Category Archives: Malayalam

Thalavara

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Vampire Owl: So, this is what humans call destiny related to a mark on the head.

Vampire Bat: There is no destiny that humans can create in any world.

Vampire Owl: They could still seal their own fate.

Vampire Bat: They are the fates that the world is forced to endure.

Vampire Owl: You remind me of the cursed fates of the northern witches.

Vampire Bat: Still, humans come up with motivating movies with some feel-good.

Vampire Owl: Humans do not really make any species feel any good.

Vampire Bat: Well, feel-good is that mask which humans need.

Vampire Owl: Yes, they need that reason to live.

Vampire Bat: Well, you do not need any reason to live forever.

[Gets a Kadai paneer puffs and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jyothish (Arjun Ashokan) suffers from a skin condition called Vitiligo which provides visible white patches on the skin due to loss of pigment, clearly visible on his face. His dream is to become an actor, and had won many accolades for his efforts during school days as a leading drama performer. He had left all of these behind and after taking a graduation in commerce, started working in a mobile shop, only to be fired from there due to his movie craze leading him to take day off on almost every Friday on the day of movie releases with some lame excuses. Now jobless, he is forced to work with his mother Asha (Devadarshini) in the supermarket where she works in the sales, as the new person supposed to the home delivery. He is ridiculed by people for his skin disease, and even his best friends call him names and make fun of him, despite their close connection with each other. His father Kannappan (Ashokan) has been movie enthusiast who had planned to go abroad, but ended up jobless at home due to the same craze for cinema much to dismay of the family.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is then that Jyothi (Athira Mariyam), Jyothish’s sister elopes with his friend Ganesh (Sarath Sabha), who had full freedom in their home, leading to Asha, as the breadwinner of home, disowning her. It is then that a new girl Sandhya (Revathy Sarma) arrives near home in Palakkad, from the other side of the state border, Coimbatore. She works at an agency which deals with foreign education, focusing on UK, and Jyothish ends up meeting her in her office as well as the supermarket. Even though everyone around seems to be attracted to her, she falls for Jyothish, and their love story slowly blossoms. But without a good job, her family is surely not going to agree to this wedding, and the family history of her sister eloping with someone was not going to help the cause at all. He gets a small role in a short-film which becomes viral on YouTube, but is humiliated for his looks while looking for a role in the upcoming movie. Can he go beyond the restrictions imposed on him by the society which do not accept the divergent or will there be a union of bad luck events for him?

The defence of Thalavara :: The movie nicely addresses something which is not usually shown in the mainstream cinema — the life of a person with vitiligo and how he has to go beyond the opinions of society and achieve something. Here, we can see that the same is done without adding that much of a melodrama, which would have been the main thing if this was taken in Bollywood. The romance here is also very well managed in a realistic manner. It should be considered as a fine quality as most of the other industries of the nation would have clearly overdone the same and might even add a quick dance in a nation with a lot of snow with greenery and classic streets. Its reflection of a common man’s life and the regular problems which becomes part of the crisis will never leave our attention. The idea of accepting oneself and living with dignity work very well. Even the romantic scenes show that understanding, and it just becomes a usual thing rather than a glorified piece of garbage – it is there and it an extended form of friendship and not a stalking, lusty, infatuated absurdity like in movies like the lesser appreciated Maine Pyar Kiya and for that undeserving very much appreciated Annayum Rasoolum.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does deviate the main concerns at times, maybe to try and make it feel more entertaining, and it is also a little bit too long for this kind of a content, as one and half hours would have been perfect in this case. When we consider that it does not take into account, the psychological side that much except for the negative feeling and lack of confidence, something might feel left out. The movie just goes through the simple journey, which makes it feel no need to go in a more intense manner or launch that dramatic punch which will leave a big difference. The ending does not really solve the problem, but makes one feel good enough that there could be a better future soon. Even a movie which dealt with a lesser problem like Mili had an even more consistent solution to its crisis. The movie’s beginning might have also left many people with not much of an interest in the journey forward, as it just feels too ordinary a start to the kind of message it would intend to deliver with that special dose of motivation.

The performers of the soul :: Arjun Ashokan strikes gold with this performance, and it is as realistic as one could be, with him maintaining a common man’s feelings throughout the journey – this might also he his best work in a leading role till now. Revathy Sarma plays the Tamil girl whom we might remember even more than the one we had with Sai Pallavi in Premam with the realistic touch rather than that overstretched one. She plays the role with so much realistic touch, and remains a lovable character – something which she achieves with so much of ease. Among the friend characters, Muhammad Rafi stands as the most notable one, as he has always been in that television show of Flowers channel which keeps coming back to us. Sarath Sabha also remains very much notable. Athira Mariyam’s realist work will also have our attention. Then you see how good is Devadarshini in the mother role and how well Ashokan supports in the father role, with a little bit of humour and emotions also present in the journey.

How it finishes :: The movie does manage to finish off the whole thing well, and there is closeness to humanity that works like a dream here. This is the kind of movie that works with motivation really well, and reminds people that there could be those journeys with some type of crisis which is often overlooked in favour of some others which get all the attention. We remember that some problems get more attention than others, but it is to be remembered that for some people, some troubles are bigger, and that it has to be individual-centred. Well, not all people are the same, and the problems of some people are just of a grander scale than one would think. The movie reminds us that it is all about the individual, and if there is some support when required, things can only get better – it is important to keep everyone close to the heart as we are all in this together in one way or the other. This is no blockbuster material with scenes to get fans clapping, for a human tale that inspires and gets some feel-good into the scene.

Release date: 22nd August 2025
Running time: 120 minutes
Directed by: Akhil Anilkumar
Starring: Arjun Ashokan, Revathy Sarma, Shebin Benson, Ashokan, Devadarshini, Athira Mariyam, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Prasant Murali, Sam Mohan, Harish Mohan, Sohan Seenulal, Shaju Sreedhar, Vishnu Reghu, Muhammad Rafi, Manoj Moses, Aswath Lal, Amith Mohan, Naseer

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Detective Ujjwalan

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Vampire Owl: So, this was the detective who came to investigate on the missing vampires.

Vampire Bat: There are no missing vampires in our world.

Vampire Owl: What about those vampires who did not come to the feast of Uncle Dracula?

Vampire Bat: They just decided not to come.

Vampire Owl: Nobody decides not to come when Uncle Dracula is around.

Vampire Bat: There has been the rise of free will in the realm.

Vampire Owl: Free will just a myth in the realm.

Vampire Bat: There has always been some free will in the vampire world.

Vampire Owl: Free will is not a thing of our world.

Vampire Bat: Well, you know that free will is only the beginning.

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

What is the movie about? :: Ujjwalan (Dhyan Sreenivasan) is a young man without any job and has made himself the only librarian of the only library in the remote village of Plachikkavu. He lives with his father Narayanankutty (Kottayam Nazeer) and mother Leela (Seema G Nair) who only have a shop and mostly lives with their family assets. As Ujjwalan does not go for work and spends most of the time reading detective novels and crime thrillers from his own library, his parents try to get him married to a local girl Snehalatha (Claire C John), but that does not work in their favour. Ujjwalan is a man who tries to solve the crimes of the village, which mostly involves small thefts, fights etc. Local SI Sachin (Rony David Raj) depends on him to solve the simple crimes and mysteries and do not do much of a work. The only criminal of the village is Anthikkurudan (Nihal Nizam) who steals small things and keeps getting caught with some coconuts and bananas. Kurian (Ameen) who has returned from Korea, remains Ujjwalan’s only friend, and does not like going to work anymore either.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Despite being a fan of detective fiction and even with a skill to find missing clues, Ujjwalan suffers from nyctophobia, the fear of darkness which keeps him locked in his room at night, never even trying to switch on or off the lights of the house. A local television channel even shoots a documentary on how peaceful the village, and reveals that nothing much happens there. But then, the local school principal, Ashokan (Kalabhavan Navas), is killed by a masked man who looked like a scarecrow, brutally with a hammer. But from a slipper and a beedi that Ujjwalan finds from the spot, he feels that it was Anthikkurudan, the usual suspect. The thief claims innocence despite being arrested, but the police are also convinced that he might have been the murderer, maybe a result of trying to steal and not really succeeding. One day, he just escapes from the prison, and is not found afterwards. But the murders do not stop there, and the next one happens at the local festival.

And what more is to follow with the murders that do not seem to stop? :: The second murder really gets the attention of a wider media, and a new police officer is sent to investigate and find the killer as soon as possible. CI Shambhu (Siju Wilson), the new investigating officer, is known to have solved more cases than most of the police officers of his area combined, and he would not stop until he has solved this one. Sachin is not happy that the case has gone out of his control, and Ujjwalan is certainly not happy that someone else is investigating a case in his area. They do not cooperate that much with him and his supporting officers Kunchacko (Nibraz Noushad) and Boban (Shahubas). Ujjwalan soon begins to doubt Shambhu, who says that he has been to the town before and is glad to be there. Kurian who has returned to his hometown to marry his favourite woman finds himself rejected by her. Shambhu earns the trust of villagers and shows steady progress, even though the killer is still on the loose. People remain afraid of going out at night, but can anyone find that killer who leaves no clues behind?

The defence of Detective Ujjwalan :: Dhyan Sreenivasan does a pretty good job, but Siju Wilson and Rony David Raj carry this movie with better written characters who blends in more than the others. The movie with the village setting, remains very good-looking, and the music nicely adds on here to the overall mood. The visuals score with a touch of nostalgia within the overall beauty of a common village of Kerala. Despite the presence of the light-hearted mood, the darkness does come in right between, making this a fine combination of multiple sides. The comedy often works, especially due to the supporting cast that never really hesitates as far as humour is concerned. The movie could connect well to other movies as part of a cinematic universe. The final parts of the area become engaging, especially at those moments when the mystery is somewhat revealed. The ending makes sure that there is scope for more. This would still remain a relaxed watch in comparison to any other movie with a serial killer.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have had the main character as better written. Some of the other characters also seem to have some problems. The twists are not that strong as one would have wanted, after all that buildup. The movie just seems to take the villain out of the irrelevant and add something extra to it. The mystery should have been solved in a smarter and a more classical way with the antagonist surprising further. The emotional side could have been stronger with better characterization, and could have got the viewers more immersed in the situation with more of that feeling of danger. The humour could have also been stronger instead of just going through. The change of tone also keeps happening, without the movie constantly staying anywhere. The ups and downs might feel a little too much, and there is also too much silliness in smartness and vice versa. The final moments do seem to be just usual, with one forced fight and the added extra complication. If this is to stay close to other movies in a strong cinematic universe, there should surely be more power to be shown. The female characters are not relevant at all here.

How it finishes :: The movie is hailed as a part of the Weekend Cinematic Universe which also has the much-acclaimed superhero movie Minnal Murali in there, and you cannot stop yourself from noting down the similarities, from the scarecrow and the way in which the village setup has been created, not that different from Kunjiramayanam either. It might need some extra-fittings at some other point to make it feel big enough to be fixed in a grand universe, as it does not seem to be ready for the same unlike movies like Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra which came prepared from the beginning itself. The movie did seem to have received a good opening, and therefore, a sequel would be there to be taken at some point – the ending also would mean the same. As of now, it is available on Amazon Prime Video, and this might be a good time to watch the same, as one would not be able to know when a sequel might immediately drop, and there could even be a spin-off. Let us hope to see this one as better.

Release date: 23rd May 2025
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: Indraneel Gopalakrishnan, Rahul G
Starring: Dhyan Sreenivasan, Siju Wilson, Rony David Raj, Claire C. John, Kottayam Nazeer, Seema G Nair, Nihal Nizam, Ameen, Shahubas, Nibraz Noushad, Mathew Puthukadan, Jagadish, Kalabhavan Navas, Nirmal Palazhi

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Mirage

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Vampire Owl: I have heard about this movie’s twists over twists.

Vampire Bat: So, it became known in the vampire world too.

Vampire Owl: It has spread to the vampire social media too.

Vampire Bat: That feels absurd as both media are not connected at all.

Vampire Owl: Well, you know these humans who try to control all the media.

Vampire Bat: Nobody can control everything at all times.

Vampire Owl: Uncle Dracula could easily do that.

Vampire Bat: Sir Dracula is that much of a legend.

Vampire Owl: Even the Vampire Elders seem to respect him.

Vampire Bat: I do not that they ever had an options since his reign began.

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

What is the movie about? :: Abhirami (Aparna Balamurali), who is working as an accountant in a financial consultancy finds herself in depression when Kiran (Hakim Shahjahan) who was engaged to her mysteriously disappears, and is presumed to be killed in a train crash. She is approached by Aswin Kumar (Asif Ali), an online investigative reporter who wishes to reveal some truths about Kiran, whom he does not feel to that straightforward a person. Even though they were engaged, he had left a good number of secrets to himself. At the same time, Abhirami is also approached by SP Aarumugam IPS (Sampath Raj) who wishes to unveil the mystery related to a hard drive which has secrets related to the money laundering in their company, while the owner of the company, Rajkumar (Saravanan) is also looking for her, with Rajkumar’s henchman Riyas (Aruvi Madhan) always on the hunt, even ready to beat up or murder anyone who gets in his way as he also tries to get that hard drive which has too many secrets.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: This drive becomes a big problem as Abhirami even gets attacked at home, and the only person who seems to stand with her is her colleague working in the same department, Rithika (Hannah Reji Koshy). Anandu (Arjun Syam Gopan) is the only person who can decrypt the data in the hard drive, who is also missing, despite going on a field visit to Madurai for the same company. Rithika does not trust Ashwin who seems to be always looking for sensational news. Ashwin feels that Abhirami is still hiding something, and he only considers Kiran missing and not dead, even though his dead body was identified right after the train accident. Abhirami decides to travel to Kiran’s hometown with Ashwin, much to the dismay of Rithika who distrusts the whole situation. Riyas continues to haunt them, coming right out of nowhere, as if he knows their every move. It is revealed that Kiran is a man of many secrets, and it would be rather too difficult to list them out. Can Abhirami get out of these problems with the help of Ashwin and Rithika?

The defence of Mirage :: The way in which the movie starts in simplicity and becomes more and more complex with bigger conspiracies unveiled – this is something that keeps everyone at the edge of the seat, as we keep guessing what would come next. There are so many twists around here that keeps us interested, and we can only keep predicting, but the twists are even more. We would have the feeling that we are in a strange terrain, terrifying not because of the presence of an evil entity or due to corporate evil, but because there are so many twists to come and many people are going to get killed, with most of the twisted world going beyond the usual. The performances nicely complement the same, as villains might not be the main antagonists, as there is negative in the people who seem to be good and supportive. The movie is a twis-producing factory and this process of changing the world we know, continues till the end without fail. The visuals and the music are all nicely contributing with quality here. How the tale goes on to power itself by the interval would also be something we like to see around.

The claws of flaw :: As it could be seen in many memes on the social media, there is the curse of having unbelievable plot twists and too many of them around here – the last time when there were this many absurd and unnecessary twists were shown, was in a movie called Bicycle Thieves, also led by Asif Ali, where the twists and even the story could not be contained in the framework which was already built – this one could contain the story, but not the twists which were like zombies in a bakery selling brains with a small flavour of chocolate. A movie can have twists, but a movie should not be for twists, as we realize the same here. The final double twist was rather dumb, and it felt like the whole purpose of the movie was destroyed. The movie is also too long, and it does not have that material in a script written for twists, going to two and half hours. The intensity is also not felt around here, as in between, the main characters seem to be resigned to their fate and feels like they are doing all of these for namesake. The danger in the movie also feels hesitant, as if everyone is waiting for the twists.

The performers of the soul :: Asif Ali and Aparana Balamurali are known to work together really well, as it was seen in a much-appreciated movie also featuring Vijayaraghavan from last year, and they repeat the same here too. Aparna is very convincing as the girl who is in trouble, but also harbours so many secrets – her reality would be much different, and the same is nicely reflected in her approach here. Asif Ali’s evolution as an actor continues going on from Thalavan, Rekhachitram, Aabhyanthara Kuttavali and others, but here he gets too less in comparison to Aparna on whom the movie is centred – there are times when we feel that her character could have just required minimum help from any unnamed side characters and it was enough for her. Maheshinte Prathikaaram would still remain the greatest movie of Aparna. Still, the one who would catch our attention the most would be Hannah Reji Koshy who brought us that so much unexpected and classic twist of Kooman with ease, after that debut in Darvinte Parinamam and following it up with two entirely different roles in Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu and Theerppu – she classically blends in here. The villains are all strong here, but struggles by the end, while Sampath Raj remains very strong.

How it finishes :: Mirage just depends on too much of the twists and so many twists, and that strange final unwanted divergence that keeps it down, despite moving so well towards the interval, as the first half really had us interested. There is surely that feeling that there is so much that is to come, but the story struggles in between and comes down by the end with that ordinary flashback and twisting around. This was surely going to be something huge, but does not become the same with that problematic coming down in quality in between. The pace also goes down, as we would hope for this movie to be much shorter and not having that quick end. The skills which are shown in the beginning stages are what carries us towards the end, along with those special twists in between – we are interested in this one for sure. Even though this is not his story, a little bit of Jeethu Joseph touch we had seen in Memories, Drishyam and Drishyam 2 can be seen here, even though that strength is not carried throughout the run even though there was such a great chance in here.

Release date: 19th September 2025
Running time: 150 minutes
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali, Hannah Reji Koshy, Saravanan, Sampath Raj, Hakim Shahjahan, Deepak Parambol, Arjun Syam Gopan, Aruvi Madhan

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali

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Vampire Owl: I think that you forgot to wish me Happy Diwali.

Vampire Bat: I did send you a WhatsApp message.

Vampire Owl: We vampires wish each other in person only.

Vampire Bat: We have changed according to modernity.

Vampire Owl: There is no modernity that can change the tradition.

Vampire Bat: Our traditions are older than any civilization.

Vampire Owl: These are not true civilizations, just human mental disorders.

Vampire Bat: You are not accepting the existence of human civilization?

Vampire Owl: I would deny the true human existence altogether.

Vampire Bat: I have also wondered that humans ever had humanity.

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

What is the movie about? :: Sahadevan (Asif Ali) gets married to Nayana (Thulasi) in a grand function which is attended by most of the people of both native villages. But Nayana keeps a certain distance from him, and often avoids him, and one day leaves for her home when he opposes her idea to travel to Netherlands and study a course with her best friend, much to the dismay of his parents who are surprised by her sudden change of behaviour. It is revealed that she never showed any interest in him and at night, she only wanted to play antakshari games with him, while they rarely see each other during day time. Sahadevan has been working in a temporary job position, but comes from a reputed family, which is shocked, when it is known that Nayana has filed a case of domestic violence, and is looking for divorce. As this becomes known to more people, he losses his job, and becomes laughing stock in front of his own people. He becomes more notorious as a drunkard and a wife-beater throughout the village.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Nayana’s family gets an advocate with a near-perfect record to appear for her, Sahadevan gets another famous advocate Rex (Vijayakumar) to plead his case. As Rex’s junior advocate Anila (Shreya Rukmini) is forced to appear for Sahadevan, things do not go in his favour, but he manages to hold on and get another date. While wandering around in the court premises, he comes across Peter (Sidharth Bharathan) who has been hoping to see his daughter with a court order at least for a few minutes after his separated wife took the kid away from him. He also comes across Makkar (Harisree Ashokan), a man who lost his son in an accident and is fighting a case to stay in his own house which has been now claimed by his daughter-in-law. Sahadevan is disheartened, but with the help of a condiment Rex and the supportive Anila, intends to survive this divorce scare and come up saving his side against the laws which seem to be against him.

The defence of Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali :: There seems to be a fine flow about this movie, and it also manages to bring its world to a pretty good ending. This is not really an easy topic to deal with, but they have made this one conclude well. The movie still maintains a lighter shade, without going that deep into a dark situation of a man in peril. The emotional side stays strong, thanks to the extra stories that come in as subplots. All stories get linked well within the court premises. As many other issues are addressed, this is also something that needs attention, as one side is not the only thing that needs an audience, for there are the strong among the weak and evil right within goodness – all sides need to checked for. Even if there is one case that go in a different way, there is the need for attention and focus around there, and that has been provided. It shows the need to work against prejudice in front of law, if not in the usual manner, in another way. The movie is successful in making the situation of helplessness felt when facing the cleverest of vixen.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is more cursed by the biased reviewers who are looking for some good certificates from a certain group of people who claim to be oppressed intellectuals who actually get to do what they want more than those who are not really oppressed. There could have been some better arguments used by the movie too. The feeling that some moments were not necessary is there to be taken. Some of the moments seem forced and artificial, even though they are covered by better situations later and connected without much of a difficulty. Some characters also feel like added to be there, as not much is served with them around. The character depth is often felt, even though not throughout its run. The movie also gets into too much preaching, even though not as much as direct preacher movies like Mathai Kuzhappakkaranalla. Maybe, the movie could have been better if it was shorter, as this length has pulled it backwards. It had also taken some time with its flashback.

The performers of the soul :: Asif Ali carries this one on his shoulders with such ease that it reminds us of his work in Kettiyolaanu Ente Maalakha – the performances seem to be close to each other, as we look at both of them. Just like he did in Rekhachitram, he keeps reminding us how much he has evolved as an actor. Shreya Rukmini as the advocate plays a very convincing role here, and even though she is not paired opposite the character, has one of the more realistic characters, reminding us of what was seen in Oru Kuprasidha Payyan played by Nimisha Sajayan. Shreya plays the character’s multiple shades really well. Thulasi manages her wife role well in between. Vijayakumar and Jagadish play the two advocates well, even though that much of dialogues are not provided to them to be used in the court room. Harisree Ashokan adds a more emotional side to the flick, while Azees Nedumangad handles most of the comedy. Sidharth Bharathan also adds more of the emotional side here.

How it finishes :: Aabhyanthara Kuttavaali does not feel that powerful as it should have been, considering a number of elements that it deals with. There is a certain amount of emotional strength that it seems to carry, as we look from a distance, but that fades away at times, and ends up with a usual and safe finish which does not create that huge impact that we had been expecting for some time. The scope was surely there, but all of that is not taken, maybe to keep this one low profile and thus safe from the attack of those people who are against opinions, and it is something we had seen in many reviews – well, supporting one group does not mean that one is against other groups, and one has to be sure about that much. The movie does not close its eyes to the other side, as some of the blind reviewers have said though, and it surely does not give good conduct certificates to any group or maintains that some group of people are bad – it is mainly because some reviewers wish to show that they are so supportive to that smaller group which claims themselves to be oppressed intellectuals. I hope at least reviewers of movies get out of their demonic hold.

Release date: 6th June 2025
Running time: 121 minutes
Directed by: Sethunath Padmakumar
Starring: Asif Ali, Thulasi, Jagadish, Harisree Ashokan, Shreya Rukmini, Vijayakumar, Harisree Ashokan, Azees Nedumangad, Anand Manmadhan, Prem Kumar, Sidharth Bharathan, Kannan Sagar, Gopu Kesav, Usha Chandrababu Balachandran Chullikkad, Neeraja Rajendran

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Hello Mummy

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Vampire Owl: I am sure that this movie has a vampire mummy.

Vampire Bat: We are dealing with real ghosts around here.

Vampire Owl: Mummies are animated corpses, right? Not ghosts.

Vampire Bat: I do not think that this is that kind of a mummy.

Vampire Owl: Because the character is not Egyptian?

Vampire Bat: They are referring to the mother-in-law of main character.

Vampire Owl: But this is still horror, so other mummies could also be around.

Vampire Bat: What can a mummy do to reach South India from Egypt?

Vampire Owl: I do not know. Maybe, take a flight?

Vampire Bat: Even Count Dracula is known to have taken only a ship.

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

What is the movie about? :: Boney (Sharafudheen) who has been running a pet shop – one of the biggest in the city, and trying to evade marriage for quite a long time, much to the dismay of his father Philip (Johny Antony), mother Soyamma (Ganga Meera) and sister Tincy (Sruthy Suresh). But when he goes through the usual process of seeing and rejecting girls, he comes across Stephy (Aishwarya Lekshmi), whom he really likes and decides not reject her. But Stephy comes with a condition that he should move to her house after wedding, and even though Boney’s parents show some hesitation, everyone is just happy that he is finally going to be married. But one day, she stops responding to him, and when he asks, she tells him that her dead mother still talks to her and that she does not approve of her marriage with him. She says that it is the best for the future of both of them that they do not proceed to the wedding ceremony. But Boney feels that she is just making things up to avoid him, and tells her that he believes her – and that he is ready to adjust in whatever ways possible.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: This impresses Stephy and they go on with the process. But on the first day itself, Boney realizes that she was not joking or making an excuse, and his father-in-law Samuel (Jagadish) asserts the same. The ghost mummy begins attacking him whenever he does something that she does not like. Stephy reveals that the mummy has prevented any physical union between them for now, and there some strange rules which he has to obey – this includes not wearing chappals inside the house, keeping the refrigerator open for more than ten seconds, dropping any food particle on the floor and a few more. Boss (Aju Varghese) who is running an investigative channel from the neighbouring house feels that there is something wrong, and tries to find a solution, while Boney’s best friend Bichu (Joemon Jyothir) tries to help only to find him at the receiving end of the mummy’s fury. Boney and Stephy tries to twist the situation by telling the mummy that they are going to be parents. But how can they sneak away from the powerful spirit which keeps the watch all the time?

The defence of Hello Mummy :: Here is one merging of horror and comedy that works well on the lines of Bollywood movies like Stree and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, but this is not a genre that has been working too well in this particular industry. In comparison, black comedy has had more success, like in the case of the recent work, Maranamass. There are moments that would be remembered, along with some dialogues which can stay for quite a long time. There seems to be a lot of energy in various parts of the movie, and that keeps the level of the movie high. This is also one horror movie that one can watch with family without too much of terror and no unsuitable comedy to go with it. The performances from the leading cast remains the highlight of the movie along with the fine support with the veteran actors around. The way in which the movie makes the fantasy tale blend into a world which was normal, makes it a world of magic realism in one way or the other. Cinematography and background score adds well to the whole thing.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s focus on horror is rather less on comparison to the side of comedy which rises much above the other. The blending is rather one-sided when we look closely, and there is not much of an explanation of the supernatural elements. There is also a lot of predictability associated with the movie, even though most people might have expected the same. The lack of hype might have left many people without having watched the movie – if focused on the strengths, this would have become more popular from the day of release itself. There is a certain amount of silliness that can be seen around, and the lack of seriousness means some loss of the overall quality of the movie. The cliches are surely there, and the tale could have kept a stronger centre. Some of the emotional moments could have been avoided to make the movie shorter, as there is not that much of focus on the story, as situations are above everything else. The lack of consistency can be seen here in relation to the content, and horror also falls flat at times.

The performers of the soul :: Sharafudheen shines in the humorous role which seems to suit him so well, even though there is a subtle emotional side that runs through here. There are some fine one-liners which are there to stay, and some of these moments can be seen in the television in parts regularly. The movie also has Aishwarya Lekshmi who continues to prove that there are not many actresses who can match her grace and variety of performances in this generation. From a grand beginning with movies like Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, Mayaanadhi, Varathan, Vijay Superum Pournamiyum and Brother’s Day with range from romance and feel-good to drama and thriller mode, she has come a long way, and deserves even more. She is in full strength here in a role which does not challenge her, but she assures that things are now better. We just need to remember how good Kaanekkaane was, to be reminded of her capabilities. The group of Jagadish, Johny Antony, Aju Varghese and Joemon Jyothir adds to the fun, while Bindu Panicker’s role is something that we will remember for a long time. Sunny Hinduja makes a fine villain at the same time.

How it finishes :: We know that good horror comedy is really hard to create, especially to make both sides work. This movie aligns more on the side of comedy, but there is always that hidden horror which comes out at rarely, but by the end of the movie, we see the blending of the two genres becoming one effectively. There is no lack of enjoyment at any part of the movie, as we see the situations, and feel the entertainment. There are not many movies that make us think too much about the situations, and we can focus on enjoying the whole thing without second thoughts. There is the scope left for a sequel, and we can expect this to get better. After all, there are so many questions to be answered from the first movie, and there might be a little too much to be done for what could be a series of movies. We can always accept the movies with a certain amount of silliness that worked so well, like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and Kunjiramayanam that keeps us laughing for a very long time.

Release date: 21st November 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Vaishakh Elans
Starring: Sharafudheen, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sunny Hinduja, Jagadish, Johny Antony, Aju Varghese, Joemon Jyothir, Bindu Panicker, Arun Cherukavil, Ganga Meera, Sruthy Suresh, Adhri Joe

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Golam

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Vampire Owl: I see that this is one investigation movie that we had missed.

Vampire Bat: This was also one of the most appreciated movies which we had missed.

Vampire Owl: We do not usually miss films of this genre, especially when appreciated.

Vampire Bat: But we have returned, thanks to Amazon Prime Video.

Vampire Owl: There are some fine thrilling additions to Prime, I see.

Vampire Bat: I would consider this to be the best option as delivery is included.

Vampire Owl: There have been so many classic additions in the last few months itself.

Vampire Bat: You know that we are not done with the reviews yet.

Vampire Owl: Yes, miles to go before we sleep, right?

Vampire Bat: In our case, kilometres to go before we sleep.

[Gets a milk peda and three cups of Ceylon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Issac John (Dileesh Pothan) is the Managing Director of V-Tech Company, a renowned IT-company in the city. He is a strict employer who does things done efficiently. One day, during working hours, he is found dead inside the washroom of his office with the door locked from the inside. The police are informed immediately by Rajeev (Ansal Palluruthy) who is the very next in charge, and Issac’s partner Gibson (Sunny Wayne) is also asked to come. Though first presumed to be a case of accidental death from a head injury caused due to slipping and falling in the washroom while trying to clean the coffee stains from his coat, there is also the possibility of a murder being talked about by the investigating officers. ASP Sandeep Krishnan IPS (Ranjith Sajeev) is certainly not satisfied here, as he points to murder and decides to keep all the staff there itself. He begins to question each of them, and feels that there is some clue left behind somewhere in the office.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: City Police Commissioner Babu Thomas IPS (Srikant Murali) has taken special interest in this case, even though he does not suspect any foul play. CI Abdul Raheem (Alencier Ley Lopez) is there to support him in the cause, but he feels that this is just a case of accident, and that the employees could all be sent him, and he could attend the booze party that he was supposed to attend. Sandeep is still adamant that something is missing, as he questions all employees starting from Meera (Chinnu Chandni) who organizes the whole team, followed by others, Neelima (Gayathri Satheesh) who has a mysterious look, Neena (Sheethal Joseph) who has sleeping pills with her, Bibeesh (Sanjay) who had a fight with the Managing Director, Arun (Anu Anand) who looks like too decent a person, Albert (Kaarthik Shankar) who has everything perfectly done, Dona (Rilnaah) who is only interested in packed drinks, Sara (Gouri Parvathy) who seems to be concerned, Sebastian (Praveen Viswanath) who seems to be too stable, and others, but things still seem to be okay – can he find any real foul play in this death?

The defence of Golam :: The film does maintain a certain amount of mystery throughout, and the twists that defines the murders is incredibly clever. The nonlinear storytelling which runs through the movie and classic revelation of secrets keep us more and more interested in this world which has more to hide than to reveal. The thrilling side never gets behind, as the movie keeps on being engaged throughout its run, and with a length slightly shorter than two hours, this one manages to keep things perfect. The performances here are really solid, and even with those many new faces around, we do not see anyone lagging behind. The movie is also very nicely edited, as we see how well things move forward, and the flashbacks also enter in the right manner. The revelation reminds us of the evil that has been going on in our world, and the evil that has always existed in different forms in the medical field and in the form of viruses and antidotes, as nobody really seems to realize where the corona virus had gone.

Positives and negatives :: The start might feel usual, but that nicely blends in here with the rest of world which switches to the new mood with ease. The light-hearted feeling in the beginning takes not much time to change the gears by a long way. Maybe, some characters could have been explored more, but with this length, the lack of the same is justified. The revelation also happens rather too early without making the viewers guess to the maximum. Still, in the layers, so much of skills seem to have been put in use. The thrills only become more and more effective as the movie moves on and on. The visuals remain good throughout the run of the movie, and the same starts from the office itself. The final elevation of the movie is something that we would remember, as we await a possible sequel, but still we feel that there are other moments were the film could have stopped and made us wait for the next. This is the kind of movie that we have all asked for as long as the genre performance is concerned.

The performers of the soul :: The movie led well by Ranjith Sajeev who comes up with a solid performance as the police officer who investigates this particular case, and one can only hope for things to get better from there, once he arrives on the screen. Dileesh Pothan’s good work is limited to only a few minutes while Sunny Wayne has made a fine buildup for the next movie if there is one to follow. Siddique and Alencier Ley Lopez brings some fine moments to make the whole thing feel more solid. Among the long supporting cast at the office, everyone contributes so well, with Chinnu Chandni seemingly on the lead with Kaarthik Shankar and Praveen Viswanath keeping it going in a very serious manner, and leading to hope for more. Among the rest of the cast, the first people we notice are Sheethal Joseph and Gayathri Satheesh, who are seen like the faces we are going to see again, and we feel the need to see them around for long. Gouri Parvathy, Rilnaah and Arifa Hind also comes in with work to do, and manages the same very well. The rest also follows nicely in this progress which depends on them all.

How it finishes :: Malayalam movies have not been short of some fine thrillers, and this one adds to that long classic list which is led by Memories and taken over by flicks like Forensic, Anjaam Paathira, Abraham Ozler, John Luther and Kooman among others. With the kind of ending that it managed to get, it has a better chance of getting a sequel more than most of the other thrillers – there is the feeling that the tale is already supposed to be a two-chapter story. One cannot stop wondering if this would have been a bigger hit if there was more marketing. I do not remember the existence of this particular movie before the news that it had released on OTT and could gain many positive reviews. Well, the sequel would surely bring a lot of audience, and a classic ending is what this upcoming franchise deserves. It would mean that thrillers would stay alive and can also leave us with a hidden message like Joseph did years ago. The quality of this movie is surely an early reminder of the same, and would make us hope for more of similar films.

Release date: 7th June 2024
Running time: 119 minutes
Directed by: Samjad
Starring: Ranjith Sajeev, Dileesh Pothan, Sunny Wayne, Alencier Ley Lopez, Siddique. Srikant Murali, Rini K Rajan, Asha Madathil, Priya Sreejith, Ansal Palluruthy, Sudhi Kozhikode, Praveen Viswanath, Gayathri Satheesh, Sheethal Joseph, Gouri Parvathy, Rilnaah, Kaarthik Shankar, Anu Anand, Ala S Narayana, Pranav Ekaa, Vijaya Sadan, Unni Deshaposhini, Unni Vaikom, Sanjay, Remadevi

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Maine Pyar Kiya

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Vampire Owl: I have heard this title before.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that everyone in India knows this title.

Vampire Owl: So, an original title was unavailable.

Vampire Bat: This is only meant to make things feel interesting.

Vampire Owl: Well, the Malayalam translated title would not be interesting.

Vampire Bat: I could still suggest a few names.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that Dr. Frankenstein could give some better names.

Vampire Bat: I am more certain that Mr. Frankenstein has names only for himself.

Vampire Owl: It is obvious. He is a hero of different worlds.

Vampire Bat: There is no world that would take this particular pseudo-scientist with a smile.

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

What is the movie about? :: Aryan (Hridhu Haroon) is a college dropout who had to leave his studies early as he created that kind of a fight in the college with his seniors, which would be remembered in a bad light for very long. The college is also not ready to give him his school certificates before he pays for the damages he caused in the college, which is as high as three lakhs. During one of his visits to college to get the certificates, he comes across Nidhi (Preity Mukhundhan), a young woman from Madurai who studies in Kerala as her mother is working in the railways and had got transferred there. With the advice of his elder friends Nixon (Askar Ali) and Tony (Sreekanth Vettiyar), he tries to make her fall in love with him. But Nidhi does not have any feelings for him, and due to her strict her parents, she tries to keep everyone away from her and focus only on her studies. Aryan continues to stalk her, even though she pleads with him to leave her alone. He even comes to her house, leading to him getting beaten up.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She finally agrees to just talk to him, and after having food together outside campus on a day of strike, her parents get to know that she, along with many students went out of the campus during the strike and skipped the classes. Nidhi is desperate to make sure that her mother does not know, and hearing about the situation, Aryan arranges for someone who call her home and say that everything is okay, and she was in the college. But as her mother comes to know about it from the college itself and comes to the campus, she realizes that there are stories about her and Aryan being spread. Desperate to escape the situation and the wrath of the parents, she gets into Aryan’s car. They drive away, but the story only gets worse, as a kidnap case is filed against Aryan. The police start searching for them, and they keep going further. But the question remains if Nidhi will ever really fall in love with Aryan. There is also the question of what the two families think about this.

The defence of Maine Pyar Kiya :: The movie seems like it is elevating itself on multiple occasions, especially after the fake call made to the home of leading actress. We will feel that there will twist which will follow, and we go through some relevant moments after that. The movie remains at a higher level until the team of friends get attacked by goons, and there is a good run in between, as we have moments of family, friendship and understanding between people, making the whole thing a pretty well-crafted drama that works. When a movie seems to exist more as multiple identities in one, as signified in the initial moments itself, one would expect such ups and downs. The humour works in here, when there is no stalking involved – those moments are not funny or even romantic like some people might feel. The overall quality is surely felt with what is shown on the screen, and the visuals contribute to the positives. Even though the action is out of place, it is also done well. The ending is justified, and we know that a true romantic movie is never about the lovers uniting, but about them finding happiness in life maybe without each other.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s cluelessness after the middle part gets over and also the complication by the end is what gives us the struggle too. Despite starting as one thing and by the end of first half, slowly turning into something else keeps us wonder what exactly are we watching. Then there is that showoff with the good romantic boy going for stalking the girl whom he thinks is good-looking and she is also the one who should tell him that she loves him. This understanding of him is mainly because he knows a lot of filmy dialogues and also because he did not tell a girl that he loved her in school which led to she getting into another relationship. Then there are so may goons who confuse the hero and his friends for somebody else when they are in Madurai and starts beating them up and vice versa? This is indeed a strange parallel universe which is not even good enough to bring the chaos comedy in action. The stalking and the random fights between random gangs just bring nothing around here at all, as we feel that just the subplot and some confused souls would have made the movie shorter and sharper, keeping the main thing relevant. This was not really that difficult to do, with two worlds in two states established easily enough.

The performers of the soul :: Hridhu Haroon feels nicely suited for the role, and seems to do his job well, even though the tale does not allow him to beyond certain limitations – this is that kind of a character, a stalker and disturbance who claims to be in love and wishes to be romantic. If we still like the character, it is just because of his portrayal and body language. Preity Mukhundhan’s entry into Malayalam cinema is a good one, and there is no doubt about that one. Her characterization is very good, and her transformation is also effective, even outside the movie’s limits. Among the friend characters, it is Askar Ali who is the most noticeable. Arjun Sundharesan, Midhutty and Sreekanth Vettiyar remains effective among the friends too. Jeo Baby as the father figure might be one of the best father-figures of the year. Antony Varghese’s cameo was totally unnecessary, and that character is of absolutely no relevance. The reason for his cameo character existing will make even Sisyphus wonder like never before in his life. The friendship side of performance work nicely in favour of the movie.

How it finishes :: Maine Pyar Kiya could have been so many things, but it only ends up becoming a small part of itself, achieving only a little, deviating multiple times, and seemingly coming back, and often confused about its own identity. But it does have its moments, and even when we feel that it is done, the movie survives, and feels like the grandmother of comebacks. The movie does not go into that abyss of eternal chaos as some reviews seem to suggest, for it is like an Assault mode map of Unreal Tournament 99 Game of the Year Edition, for it is never done, as you struggle to complete one objective, then you easily go through the next, then finish the game in style when you feel that it as all going to end badly – maybe saved by that teammate who did not do much in the earlier part of the movie. Well, you know that this one is now available on Amazon Prime Video, and most of us have opted for the Prime option due to the need for buying so many things from the online marketplace – so, watching this one on a free day will not hurt, as there is some fun, and the youngsters around here are indeed good and deserves some attention.

Release date: 29th August 2025
Running time: 147 minutes
Directed by: Faizal Faziludeen
Starring: Hridhu Haroon, Preity Mukhundhan, Askar Ali, Midhutty, Jeo Baby, Arjun Sundharesan, Bibin Perumbillil, Abhimanue Sajeev, Redin Kingsley, Thrikkannan, Mime Gopi, Sai Dheena, Sreekanth Vettiyar, Jagadeesh Janardhan, Jibin Rexa

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Sahasam

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Vampire Owl: I remember watching the song from this movie.

Vampire Bat: Well, that song was a big hit for this Onam.

Vampire Owl: It was more than just a hit indeed, that one earned an entry into hearts.

Vampire Bat: It served Onam like no other song did before.

Vampire Owl: The Onam song was surely like no other.

Vampire Bat: There is surely the feeling of fun with this one.

Vampire Owl: We could have watched this in the theatre instead of Amazon Prime Video.

Vampire Bat: Well, I only knew about the song, not the movie release.

Vampire Owl: Well, that might be the biggest Onam song impact in a long time.

Vampire Bat: With social media at the peak, this was surely going to be.

[Gets a chicken pizza and three cups of Kandy tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jeevan (Ramzan Muhammed) has been in love with Sera (Gouri G Kishan) for a long time, but her family has planned to get her married to Rony (Jeeva Joseph), a wealthy and powerful businessman. On the night of her engagement party, Jeevan comes to visit her with his best friends Pappan (Hari Sivaram) and Sam (Shabareesh Varma) disguised as members of the event management team, only to be discovered by the family members. They almost manage to run away with Sera, only to mess up things at the last moment, and the engagement happens smoothly. At the same time, police informer only known by the name Wolf (Babu Antony) manages to help the government in getting into the notorious Mumbai gangster Victor’s (Yog Japee) hideout and seize his drugs, only to find out that the computer expert Sanjeev (Krishna) has managed to convert Victor’s cash into cryptocurrency. But before he gives the password to Wolf who had planned all of these, he is blackmailed by an unknown figure and he has heart attack and dies, leaving nobody with the password.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Now, Wolf will have to travel to Cochin to find the new head of the IT company where Sanjeev was working, and as the password is in his official laptop, the IT firm might find a way to open it. As Gayathri (Tessa Joseph) takes over as the new head of the firm, the stakes are now higher than ever. Meanwhile, Sera’s relatives send Babeesh (Baiju Santhosh) to deal with Jeevan and make sure that he does not come for his love again, and with him is Preman (Bhagath Manuel) who has seen the face of one of the people who came to the house for Sera. But they feel that Pappan might be Babeesh’s long-lost brother from childhood due to his similarities with an old photo they had, and change the plan to taking him home. Meanwhile, the police inspector Rajeev Nambiar (Narain) is forced to chase both Wolf and Victor to Kochi all the way from Mumbai. But his bigger priorities are taking credit for others’ achievements and always suspecting his wife Isha (Varsha Ramesh). Meanwhile Sam fights with Satheesh (Sajin Cherukayil) for the attention of Priya (Jayasree Sivadaas), and all these come together with unexpected links leading to chaos.

The defence of Sahasam :: Chaos comedy is not the kind of genre which is easy to create an impact, and neither is the use of silliness in the right manner. There might not have been any movie like Adi Kapyare Koottamani and Kunjiramayanam that could achieve the same in last few years, not considering those older classics. This one rather has the situation as more serious, with deaths, gangsters and underworld dealings involved, and the same has been done with the funny side being incredibly active. Just like the other movies of this category, it is the working humour that raises the level of the movie, and the energy adds to the same. The team that the movie has assembled with the veterans and newcomers is really good. The way in which the movie keeps its central romance going with an active emotional side going, and makes everything come together with some classic connections, is worth mentioning, and it seems to be some special skill taking over, as it leaves no loose ends, even for this kind of a movie which is usually allowed to do the same in its genre of confusions and comical complications.

Positives and negatives :: The movie might feel a little bit too long while dealing with this kind of a topic, but as it moves forward further, we just like that length more than anything else – the fun seems to get into us. Yet, some characters might not have been required here, and at times, it also comes up with scenes that feel extra. But it never losses our interest, and it is where this one becomes a classic complicated collection. The songs, especially the Onam mood song had set the mood for the film, and one wonders why it did not become a bigger success at the box-office. The movie’s use of nostalgia comes out of nowhere, like Babu Antony’s old-style moments, Narain talking about four the people and Krishna looking at that much celebrated song of the past with him in it as youth. Even though there are deaths and seriousness is present, we do not feel that kind of a dark tension, and the anxiety that we feel for the characters is rather different. We feel that the movie could even have sequels, and even spin-offs with some of these characters, who stay with us even when not the main characters.

The performers of the soul :: The movie has strong pillars on the two veteran actors Babu Antony and Narain, and this time, they are into humour, and the latter is almost completely into the same – they keep the world interesting with their presence, moments and even nostalgia. Ramzan-Gouri romantic side does work well too, and the music nicely supports the same. Baiju Santhosh, Shabareesh Varma, Hari Sivaram and Bhagath Manuel make a fine combination of humour here, and the silliness associated with their character is very much enjoyable. A surprisingly great addition is that of Varsha Ramesh, who adds to the humour and the overall proceedings really well, and her scenes with Shabareesh and Narain, both brings some classic fun. Return of Tessa Joseph adds another layer of nostalgia here, as she was one actress who was around only with a short career. Sajin Cherukayil also scores with humour while Jayasree Sivadaas adds on. Yog Japee makes a fine villain too. When all of these performers come together in the final moments, it is indeed a lot of fun.

How it finishes :: The movie has some of the best comic moments in the last few years, and there is a certain amount of skill in how this movie uses its moments, and even adds some nostalgia to it. The director’s previous venture Twenty One Grams was also a fine adventure, a serious one then – this time, the journey is on a different path, but it surely works well. This comedy of errors is surely a lot better than most of those so-called comedy works with even bigger stars, and this is the one movie that makes everyone feels good with its humour and those pieces coming together to make us satisfied by the end. The Onam mood itself is clearly felt in the movie, as it is indeed like a celebration to be done in the theatre. Even though not that much known during its release, with its coming to Amazon Prime Video, this will be a much talked about film for days to come. Some movies depend of superstars and hype, but this one clearly focuses on the entertainment quotient with the right cast, and performers who do not keep hailing as superstars – this absence of such overrated cast makes this an even better flick.

Release date: 8th August 2025
Running time: 144 minutes
Directed by: Bibin Krishna
Starring: Narain, Babu Antony, Gouri G Kishan, Varsha Ramesh, Ramzan Muhammed, Jayasree Sivadaas, Baiju Santhosh, Shabareesh Varma, Hari Sivaram, Bhagath Manuel, Yog Japee, Jeeva Joseph, Ann Jameela Salim, Abhimanyu Shammy Tilakan, Sajin Cherukayil, Tessa Joseph, Vineeth Thattil David, Lishoy, Krishna, Jayakrishnan, Major Ravi, Karthik

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira

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Vampire Owl: So, the third movie of the Onam Holidays also need to be watched.

Vampire Bat: On another day, this would have been our first choice to watch.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with a team having Fahadh Faasil and Kalyani Priyadarshan.

Vampire Bat: There was so much scope with this overall cast.

Vampire Owl: This should have surely done more in the theatres.

Vampire Bat: Yes, there is some magical feeling here right from the title.

Vampire Owl: That itself is a sign that everyone might not like the movie.

Vampire Bat: Well, you cannot please everybody all the time.

Vampire Owl: But there will be some point when everyone is pleased.

Vampire Bat: Not for vampires; not for an eternity or two.

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

What is the movie about? :: Aby Mathew (Fahadh Faasil) is a youngster who has been running a furniture company in Cochin. His brother Siby Mathew (Vinay Forrt) who lives in Bangalore is known only for taking loans and wasting money, while his father Mathew Thalachirayil (Lal) is known to be not normal due to his eccentric behaviour coming out at times. Mathew has been in a state of depression for the last ten years since the death of his wife, but the father and the son share a fine bond, like good friends. Siby rarely comes home unless he needs money from Mathew or Aby. Mathew hopes to reunite with his wife after most of his responsibilities to his children are done, and keeps a rope for suicide by hanging. One day, while at work, Aby meets a girl named Nidhi Sudhish (Kalyani Priyadarshan), and their first meeting is not really a happy one. Nidhi had just gone through a breakup, and even slaps Aby, but a series of events including her demanding a return slap, changes things between them.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Nidhi always talks about the dreams that she has, and even acts according to the same. Both Aby and Nidhi are not sure, but due to talks between Mathew and Nidhi’s father Sudhish Menon (Suresh Krishna), the date for wedding is quickly fixed. It is then that Nidhi has a dream and asks Aby to come to the wedding ceremony on a while horse, for which arrangements are quickly made, but the horse which gets irritated by the camera flash, throws Aby away, landing him in a coma, which makes Mathew leave his decision to commit suicide and take care of his son. Nidhi also waits for his comeback from coma, but days pass, and nothing happens. But one day, there is a twist, and Aby shows movement. Now, it is to be seen if he can get his lost love back when Nidhi’s family do not have anything to do with Aby again and wishes her to get married to someone else. Mathew will go to any extent to keep his son happy, and Aby still loves Nidhi, but is there a future for them again?

The defence of Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira :: This movie is indeed the second best among the Malayalam film releases of the Onam season, which means that it deserves better at least in the OTT platform. The visuals are stunning, and there are moments which would stay just for the beauty of what is shown on the screen. There is a certain amount of cuteness which is there to be taken in relation with the romance of the leading pair. The dupatta song shows the same, and we keep feeling the need to watch the same again and again, once again showing us that romance only needs the sweetness and nothing more – it should be a revelation for some other industries which depends on getting intimate to show love, and some nepo kids of other industries can realize that they could do without doing absurd acting in the name of love and devastate other cultures. The movie will remain technically sound and it is one true good movie, and we will get that feeling because of the lighter mood and no real darkness present to give a bad feeling at any point. The emotions also work in a positive way, and performances strike gold.

The claws of flaw :: The reception that this movie received at the theatre might keep the OTT audience of this part of the world in doubt, as it struggled to score during the Onam season even with Fahadh Faasil and the possibility of connecting with all kinds of audience – this one was removed from the theatres rather too early. The movie’s loss of momentum happens in the second half, especially with the subplot involving another girl in an apartment, but the whole story could have actually done without detailing this particular tale that much, as the length of the movie is also increased due to the same. When trying too many things and as so many elements try to come together in a tale which has the absurd and extra amount of silliness, the crash is somewhat certain. The middle portion, due to the same reason does not hold into the second half. The narrative should have held together in a better way, as the coherence seems to leave the movie. Absurdism with some black humour was just enough, but this one just tries too much.

The performers of the soul :: Fahadh Faasil adds a lot of power to this movie, which does not work as much as director’s more appreciated Njandukalude Veettil Oridavela, and as he gets in to make it better, he starts off well, and maintains that strength. The energy that he displays here is a lot more than one usually sees on the screen. But the one who scores the most is Lal, as the father figure with his strange activities, and dialogues that evoke the most laughter. This is revealed early with his talks with his son and those dialogues about sportsman spirit, wedding of his son and of HD Tharakan are indeed hilarious. He breathes fresh humour into moments which would have otherwise been dull, and he also makes sure that the light tone of the movie never gets to a darker one – it is even revealed on the writing on the clothing chosen by the character. Kalyani Priyadarshan was so different in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, and here we see something similar to what we had seen in Bro Daddy – she is too good here and perfects the mannerisms of the character. Suresh Krishna and Vinay Forrt adds extra fun, while Revathi Pillai and Dhyan Sreenivasan manage their work in less important subplots fine.

How it finishes :: Unlike the director’s Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela, Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira tries to do too many things at the same time. That debut movie of one of the best actresses who have been less recognized, Aishwarya Lekshmi, was a direct family entertainer with humour and messages at the right portions. That movie served so well that even those who did not appreciate it then are not doing the same in a much better way. It is also one of those movies which are watched on any day or event associated with cancer as a disease, implying the need for survival. This movie is surely not going in that direction, and it will not be something that we will remember for too long with its content, except for certain moments of humour which are definitely there to stay. The movie surely had a lot of potential on paper with its actors, humour and theme which could have been more meaningful even in the absurd. For now, it is still an interesting movie with a divergence, and has the emotional as well as humour running through it – the film surely deserved a better reception in the theatres.

Release date: 29th August 2025
Running time: 151 minutes
Directed by: Althaf Salim
Starring: Fahadh Faasil, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Revathi Pillai, Vinay Forrt, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Idavela Babu, Niranjana Anoop, Lal, Vinay Forrt, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Anuraj O B, Noby Marcose, Vineeth Vasudevan, Suresh Krishna, Vineeth Thattil David, Gopu Kesav, Stephen Samuel, Sreekanth Vettiyar, Athira Niranjana, Varsha Ramesh, Riyas Narmakala, Renjini George, Sreeja Ajith

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Hridayapoorvam

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Vampire Owl: So, this is the one other movie of the Onam season.

Vampire Bat: Yes, the movie that came up with the second position.

Vampire Owl: And the movie which received what remained at the box office.

Vampire Bat: The second movie of a festival also does well enough.

Vampire Owl: Unless there are movies from other languages also coming in.

Vampire Bat: We have managed to keep it our own this time.

Vampire Owl: This Onam has been pretty well managed as we see it.

Vampire Bat: Onam is for the Malayalam movie industry.

Vampire Owl: What Lokah Chapter One: Chandra achieved has been remarkable.

Vampire Bat: Well, Avengers or Justice League of this world is ready to go.

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

What is the movie about? :: Sandeep Balakrishnan (Mohanlal) is a wealthy and successful businessman who runs a popular restaurant chain in Cochin named Lunch Box, and has been spending most of his time for the same. This group of restaurants are known to be the cleanest and the tastiest around. But he is forced to keep away from the business as he need to undergo a heart surgery, and receives the heart of a colonel who recently passed away. Even though his brother-in-law OK Panicker (Siddique) and other relatives around, they do not usually visit him except for when there is need, and the hospital assigns him a male nurse Jerry (Sangeeth Prathap) so that things are under control. It is then that a young woman named Haritha (Malavika Mohanan) contacts him as the daughter of the man whose heart was donated. She invites him to Pune for her engagement, and there he meets her mother Devika (Sangita Madhavan Nair). The function is grand, as they family have been settled there for many years, and Haritha is also an established architect.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But not that much into the ceremony, Haritha declares the ceremony cancelled, leading to a quarrel, and Sandeep sustains a back injury while trying to intervene in the matters. Unable to return to Kochi due to this condition and he has to remain with Colonel’s family and Jerry to support him. Sandeep is not really happy about it in the beginning, as he feels the need to be back to his daily routine. But soon, he starts to get closer with Haritha and Devika. There he meets Haritha’s family friend Jacob (Lalu Alex) and Devika’s brother Manoj (Baburaj), which leads to him knowing more about his life as well as his habits. Despite his early feeling that a heart is just an organ, he feels the love and memories of the heart donor. Maybe this is the change that Sandeep needed, but how long can he stay in Pune and remain like the person who had donated the heart? How far will his world be changed, and how much does it change for the people around her?

The defence of Hridayapoorvam :: The movie goes on well with the feel-good idea. The movie would appeal to the family audience more than any other, and the director himself is reflected around here. There is a certain amount of happiness related to this movie, which stays on with us as we move away from the movie. The emotional side is also pretty strong for most of the time, and the mood with the death of a person and his hearth living inside another person keeps us going. There are also those light moments without even a pinch of dark that works, and the humour has itself moving in the right way. The background music and the songs keep working well for the overall mood of the movie. The people going for this movie because of the other two releases of the time being at the extremes, one becoming the industry hit and the other not getting audience, has kept the audience choosing this movie when the tickets for the all-time blockbuster was not available, getting this one to one of the top hits of the year.

The claws of flaw :: The movie feels a little bit too long for the content that it serves. It keeps on moving on and on even without much happening in between. Many things that happen in between seems to be not too relevant, and even then, they just keep happening in front of us, leaving us not focusing on the whole thing. The predictability factor is too high, and we know what is happening and feel like what could happen next can also be known in advance, with characters also acting in the ways we feel that they are going to act. Some jokes which seem to have been added here might serve no purpose at all, as a few dialogues and situations just fall flat, and were really not needed around here. Some characters just seem to have come out of nowhere, and never really even needed the big names to play them. The emotional loss is also seen at times. There are no real ups and downs here, as the movie keeps on going on in an average level, and sometimes gets just above average during its journey.

The performers of the soul :: Mohanlal, as expected, holds the movie together. His screen presence remains the biggest thing about this movie, and both humour and emotional depth stays strong within his arms it is due to him that simple moments become so strong and situations that would look dumb and absurd are converted into an effective side. His ability to turn the meaningless to the relevant with a certain amount of charm is on display here. Malavika Mohanan is a perfect addition as this character as she seems to blend in with cent percent accuracy. Sangita Madhavan Nair on another appearance after that memorable Anand Sreebala brings the charm of the past and our own nostalgia. Sangeeth Prathap brings the humour after Premalu, and this time, most of it comes smoothly and blends into the usual. Siddique and Lalu Alex, even though going on well, does not get their characters at full potential, and Janardhanan along with Baburaj only have a limited screen presence. The focus never really comes to the side characters, as it remains at one space, and the central character remains the heart.

How it finishes :: Lokah Chapter One: Chandra won the Onam in style, remarkably bypassing Lucifer 2: Empuraan unlike what was predicted, rising above all expectations. It does not bring anything new and with the old model of feel-good factor brought into the new world, manages to keep the audience interested, especially those who like similar flicks. There might be question if the movie could have been something bigger, but it keeps on being stuck to the safe mode – something greater is just kept away because it could be, to keep the family audience happy. If you are into this kind of movies, and stay happy with moments that bring nothing negative, pessimistic and disappointing, this is really the movie that keeps you there, even though that length might pull things back. The Onam mood nicely reflected here for sure, and we stay close to the same due to the mood never getting dark, and there seems to be the happiness that keeps on growing with hope for the better. We see that this is one of those paths that work, and that kind of audience will be watching it on the OTT and survive.

Release date: 28th August 2025
Running time: 151 minutes
Directed by: Sathyan Anthikad
Starring: Mohanlal, Malavika Mohanan, Sangeeth Prathap, Sangita Madhavan Nair, Lalu Alex, Baburaj, Nishan, Janardhanan, Siddique, Sabitha Anand, Saumya Bhagyan Pilla, Chandu Naik, Faheem B

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Lokah: Chapter I

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“Lokah Chapter I: Chandra” with Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead, is the latest superhero movie in this part of the world, and is based on the myths, legends and folklore which had been spreading through the state of Kerala in the distant past and are loved by people of the state. It is the first of a planned cinematic universe. Watch a quicker opinion in the form of video here:

For the detailed written review, please continue below:

Entry of a superhero universe blended with myth and legends :: Among the superhero movies of India, Minnal Murali has been a game changer, and four years later, another film, this time produced by Dulquer Salmaan and directed by Dominic Arun, which brings back the genre to life has released for Onam in the form of Lokah Chapter: 1 Chandra. With we all waiting for Kathanar: The Wild Sorcerer coming back to life with a work of fantasy and folklore, this one comes into the picture, taking the myths and legends into its wings. We had ARM dealing with a folklore depiction, but this one is different, as it establishes a universe. It serves as the origin story for a character that becomes a superhero with a dark side. But it is not the tale of one such a being with superpowers, for it introduces many more. There are characters who make the presence felt here, and we know that we will see them again. We see that a lot of skill is displayed in working with this tale, which would offer more. You know that there is no life in a folklore without the yakshi myth, and that would stay not that distant from the vampire legend from Eastern Europe, through the literary vampire and to the present friendly neighbourhood vampire due to the popular culture effect.

What is the movie about? :: Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan) is a mysterious woman who have come to live in the city of Bangalore, and works night shift in a popular café. Her friend and seemingly a mentor Prakash (Nishanth Sagar) keeps asking her to stay low, without letting many people know about her presence, and she makes minimum contact with people. Meanwhile, opposite to her apartment, lives Sunny (Naslen K Gafoor), Venu (Chandu Salimkumar) and Naijil (Arun Kurian), three best friends who have nothing much to do with their lives, and pretend to be still students, even though they are not that much into gaining knowledge or going for a job. While Naijil stays nearby, Sunny and Venu share the same apartment. One day, Sunny comes across this new unfamiliar face living opposite to him. He becomes more and more interested in her, and after he feels that he was saved from an accident as Chandra pushed him away, his infatuation grows.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But there is something more serious going on in the city, in the darkness of the night. A group of criminals is conducting kidnappings and organ trade, and supporting them is the corrupt and arrogant police officer Inspector Nachiyappa Gowda (Sandy) who believes only in having ultimate power and using them on the weak and subaltern. His path would come across that of Chandra, as she beats up one of the goons associated with these criminal activities for trying to throw acid on her co-worker in the café. At the same time, an elderly man named Daniel (Vijayaraghavan) has been writing about supernatural forces that have lived with humans through the ages, and that most of the tales of folklore are true, and real incidents passed on orally by people who witnessed the same. He believes that many people have superpowers and they would be unleashed in time. With the organ trade mafia running through the city, can there be a superhero to stop it?

The defence of Lokah: Chapter I: Chandra :: Dominic Arun has brought a masterpiece on the big screen, a perfect treat for the Onam holidays. His tale with Santhy Balachandran, the Tharangam star also holding a side of the pen, has taken us to a world of magic with the base so well rooted in the folktales that we are familiar with. The movie thrives on this familiarity and builds on those pillars which might be like some of those ruined but strong pillars that archeologists would find in Rome or Egypt during some excavations – the folktales of Kerala that grows on us. What is a folk-tale without the epic saga of Kadamattathu Kathanar and Kaliyankattu Neeli? And the twist that this movie takes is something that could grow further spin-offs, and for now, to rule the box-office, with contrasting moments that we remember, from the protagonist’s first fight to her human appearance in party, and then the violence that follows in the next night and her final preparation for the impossible – all these are sources of contrasting emotions – then there is the cameo appearance of Tovino Thomas that totally changes the mood to even better. The music by Jakes Bejoy is just impeccable in the case of this movie.

Positives and negatives :: The action here is amazingly good choregraphed by Yannick Ben. The final action sequences inside the café are beyond impressive, and the detailing of that world within that place keeps us enchanted. The humour which might have felt as just a side element often makes the movie a lot more enjoyable even when the dark side is on focus. The cinematography by Nimish Ravi and the editing by Chaman Chakko does a magnificent job in keeping this movie strong, and raising it to a level which would make the whole industry proud. The world detail and the colours are too good to escape our attention, while the flashbacks feel so well placed, and there are those scenes that add on in the end like watching those Marvel movies – they work on excellence to make us interested and not with mass appeal, and that would be the feature that keeps our movies apart. The movie uses its complexities like Minnal Murali used its simplicity to its advantage – nobody becomes a superhero by a lightning, for complexity comes in the darkness and not in the light. Some people might find some mixing to be forced with some moments going on as they would expect, but that is to be decided by nature.

The performers of the soul :: Kalyani Priyadarshan comes up with what might be the greatest of her career, not easy to outdo, and working like a dream. She had this so effective that imagining someone else in this particular role would be very difficult. She shines as a superhero who works on another level as an anti-hero with different shades of her character. There is also an emotional side that comes up, and shows further effectiveness. Naslen K Gafoor adds further emotions and a funny side with Chandu Salimkumar and Arun Kurian nicely contributing to the same. The three keeps the humour alive throughout the run, and this different role of Arun is to be noted, as one would not identify him from that work in Aanandam. Meanwhile, Sandy here makes a perfect antagonist, more menacing that him in Leo, a man to be feared, and someone who keeps bringing more than what meets the eye. Nishanth Sagar and Vijayaraghavan plays two characters who nicely add to the mystery of the overall tale. Then we have Tovino Thomas, Sunny Wayne and Dulquer Salmaan in some big cameo roles, and a few more are also shown, Soubin Shahir, Balu Varghese, Ahaana Krishna, Santhy Balachandran and Vijay Menon.

How it finishes :: As the first installment in a new cinematic universe, this one is a classic beginning. If Minnal Murali was a lighter version of a beginning of a possible large cinematic universe like Marvel, this one here is more like that early version of DC Universe with The Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Man of Steel and others. Unlike the Tovino-starrer of 2021, the danger here is more felt, and while the villain there was a man of circumstances, we see antagonists as personification of pure evil. With people more wronged in further violent ways, redemption here is not attained by saving a village. There is no lightning striking people to make people better here, as the superpowers are attained by sacrifices. With all the action, classic flashbacks, visual spectacles and added humour with memorable character ready to spawn more sequels, this is one movie that truly begins a perfect superhero universe in India. This is something I had wished for when I watched the Indonesian superhero movie Gundala which was followed by many sequels to extend it. This Onam, it is an honour to watch this one, our newly found prestige on the big screen.

Release date: 28th August 2025
Running time: 149 minutes
Directed by: Dominic Arun
Starring: Kalyani Priyadarshan, Naslen K Gafoor, Sandy, Arun Kurian, Chandu Salimkumar, Nishanth Sagar, Vijayaraghavan, Shivajith Padmanabhan, Nithya Shri, Sarath Sabha, Anna Ben, Tovino Thomas (cameo), Sunny Wayne (cameo), Dulquer Salmaan (cameo)

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Officer on Duty

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Vampire Owl: How many officers do you know?

Vampire Bat: Not many vampire officers.

Vampire Owl: We would need to appoint a few.

Vampire Bat: You think that an increase in vampire officers can solve ongoing crisis.

Vampire Owl: I do not see why not. The numbers do matter.

Vampire Bat: Not in all cases, for quality is also needed.

Vampire Owl: You can teach quality to the numbers.

Vampire Bat: There is a limit to what we can teach.

Vampire Owl: Not for the immortals. They have an eternity to learn.

Vampire Bat: There is no eternity that we do not know well enough.

[Gets a vegetable cutlet and three cups of Sikkim tea].

What is the movie about? :: It is seen that CI Joseph Chembola (Jithu Ashraf) commits suicide in Bangalore under the influence of a group of drug addicts and dealers, much to the dismay of the police force. The case does not seem to reach everywhere even though a certain mystery seems to go through the same. A few months later, back in Kerala, former DYSP and demoted into CI R Hari Shankar (Kunchacko Boban) gets back to action in the Aluva Police Station. He has not been himself since the death of his elder daughter Nila Harishankar (Meenakshi Anoop), a case of suicide which had sent him to a long period of depression. He remains very angry, and ready to beat up goons, or anyone who breaks the laws. His wife Geetha Harishankar (Priyamani) and younger daughter Minnu Harishankar (Eithal Evana Sherin) are very much concerned about his behaviour but can do nothing about him.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is then that Chandrababu (Jagadish), a KSRTC Conductor, has a complaint, but this particular problem related to an imitation gold chain seems to have further implications, and gets things more complicated enough to make it personal for Harishankar, contributing to the tension of his friends in the police force including DYSP Shahul Raj (Vaisakh Shankar) and his other friends like Advocate Rekha Chandrasekhar (Muthumani). It seems that these situations will remind him of a few things from the past he does not want to remember and can lead to those kinds of twists that nobody wants to see happening. But it is too late, as Harishankar finds out that Chandrababu’s daughter had replaced the gold chain with an imitation after being sexually exploited by an unknown man to prevent any further blackmailing over her nude video.

And what complicates things further within chaos? :: As Harishankar asks Chandrababu and his daughter to file a POCSO case as she is a minor, she responds by committing suicide and Chandrababu blames Harishankar for the same. As media also blames him, he is taken off the case but decides to keep searching for answers. He meets ASI Thomas (Manoj KU) who was in prison for the murder of the man who sexually exploited his daughter, and it is revealed that it was Harishankar who murdered the man, and Thomas only took the blame on himself as his daughter was also drugged and raped by the same person. Harishankar is unable to connect the links, but on the same night, Thomas is visited by Christy Savio (Vishak Nair), Celine Joan (Leya Mammen), Anna Louis (Aishwarya Raj) and Sathya Mithiran (Vishnu G Varrier), who claim to have studied with his daughter. But soon, it would seem that they have other intensions – where would this lead Harishankar with a new twist?

The defence of Officer on Duty :: It can be seen that Officer on Duty is one movie that stands tall with its realistic approach and some wonderful performances, led by Kunchako Boban himself in a role we do not usually see him working with. He remains solid within the movie as the police officer on a mission. Jagadish’s return to serious roles like he did in Garudan, Neru etc once again leaves us with something to remember. Vishak Nair’s entry into the antagonistic role feels like something that we would remember for a very long time. Among the rest, it is the debutant Aishwarya Raj who impresses like no other, and the sinister feeling that her character provides has no match among female villains of our industry. Leya Mammen matches the evil up to an extent, even though the character is focused more on an emotional vengeance. Priyamani and Meenakshi Anoop have less to do but manages to be of significance.

Positives and negatives :: The ending might feel forced but is justified well enough to finish the whole thing. It might not feel as something entirely new, but with the technical superiority, it scores like no other. The presence of some strong and interesting antagonists keeps the movie get to an even higher level. The movie also leaves as message against drug abuse, something which have been in the main news and having all schools and colleges forced to do some awareness campaign against the substance abuse which has been turning into bigger problems. Even though there are clear antagonists, it is to be known that the true villain is the drug abuse itself. This might be one of those movies which can be shown during drug awareness campaigns in parts. This is also that kind of a movie which deserves a sequel.

How it finishes :: It is not that easy to find a performance-driven thriller like this one. We still had some fine investigative thrillers last year in the form of Ozler, Anveshippin Kandethum, Thalavan, Anand Sreebala and others which have kept us very much interested in more. This year, we have this particular flick which follows the fine seriousness of Rekhachithram with ease. This year also needs to be a year of the thrillers, as Malayalam cinema has always provided the best of them. The world needs its Memories and other movies with imperfect and troubled police officers. The quality of thrillers like this one will stay with us for long for sure. The movie does seem to have come to the OTT too early, and one wonders if it is the release of Lucifer 2: Empuraan that led to that early entry to the theatres of home.

Release date: 20th February 2025 (Theatre); 20th March 2025 (Netflix)
Running time: 137 minutes
Directed by: Jithu Ashraf
Starring: Kunchacko Boban, Vishak Nair, Jagadish, Priyamani, Aishwarya Raj, Leya Mammen, Meenakshi Anoop, Amit Eapen, Eithal Evana Sherin, Vaisakh Shankar, Vishnu G Varrier, Srikant Murali, Manoj K U, Ramzan Muhammed, Arun Raj, Jithu Ashraf

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Maranamass

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Vampire Owl: There seems to be something sinister about this particular movie.

Vampire Bat: You mean like there is more than what meets the eye.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with a fine dose of evil.

Vampire Bat: You feel that there is more evil here than what seems to exist?

Vampire Owl: Evil does come in many different forms.

Vampire Bat: You mean the dark humour in use here.

Vampire Owl: You see that darkness in humour which makes the film beautiful.

Vampire Bat: There was always going to be evil with a serial killer around.

Vampire Owl: Well, evil always finds a way, doesn’t it?

Vampire Bat: Especially with bigger movies not doing the job well enough.

[Gets a vegetable puffs and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sreekumar (Rajesh Madhavan) lives a seemingly sweet and cute life as he teaches little kids in a kindergarten, and helps them in different possible ways. He seems like the typical kid-lover who cannot keep himself away from them. He takes them for rallies, tells them stories, and gets them support from the government. But in between doing all of these, he is the one serial killer whom the state is searching for. The serial killer has been known for brutally murdering elder people and also making a mockery of their corpses without any remorse and the state has been failing to capture him even with the police force in full alert. At the same time, the people of the same village are trying to send Luke (Basil Joseph) to Czechoslovakia because he has become a nuisance to everyone around him. Due to his strange behaviour, he also becomes a suspect in the serial killings, but is not arrested as police did not consider him to be smart enough to be a murderer with perfect plans.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Luke is not happy because his girlfriend Jessy (Anishma Anilkumar) wishes to breakup with him as he is suspected to be a serial killer by too many people and because he is going to Czechoslovakia. He tries to win her interest back, but keeps failing miserably. At the same time, Jikku (Suresh Krishna) is looking forward to his wedding day, after a big number of rejections that have happened in the last few years due to random people spreading rumours about him. He drives the bus named “Veena Poovu” with Aruvi (Siju Sunny) as the conductor. At the same time, the case about serial killings is passed on to DYSP Ajay Ramachandran (Babu Antony), a remorseless police officer who is being remorseful about his missing dog that forms his only family. It is then that Keshavakurup (Puliyanam Poulose), an old man and womanizer who has been dumped into an old age home escapes and gets into the “Veena Poovu” bus which also has Sreekumar and Jessy as late-night passengers. As the old man tries to misbehave with her, Jessy uses pepper spray on him, leading to his death.

And what complicates things further within chaos? :: Sreekumar is disappointed as he was planning to have the old man as his victim but hopes that he can have the body and make the media feel like it was his victim. But he is not able to take the body away, as Luke comes in for Jessy. The team decides to bury the body, but are not able to do so, with Aruvi feeling that the man is his long-lost father due to the mark on his body. They decide to take the body elsewhere to provide the final rites, but there are so many obstacles that they have to face. This would include people trying to get into the bus, the need to use the bus for the Communist Party purposes and the remaining doubt about Luke being the serial killer. At the same time, the serial killer manages to have some different plans, but none of them would favour Luke and Jessy’s love, Jikku’s upcoming marriage or Aruvi’s love for his father. Can the unexpected team of confused people manage to get out of trouble with none of them dead and buried?

The defence of Maranamass :: The movie uses the dark humour to a fine level, as a serial killer and his attempts at murder gets the funny side to explore. The tale of Tom and Jerry being told in a serial killer’s perspective feels funny because what they do in the cartoon itself is nothing less than attempt at murder if this was in real life. The humour works at all times, and the use of real-life situations is very effective as the movie’s satire stays strong. Basil Joseph handles the whole situation really well as the leading actor, and there is always some fun around he is there. Rajesh Madhavan does a wonderful job as the serial killer, and he adds something special to the movie. Suresh Krishna invokes the funny side very well and is well-supported by Siju Sunny. Anishma Anil Kumar makes a fine presence as the leading actress, and maintains the humorous side very well, as we hope to see more of her work in the coming days. Babu Antony with the humorous side also catches our attention. Puliyanam Poulose adds further humour here.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have had some focus on the story too, as it seems to be woven around humorous situations to make sure that it exists for namesake. Some of the characters seem to be present for the sake of being there. We do not see an attempt to introduce or develop most of them, and some of them just come and go. Some depictions might feel too silly for anyone’s standard, and could have used a little bit more of thoughts. There is no doubt about the fact that there was scope to make the film even better with added content. Maranamass is surely not the movie for everyone, as not all people might get some of the references here, as most of them do point somewhere, and not all viewers can appreciate some dark humour without being offended. People might be more interested in those mass masala and repeated family stuff for Vishu as they would most probably be watching together.

How it finishes :: Maranamass is that kind of a movie which can be watched for the funny side, and not for the tale, because it follows situations which are created to bring laughter and not to take the story forward. This was actually the only Vishu release which had us interested in watching, and that comes as no surprise considering the other releases which felt like no fun. The other releases can be found anywhere at any time, but it is to be noted that movies like this one are not that easy to create with effectiveness. We remember that movies like Aadu became cult classics, but this one is surely better than that, and we see that films like Adi Kapyare Kootamani and Kunjiramayanam had similar silly characters and succeeded in creating a laugh riot – this one is of the same level if we consider the characters that we see around. This is that kind of a film with serial killer which will not leave us in fear, but with a lot to laugh about.

Release date: 10th April 2025
Running time: 141 minutes
Directed by: Sivaprasad
Starring: Basil Joseph, Rajesh Madhavan, Siju Sunny, Babu Antony, Anishma Anilkumar, Suresh Krishna, Pooja Mohanraj, Joemon Jyothir, Puliyanam Poulose, Dheeraj Denny, Prashant Alexander, Tovino Thomas (cameo), Guru Somasundaram (cameo)

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

<<< Click here to go to the previous low hype movie review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

L2: Empuraan

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Vampire Owl: So, finally we have a sequel to Lucifer.

Vampire Bat: This has surely been the one movie hyped more than any other.

Vampire Owl: Well, I remember waiting for an eternity.

Vampire Bat: When a vampire calls a time period and eternity, that should be long.

Vampire Owl: There has been so much of talk about this that it feels like an eternity.

Vampire Bat: Well, it was the biggest movie of its time, so that is indeed natural.

Vampire Owl: So, are we looking for the biggest grossing Malayalam movie of all-time?

Vampire Bat: I don’t see why not. The movie that holds that position now do not deserve the title.

Vampire Owl: Yes, that was a movie with zero content.

Vampire Bat: We will never understand how that strange movie of jobless youngsters on a trip managed to get that much of attention.

[Gets an egg puffs and three cups of orange tea].

What is the movie about? :: The movie starts in the year 2002, a flashback of events during a communal event where the innocents are killed, and murders happen without remorse. In between, we see a Muslim family taking refuge in the home of Subhadra Ben (Nikhat Khan), a local political activist and member of a royal family. They feel that they are safe when within this stronghold, but it would soon be revealed that they are wrong. The nephews of the same person would take hold of the situation and brutally attack and murder everyone whom she had provided refuge to, also killing her in the process. The two men involved, Munna (Sukant Goel) and Balraj (Abhimanyu Singh) get the crowd support as well as the support of the political party that found its roots stronger with this riot, and they find themselves good enough to be major part of the same political party, while the scars of this situation remain in the minds of everyone.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Back in Kerala, the Chief Minister and the head of Indian Union Front (IUF) Jathin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas) struggles to keep things going due to him being investigated upon by multiple intelligence agencies for money laundering and financial scams. It is then that a new opposition party, Akhanda Shakthi Morcha (ASM), with its roots in North India, gains prominence in Kerala under the leadership of Sajanachandran (Suraj Venjaramoodu). Jathin seeks the help of the new force in Kerala, as he feels that the central investigative agencies could help him escape from the cases going on against him. At the same time, Priyadarshini Ramdas (Manju Warrier) fights against the dam which has come up at Nedumpilly, from where her family has seen growth within the political party. She sides with the common people there, much to the dismay of Jathin who finds himself on the other side.

And what more happens here to add to the chaos? :: Meanwhile, Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal) has not been around in Kerala for quite a long time as he has been focusing on handling the bigger businesses under the name Khureshi Ab’raam, with the help of Zayed Masood (Prithviraj Sukumaran) and other loyal companions. The incidents back in Kerala does not seem to concern him anymore, much to the dismay of Govardhan (Indrajith Sukumaran), Father Nedumpilly (Fazil), Murukan (Baiju Santhosh), Aparna (Shaun Romy), Murukan (Baiju Santhosh), Sanjeev Kumar (Giju John), Arundhathi Sanjeev (Nyla Usha) and others. Meanwhile, MI6 agents like Boris Oliver (Jerome Flynn) and Michele Menuhin (Andrea Tivadar) are on the hunt for the Khureshi gang. But there is another gang from Africa involved, as things get more complicated. But the two gangs might not be all that Stephen should be worried about. Can he handle his multiple problems well enough? Or will God’s Own Country fall to a new world order too?

The defence of L2: Empuraan :: The second part of Lucifer seems to keep a quality in the making that is beyond the usual films that we come across. With Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas also steals the show, and it is sad that we won’t see his character anymore. Suraj Venjaramood comes with a strong performance and so does Abhimanyu Singh as a villain to be noted, except for the last few minutes. The visuals are just too good to forget, and we will remember a few moments for how well it was shown on the big screen. One would feel that this kind of a spectacle might not be made in Malayalam cinema any time soon, which justifies so many people watching it on the big screen only. Some of the classic shots remind us that we are watching something beyond the usual, showing the quality like never before in Malayalam industry. The stage for sequel is nicely set, and we would feel that it would surely be a better one than this. The feeling that there is something beneath all of these remains around.

The claws of flaw :: The movie often forgets the most important factor, that of telling a story in a believable manner while trying to make it feel bigger and international. In the process, it wastes some of its main characters. Mohanlal arrives rather late, and Prithviraj comes like two hours later. Manju Warrier’s moments would have been better if it was part of the first movie, but in this one, it seems repetitive and forced. The worst part comes when there are so many subordinates with guns and the hero decides to do the fight so many people himself. Almost all the fights are rather too long and slowed down further with slow-motion sequences. Other seemingly important characters like the ones played by Andrea Tivadar just walk around in this movie dominated by male heroes and villains. Indrajith Sukumaran and Saniya Iyappan should have had bigger roles, but that was not to be. The same is the case of Baiju Santhosh. It is to be noted that unlike the first movie, there is no dialogue here that we will remember, and have to look back to the original for the same.

How it finishes :: L2: Empuraan has proven to be strong sequel to a movie which made the difference like no other. It depends on the first film to extend the impact and keeps itself in a struggle to make the canvas a lot bigger. It is successful in making the whole thing feel bigger, but not that bigger in the quality of content. The mystery of the main character has already been revealed, and in this one, he is too powerful to be in any kind of danger and for us to feel for the person. As a treat for the fans, and for the high quality making, this would stay on for longer. The success of this movie is a certainty and we hope that it would get more collections than the movie which leads the list of Malayalam movies which managed to get the highest collections. The effort that has been put in here would need our appreciation, and it deserves to be at its top. We would be waiting to see how far it goes after breaking all records.

Release date: 27th March 2025
Running time: 180 minutes
Directed by: Prithviraj Sukumaran
Starring: Mohanlal, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Indrajith Sukumaran, Andrea Tivadar, Saniya Iyappan, Jerome Flynn, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Fazil, Sai Kumar, Sukant Goel, Baiju Santhosh, Nandhu, Nikhat Khan, Sachin Khadekar, Eriq Ebouaney, Shivaji Guruvayoor, Aneesh G. Menon, Manikuttan, Nyla Usha, Giju John, Satyajit Sharma, Oziel Jivani, Aishwarya Ohja, Nayan Bhatt, Shubhangi Latkar, Alexx O’Nell, Mikhail Novikov, Murugan Martin, Behzaad Khan, Sshivada, Jaise Jose, Shaun Romy, Antony Perumbavoor

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

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the previous visual extravaganza.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse

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Vampire Owl: I am doubtful if this Dominic is a vampire.

Vampire Bat: There is surely no reason to have such a feeling.

Vampire Owl: He is old, but he does not look that old.

Vampire Bat: Well, we will ask our spies in the human world.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that the protagonist is Sherlock Holmes?

Vampire Bat: Someone who wishes to be like Sherlock Holmes.

Vampire Owl: There have been enough private detectives in Malayalam cinema too.

Vampire Bat: This one seems to take that to modernity.

Vampire Owl: We have always wanted a detective in Cochin.

Vampire Bat: But the theatre response does not seem to show success.

Vampire Owl: Well, there is still time to rise.

Vampire Bat: Other movies have just risen too early.

Vampire Owl: Well, not all movies of same level get the audience response.

Vampire Bat: From the trailer, there is too much left to be guessed.

Vampire Owl: Well, they try to be the same most of the time.

Vampire Bat: You have to recreate the same and not be the exact same.

Vampire Owl: There is something special about being a Sherlock.

Vampire Bat: It is about being the right kind of Sherlock.

Vampire Owl: That would be difficult to do.

Vampire Bat: The trailer of this one still looked promising.

Vampire Owl: Yes, there are moments which I look forward to.

Vampire Bat: We have to begin the new year really well, don’t we?

Vampire Owl: Yes, one movie already managed to be impressive.

Vampire Bat: Two in a week can only be good.

[Gets a box with caramel popcorn and three cups of elaichi tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: This turned out to be an interesting journey, even though not exactly Sherlock.

Vampire Bat: This has that slow-burning feeling.

Vampire Owl: The world seems to remain simple though.

Vampire Bat: And our director seems to try to break fourth wall often.

Vampire Owl: I see that this is his first movie in Malayalam.

Vampire Bat: I am very much impressed by the final twist.

Vampire Owl: The dance movements in between seem to leave an impression too.

Vampire Bat: The complexities that come in between makes a twist in the simple tale.

Vampire Owl: The twists are nicely arranged to make way for the final one.

Vampire Bat: There are some fine red herrings at work too.

Vampire Owl: It is nice to see the city of Cochin represented well.

Vampire Bat: And we feel that this can be a franchise to elevate the level.

Vampire Owl: Mammootty and Gokul Suresh do make a nice combination here.

Vampire Bat: Sushmitha Bhatt does make the most impact in this movie though, with the dance, dialogues and revelations.

Vampire Owl: Shine Tom Chacko, Siddique, Vineeth and Vijay Babu are there only in smaller roles though, and that’s surprising though.

Vampire Bat: Meenakshi Unnikrishnan also has a good role to play as another lady love.

Vampire Owl: A little bit of humour is added nicely, but more should have been there.

Vampire Bat: The movie does lack in originality too, as more could have been added to make the level better.

Vampire Owl: The experimental side still runs through here. There was always some risk making a movie like this.

Vampire Bat: How a disgraced police officer turned private detective solves a missing and murder case with a start through a ladies’ purse which lands in his hands due to strange circumstances come as no surprise.

Vampire Owl: Still, Gokul Suresh should have had more classy moments, as it seems that Viji Venkatesh seems to be the next important character on the protagonist’s side.

Vampire Bat: The movie ends up being a satisfactory family investigation with that touch of comic side which also has enough to support the overall light mood, not like the earlier Kannur Squad, Anand Sreebala, Ozler, Thalavan or Anveshippin Kandethum.

Vampire Owl: I was wondering if things could get better with the private detective setup, but this one as of now seems fine.

Vampire Bat: What can a vampire do, but hope for more murder mysteries so that the human world can be more interesting? For humans have enough of demons in themselves?

Vampire Owl: Well, we already have those which serve as good beginnings. There will surely be more thrillers and some interesting serial killers to look out for. After all, humans are more evil than we could ever be.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day served by the clouds and awaits more of the dark days which symbolizes death].

The YouTube video version comes up with the vlogged review. Our YouTube channel Scholar Nomads seeks to expand all horizons, exploring diverse areas of interest through video as much as writing. Not leaving any mode behind, both the blog and vlog will feature film reviews and explore fresh styles, offering even more intriguing content to viewers and readers alike.

Release date: 23rd January 2025
Running time: 152 minutes
Directed by: Gautham Vasudev Menon
Starring: Mammootty, Gokul Suresh, Sushmitha Bhatt, Meenakshi Unnikrishnan, Shine Tom Chacko, Viji Venkatesh, Vineeth, Balachandran Chullikkad, Suresh Krishna, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Lena, Wafa Khatheeja Rahman, Veena Nair, Dinesh Prabhakar, Ashvin Mathew, Neeraja Rajendran, P R Rajasekharan, Arjun Nandhakumar, Harshitha J Pisharody, Laya Simpson, Sudha Sumithran

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.