Category Archives: Malayalam

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

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

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

@ 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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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ 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

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

@ 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)

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

@ 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

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

@ 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.

Rekhachithram

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Vampire Owl: We will never have enough murder mysteries.

Vampire Bat: There is no limit to investigations on the unsolved.

Vampire Owl: This one has gained some fine reviews.

Vampire Bat: Anand Sreebala seems to have provided a similar feeling.

Vampire Owl: And that Anveshippin Kandethum feeling of last year.

Vampire Bat: And that of Ozler with the same actress.

Vampire Owl: We wonder how many mysteries are yet to be solved.

Vampire Bat: We have missed too many thrillers in between.

Vampire Owl: We now have the best thrillers in Malayalam.

Vampire Bat: We continue to believe in such smooth investigations.

Vampire Owl: And we need more serial killers.

Vampire Bat: The best thrillers surely can use a few.

Vampire Owl: We know that the best thrillers are coming.

Vampire Bat: Well, we have listed a few.

Vampire Owl: A little more darkness could have been fine.

Vampire Bat: Darker the movie, better its world.

Vampire Owl: This movie seems to be not that dark.

Vampire Bat: There is some nostalgia though.

Vampire Owl: The journey to the past never gets old.

Vampire Bat: Especially when it is related to movies.

Vampire Owl: We have seen Malayalam films using the same in the best way.

Vampire Bat: I would let the nostalgia run wild in fear.

Vampire Owl: Horror and a memorable past combine well.

Vampire Bat: Like a shake, biryani and tea.

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

Vampire Owl: This was such a well-made journey.

Vampire Bat: The combination of nostalgia and mystery of the past and the investigation with its thrills in the present.

Vampire Owl: It provides us a past which is memorable.

Vampire Bat: Yes, the golden age of Malayalam cinema.

Vampire Owl: The 1980s and 1990s. Fifteen years of 1985 to 1999, right?

Vampire Bat: The age of Nadodikkaattu, Utharam and others on one side.

Vampire Owl: The age of Spadikam, Summer in Bethlehem and others on the other. The connections to Mutharamkunnu P O and Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam are nicely created.

Vampire Bat: The movie then refers to Kathodu Kathoram, another one we remember.

Vampire Owl: Who would not remember the song “Devadoothar paadi”?

Vampire Bat: And we were reminded of the same in Nna Thaan Case Kodu, shown here too.

Vampire Owl: This also reminds me of Cold Case.

Vampire Bat: The discovery of a skull, yes – but not as old as this one.

Vampire Owl: The mystery of the skull still impresses, doesn’t it?

Vampire Bat: Well, we just have the full skeleton this time.

Vampire Owl: A disgraced police officer investigating the case, and that’s something which keeps us interested in the same.

Vampire Bat: Discovery of the skull, finding its origin, but nobody knowing the person except for the face and name, then the difficulty to prove who died even when there is the idea that it is known that who really committed the murder.

Vampire Owl: It is once against Asif Ali in the role of a police officer that steals the show – we remember that Thalavan was so good.

Vampire Bat: Anaswara Rajan and nostalgia has become a fine combination too, and it is indeed great to see.

Vampire Owl: The other leading actress, Bhama Arun has done a fine job in between too. It is a role similar to what the leading actress of Anand Sreebala was doing.

Vampire Bat: The other two main actresses, Zarin Shihab and Megha Thomas have blended into their respective roles so well as we look at them.

Vampire Owl: Siddique, Saikumar and Indrans once against impresses in the serious roles which seem to suit them better than ever these days.

Vampire Bat: This one movie that provides the satisfaction not just as a thriller, but also as a near complete film.

Vampire Owl: Nishanth Sagar is one actor whom we need to see more and suits the cop role like never before.

Vampire Bat: Manoj K Jayan plays too big a villain and Saleema becomes the pair in has been through with the villainy for too long. It was rather too direct though.

Vampire Owl: In the end, we have another murder mystery that we love. This is another one of those movies that keeps us in a world of investigation that thrills.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day during twilight and awaits the darkest bloody night of that particular week].

The YouTube video features the same version captured through mobile. As the writing mode continues to play a significant role, the visual presentation does take on an increasingly prominent position. The YouTube channel Scholar Nomads seeks to expand the horizons, exploring diverse areas of interest. 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: 9th January 2025
Running time: 140 minutes
Directed by: Jofin T Chacko
Starring: Asif Ali, Anaswara Rajan, Manoj K Jayan, Harisree Ashokan, Sai Kumar, Bhama Arun, Nishanth Sagar, Zarin Shihab, Saleema, Megha Thomas, Srikant Murali, Priyanka Nair, Nandu, Sudhi Koppa, Vijay Shaju Sreedhar, Sanju Sanichen, Anuroop P Jayashankar, Dileep Menon, Arun Sankaran Pavumba, Pauly Valsan, Akhil Shylaja Sasidharan

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Anand Sreebala

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Vampire Owl: I have always wanted more murder mysteries to be solved.

Vampire Bat: We are not taking applications from catchers of serial killers.

Vampire Owl: We can solve them all by ourselves.

Vampire Bat: There are exceptions which can only be solved in the human world.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that it is that evil?

Vampire Bat: The serial killers of human world are the evilest ones.

Vampire Owl: I have heard that serial killers are celebrated in their world.

Vampire Bat: I doubt if this particular murder in the movie is a serial killer’s work.

Vampire Owl: You are underestimating the power of a serial killer.

Vampire Bat: As far as I know, we are talking about one particular murder in the movie.

Vampire Owl: You know that there can always be more than one.

Vampire Bat: You do not need to bring an extra killer to the scene.

Vampire Owl: They call us killers, don’t they?

Vampire Bat: Well, we have killed enough mosquitos to earn that title.

Vampire Owl: The suffering of blood-drinkers of many worlds.

Vampire Bat: This movie is based on a real incident though.

Vampire Owl: Reality has been a myth for too long.

Vampire Bat: Reality has been effectively created by media.

Vampire Owl: We know enough stories to get a background to the movie?

Vampire Bat: This was on the newspaper for long enough. You will know.

Vampire Owl: I often know too less about the human world.

Vampire Bat: You never know the humans enough.

Vampire Owl: So, the humans will kill their own people in serial killer mode.

Vampire Bat: We need not stop them until all of them are killed.

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

Vampire Owl: The movie seems to maintain the same power of flicks like Anveshippin Kandethum; that kind of a mood.

Vampire Bat: Along with Ozler and Thalavan, makes another fine thriller for the year.

Vampire Owl: Arjun Ashokan leads the way very well here.

Vampire Bat: He has always had the skills to play these kinds of roles.

Vampire Owl: He seems to suit the role of a young investigator with ease.

Vampire Bat: We have seen him doing the role of young cop before in Unda.

Vampire Owl: Aparna Das plays the journalist with ease, even though the role could have meant more to perform in the later stages.

Vampire Bat: Malavika Manoj plays her role in what seems to be a realistic portrayal.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that we will see more of her soon enough.

Vampire Bat: Then we see Saiju Kurup with the police role, done so well.

Vampire Owl: And it is always good to see Azees Nedumangad around, in any role.

Vampire Bat: The veterans, Siddique and Indrans do get something to do too.

Vampire Owl: The visuals might be the best thing about the movie.

Vampire Bat: I do remember some shots, like the one in archives and of the last fighting scenes outside the state.

Vampire Owl: The twist in the end seems to have had less effort behind it though, as things just seem too easy.

Vampire Bat: It still matches the overall mood of the movie, as the tale of the common police aspirant.

Vampire Owl: Well, there is nothing that matches the struggle of a commoner on the screen.

Vampire Bat: The movie could have actually used some moments of real danger.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are so many things that could have brought a terror that continued.

Vampire Bat: The movie feels more like mystery than the thriller, but there is still the certainty of thrills that hesitate to go away.

Vampire Owl: In the end, they make things work.

Vampire Bat: The cameos do feel out of place. They seem to be there for the sake of being present.

Vampire Owl: But we feel that they are suitable enough.

Vampire Bat: The humour does work well enough.

Vampire Owl: Well, we keep hoping for more, as that is what we do.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day because the clouds have done the trick, and awaits the darkest bloody night of the week].

The YouTube video features another film review here. The reviews aim to captivate viewers by offering engaging and thought-provoking commentary on the chosen movies. While the writing continues to play a significant role, the visual presentation takes on an increasingly prominent position. The YouTube channel Scholar Nomads seeks to expand its horizons, exploring diverse areas of interest. 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: 15th November 2024
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Vishnu Vinay
Starring: Arjun Ashokan, Aparna Das, Sangita Madhavan Nair, Saiju Kurup, Siddique, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Aju Varghese

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

ARM

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Vampire Owl: What do you know about the Vampire Arm?

Vampire Bat: This is not really about the Arm of the Vampire.

Vampire Owl: I do know about the secret nuclear weapon known as the Vampire Arm.

Vampire Bat: We are certainly not talking about that magical weapon right now.

Vampire Owl: It was invented by Doctor Frankenstein, right?

Vampire Bat: It is a thing of magic, not science.

Vampire Owl: Mr. Frankenstein missed that opportunity, I see.

Vampire Bat: There is nothing special that a pseudo-doctor can do.

Vampire Owl: You should not disrespect the greatest scientist of our world.

Vampire Bat: Well, he is not even a vampire.

Vampire Owl: We are a free society with a policy of inclusion for all.

Vampire Bat: We are unlike humans who are divided by caste, race, religion and more.

Vampire Owl: I heard that this movie also has similar elements.

Vampire Bat: Well, the division has been with humans all the time.

Vampire Owl: They never had hesitation to even kill their own people.

Vampire Bat: I cannot wait to see the hate displayed in this particular film.

Vampire Owl: There is the certainty of hate when humans are around.

Vampire Bat: And here we watch our first theatre movie outside Kerala.

Vampire Owl: So, you mean to say that Birla Planetarium will not count?

Vampire Bat: That never counted as a real movie.

Vampire Owl: What about that show in Science City?

Vampire Bat: That was never a regular film.

Vampire Owl: We should have watched that Bengali film in Kolkata.

Vampire Bat: Well, we did have just enough time, but not the support of fate.

[Gets a box with caramel popcorn and three ice creams and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: The strength of fantasy is displayed so well.

Vampire Bat: The three main characters belonging to three different time periods are portrayed well.

Vampire Owl: Yet, there could have been more focus on the first one, which ends too quickly.

Vampire Bat: Fantasy was to take root and spread during that time, but was not to be seen.

Vampire Owl: Fantasy has not limits, I would say, as we have seen where it has led Hollywood and gained followers from all ages.

Vampire Bat: We are the fans of the genres in other languages, and now we have one of ours executed well.

Vampire Owl: And that too without too much of heroism attributed to the main character.

Vampire Bat: The last character does remind us of someone we might usually see with the helplessness and troubles following him.

Vampire Owl: Well, they have made a fine mix, it seems.

Vampire Bat: It also seems to have borrowed elements from some folk-tales.

Vampire Owl: I have also seen the power of myths and legends on display here.

Vampire Bat: The magic has its own way of dealing with things. Sorcery is often the common part of these worlds.

Vampire Owl: The action is too good, especially with the visuals in support.

Vampire Bat: I am doubtful whether someone other than Tovino could have managed this so well.

Vampire Owl: The three roles and middle one stands out above the rest.

Vampire Bat: And among the leading actress, Surabhi Lakshmi comes out on top.

Vampire Owl: All of a sudden, this became the right fantasy movie.

Vampire Bat: Something to rise above the combinations of myth and history that we have already seen.

Vampire Owl: This is what Odiyan could have been.

Vampire Bat: Even Kayamkulam Kochunni and Mamangam could have been like this.

Vampire Owl: Well, they did not have Tovino for sure.

Vampire Bat: Tovino has been continuously evolving as an actor; we know Minnal Murali well.

Vampire Owl: The romantic side goes through a weaker journey though.

Vampire Bat: That makes the fairy-tale element go out of the equation.

Vampire Owl: Still, this is a “once upon a time” story.

Vampire Bat: Yes, with focus less on the story and more on the rest. There were times when we wondered that this would be a reverse fairy-tale.

Vampire Owl: There are many things that this movie reminds me about, and those reminders are not limited to movies.

Vampire Bat: The computer games are some of them. As long as we remember Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider series which are also movies now. There were more advanced in traps in science fiction movies too.

Vampire Owl: These kinds of traps are rarely seen in Malayalam movies. It seems to show the further evolution of Tovino into something more than the usual action hero of our times.

Vampire Bat: This is an evolution in the right path.

Vampire Owl: We were limited to watching such traps in Hollywood movies only, and now there is the change.

Vampire Bat: Still, one is left with the feeling that there could have been even more.

Vampire Owl: Yet, it works so well as a risky attempt with effectiveness. We do not see that much courage these days among our film-makers.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day with clouds bringing the cover, as drops of rain slowly started pouring down].

This is the YouTube video with the fourth film review there. The video reviews have had the focus by attracting more viewers, and tries to make interesting comments about the selected movies. The writing will also go on through its path, but the visual side also has its say more than ever, as the YouTube channel “Scholar Nomads” intends to explore more areas of interest. For both blog and vlog, there will be film reviews and even more to be seen with new styles.

Release date: 12th September 2024 (Theatre – Onam Release)
Running time: 142 minutes
Directed by: Jithin Laal
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Krithi Shetty, Aishwarya Rajesh Surabhi Lakshmi, Basil Joseph, Aju Varghese, Jagadish, Sanju Sivram, Pramod Shetty, Kabir Duhan Singh, Madhupal, Santhosh Keezhattoor, Rohini, Harish Uthaman, Nisthar Sait, Biju Kuttan, Sudheesh, Parvathi T

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Little Hearts

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember those days when we were eating Little Hearts without limits? Those were the most approved biscuits.

Vampire Bat: Those were the days of fine nostalgia. We were not even limited to Little Hearts as we continued lives focused on the little moments of joy.

Vampire Owl: So, they have named a movie after a packet of biscuits. It is a good idea to keep the focus on the food.

Vampire Bat: On the greatest packet of biscuits that we will ever know. Not just us, the greatest that humans will ever know.

Vampire Owl: So, you mean to say that the greatest of them all is not Bourbon or Hide and Seek with those classic looks?

Vampire Bat: There is nothing that matches Little Hearts, and there are not many that matches the old model of Milk Bikis.

Vampire Owl: I am assuming that you are going through a biscuit induced nostalgia, not focused on tea for a change.

Vampire Bat: Well, we have been among the people who have eaten so much of biscuits that we are close to breaking records.

Vampire Owl: We have also waited for this movie to release for a little too long.

Vampire Bat: Well, the first proposed date of release was much earlier.

Vampire Owl: The release should have happened during the vacation.

Vampire Bat: Well, the holidays had seen some strange films creating records with collections.

Vampire Owl: I will never know how these new generation and mindless movies make so much of collection.

Vampire Bat: Well, human taste has always been strange.

Vampire Owl: Trusting their taste is the strangest thing a vampire can do.

Vampire Bat: At least the trailer of this movie did a pretty good job in making an impression.

Vampire Owl: You know that making a trailer is often too easy a job if there is not that much of a content to show in the full film

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

Vampire Owl: This is an interesting movie, even though there is no attempt at variety. It goes on well, as if it was just determined to move on.

Vampire Bat: After RDX: Robert Dony Xavier and Vela, Shane Nigam seems to have quite a different role here and has nailed this one too.

Vampire Owl: Shane Nigam and Mahima Nambiar team has returned as a pair quite well, even though latter should have been there for more.

Vampire Bat: Well, the romantic side of Shane and Mahima has the least focus among the romances shown in this movie.

Vampire Owl: The three romances here face problems due to different reasons, and none of them seems to be ready to be accepted by the society.

Vampire Bat: Well society, economic well-being and sexuality will always have roles to play in the society forever.

Vampire Owl: Well, I would say that these are rather eternal, like Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Bat: The tale of Baburaj and his relationship with the son played by Shane Nigam makes the biggest impact though.

Vampire Owl: Yes, with both the humour as well as the emotional side has been managed so well, reminding one of those early days of moving into humour from villainy.

Vampire Bat: Yet, it could not further develop on the same, and manages to travel just on the usual and predictable path.

Vampire Owl: The feel-good path is the one road too much travelled, and without trying too much to make things better.

Vampire Bat: There are still those moments with Little Hearts packets, and there is the certainty of tea being shown again and again.

Vampire Owl: The one who played the migrant worker from the North really did a great job, and brings humour being second only to Baburaj. Yet, rest of the humour goes through a struggle at times.

Vampire Bat: Shane’s avatar in a different style works well, even though he should have more of romantic side with Mahima. The deviation was not that much needed, at least with this much of an effect.

Vampire Owl: Well, even in their previous movie together, they had parted way too soon. At least with the feel-good mode one, that would not happen.

Vampire Bat: For the same, it seems that the end was forced to reach that destination of feel-good for the common soul.

Vampire Owl: In a world of viewers where they are strangely addicted to drugs and alcohol like never before, can we ever have enough feel-good?

Vampire Bat: Can you blame them with so many superstars trying to put them into a world of nonsense far away from a righteous reality?

Vampire Owl: Well, I would trust this simple feel-good film with nice green visuals and some interesting songs which are there to stay for long. There is no real danger in the happenings of this one, and the light-hearted side keeps the darkness away.

[Disappears into the darkness of the day because the clouds have done the trick to hide the sun and bring the much needed darkness].

This is the YouTube video with the second film review there. The video reviews have had the focus since the last one, and tries to make interesting comments about the selected movies. The writing will also go on through its path, but the visual side also has its say more than ever, as the YouTube channel “Scholar Nomads” intends to explore more areas of interest. For both blog and vlog, there will be films reviews and even more to be seen.

Release date: 7th June 2024 (Theatre)
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Anto Jose Pereira and Aby Treesa Paul
Starring: Shane Nigam, Shine Tom Chacko, Baburaj, Mahima Nambiar, Renji Panicker, Shammi Thilakan, Jaffer Idukki, Aima Rosmy Sebastian, Ramya Suvi, Maala Parvathy, Parvathy Babu, John Kaippallil

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the review of our first favourite film of the year.

<<< Click here to go to the review of the most underrated film of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Thalavan

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Vampire Owl: So, you are going to do a video film review this time. How did we come to that from all the series of long writings which never seemed get even close to finishing?

Vampire Bat: Well, the YouTube channel has started. More videos are to be done. Otherwise, we will be left far behind.

Vampire Owl: So, something related to cinema has to be done?

Vampire Bat: Yes, we have travelled through other areas of interest already. There should be no area where we cannot touch.

Vampire Owl: So, the channel, Scholar Nomads has gone through multiple worlds? The different realms where strange creatures thrive?

Vampire Bat: It is interdimensional. It talks not just about cinema. The YouTube channel is like a creature of multiple worlds seeking energy and sustaining in all of them.

Vampire Owl: I am assuming that there is a lot of travel involved. You have been the best-known vampire traveler in our history.

Vampire Bat: Well, travel has always been a top priority among video makers. There is just no time travel in this particular channel though.

Vampire Owl: I am also confident that it will have literature. What is a Vampire Bat without language and literature in any form?

Vampire Bat: Yes, literature, as well as food journeys and cooking are part of it. I am still extending my world as we know it.

Vampire Owl: Well, I agree to the fact that you deserve more support. You have worked hard in the online human world for so long.

Vampire Bat: I am not going to get that because there are too many celebrities out there. Whatever they do, they get the support, and even if they do nothing, they gather the same.

Vampire Owl: I know a few computerized vampires through Uncle Dracula. We will try to get some subscribers and regular viewers.

Vampire Bat: There have not been enough vampires in the cyber world to be of support to an undead cause – not even Dark Elves could gather that.

Vampire Owl: You have been a faithless vampire for rather too long. You should understand that this goes against our ideology of faith, belief and hope.

Vampire Bat: I am just having some travel fatigue just like last week. I was almost dead last week and had to use two and half coffins for rest.

Vampire Owl: You traveled from one castle to the other within one forest which makes less than twenty-five kilometres.

[Gets a vegetable samosa and three cups of masala tea and moves into theatre].

Vampire Owl: This is undoubtedly a fine movie. It deserves more audience than it has managed to have in these theatres.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that this is better than the other bigger grossing films which have come during this leap year.

Vampire Owl: Those movies run due to superstars or fake word-of-mouth. Some people manage to turn the fake side to something more.

Vampire Bat: It is a shame that 2018 is no longer the highest grossing Malayalam movie. It had always deserved to stay at the top as one movie that is close to human hearts, inspiring them to survive against all possible odds.

Vampire Owl: And it is further shame when we understand what kind of movies overtake it in a disappointing manner – a terrible beauty indeed.

Vampire Bat: Then we have those mindless action, comedy and romance doing well. This seems to be the pattern this year.

Vampire Owl: Well, human taste has gone down the drains these days.

Vampire Bat: But at least we can support movies like this, and Anveshippin Kandethum and Abraham Ozler – two thrillers which will stay in memory for long. Then there are those even older thrillers which have made a mark, a group led by Memories and Drishyam.

Vampire Owl: Yes, this is a movie powered by performances. The thrillers have seen the best performances in the last few years.

Vampire Bat: Biju Menon and Asif Ali have done some really good job as the protagonists. They play two police officers who are not perfect, but are indeed straightforward. They have their egos and cannot stand each other, but need to come together in the end to solve a case, or it will cause the worst for the department itself.

Vampire Owl: Then they are not superhero-like officers who randomly beat up everyone because the dumb fans will like to see that.

Vampire Bat: And the supporting cast is a nice one, and unlike those big grossers, women also get something to do around here. Those big grossers had denied the existence of actresses. Then there are those superstars who seem to deny the existence of everyone else.

Vampire Owl: Then the twists are so well-managed, for we would not guess them that easily. And the final twist works even better. The villain is not someone whom we had expected, as so many other suspects were there to be taken.

Vampire Bat: Well, we are given those red herrings, and the divergence that comes in between works like a dream.

Vampire Owl: Thrillers in Malayalam have always deserved better due to their grand quality and memorable serial killers; more accolades would do.

Vampire Bat: Well, humans relate to strange things which are less real than we are. They do not realize the evil within them and the inherent terror.

Vampire Owl: They are strangely addicted to romance, drugs and alcohol, considering them to be forever to guide their lives.

Vampire Bat: Can you blame them when so many films show these terrible things to be feared as things of greatness?

Vampire Owl: They will need a cautionary warning to be displayed every time. These humans are too young a species to know. In a few centuries, if they continue to exist, they will know more about all of these in detail.

[Disappears into the darkness of the night because both are more nocturnal than ever].

This is the YouTube video with the first film review there.

Release date: 24th May 2024 (Theatre)
Running time: 131 minutes
Directed by: Jis Joy
Starring: Biju Menon, Asif Ali, Miya George, Anusree, Joji John, Dileesh Pothan, Jaffar Idukki, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Ranjith, Kottayam Nazeer, Bilas Chandrahasan

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

<<< Click here to go to the film review before that.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.