Tag Archives: crime

Mercy

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Vampire Owl: Hope that the vampire elders will have mercy on us.

Vampire Bat: I wonder why you have started caring for the vampire elders.

Vampire Owl: I have a deal which I have to make for them.

Vampire Bat: We have an official Vampire Deal-Maker. You need to do nothing.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had assured of a special scientific deal.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein can only make pseudo-scientific deals.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein is a scientist beyond all infinite understanding.

Vampire Bat: He tried to create life out of chicken fried rice yesterday.

Vampire Owl: Well, it was chicken noodles, and I remember that.

Vampire Bat: It could be even chicken biryani, but that is not my point.

[Gets a paneer biryani and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the year 2029, the world has changed by a long way. This time at Los Angeles, the Mercy Capital Court while trying to deal with a surge in crime, brings Artificial Intelligence judges for trials of violent crimes, which have been too common in an attempt to keep the general public safe. These AI judges give the defendants enough resources to find and provide all the evidence needed, and they are to prove their innocence in ninety minutes, or in the case of failure, will be executed. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Christopher Raven (Chris Pratt) is the one who finds himself in trouble due to the same new system despite himself having fought for its implementation after his best friend and partner in Los Angeles Police Department, Ray Vale (Kenneth Choi) was murdered, and the killer had walked free after he had hesitated to take a shot when there was the chance to finish off the criminal. He is put on trial for his wife Nicole Raven’s (Annabelle Wallis) murder, and is given not a second more than ninety minutes of investigation with the AI help to persuade the judge AI Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson) of his innocence.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: All the evidence seems to point to Chris having killed his wife, as her blood was found on his clothing and doorbell camera footage places him returning to home from the office just before her murder, and nobody else had come to their house on that day, and their daughter Britt Raven (Kylie Rogers) who came just after he left, was the first person on scene. Chris’s guilt probability is 97.5%, which he needs to lower to 92% to avoid a quick execution. There is also proof for Nicole planning a divorce due to his increasing drinking problem and all the shouting at her that came under the alcohol influence. For the same, Nicole was spending time with another man, Patrick Burke (Jeff Pierre), with whom she had started a romantic relationship, seemingly intimate in nature as they saw each other in hotel rooms. But the man could not be linked to the murder. This means that there is something more sinister in this murder as Christopher knows that he did not commit the crime. But time is less and can he survive?

The defence of Mercy :: The idea of an Artificial Intelligence judge coming up with a judgment in such a short period of time, and thus racing against time, remains something that will keep us glued to the screen from the beginning itself. As we go with the protagonist is bringing together the pieces to solve the puzzle, that works well. The expected themes like surveillance, privacy and effects of technology are surely there to be seen. The use of digital footprints to find someone also reminds us of a familiar world. The constant reminder of an end and such a countdown create a constant tension which keeps the movie engaging. The short run-time delivers everything well, and with much of a complication. There is that feeling of what is next, which is maintained, and with suspense, the twists come into the picture post the thrills. This is why the movie remains constantly entertaining as a movie that sticks to its genre. There is no need to think too much even though the premise with science fiction based on artificial intelligence and just feels heavy; it does serve purpose too. Aristotle would love the maintenance of the three unities with everything happening in the courtroom with the protagonist within ninety minutes too.

The claws of flaw :: The feeling of having seen this idea before will surely be around, as we come across the idea for not the first time, as there has only recently been the movie known as Artificial Justice in Spanish, and we also keep remembering about a Tom Cruise starrer from some more years ago. There is some unrealistic side that comes in even if we avoid the genre, with the willing suspension of disbelief not always getting its due. The ideas of artificial intelligence and justice do not also go that deep, as we are more with the surface level journey here. With such big ideas on paper, maybe the movie could have dived in deeper. The cliches could have been pushed to the side in this new world which deserved better strength. There is also a certain amount of artificiality related to the same, and the pacing remains uneven. The characterization is not that much present to be seen either. The side characters are just present seemingly because there was a need for the main character to gather evidence, and most of the action takes place in the AI courtroom and with live and recorded footages from outside which might leave a few not happy.

The performers of the soul :: Chris Pratt is the man who has to do most of the work here, and he does not disappoint, as most of us had expected. From moving through Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequels as well as the final Avengers movies with more adventures like The Tomorrow War and Passengers in between, he now goes on with more of the thrills, but without the action, and even on the chair, keeps us interested. Rebecca Ferguson of Mission Impossible, Doctor Sleep, Reminiscence and Life fame gets to be the artificial intelligence judge, and the same is managed with near-perfection as the machine who takes the human form and the determination to keep to the rules make the character even more memorable. Annabelle Wallis whose character is killed off earlier has much less to do. Kylie Rogers and Chris Sullivan also have their moments while Kali Reis drops in with some interesting minutes too. Kenneth Choi has something from the flashbacks, and has a character relevant to the chain of events, and so does Jeff Pierre. But we are still very much focused on the two main characters who gets all the screen time.

How it finishes :: The movie keeps reminding us of some the titles which have come in the past dealing with similar ideas, and there has been only a limited expansion of the original ideas. Despite many negative reviews, this is surely one fast-paced artificial intelligence tale which suits the time period, and could be watched with some popcorn on a weekend for some pure fun. After all, we are always looking for such fun in a world which has been missing the same in the name of many other factors including political correctness. Still, we see that certain gap between a powerful idea and its execution. At its core, the concept was so much full of potential in this world, and we can say that the film chooses a subject that could have been even more impactful. This is one of those movies which seems to have had almost no hype in this part of the world, and we feel that with a little more attention, it could have come late to the theatres here, stronger. But this one remains a recommended watch as an entertainer with a fine idea and classic theme.

Release date: 23rd January 2026
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
Starring: Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, Kylie Rogers

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

I Know What You Did

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Vampire Owl: Nobody knows what we did last summer.

Vampire Bat: But nobody knows what we did during winter or monsoon either.

Vampire Owl: So, we are not popular enough, right?

Vampire Bat: Why should people know about what we do?

Vampire Owl: Maybe celebrity vampires getting attacked by serial killers is cool?

Vampire Bat: So that you can drink serial killer blood now?

Vampire Owl: Well, we have to keep trying something new.

Vampire Bat: They are just random psychotic humans with same kind of blood.

Vampire Owl: Well, different brands of ice creams taste different.

Vampire Bat: You should remember that we have been vegetarian vampires for long.

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

What is the movie about? :: Ava Brucks (Chase Sui Wonders) returns to her hometown of Southport, North Carolina for the engagement of her wealthy best friend Danica Richards (Madelyn Cline) and her rich and influential groom Teddy Spencer (Tyriq Withers). They are joined by their friends from the past, Milo Griffin (Jonah Hauer-King) and Stevie Ward (Sarah Pidgeon), along with their estranged friend Stevie Ward (Sarah Pidgeon) whom they are meeting after a long time as she faced the death of her father and drug addiction. They decide to see the fireworks of the day, and stops their vehicle on a cliff. There, Teddy stands on the middle of the road while on booze, only to cause a pickup truck to apply sudden brakes and lose control, plunging into the rocks below. Teddy’s father Grant Spencer (Billy Campbell) who is a powerful politician, manages to twist the incident in such a way that the driver had stolen the vehicle and speeding, which caused the accident at the curve which was prone to accidents. The youngsters are not even called for questioning with their presence at the area itself erased.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: An year later, it is seen that Danica and Teddy have broken up, and the former is now in another relationship, soon to be married. The group of friends return to the town to attend the bridal shower of Danica, with the exception of Teddy. Ava reaches last, after having some sexual advances with a slasher podcaster Tyler Trevino (Gabbriette Bechtel). When Danica receives a note “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer”, and after her fiancée is murdered with a note about the past, Ava is forced to turn to Tyler who is an expert in serial killers and psychotic murders. They investigate into the past of the town which had that terrifying history of the killer with the hook which has been mostly erased to support tourism. But they find the new killer in the old costume, and Tyler is brutally murdered. Now, they find themselves in trouble with cops not ready to help them. Can they escape this terror before losing more lives?

The defence of I Know What You Did Last Summer :: This is another movie that we have been waiting for, as most of the horror fans would agree to the same. It makes a fine use of the underlying terror and a perfect scream queen in the form of its leading actress whom we hope to see in more of horror movies with the same charm and beauty. This look surely suits her more in comparison to how she has looked throughout the internet and seemingly in her earlier works. The hook image remains classic like the Ghostface and Chromehead masks have remained, and darkness is nicely combined with music and silence to create the desired effect here. The final revealing is surely something that has all the strength, and the double twist adds to the same. The connection to the original movie is nicely made, and the scope for sequel is well set, and we really hope that Chase Sui Wonders gets to lead in that movie too, after all, she plays the one character with whom we relate and feels as the movie goes deep. Her friend characters who remain alive would also need to make a comeback, as they worked fine as a team too.

Positives and negatives :: The movie always had the scope for more, going by the traditional slasher standards. Surprisingly, violence and the other traditional elements of slasher flicks do not get to rise that much, even when suspense, thrills and twists get quite something to do. The cast is really good, especially the leading actress who maintains the horror mood and runs through as the scream queen. The rest just follows her lead and there are a few characters who do not get their due. The final moments could have been more intense, even though the twists and turns nicely come together for the finale. These are the kind of movies that we need, the slashers that keeps coming alive even without any dose of supernatural being added to bring back the dead antagonists. After all, humans are born killers, not needing any supernatural to support their cause – the non-believers in God have always been murdering without prejudice, before civilization came into place and rules of man and God set them. So, evil can always find a way and bring death upon all.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led forward by Chase Sui Wonders who transforms into a perfect scream queen with ease. She is the classic central character who faces danger, screams memorably, survives terrifying situations and even takes the movie to the end, despite a multi-starrer feeling being present at all times. She shines and even surprises the audience at times in what seems to be her first movie which had a release in this part of the world, as part of one of the rare franchises that spread horror with quality an fanbase. Her character is as much nicely presented as it is well-written. In comparison, Madelyn Cline’s character in one-dimensional, and she maintains the same well. At the same time, Sarah Pidgeon makes a fine impact, without doubt. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr bring further strength to the movie as much as they bring the nostalgia out of the original movies. Gabbriette Bechtel makes an impact in her short stay, while Tyriq Withers and Jonah Hauer-King provide the expected support.

How it finishes :: This return to that world of knowing what we did last summer works really well and brings the nostalgia back to us. This is one franchise which had brought us so many fine scream queens and one serial killer image which inspired many others, and therefore this return was much deserved. After so many years, it is nice to see Jennifer Love Hewitt to extend that nostalgia, even though watching her back in that old movie would mean more – originals would always have that flare despite multiple returns, sequels and reboots. This one reminds the new generation that we had such classic slashers at an earlier point of time, and that Evil Dead, Scream and Halloween are not the only ones that came back, with some of those sequels not making that much of an impact. We the horror fans can safely celebrate this one though, even when we feel that there are moments which could have had more impact and kept that slasher elements projected without seemingly traveling through the safe side. Well, you know that horror can always keep making comebacks, and this is surely one of them.

Release date: 18th July 2025
Running time: 111 minutes
Directed by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Starring: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols, Freddie Prinze Jr, Jennifer Love Hewitt

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pennu Case

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Vampire Owl: I had seen so many vloggers talking about this movie.

Vampire Bat: The movie surely had some extra hype.

Vampire Owl: But it surely did not do that well in the end.

Vampire Bat: I think that it was not really sure about its own genre.

Vampire Owl: More people are talking about it now after the release in OTT.

Vampire Bat: It is Amazon Prime Video, and so there will be more talks.

Vampire Owl: Well, there is always that talking in the moonlight.

Vampire Bat: You know that vampires cannot walk or talk in the sunlight that well.

Vampire Owl: Still, we always talk better than humans.

Vampire Bat: Humans are the kind of people who talk with wars through weapons of mass destruction and unlimited chaos. Ask your best friend, Mr. Frankenstein or just phone Uncle Dracula himself. Even the Vampire Monkey has written an essay about it.

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

What is the movie about? :: Rohini (Nikhila Vimal) is finally caught after years of committing a certain serial runaway bride scam, in which she had cheated many men whom she had married and left right after the wedding day with all the money and ornaments. She was not caught by the police, but by a group of men who were cheated into marriage and left behind, led by Thomas (Irshad) who had started a WhatsApp group for those who had suffered insult and loss of money. They made the way into the wedding function of Subhash (Aju Varghese) who had felt that after so many years of waiting for a suitable alliance, he had found the right bride for him, whom he considered to be too beautiful for his standard, and thus a lucky find. Rohini in this avatar and a new name seemed to be the sweet and understanding village girl that he was looking for. But this arrival of the former husbands and the following fight, which was further followed by police intervention had ruined his hopes by a long way.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But this was never really the end as others like Vijayakumar (Ramesh Pisharody) and others also follow with their tragic story of being married to Rohini, known by Sindhu at that time, at another point by the name Susan and many more on a long list. The case goes to the Circle Inspector of Police, Manoj (Hakim Shahjahan) who is also on the verge of a wedding about to be cancelled, and he becomes determined to solve this case, in which he feels that there are so many others also involved – planning such big weddings all around Kerala would be difficult for just one person. As he had brought disgrace to the police department due to a video which became viral during a protest, this is seen more as a chance rather than anything else. His police station had not seen any big cases being solved, and his fellow workers also join him. But his superior officers do not trust him, and Rohini’s husbands already keep asking about getting their money back. Can he do the job in time or will someone else get all the glory?

The defence of Pennu Case :: The idea is interesting as much as realistic as we have heard about news of similar things happening in this part of the world multiple times, and with the laws favouring the female, the women who cheated men in this way might have found it easy to get away without that much of problems. By showing the same here, humour also comes into the picture with some fake tears helping the woman to keep everyone on her side. The comic side of this movie does not try to do too much, as it goes through a rather smooth pattern instead of being loud and dumb – the simplicity of humour with usual kind of people all around, makes an impact – the choice of cast also working in its favour here. The movie remains light-hearted, never really going to the dark side, which would be even closer to the truth, and lurking around the corner to avoid an emotional drama of terrifying shades coming in. The length works in favour of the movie as this content goes through exactly that much time it required, at less than two hours.

The claws of flaw :: The movie remains quite a slow one, and the flashbacks could not do it any favour as we try to follow it. In the middle, it seems to have been going in a predictable manner, losing some strength in between. The predictable backstory just escapes with that twist in the end, as otherwise it was traveling towards a certain doom. The idea of not giving seriousness to the situation by the end might also feel somewhat strange, as one would still feel that this certain act of crime and evil is considered funny more because the suffering person is male and the criminal is female – the psychological depth and impact as well as emotional consequences are not really there to be taken due to the world staying surface level, even though it would not be the case in real life as far as victims who go through these are concerned. One would also feel that some characters were given the evil image a little too much, and that the red herring had gone too much beyond control. The investigation could have also been engaging rather than just seemingly following the procedure because there is not other job.

The performers of the soul :: Nikhila Vimal keeps the movie together as the main character who is right there in the middle, working through different roles that the character plays within the movie, with all the varieties. Her character should have seen with the shades better rather than showing so much less outside her own narrative. Hakim Shahjahan’s police officer remains a strong presence throughout the movie, as he is the one determined character that we also support, and even after that twist, his character would have something to offer if there is a sequel made in a better way. Meanwhile, Aju Varghese is there creating a silent impact throughout the film while Irshad was the one who made the final initial impact. Ramesh Pisharody also scores when he is there, even though for a shorter time period. The popular content creators whom we see around social media platform, Jayakrishnan Sreekumar and Sreekanth Vettiyar can also be noted from here, and we see that they are so good in their work in the movies, despite the small roles. P P Kunhikrishnan, Shivajith and Praveen Raja also scores. Anarkali Nazar should have had a bigger role though.

How it finishes :: The movie had created quite an impact online even before its release as the vloggers had it covered well. The serial marriage scammer bride has been part of news for quite some time and had taken rounds in the social media, which makes the whole thing feel more real than ever. It takes some skill to weave a divergent story out of it instead of going through a drama – the twist makes sure that everything comes together and some of the problems in between are solved well. The humour exists smoothly right behind without affecting the story which thrives on flashback narratives getting connecting to the original timeline. The social satire is also present with those small, enjoyable moments and situational humor coming out of nowhere. The movie has taken the necessary steps to keep its world working and get to that twist, without which the tale would have been relatively weak, and the predictability is thus removed. It could have surely been better, but it works well as a humour-twist divergence as of now.

Release date: 10 January 2026
Running time: 112 minutes
Directed by: Febin Sidharth
Starring: Nikhila Vimal, Hakim Shahjahan, Aju Varghese, Ramesh Pisharody, Irshad, P P Kunhikrishnan, Hari Pathanapuram, Praveen Raja, Shivajith, Sreerekha Rajagopal, Aami Thasnim, Sandhya Manoj, Ranji Kankol, Shukkoor, Abin Bino, Anarkali Nazar, Danesh Koliyatt, Jayakrishnan Sreekumar, Sreekanth Vettiyar

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Fall for Me

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Vampire Owl: I have heard about vampire penguins falling from the top of Dracula Castle.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that it is not exactly what they mean with the falling here.

Vampire Owl: All other types of falling do not happen around here.

Vampire Bat: Well, this is the kind of falling that happens more to humans.

Vampire Owl: We are not people who watch over the fall of humans.

Vampire Bat: Well, the human falls are just normal and natural in that realm.

Vampire Owl: Such a terrible realm to be born to, if you ask me.

Vampire Bat: Especially if you do not turn into vampires early enough.

Vampire Owl: We should not be taking more human turned into vampires.

Vampire Bat: Well, we also need more workers at the castle.

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

What is the movie about? :: Lilli (Svenja Jung), and auditor from Germany travels to the island of Mallorca in Spain to visit her younger sister Valeria (Tijan Marei). There, she is surprised to see that she is engaged to a French man named Manu (Victor Meutelet), and are planning to open a bread and breakfast establishment. The two had also planned to buy his uncle’s property for the same purpose, but for the same, there is the need to sell the property of the sisters’ mother, which was meant to be kept for Valeria’s university education. But Valeria who is too much attached with the idea of starting a life together with a supporting hospitality business that she no longer wishes to study any more. The university dreams just seem to be that of their mother, not hers. Lilli wonders if she was invited there so that her signature is required to sell mother’s property, and is worried that her sister has had too many lovers in the past, and wonders if this one is also temporary in nature, which would bring a new crisis to their world.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Valeria feels that Lilli is not happy about her, as her own relationships have been going terribly in the last few years. But things get different when Lilli meets up with the local club manager Tom (Theo Trebs) who is also from Germany, both share a romantic attraction from the flight sight itself. Soon, Lilli meets real estate investor Nick (Thomas Kretschmann) who offers an amount of €900,000 for the property, which he considers to be more than what would be given by anyone else, and Valeria along with Manu supports the cause. Nick’s wife Girasol (Lucia Barrado) also tries to make the transactions quicker, and tries to get close to Lilli to make her more interested in them. But Lilli is of the opinion that she requires more time with this, and at the same time, has her relationship with Tom going to an intimate level after he comes to her home to repair a broken pipe, with the rest of her making way for them having sex multiple times.

And what more can happen here as something never seems right? :: She places her trust on him and gets someone else to look at the plot to know exactly how much it costs, and gets an analysis of €700,000 for the property as most of it cannot be destroyed due to its historical past and location. He advises Lilli to accept the earlier offer, and she agrees. But it is then that Bea (Antje Traue), the former lover of Manu comes to their life, and she seems to be obsessed with him, even though Valeria is not that bothered, as she also had many lovers in her life, and she had gone very intimate with most of them, leaving some of the relationships just within a short time. Lilli feels that her little sister is in trouble, and tries to come to the bottom of it. But chasing Bea does not lead her anywhere, but she does comes to know that Manu has not worked in the hotel where he told her that he had prior experience. At the same time, Nick is forcing her to sign the deal, but with her doubt about Manu, will she do that soon enough?

The defence of Fall for Me :: The movie is shot in some of the most beautiful locations that we can get anywhere. Mallorca of Spain has that stylish, vacation-like vibe with scenic locations which keeps us so much interested throughout its run, and also makes us wish to travel, not just to one place, but any similar areas. The romance, deception, scam and relationship revolve around without that much of an overdose, as everything goes on through a simple path with smooth transitions. The twists are not that shocking, but they remain effective due to the performances and the emotional side that has something in store. The lead actors like Svenja Jung and Theo Trebs goes on well, and Svenja feels like too good in this role, as everything including the emotions are so well portrayed – she remains the loveliest part of the movie, and goes through the character’s troubles well as the central character. Then there is Tijan Marei whose performances feel even more realistic as much as cute in the form of a little sister. The romance here is never really overdone, and this is a movie which feels having just enough around.

The claws of flaw :: The movie just moves through what seems to be just the usual process, and the surprises and shocks do not count as among the most effective or memorable ones. It never gets to be that serious or with serious danger. The focus on the story is not really that much as we look closer – it just feels like taken from different earlier movies which deals with similar themes. The thrills go too smooth with the suspense and got enough predictability around. The focus on romance is sometimes not there, and at times, just comes out of nowhere. Some of the decisions of the characters also feel strange, and there is not that much of development among them – even the talks about the past just feels repetitive rather than bringing something special out of them. There is not that much of depth, and the strength of a classic thriller has gone missing. The ending also seems to have been done in a comfortable manner, not thinking about making it suited to bring a memorable finish. The absence of that much thoughts about the movie’s progress can surely be seen here and there.

How it finishes :: The movie seems to be that smooth journey like a journey through some beautiful areas with charming people all around. At a time when traveling has not been that easy in a world of chaos, we can keep wandering through different lands with movies like these which never really misses out on the chance to capture the location. There is romance and we also have those deceptions, and despite seemingly going nowhere at some points, brings the whole thing to an end, even though there is nothing special about it. For going through a tale that does not claim anything huge, but gives enough of a normal tale, this one is a harmless watch. One would feel that the lack of intensity is something that favours the movie in maintaining a cool effect throughout its run that does not feel too long even when it slows down. Getting some German movies on OTT is quite a rare thing, one has to acknowledge the same. We do get one more here, to add to the foreign movies list which has been dominated by Korean, Spanish, French and Russian movies.

Release date: 21st August 2025
Running time: 105 minutes
Directed by: Sherry Hormann
Starring: Svenja Jung, Theo Trebs, Thomas Kretschmann, Tijan Marei, Victor Meutelet, Antje Traue, Lucia Barrado

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the last German movie on an island.

<<< Click here to go to the first German movie here.

<<< Click here to go to the first full-length German movie.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Chhorii 2

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Vampire Owl: So, we are now going for this particular sequel.

Vampire Bat: We do not like missing out on the horror movie sequels.

Vampire Owl: Yet, this is no Scream, Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe or anything.

Vampire Bat: This is not Conjuring, Nun, Annabelle or anything similar.

Vampire Owl: Is this the kind of sequel that we have been looking for?

Vampire Bat: The first movie had provided a good dose of basic elements.

Vampire Owl: There is no better master of combining elements than Dr. Frankenstein.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein combines different types of pseudo-science only.

Vampire Owl: He is a doctor and scientist who keeps winning awards.

Vampire Bat: He do not win them, for he only keeps taking them, mostly from unsuspecting humans.

[Gets a kothu porotta and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Seven years have passed after the incidents of the first movie, and Sakshi (Nushrratt Bharuccha) lives with her daughter Ishani (Hardika Sharma) and her newfound support in the form of Rani (Pallavi Ajay). Inspector Samar (Gashmeer Mahajani) who understood the case thoroughly had arranged a place to stay for them, and he had also arranged a job for Sakshi as a teacher in a nearby school, where Ishani was also given admission through his influence. Sakshi still lives in fear, thinking that Rajbir (Saurabh Goyal) and his people of the village will come back for her and the child, and she also feels that they will always continue to have sinister plans for those who escaped from their captivity. The darkness bothers Sakshi, but her daughter is having a certain skin condition which does not allow the kid to go out in direct sunlight as it burns her badly. The school does not give her exemption though, as she goes to school with enough covering as protection, and enjoys her time in the institution.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: They try their best to make the situation best for the child. But it does not take much time to have everything take another twist, as both Ishika and Rani are kidnapped by people who seem to be from the village. The police chase them and Sakshi accompanies them. As they walk through the area surrounded by corn, things feel unusually peaceful, with no signs of the missing child and woman. Surprisingly, they soon find themselves being stoned by children in the sugarcane fields and they hold back to avoid hitting the kids. Sakshi finds herself hit on the head, blindfolded and dragged by her legs by children to an unknown area, as police is unable to find her within the long and broad field of corn. Sameer knows that time is running out for him, as the villagers might waste no time in getting what they want, which might be something even weirder and scarier this time. Can he and his policemen get through the corn and save the women and child in trouble?

The defence of Chhorii 2 :: As a continuation of the first movie, this one covers a good ground while keeping the world going. The atmosphere is really good here, as the setting works perfectly with sugarcane fields, mysteries and fear coming together. The cinematography nicely supports the same as we are glad about what is displayed on the screen. The attempt to tackle the issues like blind superstitions, child marriage, child infanticide and mistreatment of women along with the horror elements — giving it more depth related to the society and its troubles rather than just jump scares. The movie further establishes Nushrratt Bharuccha as the one Bollywood actress to look out for, above the usual performers who are mostly products of nepotism and never came close to acting, with Param Sundari being the biggest example of terrible acting by an actress. The spooky visuals, especially in underground sequences which includes those realistic maze-like tunnels, are just too good – it feels like a world has been created, and there is a certain innovation with an Indian touch. The aerial shot of the sugarcane fields with the well and other structures is just classic. Then there is that well that works.

The claws of flaw :: The movie still has moments which keep us wishing for more, and wondering if things could have really been different. There are scares which could have been better, and sometimes, the movie just seems to hold back. There was chance of infinity of horror at times, but taking the wrong turn might feel not safe for the people of the movie. There are still so many moments where not much happens, that too in the maze where there was scope for some creatures, supernatural or not. The strength of horror is not maintained throughout the overall run of the movie too, as the monsters themselves are not among the scariest or designed well enough to match up with the strength of atmospheric horror and nicely worked surroundings. The story does not remain strong throughout its run either, as it refuses to keep the interest of the audience at all times. Some characters are not dealt with well enough. The attempt to go to the message often makes it lose the flow of the story and the horror power.

The performers of the soul :: Nushrratt Bharuccha continues to make us feel like she is a perfect addition in this as much as the original Chhorii. We have known her the most for movies like Pyaar Ka Punchnama, but these two movies might be the works for which we will know her the most and we also see how she establishes herself as a Bollywood scream queen. There is also that feeling that she is looking younger and younger, with this one having her with one of the most beautiful looks ever. She shines as the mother as much as the survivor of horror against all odds, with determination overcoming the fear on her face like Hollywood movies could have in their slasher flicks. Gashmeer Mahajani is a strong addition to the main cast as he makes the police officer role work like a dream, never really overdoing according to the usual tendencies. Then there is my favourite performer from that particular family, Soha Ali Khan doing so well. Saurabh Goyal is once again strong with the brutal villainy here.

How it finishes :: Chhorii 2 is that sequel which would have always been on the list of future horror that is to come. Bollywood really needed some strong horror franchises with some nicely built world, and this is one group of movies which can assure the same. Adding some folklore-like elements here and there would make sure that the effect is something more. I would say that I liked this one better than the previous one, with both the evil and the dark world getting a boost here, while not being as preachy as the previous one. There is also more clarity about this one, and the leading actress also gets more to perform due to her being at better health; the added police officer only serves the purpose further. A certain lack of pace and repetitions does bring some struggle, but the overall situation gets itself at a better level than the previous movie. Not all movies get to create a sequel that match the original, and this one does, which serves a reflection of no ideas being lost, and of still having a possible sequel on the list.

Release date: 11th April 2025
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Vishal Furia
Starring: Nushrratt Bharuccha, Soha Ali Khan, Gashmeer Mahajani, Rajesh Jais, Kuldeep Sareen, Saurabh Goyal, Pallavi Ajay, Hardika Sharma, Mukul Shrivastava, Aarifa Siddiqui

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Anomie

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“Anomie” with Bhavana and Rahman in the lead, is the latest serial killer crime thriller movie with science fiction additions, not common in this part of the world. It marks a fine beginning to the new year, with such innovations leading the way.

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For the detailed written review, please continue below:

What is the movie about? :: Zaara Philip (Bhavana) is forensic expert who helps the police in their investigations, but has a personal trauma that has kept haunting her, and even made her brother Ziaan Philip (Shebin Benson) psychologically disturbed and feeling suicidal. The death of their parents, which was caused during a celebration while traveling in a car, has been one incident for which Ziaan never really forgave himself. Zaara tries her best to cheer Zian, and provides him psychiatric support through a doctor that she knows. Zian looks better, with his life with a pet cat and the small group of friends who help him. His apartment is also set for his comfort. But things change when he goes missing all of a sudden, that too after a comfortable sitting with his psychologist. He was going to meet up with his sister, and then he was not to be found. Zaara quickly calls his best friend and romantic interest Alby Thomas (Arjun Lal), who finds out that Ziaan was last seen in his friend’s pet shop.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Soon, Ziaan’s corpse is found at the same area where his parents died, and people attach this death to grief and resulting suicide. This sends Zaara into further grief, much to the dismay of Alby. The case is handled by Muhammed Jibran (Rahman), Assistant Commissioner of Police, who goes on a hurry to close to case a suicide, just like a recent case, as attempts at suicide have already been made by these victims. But Zaara decides to seek answers independently, as she is sure that her brother would not commit suicide at this point, as he is a lot past that – the same was revealed by his psychiatrist too. Her independent investigation with the support of Alby leads to the understanding that this is no normal case, and much more is behind all of these. There are too many similarities in the previous suicide and this one, despite having no connection between them. Soon, another suicide occurs, and the same procedure seems to be followed. This time, it is a lady teacher who is found dead in a car inside a garage, and she also had a history of mental illness and used to show suicidal tendencies.

And what more is to follow in this world of chaos and deaths that follow? :: Zaara files a complaint and soon, the police are asked to act as soon as possible by the court. Jibran understands the seriousness of the situation, and decides to rise above his past troubles to solve this case. He had kept himself away from such situations before, but not anymore. This particular situation seems more of an emergency than ever, as more victims might have been there, and many more could follow if the serial killer is not stopped in time. Soon, another boy who had posted about death in social media is kidnapped, and Jibran has a lead in the form of Prasad Eashwar (Vishnu Agasthya), who had collected details of psychiatric patients, and is a drug dealer himself. But Zaara takes another path which leads her to a former medical student, Jinsy Paul (Drishya Raghunath) who had died in mysterious circumstances. Now, they question remains how all of these are going to converge as each lead seems relevant.

The defence of Anomie: The Equation of Death :: Here is one crime thriller that has the suspense and twists – with interval punch that changes the mood, as we have the possible suicide to a serial killer leading to unexpected ending. The addition of science fiction elements all of a sudden also changes the mood further. This is surely one of those movies which I would categorize as Ranam-esque – quality written all over it with the feeling of that Prithviraj starrer which was above the usual level, no matter how people accepted it – there is the feeling of emptiness, damaged characters, slow and inevitable violence even though not always shown on screen, with the realization that something bad always going to happen – isolation, numbness, suppressed anger, moral greyness, all getting a role to play. The final shootout has the looks which seems to elevate the budget of the movie itself. Then when more revelations come, there is also the support of some grand visuals which makes a spectacle out of a movie which seemed to start with such low ambitions. It is also a reminder that science can be infinitely evil in its core.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does leave some of its emotions back in the first half, as the mystery takes more of a hold. The emotional depth losses the hold and by the end, we are more wondering about morally grey science fiction elements. The main characters talk too less to each other as the deviations seem to take them apart. As the serial killers are a different kind of psychopaths, the dark side never really gets to be that scary in end. The movie seems to lack the hype that it had deserved, and for the same, do not have that many screens to help its run. The slow beginnings of the movie might not please everyone and the movie seems a little too long for this content. Without that much focus on the same thing again and again, the overall length could have been reduced. The philosophical elements could have also been further explored. In between, there are moments which seemed to be created to make things more convenient and some consistency is lost in the process. The ending could have also meant more.

The performers of the soul :: Bhavana leads the way and excels in the emotional sequences. A lot of this movie had to depend on her and the feelings of the sister character more than the forensic expert and investigator in her. The same has been achieved with ease. This return from her feels like something which that suits her, and to the same, she has done justice. Rahman manages to do the same from another angle, and he also goes through the emotional side well, even though getting some mass in there felt irrelevant, as a flawed cop like that of Memories was better for the situation and the overall mood of the movie. Then we see how he pulls this one off effortlessly, and that requires further mention. Arjun Lal has changed quite a lot from how we had seen him before, and blends in really well. Shebin Benson is really good with the brother elements. Vishnu Agasthya, after that fiery villain of RDX, makes a different appearance with negative shades. Drishya Raghunath’s avatar comes as a big surprise, and in a role in which we would not recognize her, manages to make a long impact in short time. Binu Pappu does his job with ease.

How it finishes :: Anomie does not feel like being present in that many theatres, but the innovation and the science fiction twist make it something beyond the usual investigative thrillers with serial killers all around. There is also the strong aesthetics, and even though slow at times with possibility of a shorter movie with this content, there is that effective narrative, which moves well to the multiple-twisted ending. We had seen superheroes doing well coming out of nowhere with Minnal Murali and that cinematic universe of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, but science fiction is a tricky thing to add in Malayalam cinema, but this one has made the scope big and added the same well. It surely has more than what meets the eye, and so is an interesting watch, and I would suggest that you give it a try, as divergence and attempt to create something out of the box requires all the attention. It might still not be a movie for everyone, but we know that there is more than one kind of audience to which this particular flick can cater. A deviation from the usual and a different treatment in the beginning of the year itself – 2026 is surely going to bring a lot more for us, as this is unlike Anjaam Pathiraa and Paappan which lost its way into random revenge and stays focused.

Release date: 6th February 2026
Running time: 135 minutes
Directed by: Riyas Marath
Starring: Rahman, Bhavana, Binu Pappu, Arjun Lal, Shebin Benson, Vishnu Agasthya, Drishya Raghunath

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Identity

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Vampire Owl: I have been thinking about changing my identity.

Vampire Bat: The vampire one or the owl one?

Vampire Owl: The undead one to be exact.

Vampire Bat: You are already dead and returned. That cannot change.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein has changed his identity multiple times.

Vampire Bat: He never had any real identity.

Vampire Owl: Yes, Frankenstein, the genius scientist.

Vampire Bat: The pseudo-scientist, to be exact.

Vampire Owl: He is more, for he has invented vampire mechanics.

Vampire Bat: The only thing he has invented is pure nonsense.

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

What is the movie about? :: A recently engaged young woman Emy John (Nilja K Baby) finds herself blackmailed by a man named Amar Felix (Arjun Radhakrishnan) with the help of a techie and occasional hacker Nakul Sachdev (Vishak Nair), as he had recorded her half-naked through a mobile phone kept in a changing room. He threatens to spread her nude videos all over internet unless she gives him three lakhs to which she agrees, but after many blackmails of random people, this time he finds himself facing a mysterious individual who kills him in his own warehouse which looks abandoned from outside. Alisha Abdul Salam (Trisha Krishnan) is the only witness to the murder as she had seen the person coming out of the warehouse after burning it, as she was passing through. CI Allen Jacob (Vinay Rai) is assigned the case, and decides to keep the witness in his home for protection, as advised by DYSP Dinesh Chandran (Aju Varghese). They feel the immediate need to get a sketch of the killer done as Alisha says that she has seen the face clearly, but protecting her is the top priority.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Allen is helped by his highly influential friend Supriya Gopal (Mandira Bedi) who provide him with much needed information. Meanwhile, Haran Shankar (Tovino Thomas) is a part-time karate instructor and a genius in multiple subjects who suffers from OCD, and lives with his sister Devika Shankar (Archana Jose Kavi) and half-sister Neerja Sudip (Gopika Ramesh). Allen, after seeing a sketch made by Haran, decides that he should be the one to bring the identity of the killer to light. As Allen asks Haran to make a sketch, and as he does so with the help of the description given by Alisha, a few more things come to light, including the fact that Alisha can no longer identify human faces after an accident which followed the murder. This makes things further complicated, as finding the killer seems almost impossible, and Amar’s past also seems to catch up to the situation. It seems that things are just getting more and more complicated, but for how long?

The defence of Identity :: There is a certain amount of style related to how this movie looks, and the visuals remain stunning throughout its run. The technical strength is visible right there. We have not seen such over-reachers among the movies of this industry, unless it is Lucifer and its Empuraan, but this one has managed that extra load quite well. The movie nicely builds the tension, which keeps us interested. The twists are always present, and some of them are rather too nice. The action sequences are maintained well and kept under control without being overdone. The beginning of the movie was so good that we are attached to the proceedings so early. We wonder where the connections would be made, and that happens nicely too. The final fights are also well-executed, maybe qualifying as among the best-done moments. The performances remain of top quality, not really holding back even because of character complications. There is a certain amount of polishing that is visible there, moving further ahead of the usual movies. The background music also remains something of interest.

The claws of flaw :: The movie just seems to have taken so much for granted. After starting so well, and ending with a deviation, but in an interesting way, the middle part seems to have lost in the process. There are so many moments which seems over-stretched, and we feel that there was no need for that much of a detail in between, and the explanations which go long, just gets longer as we see and experience less twists in real-time than what we hear and find in flashbacks. The big reveal about the main character feels like a rather forced addition. The characters are not given the importance that they need, and the hero is just given that push. Many characters just come of nowhere and become part of that world of twists, making us not that interested in them. Even the leading lady is not given that strength and feels misplaced as a character. The other female characters are also not given that much of a background. The emotional depth is not that much there, and the pace is also uneven, often also struggling with the pace. Then the antagonist is also pushed out of nowhere right after a twist.

The performers of the soul :: Tovino Thomas leads the way here in style. When thinking about that one action hero of the industry, he comes first to the mind. We have seen that even with superheroes of Minnal Murali and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra. Tovino handles this role in a way that we will remember, and gets into the genre really well as expected. Vinay Rai becomes a fine addition around here as he shines in the form of a strong antagonist, someone who aligns with the overall mood of the movie and the twists. Aju Varghese’s serious police role is a joy to watch, and it is to be noted that this time, the character do not follow the stereotypes. Trisha Krishnan comes back to Malayalam after Hey Jude with Nivin Pauly, and here she plays a main character and has just enough to do as the leading actress. Shammi Thilakan and Vishak Nair have some interesting things to do here. Archana Jose Kavi and Gopika Ramesh shine in their comparatively smaller roles, and Nilja K Baby contributes well in a small role too. It was good to see Mandira Bedi around too while Giju John and Sujith Shankar gets the due in the final minutes.

How it finishes :: This one was that opportunity with scope for big heights to become one memorable thriller above many more. Known as The Sketch Artist in Hindi on Jio Hotstar, this one would work better with that particular audience. If you like such stylish thrillers having action, twists, and a lot of ambition behind, this will feel a lot grand, as you remember from movies like Christopher. But that big a plot and well-developed characters would not be there that much for your attention here. Creating characters our of nowhere and using them here and there with twists that sometimes work like boomerang might not be for everyone’s love. But seeing the cast of this movie, you know that the movie will always be capable enough. It is available in Hindi on Amazon Prime Video going by the name, The Sketch Artist, even though one would be wondering why that name even came into picture. Unlike some other movies, this Hindi version is very well-created, and you might wish to have a look at that one.

Release date: 31st December 2024
Running time: 158 minutes
Directed by: Akhil Paul, Anas Khan
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Trisha Krishnan, Vinay Rai, Aju Varghese, Archana Jose Kavi, Sujith Shankar, Nilja K Baby, Giju John, Gopika Ramesh, Shammi Thilakan, Vishak Nair, Major Ravi, Asha Madathil, Mandira Bedi, Arjun Radhakrishnan, Mahima Radhakrishnan, Shinu Shyamalan, Litty Thomas, Vriddhi Vishal, Mohan Thankam, Sethu Lekshmi, Adam Sadiq, Akhil Paul, Anas Khan

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Eleven

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Vampire Owl: Do you know that there are not even eleven vampires in our team?

Vampire Bat: Well, we do not need that many vampires around here.

Vampire Owl: So, we are not building an army?

Vampire Bat: Why do we need an army right now?

Vampire Owl: To defeat an army of serial killer humans?

Vampire Bat: This movie only has one serial killer.

Vampire Owl: But humans are basically trained to be serial killers.

Vampire Bat: We do not see an army of serial killers in one movie.

Vampire Owl: There are many, but they show only a few of them.

Vampire Bat: Well, humans are meant to be born killers with inherent evil, and only one small push will do for even children.

[Gets a chicken cutlet and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: ACP Aravindan IPS (Naveen Chandra) is a police officer who has a near-perfect record of solving even the most impossible cases, and had recently caught a finance bank robbery group which had never failed in their crimes before with perfect calculations. This success is celebrated well on media, but a darker case was evolving in the background. ACP Ranjith IPS (Shashank) who is in charge of this new case involving serial killings almost dies in an accident after the body count reaches six, Aravindan is asked to investigate. Ranjith who barely survived, and is in the hospital promises to support him in any way possible, even though left out of service due to injury. For his support, SI Manohar (Dileepan) is given the duty, and both find themselves in a confused state as there was never any real clue found by previous investigatory and Ranjith. Aravindan discovers an interesting piece of evidence, an ankle-surgery plate in one of the victims, which helps them shortlist seven individuals based on age.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: At the same time, Sanjana (Reyaa Hari) who comes to a restaurant to meet her possible groom who was selected by her parents sees Aravindan who is wearing the same identification in the form of a grey shirt, and falling in love with him as he beats up multiple goons. She tells him about her desire, but he immediately rejects her and asks her to marry the person whom her parents had found for her. Aravindan reaches Sudhakar (Kireeti Damaraju) while tracing the ankle-surgery plate and Meera (Riythvika) while hearing about a beggar talking about a girl being abducted. The police also find a common group photo in both houses, finally finding a connection. Aravindan understands that the only connection between the twins is their school, Twin Birds Matriculation School, which no longer exists as it was burned down in a fire, followed by the death of its owner Ravi (Ravi Varma). This feels like a very strange connection with a past that they wish to forget from their childhood, which had a secret which was buried. Now, the question remains about who all will be targeted from that past.

The defence of Eleven :: This might be one of the most interesting versions of serial killer related murder investigations as it focuses on twins. At the same time, the visuals are nothing less than stunning, and the colours here especially at night seems to bring the best of Chennai. This is the kind of movie which quickly has us interested, and gets us through the journey with guesses, but brings those kinds of twists which come out of nowhere. But there is no overdose of the same like we had seen in Mirage, as things just went out of control. There are the twists over twists which works so well, and the suspense only gets stronger, while red herrings add on well. The shots of cemetery and the styling lacks in nothing. As the cinematography, background score and production values deserve praise, they keep us deeper in the movie here. The flashback tale is also very much interesting which reminds us that one has to pay for the heartless mistakes one makes, whether it is as a child or as an adult because humanity is not learned in old age, but part of human character rather early.

Positives and negatives :: The movie’s romantic side is a mess, and it is saved by the fact that the same is not given that much of a focus. There is something that makes us feel that it was not needed at all. There might also be the feeling that we have rather too many serial killers around, but in our world, one has to say that it is not a surprise to have such people hiding behind different faces. For some people, there might be points where there are missing connections, but it is seen that everything comes together at the end. It is always nice to see the inherent evil of man at work, like in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies – taking children as innocent is not the way to go; the actions of the kids could feel even more evil in nature than that of the adults as they are not forced into situations, but use them right out of their hearts. There are always the little demons in this world of chaos, and here we see that element coming back to haunt them as adults. This makes sure that there is always something different and divergent even in the nature of the movie, and revenge remains justified.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is guided by a solid performance from Naveen Chandra, who becomes a perfect police officer with that determination on his face that never seems to leave the character. The intensity that he shows in a quiet and determined manner, never going overboard, sets a fine example here, without also overdoing any action sequence. The different shades of his character work so well that we do not think about having any other perfect police officer during this time period. Reyaa Hari, the producer who is the leading lady is under-utilized, and in the role, does quite less – cannot blame her though, as the romantic side lags behind in almost everything and this approach does not suit her; yet she does fine in the final moments of the movie. Dileepan also remains solid as the supporting police officer, as his character also contributes to the twists well. Shashank plays the third important police man, and that also works nicely. Abhirami’s role is also an interesting one here. Riythvika also adds on to the proceedings here with memorable moments. The same can also be said about Kireeti Damaraju’s work.

How it finishes :: Eleven is one of the best investigation thrillers featuring a serial killer and twists remain very much effective with suspense all around. For the fans of investigative thrillers who wish to see murders coming out of a buried past, this one is surely worth a watch, as there is a good score to be taken for its strong lead, technical polishing and the satisfying second half which comes to an ending which it deserved. The ability to remain engaging from the beginning to the end is a skill that not many movies possess. There is nothing much that it misses, and we are familiar with some classic thrillers with serial killers from Memories to Abraham Ozler, Forensic, Anjaam Pathiraa, John Luther, Antakshari, Paappan and others which have kept Malayalam movie industry going strong. This movie could have surely used more hype and much more screens here, as we are the kind of people who like the twists and thrills with a serial killer around and a mystery which is soaked in revenge and best served cold. For now, this one serves the same well in Amazon Prime Video in multiple languages.

Release date: 16th May 2025
Running time: 135 minutes
Directed by: Lokkesh Ajls
Starring: Naveen Chandra, Reyaa Hari, Abhirami, Ravi Varma, Riythvika, Shashank, Dileepan, Arjai, Aadukalam Naren, Kireeti Damaraju

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Killer Book Club

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Vampire Owl: This would be an interesting book club.

Vampire Bat: You mean to say that there are new book clubs in the castle.

Vampire Owl: Who reads that many books these days?

Vampire Bat: Well, I do read many of them.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that you do not count as an external reader.

Vampire Bat: I do take external book club cards.

Vampire Owl: You can read all the best horror books in the castle.

Vampire Bat: I would read these books like a non-vampire would do.

Vampire Owl: So, it is a fine method to be scared of vampires too.

Vampire Bat: I do not see why we should not be scared of ourselves.

[Gets a butterscotch cake and three cups of tea with kulfi].

What is the movie about? :: Angela (Veki Velilla) is a college student who wishes to be a critically acclaimed and popular writer, now trying to write her second work. Her professor Antonio Cruzado (Daniel Grao) who used to help her with writing seems to have an infatuation with her, and makes advances to her. As Angela’s friends come to know about it, they suggest that they get back to him, and for the same, they choose a killer clown prank which would leave him scared enough for the rest of his life. The group which includes Sebas (Alvaro Mel), Nando (Ivan Pellicer), Sara (Ane Rot), Rai (Carlos Alcaide), Virginia (Priscilla Delgado), Eva (Maria Cerezuela) and Koldo (Hamza Zaidi), plans the whole thing perfectly after sending a fake e-mail to Antonio. But the prank goes terribly wrong, as they end up causing him to fall down from the top of the building and get impaled on the spear held by a statue of Don Quixote below, leading to his instant death.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Even though their instant reaction is to blame Angela for what has happened, they decide to keep all of these a secret and make a promise that they would never talk about this to anybody. The very next day, as everyone comes to know about his death, the popular opinion is that he committed suicide as his wife had left him, and the police also goes with the same conclusion, leading them to believe that things will get back to normal. But soon, they find out that a masked killer clown is stalking them, and wishes to take them down one after the other as the person wears the same mask as they were wearing. After murdering each person, the clown would write a chapter about the brutal death and post it online, and the readers also have a chance to vote on who will be murdered next. The readers do not have any idea what this is really about, as the original names are provided. The group decides to stop this madness from continuing, but has no idea about whom to suspect. Is this a silent stalker or someone among them?

The defence of Killer Book Club :: Slasher horror movies are welcome to bring new serial killers into a world of chaos in which humans have never hesitated to kill one another. There have been more classic slashers being produced in almost every language these days, even though Hollywood have come up with less interesting ones in the last few years. This one is based on a book, which means that it has promises to keep for the readers. The visuals are really good, and the setting feels like the right one, including the dark corners inciting horror and the architectural beauty that stays alive. The statue of Don Quixote comes as a fine reminder for the connection between the movie and literature, as the horror itself comes from writings here, and the publication of books and online content remains a priority throughout the film’s run-time. This also remains a short movie, as the run-time works to its advantage. The final twist over the twist remains interesting, and the power of mystery has run through this quite well without giving away the chance at predictability.

The claws of flaw :: Killer Book Club might feel like too similar with many other titles, and following the formula, but not well enough to elevate the same. There are enough murders happening here, but none of them creates a terrifying or divergent impact which could have made the environment better. The scares are not that much present as we would have wanted. A killer in a clown mask can achieve wonders – you know what the clowns do, whether in It and its sequel or in Terrifier; the horror in such cases is of a different level, with blood and gore assured. But this one seems to take the safer route, and the need to take the less travelled path among the diverging roads is not taken into consideration here. You are left with the feeling that there could be more, from the early stages itself. You keep looking for more, but that extra ingredient never really arrives. With the scope for a sequel still there, we can hope that this will arrive later.

The performers of the soul :: Veki Velilla leads the proceedings in the movie, and makes the scream queen who is intended to survive till the end, but has the realization that this has been caused due to her for some other reason, which makes the character more determined. She blends into this situation really well, from the author who has a certain amount of writing block to the girl who wishes to survive in a world of chaos created by an unknown killer. Priscilla Delgado remains a notable presence here too, and contributes to the whole thing even when least expected. Ane Rot and Maria Cerezuela also add to the interesting scream queen list here, and one would love to see them in more of similar flicks. Alvaro Mel and Ivan Pellicer become the main male performers here, and they remain important from the beginning to the end. Daniel Grao, even though present for only a few minutes, also leaves an impact. Carlos Alcaide and Hamza Zaidi also comes in as required. For most of us audience, these new names will be staying.

How it finishes :: Killer Book Club seems to be derived from other slasher horror movies that we have known for a long time, with Scream and The Cabin in the Woods being a few of them. The non-English movies were not far away from such inspiration either, as Poland’s Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight and A Classic Horror Story in Italian along with the Indonesian Ivanna are some of the examples. Here, in Spanish, we have a similar work of slasher horror. The group of friends from a college being murdered one after the other, especially after doing something they were not supposed to do, comes as nothing new. But this one also maintains the entertaining and thrilling side well enough with the final twists to keep things interesting. You are always looking for more addition to slasher horror, as they have not been that easy to create effectively during this time period. Based on the Spanish novel El Club de Los Lectores Criminales by Carlos García Miranda, the films becomes another interesting adaptation which brings us back to watching Spanish movies again on Netflix.

Release date: 25th August 2023 (Netflix)
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed by: Carlos Alonso
Starring: Veki Velilla, Alvaro Mel, Ivan Pellicer, Hamza Zaidi, Ane Rot, Priscilla Delgado, María Cerezuela, Carlos Alcaide

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Anveshippin Kandethum

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What is the movie about? :: S.I. Anand Narayanan (Tovino Thomas) and his team of police officers (Vineeth Thattil David, Rahul Rajagopal and Pramod Veliyanad) faces two cases in two time periods. The first one is related to the disappearance and murder of Lovely (Anagha Maya Ravi) and the second one is a cold case related to the murder of Sridevi (Arthana Binu) whose death could not be solved by even the best of police officers assigned to the case. Regarding the first case, he faces problems from his seniors who do not wish to see him doing better than them, and neither can they stand him going against a priest Fr. Thomas (Madhupal) who becomes a suspect, but is revered by the locals. When his seniors find another suspect from the available clues, Anand decides the take matters into his own hands unofficially, and even creates situations which would help him to find Lovely, who was returning home from college after receiving her hall ticket. This would lead to a few twists, but can Anand finally catch the real killer?

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The second case which deals with the murder of Sreedevi would seem more twisted and placed at a higher difficulty level, as it occurred much earlier, and the police department is ready to stop the whole investigation. The locals are also very much tired of the investigation due to the earlier police officers pestering them and even resorting to torturing some of them ruthlessly. The panchayath president Philo (Baburaj) and the local landlord Sadanandhan (Shammi Thilakan) are hostile to the presence of any police officer for the purpose of finding anything related to Sreedevi, who is a lost cause for them. In this case, there is no restriction imposed by the seniors, but the unsupportive locals and lack of clues bother them. Yet, the team decides to go on with what they have, and extends their stay in the small village where the incident took place by a few days. But with time running out, can they do it without just randomly writing anything on the report to close the case?

The defence of Anveshippin Kandethum :: There is a certain amount of interest gained from the title of the film itself, as we are reminded of the Bible quote – “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened”. We are once again introduced to a world that our audience has embraced really well, that of murder investigations; the search is on for the police officers led by Tovino’s character, and we look forward to finding. This has indeed been the favourite genre of our people, and this one will only reassert the idea that we are more into thrillers and murder mysteries than anything else. The confidence which has been shown by the makers of this movie to keep things realistic enough, and in keeping the protagonist a character without those usual heroic abilities makes sure that this is one of those movies which will not be remembered for the nonsense moments.

Positives and negatives :: If the material like this was put before any of those overrated superstars or directors of Bollywood, the movie would have been unbearable, and except for the kind of audience who likes the terrible exaggeration, this movie will work like a dream. The blending of twists into a world staying so close to realism is not an easy job, but has been accomplished well. The music in the movie works pretty well while the visuals effectively add to the overall quality here. The journey to an earlier time period is nicely arranged without adding too much to make the world become more important than the other elements. The second investigation is more interesting than the first, as the twist is more effective there, even though the flashbacks are very well done – the characters in the first case should have been introduced earlier than we had first noticed them. The supporting police officers should have also been given more to do rather than keeping the focus on the main cop.

The performers of the soul :: Tovino Thomas continues to come up with at least one big movie every year, like 2018 last year, Thallumaala before that, and Minnal Murali in the year before that. He has been continuously impressing us with his variety, and even though we have seen him as an investigator of murders in films like Forensic, this one is indeed special. The way in which he moves through different roles of divergence has been setting an example for all the newcomers in the industry in the last few years. Vineeth Thattil David, Rahul Rajagopal and Pramod Veliyanad who plays his supporting do not get that much to do in comparison to what we had seen in Kannur Squad where almost everyone has something special to do. It does not happen here, even with Azees Nedumangad who was present in that movie here again – he would have blended into a team better than anyone else. Among the veterans, there is the certainty of strength. Baburaj handles the role very well with a touch of humour, while Indrans goes through a completely serious path, while Harisree Ashokan has a certain amount of sadness associated with his character.

Further performers of the soul :: Siddique plays a role with which he is not that much of a stranger. Shammi Thilakan is a fine addition to a world which needs his work to keep things going. The two main girls Arthana Binu and Anagha Maya Ravi who are murdered in different time periods, come up with some fine work, blending into their entirely different roles. One would remember Anagha from another thriller Eighteen Hours, and here the role seems to be so different, and she handles it with perfection. Aadya Prasad also comes up with a nice contribution here even though the role does not last that long, yet plays so well towards the twist. We would have still wanted more female presence among the police officers going through the investigation. Among the better known names, Alencier Ley Lopez only has very less to do too. Nandhu does some fine job from the beginning stages, while the roles of Sreejith Ravi, Prem Prakash and Madhupal are smaller, even though the last two contribute to bringing the twists leading to the conclusion quite well.

How it finishes :: We have not been strangers to thrillers of quality during the last few months, with Kannur Squad coming up as the one classic investigative thriller and Neru making a huge profit and Abraham Ozler following a serial killer with all the thrills that it can provide. The thrillers of the industry have only been gaining in strength during the last few years, a trend which seemed to be triggered by Anjaam Paathira, even though weakened by the corona virus pandemic for a small amount of time – the trend is back now, and the signs are stronger than ever. This particular movie here keeps it realistic and at the same time, has the thrills moving forward stronger than ever. This one is sure to make it to the list of some of the most interesting thrillers in the recent past, while never trying to overdo things to catch the attention of the audience. The same would be the reason why the movie has managed to rise so well in this week of multiple releases.

Release date: 9th February 2024
Running time: 142 minutes
Directed by: Darwin Kuriakose
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Arthana Binu, Anagha Maya Ravi, Baburaj, Indrans, Siddique, Aadya Prasad, Vineeth Thattil David, Alencier Ley Lopez, Harisree Ashokan, Shammi Thilakan, Pramod Velliyanad, Saranya, Nandhu, Sreejith Ravi, Prem Prakash, Madhupal, Rahul Rajagopal, Azees Nedumangad

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Vela

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Vampire Owl: Are we going for another investigative thriller?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that this will not be the usual murder investigation.

Vampire Owl: There have been some interesting investigations in a short period of time.

Vampire Bat: Yet, this movie came out with less hype.

Vampire Owl: The trailer was pretty much interesting.

Vampire Bat: We would not have a serial killer here though.

Vampire Owl: I miss those serial killers a lot.

Vampire Bat: Humans can have millions of serial killers among them.

Vampire Owl: I would expect that with the evilest species ever created.

Vampire Bat: The devil has too many similarities with them.

[Gets an oreo shake and three cups of Bagdogra tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ullas Augustin (Shane Nigam) is a newly appointed civil police officer appointed at the control room, and he is someone who is determined to do his job very well, as his father was also a police officer who died only a few months before the end of his service. One day, he receives a call about a minor and his friends consuming drugs in his room – the information is passed on to the nearest police unit doing patrol. It is the boy’s father who made the call, and Ullas understands that this case might ruin the minor’s life – he asks them to escape, but the police officer in pursuit, Mallikarjun Mannar (Sunny Wayne) has already reached the place and started chasing the boy. Mallikarjun abuses Ullas through the transmitter and from the very next day, it is heard that they boy has gone missing. Ullas finds himself on the receiving end of a suspension order. But that does not stop Ullas from searching for the boy, whom he feels that Mallikarjun kidnapped or murdered to help his partners in crime who deals with the drugs.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The only police officer who seems to care about him is SI Ashok Kumar (Sidharth Bharathan), and he asks him to get back to the control room, as he is the only person who is serious about the work. He decides to get back to work, but ends up with strained relations with Smitha Varadarajan (Namritha MV), who hopes that they can get married soon. Ullas is only concerned with providing justice to the missing boy, and finally decides to get back to the control room with all the evidences that he managed. But he would not be able to get an audience with higher ranking officers. At the same time, Manapullikavu Vela is the annual festival of the area is all set to take place. The festivities have the whole area of police officers distracted, and Mallikarjun, despite being part of the Vela, decides to teach Ullas a lesson with the help of his goons and police officers who are under his control. Can Ullas go beyond all these problems and help the boy’s father receive justice at some point of time?

The defence of Vela :: Here, we can see an attempt to move beyond the usual plot, and the narrative is really effective. The movie is not the usual police action masala and neither is it the police procedural stuff. The unpredictability is maintained at all times, and the stylish side is kept to an optimum level, never overdoing the same. There is never the overdose of elements to exaggerate the presence of the protagonist and the antagonist. The initial scenes have us interested in the film, and the interval is shown at the right point. The aesthetic side guides us well, as we see the beauty of the place with night making it even better with the shades of darkness with some fine colours added. The emotional side of the movie remains effective, and the helplessness against the system is shown with full strength. It shows how the common man, even with a police uniform is not able to make an impact to bring the truth to light. There is also a certain amount of casteist and racist angle being shown around here, as the antagonist attempts to thrive on his roots from many years ago. The dialogues are as much effective as the other elements.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is too long, stretching beyond the two and half hour border when we add those advertisements to the time we spent at the theatre. The length negatively affects the film in totality more than expected. There is some struggle to reach that end, and we feel that some parts should not have been extended too much. Some parts of the movie just seem to have been added to be present there as an extra addition, yet does nothing much. There could have also been more exciting moments here. There could have more control room calls and solutions to be shown here, and some cases where the unexpected happens, with better touch of humour or elements of possible terror that could only be stopped with that particular call. The romantic side remains very less explored too. The ending should not have been this quick either, as something more should have been told about what happens after that finish. The possibility of continuity that is seen in the end could have got a better touch. The music remains somewhat effective.

The performers of the soul :: Shane Nigam who had the biggest hit of Kerala’s grand festival in the form of RDX: Robert Dony Xavier, makes his mark again, and seems to be perfectly suited in the role of the youngster hopelessly trying to bring out the truth. His helplessness and angst while facing the supreme political and other faces of extreme power can be clearly seen here. His shades of excellence are often repeated through interesting moments. Sunny Wayne is a very admirable antagonist here, as he is one villain who has many shades of villainy. His dialogues remain very memorable, and he is clearly seen as the menace that we do not want to face. Sidharth Bharathan plays the third most important character in the film, and he has a much different avatar than we had seen him in, and he will also remain with us in the form of this character. Namritha MV, the new face leaves a lovely mark, and we expect to see her in more roles in future. We would have wanted to see her as part of the romantic side further, but the film remains focused on two main characters for most of its time. Aditi Balan’s small role will also be remembered for the timing itself.

How it finishes :: Vela seems to get less response at the theatres, but it is rather a strange thing because this is a classic story of unauthorized investigation with twists and turns having suspense maintained well at all times. The female characters in the movie could have had more screentime, at least the main heroine, and it could have been shorter with a smarter ending, but we know that this is one classic and mostly realistic tale about two sides of law and justice that never ceases to make us wonder what is going to happen next. The movie came without much hype, but has gained enough positive reviews to keep it going and gain the pace. After all, we have had our love for investigations before corona virus through Anjaam Paathira and Forensic, and the same effect has continued during these days too, as we have hoped for the police to do the right thing every time.

Release date: 10th November 2023
Running time: 148 minutes
Directed by: Syam Sasi
Starring: Shane Nigam, Sunny Wayne, Sidharth Bharathan, Aditi Balan, Namritha MV, Bipin Perumbilli, M Sajas

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Furies

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

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

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

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

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

Vampire Bat: But the world is everything except immortal.

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

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

Vampire Owl: Immortality can vary according to situations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

John Wick 4

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Vampire Owl: So, this man is still alive.

Vampire Bat: It seems to be so in the movie.

Vampire Owl: I was beginning to wonder if he is immortal like us.

Vampire Bat: He is just like the Hitman, but killing more people without stealth infinitely.

Vampire Owl: He might be using the stealth machine invented by Doctor Frankenstein.

Vampire Bat: He cannot really invent anything of use.

Vampire Owl: You are blaming the great scientist for no reason, once again.

Vampire Bat: Mr Fankenstein has never really been a true doctor of scientist.

Vampire Owl: Even the witches have approved his status.

Vampire Bat: They know nothing about science either.

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

What is the movie about? :: The world’s most reputed assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) continues to be on the run after a series of events leading to committing murder at The Continental Hotel, violating the basic rule that there would be no blood spilled on its grounds. He has the support of Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), a former underworld crime boss who has a score to settle with the High Table, the powerful council of crime lords. As a part of this, he murders the Elder (George Georgiou), the only person who is above the High Table, and this leads to further actions against him. Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard), a senior member of the High Table takes over the course of actions against John Wick, and decides to finish this forever, with a certain amount of arrogance over his power. As the first step towards this, Winston Scott (Ian McShane) has his privileges taken away from him and his hotel destroyed. At the same time, Charon (Lance Reddick) losses his life, as the Marquis decides to have things working his way for a change, as the man in charge. He is determined to achieve only one thing in his life, something which others of his status failed to achieve, to have John Wick dead and buried for the betterment of all other assassins.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: John Wick is someone who is not ready to die, as he is determined to live on with the memories of his dead wife. To end him, Marquis appoints Caine (Donnie Yen), a blind assassin whom he threatens with the life of his daughter and in the name of the obligation that he has for the High Table. Caine agrees despite being an old friend of John to ensure his daughter’s survival. John takes refuge in the Continental hotel at Osaka in Japan where another old friend Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada) is the manager, assisted by his daughter Akira (Rina Sawayama). There, a group of highly armoured assassins sent by Marquis attacks them, along with Caine who accompanies them. Almost everyone under Koji’s command is killed, while John barely makes it out alive as a tracker Mr Nobody (Shamier Anderson) who had been trying to collect the bounty on his head decides to keep him alive until the price on his head gets higher. John murders a full wave of assassins until finally getting to the safe house.

And what more is to follow for the former assassin on the run? :: Caine murders an already wounder Koji, while Akira is left to tend to her own wounds. Both John and Winston are in requirement of vengeance, but the end of Marquis and winning their lives back is no easy task. John would require the help of his family which has lost its head and is now led by his adopted sister Katia (Natalia Tena) who is determined to avenge the death of her father. He has to do the job for her and murder the German High Table crime lord who was responsible for that death. But at the same time, he is followed by Caine and Mr Nobody, both determined that they would not let the other person kill John. Both of them hate Marquis and would love to see him dead too, but are left with no option to move on with their respective futures. The Marquis has his assassins everywhere to prevent John from having any of his plans working against him. John Wick seems to be the man whom nobody can get rid of, as he keeps coming back for more, but for how long and against what all forces which have been arranged to fight him seemingly for eternity?

The defence of John Wick 4 :: The movie is a clear improvement from the first two films, and is almost as good as the previous film which had the perfect style and the right length which works for a movie like this one. The sequences of action are once again done very well with artistic beauty supported by charming visuals, and the fight in Japan is indeed a classic one, even though it came too early. The final fight in the streets is a long and memorable one, often getting longer than the longest battle that we can imagine, and the duel in front of the sunrise Sacre-Coeur church building in Paris is a sight to remember. The beauty in the fights and the artistic spilling of blood have their own merits. John Wick is someone whom we will remember for longer after this movie, and as the Hitman who has lasted so long, he defines Keanu Reeves as much as The Matrix and Constantine, the two other classic films that we shall never forget. It is Keanu Reeves who once again keeps the franchise strong. Donnie Yen makes a fine addition while Bill Skarsgard plays the usual rich villain who has so much money and power to control everything in sight. We also have Hiroyuki Sanada and Laurence Fishburne contributing well even though they could have been present for more time on screen. Rina Sawayama as Akira and Natalia Tena as Katia are fine additions who could make in a spin-off or sequel – the latter is someone whom we remember so well for their performance in Game of Thrones series. Ian McShane does the usual in style.

The claws of flaw :: This version of John Wick is too long, whichever way we look at it, as it touches three hour mark with a total run-time of 171 minutes with the interval, trailers, advertisement and national anthem added to the list, even though the censor board seems to have helped in keeping it at three hours and nothing more. With every movie, there has been an increase in run-time. This length is surely a disadvantage as there are moments when this one seems to drag, especially with the dialogues. The action does get repetitive, and we see so many things happening again and again. The movie could have used France’s monuments like Notre Dame Cathedral, Pantheon and Louvre Museum as much as the others, as Paris looks like a dream in this movie. The end of the movie could have also been much bigger, as there have been three films contributing so much towards coming to this grand finish which also seems uncertain if there could be a sequel or spin-off as vengeance continues to be the main thing on the list. John Wick also does not seem to be that stylish with his work anymore, even though we were always expecting him to bring more with the progression in films. There is also the lack of a good female character with presence throughout the movie, as they just come and go with some contributions here and there.

How it finishes :: There are not many Hollywood movies which have made an impact here like John Wick, if we leave the superhero films behind. There are so many kills, and we have people appreciating the action which is very unlike the dumb action in Bollywood movies and some of those overrated mass masala films from South India which earns so much with some nauseating performances, often with the products of nepotism at the helm. The total run-time of this movie might scare some people, but we can stand this as there is artistic beauty and creativity associated with, and not the dumb skill to make hundred enemies fly away as the so-called hero makes a move. The movies like this one are not easy to make as plot never has that much of focus, but this is another movie in the franchise that gets things right, especially with the action, and the choice of actors for the particular roles. There will always be something special about John Wick, even when he would not be of the strength that he used to be, and Keanu Reeves power further strengthens it.

Release date: 24th March 2023
Running time: 171 minutes
Directed by: Chad Stahelski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Ian McShane

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Red Notice

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Vampire Owl: I am also sending a bloody notice.

Vampire Bat: A red notice doesn’t really mean that it is bloody.

Vampire Owl: A thing of red colour can always have blood added to it.

Vampire Bat: It is supposed to be an international alert circulated by Interpol.

Vampire Owl: I am talking about any notice, which is red in colour.

Vampire Bat: It is still with information about crimes, criminals and threats.

Vampire Owl: The vampire blood moon event also has a red notice.

Vampire Bat: It is not a red notice. It is pasted with red colour directed on it.

Vampire Owl: That still makes it a notice in red.

Vampire Bat: Now, you are clearly talking like a zombie without brain.

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

What is the movie about? :: The tale of the Roman general Mark Antony, who fell in love with the enchanting Egyptian queen, Cleopatra is well known, as the two had taken their own lives instead of being defeated and captured, thus forced to live without each other and their world. gifts He had gifted Cleopatra three jeweled eggs as a wedding gift symbolizing their love. The eggs are lost until two are found by a farmer near Cairo in 1907, but there is still no information about the last egg. In the present, Special Agent John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson), is working as a criminal profiler for the FBI. He is assigned to help Interpol agent Urvashi Das (Ritu Arya) in investigating the possible theft of one of the eggs at Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. The head of the security in the museum feels that the concern is useless, as the security there is too heavy for anyone to make an impact. But John proves the egg there is not real, and it has been forged. The security seals all doors, but Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds) manages to get out of the room.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Despite all the chasing which follows, Nolan is finally captured by John in Bali, with clues from another art thief. But soon, it turns out that the other thief had other plans – the original egg has been replaced once again, and has John presented as the one who is behind all of these, with an eight million transferred to his account, and disguising as FBI office. Urvashi who considers herself to be too smart, is easily fooled by this, and has him taken to the Russian prison where Nolan was already imprisoned. In the prison, the other art thief Sarah Black, known to most people as The Bishop (Gal Gadot) meets them, and her offer to steal the second egg and find the third egg is declined by Nolan. The two becomes determined to get to the second egg before she does, and plans an escape, which is successful, more due to luck than anything else. When the two of them reach the location of the second egg, which is the home of an arms dealer, they also find Sarah there. Now how will the race to the eggs of Cleopatra go, and who will have the final laugh?

The defence of Red Notice :: If looked close, Red Notice is the kind of fun-packed entertainer that you watch on the big screen without thinking much about it. The film does maintain the whole thing where it should be, and mostly manages not to overdo the same. It focuses on the major things, and doesn’t make things complicated at any point, making sure that anyone can watch this film at any point of time, without the stress, and without having to think too much. The straight-forward action remains strong at all times. You get to see some big fights on many occasions, and the Gal Gadot action sequences are among the best of them. Everyone seems to get an equal dose of action scenes to perform too. The heist scene is also interesting, even though there could have been more of similar moments. The visuals of different places at different parts of the world are also stunning. We get to see different cities of different countries with all the charm that they have, and the visual beauty has been maintained until the very last scene of the movie.

The claws of flaw :: Red Notice is surely not a movie which tries hard enough to go out of the usual, and nothing innovative or special can be seen here. We have the usual action going on as the main character go on the heist. The major characters could have also been established better – maybe except for the Ryan Reynolds’ character, which seems to be there for one purpose, and the backstory is also somewhat rightly told. It could have also had more heist sequences with some smarter moments added to it, as well as more outdoor fighting sequences to get better pictures of the cities where the protagonist go. The humour is only somewhat working, and it is unlike the usual works featuring the main characters. It seems that Hollywood is also somewhat running out of ideas as far as innovation is concerned, and holding itself very high over the highly talentless and brainless list in Bollywood is not really an achievement. There is surely the need to try harder, get rid of the silly jokes and fights, to keep the good ones, and add better creative imagination.

The performers of the soul :: Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. The Rock gets things going strong and entertaining as usual. There is almost no movie where you don’t expect him to do what he has been doing the best in style – we remember what he has been doing with WWE too, and he never lags with entertaining the viewers. Whether it is Jumanji, Hercules, Journey to the Mysterious Island, Central Intelligence, Hobbs and Shaw or the whole of the later Fast and Furious franchise, we know what he is capable of, and how well he has been doing the same. There is no doubt about him achieving the same here too. Yet, one has the feeling that this had to be more focused on him rather than dividing this between all of them. Ryan Reynolds do a similar thing like he has been doing in Deadpool and its sequel – even though the humour is not that dark here, there is nothing that divergent in this character either, which he seems to have no problem playing. Gal Gadot is once again the wonder woman here, and she has a spear in one battle here too. She does a great job in a character which required more of a backstory. Then there is Ritu Arya who plays the cop who always losses, but she does that really well.

How it finishes :: The fact that Red Notice works with its entertainment is something to be happy about, but at the same time, one has to remember that Hollywood cannot go on with movies like these, without using more cerebral activity with innovative ideas. The regional movie industries are thinking more these days, and Red Notice is not of that much power to be standing tall against some original ideas which are not short of entertainment either. When you are looking for this kind of fun which takes over everything else, this is the movie for you – it doesn’t come up with the overdose of the same at any point, and hesitates to go the completely mindless Bollywood way. Red Notice is the kind of movie which will keep you interested and engaged, even without having that much of a new story to provide. You can watch it, be entertained, and then leave it behind. After all, you know that whenever the Rock is around, you cannot be disappointed – ask the WWE fans, and they will tell you the rest, whether your favourite wrestler is the Undertaker, Randy Orton, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, or anyone around.

Release date: 5th November 2021 (Netflix)
Running time: 118 minutes
Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds, Ritu Arya, Chris Diamantopoulos, Ivan Mbakop, Vincenzo Amato, Rafael Petardi, Daniel Bernhardt

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Sweet Girl

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Vampire Owl: I remember having met a sweet witch.

Vampire Bat: I do not remember any witch being sweet at all.

Vampire Owl: He had some of the sweetest magic potions.

Vampire Bat: You shouldn’t buy potions without approval of Vampire Senate.

Vampire Owl: I have paid all the taxes along with the price.

Vampire Bat: You will still have to pay the import duty.

Vampire Owl: But we belong to the same realm.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but not the same territory.

Vampire Owl: Now, we are having taxes like humans?

Vampire Bat: It is still very much less in comparison to some of the nations in the world of evil humans.

[Gets a raspberry cake and three cups of orange tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ray Cooper (Jason Momoa) jumps off the top of a building while being chased by the police, and it is followed by a flashback. His wife Amanda Cooper (Adria Arjona) gets really ill with a rare form of cancer. The survival expert, Ray hopes that he can do all that is possible to save her. But it is soon revealed that the life-saving drug called Infirmam was taken off the market due to Bio Prime CEO Simon Keeley (Justin Bartha) paying the manufacturers to delay the production. This also means that there was going to be an indefinite delay, and Amanda doesn’t have that much time. He watches congress woman Diana Morgan (Amy Brenneman) going through a live devate with Simon, and there he seems to be talking about much their company is dedicated to saving lives at less cost, and on how much they have sacrificed in the form of money and time. He makes a call to the live debate, and as Simon doesn’t seem to care that much about bringing the drug back to the market, Ray threatens to kill him if his wife dies because of this negligence.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Soon enough, Amanda dies, and Ray is left with his daughter Rachel Cooper (Isabela Merced) to go on with the pain and grief. A few months later, Ray gets a call from a journalist Martin Bennett (Nelson Franklin) who claims that he possesses evidence related to the unethical practices and criminal activities on the side of Bio Prime. They meet on a moving train, but a hitman Amo Santos (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) attacks them, killing the journalist and stabbing Ray. Rachel who had followed them also gets knocked out in the process. Even though further investigations reveal nothing about what had happened with Bio Prime or in the train, and with no information about the hitman who attacked them, Ray still continues to track Simon and his company. He manages to sneak into a charity programme and interrogate Simon, only to be attached by the bodyguards whom he manages to kill along with his gaurds. The only other responsible name that he gets is that of the chairman of the same company, Vinod Shah (Raza Jaffrey). FBI Agent Sarah Meeker (Lex Scott Davis) is in charge of the case.

And how far can this go as we keep moving forward? :: Ray and Rachel go on a long ride through less taken roads, trying to get away before the police officers or the assassins get to them. Rachel tries calling Sarah, hoping that she will look into Bio Prime before her father comes up with something terrible again. Sarah is able to get the trust of Rachel like a mother figure. Meanwhile, they are attacked by mercenaries who seems to have found them much to their surprise. Ray fights them and after a small fight, ends up killing them too. At the same time, the same hitman who had attacked them on the train is after them too. Their only option here seems to be to find Vinod and hope that it ends with them. But Santos has other ideas about it, and Vinod knowing anything more than what Simon knew seems not possible at all. How far does all these secrets go? Who might be the last link behind all of these? Will the father and daughter duo survive against what they seem to be completely incapable of handling? Is there a thing like hope for them?

The defence of Sweet Girl :: Jason Momoa is here doing what he does the best, without the superpowers of Aquaman and outside the team of Justice League. Isabela Merced has a point as the daughter figure. She plays a character who is more matured than anyone else of her age, and has her own ideology. This is also one strong character that she can happy that she played. The twist also works like a dream for her, and she rises above everyone else with ease here. She does remind one of Chloe Grace Moretz, like someone who could rise above the senior stars when provided with an opportunity. Then there is Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as the hitman and Amy Brenneman as the congress woman who are all doing what they do the best. The action sequences are all good, and both the father and daughter do their job well. The twist basically comes a shock, even though there were some red herrings here and there – that should work for most people. The movie, just like it begins well, ends without overdoing it, but being mostly satisfactory.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have been quicker here, as there is a lot action to be done. The twist in question here doesn’t seem to be that effective for everyone, as the willing suspension of disbelief might have its problems with how the action sequences have been going on here. It does take a little too much time to get to the twist, which should have been revealed earlier for the audience to adjust to the whole new situation it had created. The loopholes are surely there, especially in the second half of the movie. The movie does seem to be confused about how to respect the genre, and the world it had built earlier. The feeling of half-bakedness does bring some trouble. There was the chance to come up with better dialogues and better emotional moments too – the emotions are there, but with the twist, some emotions feel as if they didn’t exist at all. With that particular twist, it also feels that some of the length of this movie was for no reason, as a number of things didn’t happen as it was shown.

How it finishes :: Sweet Girl is more of less the movie that can go in the path of Hitman, Transporter, John Wick, Mechanic, Accountant, Equalizer, Kate and others while having its main lead going through the impossible to reach the other end. It would require a sequel for that, as it had that twist which changed things a little too much. There will be opinions against this one for sure, as the twist would take away something which the fans would have wanted in the climax, but the film did require something divergent to set a path different from the usual movies dealing with this kind of thing – you can’t just complain for taking the risk and bringing more to ponder about. With lots of action around, a few things can be forgotten, and others can be appreciated – what is to loved and hated might still be different for different types of people. I would be asking people to watch this one without looking at the spoilers and come with your opinion. We are never really less in need of action thriller with a huge mission in hand, right?

Release date: 20th August 2021 (Netflix)
Running time: 110 minutes
Directed by: Brian Andrew Mendoza
Starring: Jason Momoa, Isabela Merced, Adria Arjona, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Amy Brenneman, Raza Jaffrey, Justin Bartha, Lex Scott Davis, Michael Raymond-James

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.