies, and there is the realistic touch that remains in both cases. During these days when there is too much of heat, and with similar rain feeling too far away, one might have the feeling of safety again, but one has to remember that this can repeat, and the same heroes, including the selfless fishermen who keep losing everything will come back to save us. The movie’s dedication to them is indeed splendid, as we keep the saviours in our prayers.

The performers of the soul :: Tovino Thomas plays the one true heroic figure in this movie, as he evolves into the saviour without the superhero powers of Minnal Murali. This would be his new highest grosser, going past last year’s Thallumaala. In his hundredth movie, Kunchacko Boban also gets to the hundred crore club after Nna Thaan Case Kodu success, and his role, even though smaller in magnitude, remains of strength. Asif Ali plays the one character that has undergone the most transformation in this film, and he does that without any problem. Lal remains a strong presence as the fatherly figure and fisherman who cares for his children as well as the people around him. Narain’s presence in Malayalam has been too less in the recent years, but his another notable return can be seen here, and he performs really well in this particular role. Sudheesh and Indras come up with emotional performances and shines as the veterans as they have always been. Tanvi Ram is the most notable among lady leads, while we feel that Aparna Balamurali who appeared in the beginning with so much potential was wasted. The sub-plot with Kalaiyarasan-Vineeth Sreenivasan-Gauthami Nair feels forced, even with good performances. Gilu Joseph and Hari Krishnan provides good support too.

How it finishes :: The movie works well as a homage to the many heroes who became part of the rescue operations during the devastating flood in Kerala, and brings the memories of those days right back to us. It would be the most effective for anyone who was in Kerala during this period of time. Good disaster movies have been rare in Indian cinema, and we have had to look towards Hollywood to bring some classic natural disaster on the big screen. But this movie makes sure that there is a better chance for success here. As the highest grossing Malayalam movie of the year, the film has made sure that the industry has managed to gain its life back, as it was Romancham which made the most money during this year – it would have been a surprise for the superstars. Well, a movie which had everyone uniting and becoming heroes to save their world is something that would be supported by everyone, and that explains the fine collections in the theatre. If any of the survivors who came directly out near-death situations watched this movie, they will know how this is a movie which should be cherished for long against the tides of time. Considering its run with audience still very much present for the shows, it is capable of overtaking the collections of Lucifer and Pulimurugan.

Release date: 5th May 2023
Running time: 154 minutes
Directed by: Jude Anthany Joseph
Starring: Kunchacko Boban, Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Lal, Narain, Tanvi Ram, Vinitha Koshy, Joy Mathew, Indrans, Renji Panicker, Hari Krishnan, Sudheesh, Aju Varghese, Kaliyarasan, Gauthami Nair. Sshivada, Aparna Balamurali, Siddique, Janardhanan, Jaffar Idukki, Gilu Joseph, Sreejith Ravi, Rony David, Kalabhavan Haneef, Karunan Pauly Valsan, Shebin Benson, Shobha Mohan, Sreeja Ravi, Boban Samuel, Santhakumari

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Evil Dead Rise

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Vampire Owl: I think that they are talking about me.

Vampire Bat: You are not part of any Evil Dead stuff.

Vampire Owl: I am the rising evil coming from the dead.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but the movie is surely not about your rise.

Vampire Owl: Does my rising from the dead every day bother these humans?

Vampire Bat: I don’t think that humans are bothered about dead owls returning to trees.

Vampire Owl: Don’t they have time to bother about such important things?

Vampire Bat: They are only worried about silly things which make no sense.

Vampire Owl: Yet, zombies are interested in eating their brains too.

Vampire Bat: A common zombie would eat the brain fried rice of anyone.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jessica (Anna-Maree Thomas), Teresa (Mirabai Pease) and Caleb (Richard Crouchley) are having a vacation in a cabin in the woods by the lakeside, when something strange happens to one of them. As Jessica seems to be possessed by some strange supernatural entity, there is the reminder about a series of incidents which happened in an apartment block back in the city of Los Angeles. In the city, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) is a single parent who takes good care of her children Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), Dannie (Morgan Davies) and Kassie (Nell Fisher), and is also loved by everyone living in those apartments. They are visited by Beth (Lily Sullivan), the only sister of Ellie who works in the music industry. They have had some misunderstandings in the past, but are back to their past as loving siblings. It is then that an earthquake hits the apartment complex while the kids are at the basement as they return with pizza and drinks. They notice that the earthquake has created a massive hole on the basement floor.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Danny decides to investigate the strange hole, and discovers that there are different religious artifacts, along with some phonograph records and a strange-looking book which he takes back up to his room, even though the other children are not really fond of the findings. It turns out that the Book of the Dead has been found, and as he plays the phonograph records against the advice of Bridget, he unleashes the demons. These creatures take control of Ellie in the elevator through the vines which runs through her body, almost twisting her body parts. As she returns to the apartment, she begins to act strangely, and collapses all of a sudden. Beth and the children feel that she is dead, as there is no sign of life in her body. Her body seems to be in a somewhat decomposed already. But very soon, Ellie seems to wake up from her sleep, confused for a few seconds, but soon getting to attack her own family. All the family members work hard to keep her outside their apartment, but the possessed mother ends up murdering everyone in the nearby apartments who try to come out.

And what more is to follow in this tale of evil unleashed from a book of the dead? :: Ellie in her possessed form is still smart enough to almost make Kassie open the door for her. Bridget soon finds herself also possessed by the demons after being attacked and wounded by Ellie. Meanwhile, Ellie finds out that vents can be a good option to attack her own family. Bridget soon begins to attack the family, only to be impaled by accident by Kassie. Beth tries to learn more about the demons by listening to the phonograph. At the same time, Bridget manages to rise from the dead again, and Ellie gets into their home through the vents. At the same time, the dead people outside also find themselves alive in their undead state, ready to attack the family. They declare with confidence that the whole family would by dead by dawn. At the same time, the elevator doesn’t seem to work, and the stairs have also collapsed. There is the option of fire escape, but that would be a long distance away, with the undead awaiting them outside their home. Now, can Beth find a way to save what remains of the family with herself? Is there any chance to stop the possessed Ellie and Bridget? Does anyone know how to stop the ancient demons right out of the Book of the Dead?

The defence of Evil Dead Rise :: This rise of the dead makes sure that things get interesting from the beginning stages itself – it is the first few minutes that establishes the return of horror like no other moment. There are some nice dialogues which contribute well to the horror too, and most of them come from the main antagonist herself. The tall Los Angeles building seems to serve the demons’ purpose very well, if used well enough. The bloody side is strong, and the elevator filled with blood makes the point well. There is some difference from the other movies in display here too. The leading ladies have also come up with some fine performances. Lily Sullivan is the scream queen who can do wonders with a possible sequel too, as she has already shown here. Alyssa Sutherland is a fine possessed creature in the movie, even though the humour added to her character make it feel strange at times. Another interesting thing would be to guess how Anna-Maree Thomas would work with her character in the next possible movie if it chooses to continue this story, and one would also like to see Mirabai Pease in an alive character. The dark and gloomy atmosphere of this world would stay for long, that is for sure as we wait for more sequels.

The claws of flaw :: It is surprising that Evil Dead Rise often descends too much into comedy instead of continuing as the terrifying piece that it was always expected to be. It didn’t need those silly sequences which weakens the demon power. After all, these are demons who are to make human lives living hell, and they are required to act like them. There could have been more scary sequences used, and the shocking elements used here are not of that much of an effect. The demons could have come up with so many things with their chaotic skills, but it is too much limited in scope. The makers have to remember that these are not the viewers of those days when those first three movies released. There was the need for more innovation to make things better. The vine scene in the elevator could have been creepier, as the same in the forest was more terrifying in nature with the support of the environment. The surroundings of the tall apartment complex could have also been better used. You just cannot expect blood and gore to do the job all the time, as some real terror can always do better. When we look at the film reviews too, there is much more that everyone had expected, seemingly clear from the reaction of the audience in the theatre.

How it finishes :: When it is the case of Evil Dead, we are all interested. We have all been interested from childhood itself, as it has been that franchise which introduced many of us into the bloody and gory horror which knew no substitutes. Whether it is with the older franchises of horror or with those newer ones, there is nothing that matches the level of Evil Dead. The earlier version of the movie had come out in 2013, and it was no exception. The first movie was there before we were born, and that was legendary. This one comes so many years later, and during these times, it is even more difficult to make the horror work with such efficiency. This version of the movie manages to do the same up to an extent in style. There are indeed those moments to remember in this film, and we are only glad to have this particular sequel, which leaves the door open for more. The demons of Evil Dead will always have a different status in comparison to others, and the newer crowd favourites like The Conjuring, Insidious, Sinister and Annabelle can remember.

Release date: 21st April 2023
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Lee Cronin
Starring: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, Nell Fisher, Mirabai Pease, Anna-Maree Thomas, Richard Crouchley, Jayden Daniels, Billy Reynolds-McCarthy, Tai Wano

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Enkilum Chandrike

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Vampire Owl: Are we going to have more of feel-good?

Vampire Bat: I am expecting the same with a better touch of humour.

Vampire Owl: Feel-good often destroys the possible humour.

Vampire Bat: There is still something called feel-good humour.

Vampire Owl: It is because there is nothing like feel-bad humour.

Vampire Bat: We can always feel bad with the humour.

Vampire Owl: Well, there can always be exceptions of all kinds.

Vampire Bat: But we are always expecting more and more.

Vampire Owl: We keep having the problem of awakened expectations.

Vampire Bat: Expectations do not begin or end with immortality, or work towards infinity.

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

What is the movie about? :: A series of interconnected events happen related to arranged marriages in a remote village somewhere in the district of Kannur in the north of Kerala. Among the simple people of the village, Pavithran (Suraj Venjaramoodu) is a chronic bachelor who is desperately trying to get married, as if it delays anymore, he would not be able to be in a wedding alliance for even a longer time period according to his horoscope. He is only recently rejected by a young lady whom he sees as part of a proposed alliance from their families, Sujina (Tanvi Ram). But she calls him back on another day to meet in private. He has a certain amount of infatuation for this particular lady whom he finds to be the most beautiful among the women whom he had seen for the purpose of marriage. She tells him that she wishes to marry him as she knows that he is a good person. But she adds that she wants him to get the arranged marriage of her younger sister cancelled in one way or the other; otherwise, Sujina will be forced to marry immediately before her younger sister is to be married. Her younger sister Chandrika (Niranjana Anoop) is also not willing to get married.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Pavithran is infatuated by the beauty and words of Sujina, and is determined to stop the marriage of Chandrika from occurring at any cost. At the same time, Abhi (Saiju Kurup) has been in love with Chandrika since his schooldays, and wishes to break this marriage alliance a long time before the date of wedding. He even has her name tattooed permanently on his upper arm. It turns out that the person whom Chandrika is going to marry is Bibeesh (Abhiram Radhakrishnan), and they have been keeping this upcoming wedding as a secret because Sujina is not married yet. Kiran (Basil Joseph) decides to help Abhi to win his love, as he is interested in scriptwriting and direction – he would write some twists for his good friend. The plan which begins with the use of a stranger named Shambu (Maniyanpilla Raju) to spread rumours becomes a failure, but they come up with other ideas. At the same time, Pavithran has other plans to stop the marriage, but it would require more. The question remains about what awaits Sujina and Chandrika in relation to their weddings and future lives.

The defence of Enkilum Chandrike :: This is the kind of a movie that has the side of humour which makes us smile rather than laugh, as the comedy itself has something more than the usual. It takes the simple things in life, makes it bigger, and has us feeling the impact. There is also the beauty of the visuals of this particular village that adds to the charm, as we are never away from the charming nature that lies with a rural area that is caught in camera. It is with the beauty of nature that Tanvi Ram also steals the show as the village beauty who provides the words of wisdom to Suraj Venjaramoodu, the man who holds the movie together. Along with the cuteness of the village that Tanvi provides, and is supported by Niranjana, the performances are to be remembered for the lovable nature of them. Along with the humour, there are the fine emotions which runs through as this becomes a feel-good on the lines of films like Thattathin Marayathu which have multiple elements of feeling better including humour and romance which run parallel to one another. The climax with feel-good twists does leaves one satisfied as there is the goodness factor working well out there too, with the fine slang.

The claws of flaw :: Enkilum Chandrike doesn’t try that hard with the material that it possesses, and it often feels like a restriction. It often makes something bigger from the simple elements, sometimes more than what is needed. It could have focused on speeding up things too, as we do feel that it losses the focus at times. The movie could have also become a Kunjiramayanam with the humour in the village, but that much of a strength is not there in the funny side. The movie does not try to push the comedy or the emotions too hard, as it just moves forward with the available strengths. One would feel that the female characters played by Tanvi Ram and Niranjana Anoop would have more to do, like the former talks about regarding their lives – Tanvi should have surely had a full song, something which could have stayed with us for long. Despite the movie being about the titular character, it is Tanvi’s charm from the beginning that started the series of events of relevance. It is a movie about two women who surprisingly have so less screen space. There are moments which could have elevated all of these too.

The performers of the soul :: Suraj Venjaramoodu leads the way once again, as there is something serene about his character here and the way he plays it. We feel the seriousness here as much as the humorous side that lies in waiting. This is also the one character for whom the audience will feel throughout the movie’s run-time. Basil Joseph also runs through his strengths in the movie, and we know his capabilities with comedy as he has displayed earlier too. Saiju Kurup also runs in strong with the comic side, which is given the boost with some of his fine mannerisms, as he has done so well in earlier films. Niranjana Anoop is the female lead, and the lady of concern for which everything happens around here, but Tanvi Ram has all the dialogues and moments which have our attention. With some different looks, she has effectively transformed into this role in multiple ways. She has all the points to be noted down from her words, and blends into the character in a lovely manner. With this work, even though with smaller screen space, we can be sure that she is indeed capable of playing those bigger roles in much bigger movies consistently. Neeraj Madhav’s cameo nicely works by the end of the movie, and Maniyanpilla Raju does a similar thing twice in the movie.

How it finishes :: Enkilum Chandrike might be a lesser known film on the long list of movies which released during the same time period. But it has a much bigger soul within, staying close to the life of the commoners from a cute little village. When you have Suraj Venjaramoodu around playing both a funny and serious work together, you know that much can be expected. Then you never doubt the capabilities of Basil Joseph to make it funnier. And you also realize that Tanvi Ram is an underrated actress who can work wonders even with the divergent roles provided to her. This is another movie which comes from Vijay Babu and right out of Friday Film House like those much memorable Adi Kapyare Kootamani, June, Aadu, Philips and the Monkey Pen and Home, and we remember that these are the type of cinema which catch our attention in one way or the other, despite not having that much of hype or the boost of superstars. Enkilum Chandrike nicely uses its strengths to its advantage, and it is how it rises above the other movies which deal with the same situations – you see the scope to improve, but you also see how well it has managed its resources to create something so simple, yet so enjoyable with its core unlike films like Romancham which often depends on silly and not so clean humour.

Release date: 1st April 2023 (Manorama MAX); 17th February 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 126 minutes
Directed by: Adithyan Chadrashekar
Starring: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Basil Joseph, Saiju Kurup, Niranjana Anoop, Aswin Vijayan, Tanvi Ram, Rajesh Sharma, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Maniyanpilla Raju, Unni Raja, Neeraj Madhav (cameo)

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.