Tag Archives: death

Bloody Ishq

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Vampire Owl: It has been a long time since love was seen as bloody.

Vampire Bat: Well, all relationships beyond marriage are bloody.

Vampire Owl: Yes, people do fall in love and die.

Vampire Bat: It is quite natural, as we know the same news.

Vampire Owl: So many people die due to this romance.

Vampire Bat: Yes, such Ishq not in marriage is bloody and terrifying for sure.

Vampire Owl: Are they bloodier than Romeo and Juliet?

Vampire Bat: Well, at least they were really true to each other.

Vampire Owl: We cannot really have the dead people to talk, can we?

Vampire Bat: Not if they do not become vampires or at least zombies with a little bit of brain activity left in their heads.

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

What is the movie about? :: Neha (Avika Gor) is a young woman who has only recently had a near-death experience by drowning, and had lost her memory. She had fallen in love with Romesh (Vardhan Puri) and married her only a few months ago, and they had fallen in love when she was in Scotland, undergoing her studies. Now, they live in their large mansion on a deserted Scottish island, and as it is a grand old building, which he hopes to transform into a grand hotel by lakeside. Romesh assures her that she will regain her memory slowly and steadily as she goes backs to the same mansion and do things as she used to do. She also feels that she is going to heal in the mansion by herself while he goes to the mainland and work goes on in the building. But soon she feels that there is something hiding behind the grandeur of the mansion in its dark corners which seems to have something for her, as scary situations keep happening against all odds. She feels that there is something paranormal and that the house is haunted.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Now, it seems that she cannot go out of the island as she has developed a fear for water. But inside the house, there seems to be some spirits trying to communicate with her and there are doors which seem to be locked forever with the strongest of locks. There are arms coming after her with some of them bloodied, a naked woman is on her bed with moaning sound heard, and glasses of the house seem to break for no reason and there are weird noises which seem to suggest something out of this world and intending to cause her harm. It is then that she is visited by Devdutt Sinha (Shyam Kishore), an officer from the Scottish police department, who tells her that her husband is the prime suspect in the murder of her father-in-law. She feels that death is also wandering rather too close to her and her falling in water might also have some other explanation to it. Fear and confusion seem to be regular part of her life, with hope seemingly far off.

And what more would happen here as the supernatural is ready to have its final say, making humans feel irrelevant? :: A woman who claims to be her best friend Ayesha (Jeniffer Piccinato) tells her that her husband is a liar and has rather to many secrets hidden within him. She tells Neha to find out the truth before it’s too late. Abhay (Gautam Sharma), a paranormal investigator lets her know that he had come to their mansion with Tanisha (Arshin Mehta), a medium who was possessed temporarily by an unknown spirit at the same building, and he adds that it was a terrible experience. Tanisha was seriously injured during the incident and due to her lasting trauma, do not go for any paranormal investigations anymore. Soon, Neha comes to know about deaths that had happened in their mansion and also understands that the death of her father-in-law was not an accident. There is some mystery surrounding her husband and there is more to the place than what meets the eye. Can Neha find out the truth before time runs out or will the mixture of truth and lies consume her slowly and steadily?

The defence of Bloody Ishq :: There horror stays alive in this movie, and there is fear generation that stays strong. The setting of an old mansion on a remote island with nothing else around, is a location which supports the horror environment so well, and the building itself does the rest with the support of darkness, lighting and antiquity which stands apart. The choice of Scotland is even more interesting with that landscape and the Hollywood feeling provided on the visuals. It also remains a stylish world, and the spirit is also something that generates interest. There are some nice twists around here, and the paranormal suspense is nicely maintained around here. The use of twists over twists work, as they are not that huge and just following the flow of things. The psychological tension is always present and it becomes as significant as the supernatural which gets the support further. Avika Gor leads the way here, as the leading actress who try to find meanings out of lost memories. She seems to nicely suit the horror genre as much as romance. The background score keeps us interested, and the songs are soothing.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is not something we have not seen before, and the feeling of repetition is definitely there. There are moments which provides the feeling that it has happened before, and we have seen enough of this. A lot of things around are there to be guessed correctly, and the twists are not enough to keep us away from knowing some of these truths early enough, even though the protagonist is not smart enough to know the same. The predictability seems to have come from some inspiration that might be from the earlier movies. There are times when things get rather exaggerated, and there is too much of time in getting to that area which could have been reached with so much ease. There is a little bit too much of melodrama here, and that is also stretched towards ending, where the twists towards end lose the steam. There is no real grand terror on the screen by the end as one would expect after this big buildup. The loss of steam in between is mainly due to the romantic side being weak, and never really getting up after falling down multiple times.

How it finishes :: Bloody Ishq takes on the horror genre in that manner which makes one think that this one could have been another sequel to that good old horror genre – Murder with the supernatural or even Raaz. Love and deaths are common elements, and this one was also going to be a step closer to Hate Story it had come from another angle. In a perfect setting, this one tries, and even though never really managing to go in full power, gets an interesting thriller here – entertaining horror target has been achieved without that much of a difficulty. Even though there is certain lacking, this is not as bad as these reviews would say – this one is indeed a very much watchable romantic-horror thriller with good performances and a fine mood despite running predictability. If you enjoy Bhatt-style thrillers, this is for you, but not if you expect to anything new or even has the scope of innovation around here. After all, romance and blood come together in romantic thriller with added horror. Let us hope that Bollywood gains further power to improve on the usual and come up with something bigger.

Release date: 25th July 2024
Running time: 138 minutes
Directed by: Vikram Bhatt
Starring: Avika Gor, Vardhan Puri, Jeniffer Piccinato, Rahul Dev, Shyam Kishore, Coral Bhamra, Arshin Mehta, Gautam Sharma

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kishkindhapuri

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Vampire Owl: I can feel that some classic demons are going to be back.

Vampire Bat: I have never known the demons to ever leave us.

Vampire Owl: I am not talking about the shadow demons from Sector Eleven.

Vampire Bat: So, you are talking about another group of shadowy creatures.

Vampire Owl: There are enough demons with separate identities in the legends and myths of different areas.

Vampire Bat: But the question remains if they can make a good movie out of them.

Vampire Owl: Now, that would be a difficult question to answer.

Vampire Bat: It will be the best if we watch and have an understanding.

Vampire Owl: I shall always believe in horror and its different forms.

Vampire Bat: There is no true existence without horror in any realm.

[Gets a parippu vada and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: In 1989, in a remote village known as Kishkindhapuri, the owners and workers of Suvarnamaya radio station are about to leave post work after locking the doors at midnight. But soon the lights go off, and an evil spirit uses the radios and speakers to get them to the basement. The spirit kills all of them and leaves their bodies there arranged in the shape of a swastika in an inverted mode. The station is closed permanently by the villagers. They are joined by priests who sealed the building permanently using prayers and magical incantations in such a way that nobody or nothing comes in or goes out. Many years later, Raghava (Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas), his girlfriend Mythili (Anupama Parameswaran), and best friend Sumith (Sudharshan) are members of Ghost Walking Tour Company which takes tourists to locations which are believed to be haunted due to legends and myths spread related to it, and provides them with a special experience to remember for a life time.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The tours usually script the events of the entire tour, and bring the scares in an artificial manner to liven the experience. There are people who are dressed as ghosts and objects in buildings are moved using hidden levers and ropes, with some sound effects to support the experience. But for their next trip, Raghava’s boss lets the tourists choose their location, and the random selection turns out to be Suvarnamaya radio station, which is not among their usual list of locations. It seems to have been randomly added to the list without much of a thought. They have no settings ready for this place which was never chosen before. But that does not stop them as they travel all the way there. Raghava breaks the talismans which were set on the doors and they enter the place, even though the team never really has any plan this time. As the team does not believe in such evil, they had also brought the neighbourhood kid Moksha (Baby Ashvika) with them as she insists.

And what more follows here as evil continues to spread like no other? :: After the tourists begins to be really scared with some terrifying presence really being unleashed, they attempt to leave, but as they get out, finds their van burning. But the next morning, at the village, the locals warn them about the presence of the spirit which would follow and kill them. The twelve people who were in the radio station soon receive warnings about their deaths from the spirit through their radios they brought with them from the station. The spirit brutally kills three tourists, two of them on a train and the next one on a construction site, and has the deaths marked with a swastika’s inverted mirror form. Raghava investigates about the radio station, but most locals stay silent out of fear. He discovers the station was supposedly haunted by Vedavathi (Thanuja Madhurapanthula), the first and last speaker of the station who was publicly humiliated and had suicided, but feels that there is something more about her. Can he find the secret behind the actions of the spirit, and stop it before things get worse and everyone gets killed?

The defence of Kishkindhapuri :: The movie needs to be appreciated for the cinematography, sound design and production values which support the horror so well. The spooky setting with a haunted radio station looking like an ancient mansion is effectively done, creating a creepy mood that never leaves us. The film’s opening acts maintains that suspense which builds gradually, and the final twists are so well-managed. The evil feels so good and its effectiveness can never be questioned, coming together so well after those final revelations. The movie’s leads, Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas and Anupama Parameswaran, gets in nicely here, and the emotionally intense as well as scary moments. It is really nice to see Anupama getting such roles in different modes, the charm which started with Premam and was carried over to The Pet Detective. This one proves that she could be that scream queen of horror movies too. Then there is Sandy who scores as usual. The scares and tension are nicely maintained in this movie, and twists are to be enjoyed. The use of the background tale is so well layered and narrated with different versions taking control.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have gone for unlimited horror, as the spirit here is definitely beyond control. There is also some predictability in between, and the problems seem to be just randomly solved in the end after all the terror that had come earlier. Sometimes, the makers do let the horror to remain routine, like in Bhool Bhulaiyya 3, which made no real struggle to make things better. The songs and fights do not live up to the rest, as some struggle is also there. The need to bring the commercial elements to more strength do not help the movie at all, and it is seen from the first few minutes of the hero’s entry too. These are some cases of over-writing, maybe meant for a certain kind of audience. One keeps wondering how deep the horror could have managed to get if there was some innovation or the incorporation of folktale elements like Stree could do. At times, there seems to be an effort to make this a horror comedy, but one wonders if it was really intentional or coming out of nowhere. Some more of graphics could have been used here to make the terror look special.

How it finishes :: The movie’s box-office success is not a surprise, as it has managed the whole thing so well, and it raises itself much above the other horror movies dealing with the same type of content. Kishkindhapuri is an effort to be appreciated – it gets many of the basics in horror absolutely right with the classic setting, terrifying mood, throughout scares and is supported by some appreciable lead performances. There might be flaws, but if you enjoy spooky, atmospheric thriller on a ghost with a past and don’t mind the existence of some cliches, it is surely worth a watch. Even though it is now in Amazon Prime Video in Hindi too, this feels like that experience which we missed in theatres, but we know that it would not have released in this part of the world at all. But the horror should have always had some space in the big theatres, as the terrifying experience is to be best experienced in the darkness of the best screens. With those final talks in the movie, it feels that one can have an even better experience. This is the kind of horror which could surely take the genre to new heights and we will wait for that.

Release date: 12th September 2025
Running time: 125 minutes
Directed by: Koushik Pegallapati
Starring: Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, Anupama Parameswaran, Sandy, Sudhardhan, Tanikella Bharani, Hyper Aadi, Srikanth Iyengar, Makarand Deshpande, Prema, Sunil Reddy, Anantha Prabhu, Baby Ashvika, Srinivas Vadlamani, Thanuja Madhurapanthula, Alapati Lakshmi, Srinivas Bogireddy

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

I Heart Willie

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Vampire Owl: This particular person looks like the Frankenstein monster.

Vampire Bat: The Frankenstein monster has been on the missing list for a long time.

Vampire Owl: Dr Frankenstein once told me about his location.

Vampire Bat: Mr Frankenstein has never told anyone any truth.

Vampire Owl: Truth is often what human make. We create realities.

Vampire Bat: Do you remember the last time when you created another reality?

Vampire Owl: It was a mistake. The alternate reality lives on under our control.

Vampire Bat: That reality has transformed into something like a cartoon.

Vampire Owl: It is just a really cool place like a fantasy world.

Vampire Bat: I still do not know why you made it an elf-halfling-dwarf-hobbit place.

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

What is the movie about? :: Four friends Nora (Maya Luna), Nico (Micho Camacho), Daniel (Sergio Rogalto) and Jess (Daniela Porras) are four friends who have been trying to make a movie for YouTube within a scary setting in the woods, which has an old mansion and a past which would keep most people away, and is off the limits according to the police and administration. There is the tale about a boy with a mouse-like head believed to have inspired Mickey Mouse who lived there long ago, and is associated with a tale of horror hat have scared many generations. Jess seems to be someone who fantasize about monstrous villains, wearing black clothes and lipstick, more of a Goth who loves to travel to these locations. Nora is more of the one who wishes to help everyone, loves Mickey Mouse and tries to be nice to everyone around, showing a great amount of concern whenever anyone has a chance to get hurt. She seems to have joined them more to help than anything else.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Daniel and Nico have been good friends who often take similar videos, making them viral on YouTube and Instagram, and Nora used to be in a relationship with the former for some time. While this former relationship brought Nora with them, the interesting in being viral with something spooky, like she had done with Ouija boards and dark spaces brought her here – she has also been best friends for Nora for about half of her life. They decide to start shooting immediately, but end up finding a burned man who scares them out, only to find an abandoned van outside which has rather too much blood for anyone’s liking. Jess who finds this an opportunity to get closer to the newly single Daniel, seduces him, only to find her desires paused by a presence outside. A certain person seems to wander around outside with a weapon, which it seems to use to carve people, and the only chance for them to survive is to stay together in the area without network coverage, but can they?

The defence of I Heart Willie :: If there was a psycho killer movie with a perfect protagonist as much as antagonist, it is this one with Maya Luna at its heart. Her transformations not just in the personality but also with the looks in the movie really leads us through a journey which advances so well. One would need to watch how she changes, and her final moments are nothing less than magnificent. Daniela Porras’ performance also provides a few reflections of the strong horror slasher elements, as she surprisingly rises above other main characters at times, creating her own moments. The setting is really good, and the atmosphere adds to the overall fear elements. The inverted Steamboat Willie the psycho killer in the form of the childhood hero turned super-villain who slashes people into pieces has its own impact. The ending is for you to remember and spawn a sequel, as this is the one twist which is nicely built and executed well, with a shot of mickey and his minnie mouse that will further raise the level of the movie.

The claws of flaw :: The movie often hesitates to use its strengths to the best advantage. When there is a psycho killer on the loose and that person seems to have extraordinary supernatural strength, one would surely expect more. A certain amount of budget limitation can be felt in between. The fight against evil is rather too weak, as we look around here – even the basic tendency to escape from a certain doom seems to be missing, with the characters not understanding the terror early enough and by the time they do, they are just too weak. The hunting could have been done in a more frightening way too, as the running and hiding are also too less here – maybe having a horror movie in less than one and half hours, that too when establishing a new universe, seems to be a little too less to be on the screen. Some quick scares here and there could have strengthened the fear factor to a very much higher level as the dark world in the woods is surely there to be taken, maybe the sequel would do it.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led by Maya Luna who might be the greatest scream queen any slasher movie has produced in some time. From the beginning itself she creates a certain interest among the horror fans, and becomes that character who makes the slasher more interesting than it could have ever been. There are some fine moments that she provides, and shows that her acting skills can make any slasher horror better. She shows the multiple faces of the character and its adaptations as this is one dynamic character in horror that we do not usually see. She is unforgettable in those final moments, in her underclothes and covered in blood, with that grin that is going to stay with the viewer for long. Daniela Porras is not that far behind in that scream queen status, but remains the usual kind of horror character for a slasher, and has the usual dialogues and scenes for such a movie, and she perfects the same. The others only come as supporting to this work, while the antagonist by David Vaughn also excels.

How it finishes :: I Heart Willie takes a different approach to slasher horror despite tendency to become a Wrong Turn, and deviates well especially as it moves towards the end, and has one of the more classic endings which could have cult following, and inspire a number of sequels which could be even more twisted. One can wait for them, and until then, enjoy this particular movie which leaves new doors open. Steamboat Willie, the 1928 American animated short film and the first public debut of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, has been nicely deviated to make a serial killer at work. As the particular cartoon entered the public domain on January 1, 2024, the movie has nicely made the same transform into something unique – it is something that we will remember for the deviation now. Well, Mickey Mouse could always be evil, as it is the cat who should be on the human side – we know who is the real villain in Tom n Jerrry as we have grown up now; a mouse is better suited to the other side of neutrality. Watch the movie, and you will be sure about it.

Release date: 8th November 2024
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Alejandro G Alegre
Starring: Maya Luna, Micho Camacho, Sergio Rogalto, Daniela Porras, David Vaughn

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Winnie the Pooh 2

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Vampire Owl: I am aware of this guy known as Mr. Winnie.

Vampire Bat: Are you sure that he is really the one?

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had talked to me about it.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein is not a doctor or scientist.

Vampire Owl: But he speaks a lot of truth and is a man of truth even beyond borders.

Vampire Bat: His truth has always been twisted.

Vampire Owl: So, do you think that this Winnie is dangerous?

Vampire Bat: He is a classic serial killer, and the secret is out now.

Vampire Owl: Uncle Dracula should be warned then.

Vampire Bat: Well, he has no access to our realm.

[Gets a thattu dosa and three cups of Kandy tea].

What is the movie about? :: A long time ago, Christopher Robin (Scott Chambers) was friends with a number of creatures in the Hundred Acre Wood whom he had left in the woods, and had attacked him on his return. They were friendly in the beginning and liked him as a child, but had turned feral and were starving after he left them there, which made them really angry at him as well as other humans due to abandonment and facing near death. After the capturing and following brutal massacres of his friends by these angry creatures, he returns to his childhood town of Ashdown hoping that he could find help, but Christopher is believed to be responsible by the people who do not believe in his story on the existence of such creatures which are part-human in looks and can even talk. He is not convicted due to lack of evidence, but common people do consider him as the killer of Maria (Maria Taylor), Jessica (Natasha Rose Mills) and others, and even vandalizes his family’s properties.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Soon, a movie adaptation based on the brutal murders is released, further damaging Christopher’s reputation in Ashdown. Even though he had started working as a junior doctor after finishing his medical training, he understood that nobody really trusted him. He has to visit the psychiatrist Mary Darling (Teresa Banham) as he continues to have nightmares about the main villain who committed the murders, Winnie-the-Pooh (Ryan Oliva) and his side-kick Piglet (Eddy MacKenzie). Meanwhile, in the forest, Pooh and Piglet are forced to hide with their former friends Tigger (Lewis Santer) and Owl (Marcus Massey) as a few people who believed in Christopher’s story burned down where they could be hiding. But the question remains about how long their will stay in hiding and not seek to unleash themselves on the unsuspecting humans. They start by attacking a group of women who camps in the area while searching for the spirts in the forest.

And what more will follow here as terror keeps waiting? :: Meanwhile, Lexy (Tallulah Evans) is the one person who shows interest in him, and she seems to genuinely like him. Owl feels that it is time to get into the town and finish the humans who do not care for them. Some of the people who come to the forest finds the creatures, and are killed in the process, except for Aaron (Sam Barrett) who is taken to a hospital. Christopher feels that Pooh and his friends are behind this attack, but the police only question him as the attacks seem similar to what had happened long ago with him as the major suspect. It is then that he comes across Cavendish (Simon Callow), a man who hides some terrible secrets. He has much more to reveal about Pooh and his friends, and it would not do Christopher’s confidence any good, and nobody in the town would believe the same. But the creatures have reached incredibly close to the town, and will stop at nothing. Can Christopher convince his people well enough to be vigilant, with the creatures already chasing Lexy?

The defence of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 :: Seeing the so-called cute childhood heroes as villains is priceless, because the inherent evil in children, as seen in Lord of the Flies is enough to fuel the pure evil of these creatures who become the great slasher champions who are capable of a lot more than the regular Halloween or Scream antagonists. The monsters are nicely designed, even with roots on the cute characters. The origin story is nicely built here, with an ending that would surely spawn a sequel one way or the other. There is a certain twist in between regarding that, even though that would not qualify as a shock and stays more personal for the protagonist. The kills are creative enough, especially the last moments of the party remain classic. There is creativity in that violence while staying close to the slasher mode itself. With new characters added, more are also expected to come. A fine flashback video would prove to be classic with some more budget added in the next film. The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) or Poohniverse shall come with more for sure.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s hesitation to bring the perfect slasher horror elements of the past does keep it a step behind, especially with its main villains being such twisted characters who can bring terror out of nothing due to their deviation from the cuteness. The female characters do not prove to be that useful either, as their sequences just go on without making much of an impact. The earlier film seemed to have made better use of them, and the classic moments in it do seem to feature them. They did not seem to think about adding one to the evil side either. There seems to be some budget constraints which still affect the work – mainstream power seems to be missing at times. Those who are too attached with the childhood heroes will find it not good for their nostalgia either. In the end, predictability also stays around, even though more attempts are made here and there to twist things.

How it finishes :: The movie’s display of evil from children’s characters are very much relevant, as we already know the inherent evil of children from William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. As these creatures grow up, they display that evil in the purest forms, and they are powered by the pure evil that exists within children when they are not civilized or brought into any kind of order. It is clearly reflected in the main characters, and through this, the movie also shows us that we do not see the truth with things being about more than what meets the eye. As I have not watched the first movie, a comparison cannot be made, but a classic scene like being tied up in front of a car which has been going through forums, is not there in this movie, and the only one which can come anywhere close are those dead bodies lying in the night party. I would think that the first one which established this idea might be better, but that is to be decided by those who watched both movies – for now, enjoy the slasher power of this particular movie.

Release date: 7th June 2024
Running time: 93 minutes
Directed by: Rhys Frake-Waterfield
Starring: Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, Ryan Oliva, Teresa Banham, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Alec Newman, Simon Callow

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ 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

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

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Salem’s Lot

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Vampire Owl: I remember this as America’s answer to Dracula.

Vampire Bat: Do you think that Uncle Dracula would ever want to visit the United States?

Vampire Owl: Some parts of the nation are suitable for him.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about New Orleans where he won’t be an alien.

Vampire Owl: Uncle Dracula would need more than just one town or city.

Vampire Bat: You think that he still wishes to spread the undead curse?

Vampire Owl: I have read that it was the dream of the vampire elders.

Vampire Bat: Well, the vampire elders, even for a vampire lifespan, were too old to be alive.

Vampire Owl: They were still in their senses, even though tortured by light.

Vampire Bat: They are only that much in their sense as Dr Frankenstein during a science exhibition.

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

What is the movie about? :: In the 1975, a strange man from Europe opens an antique store in the town of Jerusalem’s Lot and starts residing in the long-abandoned Marsten House, which has a history of murders. It is then that Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) has returned to this hometown after a very long time, this time as a writer. He falls in love with Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh), who also wishes to leave the town one day. The place seems to be a peaceful little town where almost nothing happens, and there is almost nothing of interest. But the new entrant from Europe has a huge coffin in there, and something sinister seems to be lurking in the shadows of the night. There are boys who go missing, and as no clue is found, the locals begin to be suspicious about Ben who had only recently arrived and after which these missing cases started. The police is unable to find any clue about the particular missing.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: After the disappearance of the boy named Ralph Glick (Cade Woodward), his brother Danny Glick (Nicholas Crovetti) is also attacked, and after spending some time in the hospital, the boy dies, and is soon buried. Mike Ryerson (Spencer Treat Clark), gravedigger who buried the boy is soon attacked by the undead version of him and gets sick. It is Matthew Burke (Bill Camp) who first notices and identifies the signs of vampirism in the gravedigger and is able to connect the same to recent disappearances, illnesses and corpses. But things are worse than he could imagine as this is not a case of a random vampire attacking a few people in the town. Kurt Barlow (Alexander Ward) is an ancient vampire whose origins go a long way back, and is a source of pure evil. He would stop at nothing as the intention is to turn the whole town into a vampire colony and spread the undead curse even further. Can anyone even come close to stopping him?

The defence of Salem’s Lot :: The movie takes us to the 1970s feeling, and we see that again, and most of us who were not alive during the time can only know them through movies – this one seems to show that nicely, and place the vampire curse right in between. Finding the vampires around would be more chilling at that time as it is displayed in the movie, because there is no friendly neighbourhood vampirism as it has been popularized now. The movie maintains that original essence, and has vampires as the true evil creatures of the night, all prepared for some nocturnal hunting of humans. The setting is really well-constructed and the world suits works with perfection. The vampire attacks are shown with all the required intensity and the fear elements get good dose as the movie demanded. With the old style vampires with the long-established weakness and fear generation, the nostalgia returns like it has wings.

The claws of flaw :: The movie struggles to rise from the tag of just another old-style vampire movie which offers nothing new, and do not even make the book feel better with its content. There is the feeling of lack of depth at times, and the movie struggles to maintain pace. The length of the movie does not seem to justify itself and we see a lot of lagging in between. The struggle feels real, but it should not have been the case with a film which has the base material set from a long time ago – the whole things should have been as safe as adapting Dracula and adding so many new things to it, and still having the vampire world to work like a dream. Some characters do not really develop and we do not feel for them, even when they are dead. The emotional strength feels to be lacking, and the establishment of pillars of the movie might have been the problem as they threaten to fall. The mystery could have been deeper and it is to be noted that the new world would never cease to be terrifying even without vampires, as there are already existing monsters.

The performers of the soul :: The cast nicely blends into the 1970s setting and their work and appearance give us the best feeling of the time period. The blending into that world and characters work like a dream. The journey is led well by Lewis Pullman, who plays the protagonist who comes across the least possible evil and has to react quick enough to survive. Bill Camp is solid in a role which could be this movie’s Van Helsing, even though he does not survive that long with the undead curse spreading faster than that of Dracula. Makenzie Leigh seems to be the one person best suitable for the age with the work, and the character holds on so well. Alfre Woodard also keeps the anti-vampire battle going on well. John Benjamin Hickey could have had even bigger role to play when we see how things have been going. And then, the master vampire works really well, reminding one of Nosferatu.

How it finishes :: Salem’s Lot could have improved on the content of the book, but here it seems like just trying to use the available content and do nothing much to add to the same. There were lots of opportunities to bring a classic touch or visualize better, but the same are not taken by the movie. But the horror arrives well, and we are ready to accept the same. After all, horror is the one true feeling that everyone experiences and believes in, unlike the movies with college romance which is more myth for people who do not experience them. As part of the one true genre of horror, the movie has managed well. We are not supposed to expect more than what meets the eye as a usual thing though. This journey is indeed in the right direction to bring more horror to the scene, and take us back to the original vampire world – not that of the blood-drinking entities that glitter and live in the house on the other side of the street.

Release date: 3rd October 2024
Running time: 113 minutes
Directed by: Gary Dauberman
Starring: Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, John Benjamin Hickey, Bill Camp, Jordan Preston Carter, Nicholas Crovetti, Spencer Treat Clark, William Sadler, Pilou Asbæk

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Final Destination: Bloodlines

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Vampire Owl: Is somebody talking about blood now?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that there is blood, but not as you think.

Vampire Owl: Maybe, they are talking about vampire bloodlines.

Vampire Bat: Vampire bloodlines no longer remain a topic of discussion at least among the awakened.

Vampire Owl: So, you are not going to listen to the vampire elders anymore.

Vampire Bat: The vampire elders do not call the shots these days.

Vampire Owl: They are no longer the unwritten rulers of vampire kind?

Vampire Bat: They have never been the rulers, but advisors.

Vampire Owl: Advisors who have always made decisions all by themselves.

Vampire Bat: Well, the value given to their decisions was certainly higher. But now, we live in a world of monster hunters.

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

What is the movie about? :: Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger) and her boyfriend Paul Campbell (Max Lloyd-Jones) manage to attend the grand opening of the Sky View, the tallest tower in the city which has been a prestigious project, and will have the richest and the most influential people around. He intended to propose to her at the top of the tower which also has the perfect restaurant for a classic romantic dinner. Iris who is about to accept his proposal and also reveal that she is pregnant with their child, has a premonition of that chain of events that causes the tower to collapse in parts, killing everyone inside. There would be nothing left in that area which would be in shambles. She managed to stop the major factors that set up the events in motion including stopping a kid from throwing a coin which gets stuck, and warning the attendees not to step on the glass floor which would and thus prevents the total collapse but, in doing so, she had disrupted Death’s intelligent design. The tower was then closed for renovation, but after many years, was torn down, and nobody talked about that incident again.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Many years later, Iris and Paul’s granddaughter, bright college student Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) who spends most of her life in books, is haunted by repeated nightmares of the tower accident and returns home after a long time, seeking the right answers. She is welcomed at home by her father, Marty Reyes (Tinpo Lee) and younger brother Charlie Reyes (Teo Briones). Still, searching for answers, she leaves with Charlie to visit their uncle Howard Campbell (Alex Zahara), aunt Brenda Campbell (April Telek), along with their happy cousins Erik Campbell (Richard Harmon), Julia Campbell (Anna Lore), and Bobby Campbell (Owen Patrick Joyner). When Stefani asks about her grandmother, Howard explains that she was sick and had mental problems, often called crazy with no way to be normal again. But she finds letters from her grandmother in a cabin, and traces her to a highly fortified cabin in the woods where she lives, but terminally ill with cancer and awaiting the slow arrival of death instead of the quick and brutal one.

And what more is to follow here with death’s grand plans? :: Iris recounts the Sky View accident and tells her that Death is taking the lives of everyone in the specific order they should have died. Then there is that family that were not supposed to have, and Death is taking them too, one after the other in the order of their birth. The fact that Iris has remained alive for long has kept her bloodline alive too, but as she steps out of her barricaded house to give her granddaughter her research on escaping death, she also shows how Death works, with a simple sequence of events leading to her brutal impaled death. She does not completely believe that death is coming to them in the specified order, but then the brutal death of Howard awakens her. The rest of the family realizes the seriousness only when Julia who has been confident herself and does not listen to others, falls into a garbage truck and gets squeezed in between. Now, they realize that deaths are going to keep happening, and it might just end their family. Can they find a way to stop Death from unleashing the eerie plans perfectly on them? Death who is a master of doing his perfect work shall not wait though, as he is already late.

The defence of Final Destination: Bloodlines :: The opening scene with the destruction of the tower and the deaths is one of the impressive beginnings that one can ever have, and it is one of those occasions when the death of a kid character is so much satisfactory. The visuals are the most stunning during those moments, and has us scared this time about going to the top of a tower – this actually released at a time when we were in Colombo and about to go to the top of the Lotus Tower – the effectiveness was right there to be taken. The deaths remain impressive, and the way in which the death’s plan comes to meet the requirements remain classic and something that we will remember for a long time. The familial side seems to work better than the previous movies too, as death seems to mean more here as it haunts the bloodlines. When death would come to haunt a family, things are always going to get more personal and fueling emotions. The appreciation that the movie received in comparison to previous movies will further fuel more viewers on Jio Hotstar where it finally reached. The lad role is well done by Kaitlyn Santa Juana, who would always be a lovely scream queen and we feel that Brec Bassinger would shine the same, as we remember her from 47 Meters Down: Uncaged.

The claws of flaw :: The predictability factor remains here too, and visual effects could have also scored more. The characters are also not given that much of importance as we look at them. As it is all about death anyway, the movie does not innovate in an overall manner, even though deaths get that focus as expected. The film never gets that much innovative out of the best idea, which seems to repeat a little too around. Still, the side characters are not provided that much significance, especially that of people like Anna Lore who plays Julia who just dies off too soon. The effects used here are not of quality all the time, as some of them feels like coming from a lower level. The gore is just given more importance over suspense, twists and haunting – there seems to be not that power in the investigation to cheat death, and nothing much seems to be gained by the same. There could have been some variety or some findings that come as the special ingredient here, but the same is not there to be taken.

How it finishes :: This seems to be the Final Destination movie with the best opinions so far, even though the third with the roller coaster deaths was the one which had me going as a child despite knowing well enough about the flight and truck deaths. The movie keeps the nostalgia running, surely in a stronger way than the recent flicks from the same world of death, those with the bridge collapses and racing car accidents. Its presence in Jio Hotstar makes it very much accessible to many. For those who are fans of Final Destination style classic deaths, this is more than worth watching, starting from the opening sequence, seemingly bringing some quality back around here. Still, it hesitates to use the movie’s full potential and develop on what could be its strength as bloodlines also come into the picture. Well, Fast and Furious showed us the power of family, but this one, despite having such a family hunt around, do not bring enough focus around here. Still, this remains very much fun, and a reminder that we are all going to die, and possibly a very painful one, reflecting our own painful existence in a sad and depressing world.

Release date: 16th May 2025
Running time: 110 minutes
Directed by: Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein
Starring: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Brec Bassinger, Tony Todd

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Elevation

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Vampire Owl: So, we are going back to the post-apocalyptic?

Vampire Bat: Yes, we are back to an end of the world event.

Vampire Owl: It only qualifies as the end of human world.

Vampire Bat: Well, they are the people of the apocalypse.

Vampire Owl: They like these apocalyptic stories so much too.

Vampire Bat: The truth is that they are the ones bringing the end of the world.

Vampire Owl: So, do you think that the humans are going to be finished soon?

Vampire Bat: I do not see why they won’t be.

Vampire Owl: I hope none of them get transformed into vampires anymore.

Vampire Bat: We are not turning anyone anymore. There will be no more human vampires.

[Gets a marble cake and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: A number of mysterious creatures called Reapers emerges from sinkholes leading to underground and begins attacking humanity, with most of humanity not surviving the very first month. These creatures keep coming, and there are no bullets or missiles that could destroy them. The creatures establish themselves as the new apex predators, and just kills humans at will, while human weapons prove to be meaningless against them. Small numbers of human survivors live in different communities eight thousand feet or more above the sea level where the creatures do not reach. The new small towns are built exactly about the eight thousand feet limit, and there are boundaries drawn to make sure that nobody will dare to cross that limit and become prey to the newly arrived hunters. But there would always be an occasional traveler who try to get through for resources, communications or something else, but that do not end well for the person, and only serves the hunting creatures well.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Three years later, Will (Anthony Mackie) who has been a single father for quite some time after the death of his wife Tara (Rachel Nicks), is trying to save his son Hunter (Danny Boyd Jr) who is suffering from a lung disease which only seems to be getting worse with them staying at the higher elevation. Nina (Morena Baccarin) holds the guilt for Tara’s death, as both Will and Tara were helping her in an expedition to find out the weaknesses of the Reapers before being attacked by them, and the experiment had ended with the untimely death. Will’s only good friend is Katie (Maddie Hasson) who develops a liking to him and also supports his son who faces usual breathing problems whenever he has some strain in that altitude. Will, concerned about his son, decides to do something about the situation, facing isolation from other communities and not having enough oxygen filters for his son. So, he decides to go and get a few oxygen filters after leaving his son with the elderly neighbour Hannah (Shauna Earp), and maybe find some more support in the process.

And what more is to follow in this terrible situation which seems to mean the end of humanity as we know it? :: He makes Nina agree to come with him so that they can go to her former laboratory and maybe find some clue to killing or at least temporarily stopping them. At the same time, Katie also decides to join them, despite Will asking her to stay and take care of things there. She feels that she could finally be useful, and does not wish to stay like this living in an area in the hills, doing nothing but wait for some creatures to die or humanity to be extinct. Their plan is to travel to a mine below the safety line and reach their destination through it without gaining the attention of the creatures. Nina has a device that can detect a nearby Reaper through their high bioelectromagnetic pulses. They gather supplies along the way, including a grenade launcher, but a Reaper spots them, and they just manage to escape at the last moment, as even grenades seem to have no effect on them. Even if they get to the laboratory, will there be a chance to stop creatures like these?

The defence of Elevation :: The movie surely gets the post-apocalyptic setting right, and is successful in taking us to that particular world which would come now or later. The mountain setting adds to that feeling as we feel the loneliness and depression which is prevalent in this particular world. The movie being not that long also works in the movie’s favour. It also does not overuse its content, and the creatures are also there creating the impact. As much as the visuals, the sound effects also contribute to create an impact, in a lesser level of The Quiet Place. The post-apocalyptic world keeps us close to the genre here, and we obviously get what we want. Anthony Mackie who is known for multiple Avengers and Captain America movies as well as Outside the Wire and The Woman in the Window, gets into action with ease, and leads the movie in style. With his name of character being Will, one also feels a certain nostalgia of having Will Smith in similar movies of action, adventure and apocalypse. Morena Baccarin, the Deadpool and Gotham star remains impressive in a role which has multiple faces.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not use its resources to best advantage, despite the premise holding on so well in the beginning. Maddie Hasson’s character is missed too early, as she was just getting better with each scene, and we wanted to see her in those final moments. The father-son relationship seems to be just added to feel an emotional effect, but that is not felt in a deep manner, especially when the world seems to be too close to an end. The movie’s stay at the safe zone might not satisfy everyone, as one cannot help seeing it as somewhat a derivative of other movies. The creatures are also not seen that many times up close to create some unforgettable horror. The backstories could have also been explored in a better way. A lot of world-wide destruction is left for the imagination, and so are many other elements of the creature attack. The chance to go to a higher level is missed here, and a lot of action could have come in some corners, as the final line of defence is often what would matter the most in a big apocalyptic movie.

How it finishes :: Elevation makes a strong point among the post-apocalyptic movies, even though it will not be among the best, and there were surely chances to make it bigger in scope and also to add more action without killing one of its main characters too early. As the ending leaves scope for a sequel, we can hope for getting the canvas bigger in the next one. The movie is a strong enough visually pleasing survival-monster action-adventure thriller which becomes an entertaining, watch. It would just feel like going deep enough, but not to its end. The cast mainly of three works really well, and their success in making us feel that the danger is real, and do take us to the environment to which we also become a part. After all, this is surely going to be our future, as an apocalyptic event would come in one way or the other. This is another one of those movies which prepares us for that unstoppable doom – these kinds of movies should be more or less be saved as the manuals for the end of the world scenarios even though hypothetical, and available of Jio Hotstar.

Release date: 8th November 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: George Nolfi
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson, Shauna Earp, Rachel Nicks, Danny Boyd Jr, Tyler Grey

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Woman in Cabin 10

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Vampire Owl: I hope they are not talking about Cabin 10 in the castle.

Vampire Bat: We do not have cabins here. We have resting places.

Vampire Owl: Okay, then it should be Resting Place 10.

Vampire Bat: I also do not think that there is the number 10 in the castle.

Vampire Owl: You mean those young vampires cannot count?

Vampire Bat: No, we start with the number 13. It is our lucky number.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that you do not count downwards either.

Vampire Bat: Then, we will have to stop at zero or one.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein usually counts through the negatives.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein does things in the most ridiculous ways.

[Gets a Milk Bikis biscuit and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Laura Blacklock (Keira Knightley), known in the field of journalism as “Lo”, is one of the best-known figures of investigative journalism, and is recovering from the trauma of witnessing the death of one of her informers, and her co-workers keep asking her to take a break, at least a short one so that they could come back stronger. As she could not be completely out the job, which she never wishes to be, she gracefully accepts an invitation from terminally ill billionaire named Anne Bullmer (Lisa Loven Kongsli). She is asked join her and her husband Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce), along with their extremely wealthy guests, on their high luxury superyacht which is sailing to a fundraising gala in Norway. She is never really out of the journalism job, as she has to write about the Bullmers’ new charitable foundation while she is there, and get it to the public through the media. Laura finds this to be a good break from the office for a change, and is offered the best of amenities.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: There she meets Ben Morgan (David Ajala) again, a fellow journalist and photographer who used to be her lover, and has been assigned to cover the programmes with his camera. Dr. Robert Mehta (Art Malik) who is also on the ship to help Anne, feels that she does not have much time due to the spreading cancer. While trying to avoid Ben, Laura ends up in the cabin numbered 10, and sees a blonde woman, but the meeting is short-lived. But when she feels that there is someone who fell off the ship, and drops of blood from a distance, she feels that the lady in that cabin might have fallen off, but Captain John Addis (John Macmillan) assures her that there was nobody in the cabin, and it has been empty all the time. But she is sure that she saw someone, but everyone assures her that it could be the trauma. She also feels that she was pushed into the swimming pool, and that someone wrote something on her bathroom’s glass when she was naked and taking a shower, as if someone is keeping a watch on her all the time after talking about the cabin 10. Now it remains to be seen if she is hallucinating or if there is something more sinister around.

The defence of The Woman in Cabin 10 :: The sense of mystery remains central to the main idea of the movie as it keeps us guessing, even when the pace is not that much to be taken here. The cast seems to be rightly suitable for the movie, as we see them rising above the simplicity of the movie here. The luxury yacht setting works well to build atmosphere even though there is not much focus on the facilities of the ship as it could have been done. The contrast of emotions facing different realities going between what is seen and what is not, goes on well. The movie remains suitable for the OTT streaming, and as it released directly to Netflix, it does feel like the right one for the platform. Based on the 2016 novel by Ruth Ware, this is one movie which seems to keep that kind of a mood, even though that freedom to visualize could have meant more. The setting that provides the view of the luxury yacht keeps working well, even though that much focus is not provided there. The twist is pretty good even though revealed easily and without providing a powerful impact when it is known.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is just too slow for this kind of a run, and it often seems to walk slowly with utmost care. The drag is felt on so many occasions, and there is nothing much to keep us interested in between, as we just keep moving around without the real sense of danger or any kind of fun, making this one not dark, but rather dull in between. This one surely needed at least some moments of terror or some classic visuals – after all, we have such a good-looking luxury yacht, and the makers could show some parts of it so that those who might never travel in one can enjoy the beauty; that could make the whole thing more interesting. The failure of the movie to do anything special and instead go on a path as if to bring that final suspense and twist which comes in as end nears would not make a movie become a favourite, even with some fine performers around. The movie does need to know itself more as much as its audience. After all, we are all looking for something extra in a movie.

The performers of the soul :: The movie gets the advantage of having Keira Knightley around at the top. As we have always known, even after these many years, she is one performer whom we have trusted to do the job. Her presence itself is an assurance that the tale will go on well with the support of fine performances that will automatically come. She provides a true reflection of what happens on the ship. Guy Pearce also stays solid in a very serious role as we see multiple character depths on him, while David Ajala adds on well, and is a more relevant character than one would think about. Art Mallik adds a certain amount of depth to the whole thing. Gitte Witt can be seen adding some more good work too. Other performers like Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Hannah Waddingham, John Macmillan, Paul Kaye, David Morrissey, Kaya Scodelario, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Daniel Ings and Christopher Rygh add on further. Lisa Loven Kongsli’s smaller role is notable than one would think. There are not too many characters with that much of a depth for us check in detail with the performances.

How it finishes :: The Woman in Cabin 10 is that kind of a slow thriller with its suspense and thrills coming on slower and slower as the finish is near. There is no denying its ability to bring the suspense and twist and keep it thrilling as the end comes, but the way in which it does the same cannot be interesting to many people. I have found this one to be something of interest, but not by that much. I would not deny the fact that I have been looking for the secrets to be unveiled as the movie progresses, but remain surprised how it ended just as if it had to end, for there are many more things that could be done. For now, this seems like a movie meant to go be identified as a thriller, but not done without that much of an effort – if this was a Malayalam movie, it would have identified as a drama movie, with some extra additions becoming part of it. As it is on Netflix, it would not hurt to watch it when there is spare time, and come up with some explanations on how it could have been better, and enjoy the journey as much as it can be, without too much of expectations to go with it, for we will survive.

Release date: 10th October 2025 (Netflix)
Running time: 95 minutes
Directed by: Simon Stone
Starring: Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce, Art Malik, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Hannah Waddingham

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Survive

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Vampire Owl: Do you think that we really need another movie on survival?

Vampire Bat: Well, we are surviving right now. So, this is a realistic movie.

Vampire Owl: Does this have someone’s survival for centuries?

Vampire Bat: I think that this is just about a few days, maximum.

Vampire Owl: So, they are dealing with some crisis which would not matter for vampires.

Vampire Bat: You should understand that everything matters for vampires.

Vampire Owl: We are people of the past. So, future should not matter to us.

Vampire Bat: We live in the present whether we are in the past or future.

Vampire Owl: We do not live in timelines, we never did.

Vampire Bat: We blended in, and we become part of the nocturnal world then.

[Gets a kathi roll and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: A family of four have been celebrating togetherness – Tom (Andreas Pietschmann), an expert oceanographer, Julia (Émilie Dequenne), an experienced doctor, and their two children Cassie (Lisa Delamar) and Ben (Lucas Ebel) are on a yacht named Orca somewhere in the Caribbean area, celebrating the boy’s thirteenth birthday and enjoying vacation, even though the girl does seem to miss her boyfriend too much, and finds the trip boring without his presence. She keeps making video calls to him even though the network connectivity is very low, often ruining family moments. This is a family vacation that occurs after quite a long time. There is something strange happening around though, as expert swimmer Julia almost drowns with sea getting rougher than usual, and whales also seems to flee, with some problems seemingly occurring with the compass too. There is a violent storm that also follows, and the family keeps themselves safe within the deck of the ship, passing out in the process.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As they wake up next morning after the storm, the family is shocked to find out that the ocean has disappeared — there is no water, as the ocean bed has exposed itself as a strange desert. Tom feels that the poles of the planet have been reversed, leaving the oceans at what used to be land and vice versa. Even though there is no reply to their distress calls, they are finally able to contact Nao (Olivier Ho Hio Hen), a submariner who found himself on land from underneath the ocean floor all of a sudden. He feels that the poles will flip again in about a week and that the seas will return violently, devouring everything without trace. He offers his submarine as a safe location, with space for two more people, and Tom and wife quickly asks him to save their children. Nao gives them the coordinates, and they decide to start their journey only to find that something more has been unleashed there. Can they survive the unexpected terror on the way?

The defence of Survive :: A family trying to survive when there is almost no chance to do so is always worth our attention. After all, families staying together these days has been a rare thing as we look at most of them. The apocalyptic twist used here is nice, and nicely changed from the usual things which we keep finding everywhere. The end of the world has been shown clearly with only a few characters and grandeur of destruction is still felt. The visuals of a dry world nicely add to the same, and feels like a classic apocalypse with a twist to the incidents causing the same. The fine looks along with the sounds to set the mood has us interested early enough. The newly formed desert world is as interesting as the creatures and the debris that goes through them to make us feel the effect of the catastrophe rather than to spread fear. With action here and there and the family bonding moments, it does not drag, but keep the pace going – it is quite a short film indeed, and we are never out of the apocalyptic mood.

The claws of flaw :: The grand idea could have had further grandeur could have come up with a spectacle that we would remember for what is shown on the screen. There could have been some shots which would stay in our minds forever and remind us of this movie – the iconic shots could have been here, as the opportunity was clearly there. The idea of being terrifying is not that much around, and it never really gets into full fun either. Also, everything happens all of a sudden, and there is not much of an explanation for all these strange of end of the world incidents. The characters do not develop that much, and children show irritating side at times. The end also seems rushed, as if it has come around too soon after accelerating a little too much in the final moments. This is not that kind of a movie which we would feel the need to watch again, even with moments. The idea had possibilities from not just the ocean, but also from the newly formed wastelands and nature behaving strange.

The performers of the soul :: The movie had to depend on its performances, as there are only a few characters and the focus is so much on them. There is no scope for falling behind with this particular aspect, as the grandeur of the visuals make way for the characters with ease. Émilie Dequenne plays the mother and doctor figure trying to save her family, and she shows the fight so well, fighting against all odds. Andreas Pietschmann plays the protector, the strong father who keeps hoping to save his children and wife even at the cost of his own life. The two manages the role so well that they make the perfect parents. Lucas Ebel adds more or less to the emotional side as the child who needs support. Lisa Delamar lays the younger child with emotional problems and tension with other members of the family. From the beginning stage itself, we see she wants to be with her boyfriend and not with the family, and the rebel role is managed well. Arben Bajraktaraj and Olivier Ho Hio Hen adds well in support.

How it finishes :: Survival against all odds when even nature goes against you is something a lot more interesting than one can think about. This movie manages to be successful in doing the same even though not without the feeling that the grand idea did not get the execution it really deserved – still, it manages to rise well and create something of interest and remain entertaining from the beginning stages itself. With quality added to its visuals and the tense moments which brings the thrills in an apocalyptic world, one would appreciate the effort behind the movie. We would still keep wondering how huge this movie with such a premise and idea could have become, as we see movies like Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra and Minnal Murali doing so much with such a low budget in this part of the world. Then you see a family surviving in a world without hope, and it could even have a sequel that could expand things. Well, good people will always find themselves in trouble, and evil survives and thrives, doesn’t it?

Release date: 19th June 2024
Running time: 86 minutes
Directed by: Frédéric Jardin
Starring: Émilie Dequenne, Andreas Pietschmann, Lisa Delamar, Lucas Ebel

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pechi

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Vampire Owl: Are we now looking for witches again?

Vampire Bat: We have stopped looking for witches since a long time ago.

Vampire Owl: Well, the war can restart any time now.

Vampire Bat: The next war will not be of this realm.

Vampire Owl: You talk like we have had enough of war, but not all species have been part of them.

Vampire Bat: The war affects the whole realm, whether or not they are part of it.

Vampire Owl: If it affects the advanced the vampire civilization, yes.

Vampire Bat: You should know that the magic used in our wars are nuclear in nature.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about the mythical weapons which are never used.

Vampire Bat: The witches are known to have a magical powerhouse which stores sorcery of the unknown supported by necromancy.

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

What is the movie about? :: At Aranmanaikaadu in Kollimalai, Ram (Murali Ram) and his wife (Aadhirai Soundarajan) are spending their peaceful time within the forest. After a lot of difficulty and getting a few days off from their busy schedule, they look forward to spend some time of their own in the lap of nature. They venture far deep and sets up a camp there. The temperature drops very soon, and while looking for some firewood, Ram ends up cutting the branch of a tree which reveals a nail, followed by a witchcraft doll. There seems to be something else coming out of the tree, and has him scared, but his wife who is listening to music do not hear a thing. Soon, he is taken away by an unknown force, and the same evil entity also captures his wife. But this evil presence is not identified by anyone. But three weeks later, another group of youngsters come to the area with a desire to venture through this lesser-known area of the forest as part of a trekking adventure. Maari (Bala Saravanan), a forest guard who acts as a part-time guide is asked to escort them all the way into the forest and back, as the paths can be confusing and some animals might also be around.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The five friends, Charan (Dev Ramnath), Meena (Gayathri Shanker), Sethu (Jana), Charu (Preethi Nedumaran) and Jerry (Mageshwaran) are looking for adventure, and are not interested in listening to their guide who talks to them about restrictions due to wildlife and traditions that have been followed for a long time. Meena is frustrated with the restrictions imposed on her, as she feels that they could go through the walk all by themselves and that a tourist guide is only an extra burden. Meanwhile, an arrogant Charu destroys a blockage to an area considered restricted by tradition to the local villagers, ignoring the warning signs. Sethu who considers him to be courageous one among them supports the same, much to the dismay of Maari who continues to ask them not to disturb the nature of the beliefs of people that runs through the area.

And what more happens in the forest where the villages rarely choose to enter :: There seems to be something strange going on though, as Charu almost falls from a cliff and Jerry feels that something grabbed his legs. As Charu and Sethu makes fun of him, he challenges them to go back to the area where the warning board was kept and tie a scarf. Both are not really worried, and accepts the challenge telling everyone that Maari is just creating random stories and is trying to keep them scared as if they are children. On the way there, Charu and Sethu comes across a house, which they enter and finds witchcraft dolls and elements of black magic. Charu is startled to see an unknown figure appearing out of nowhere. Maari and Charan begin searching for them, only to find Charu lying motionless. But soon, they realize that is was not really Charu, and Maari tells them a story, that of a woman from a long time ago who learned black magic and started ritual sacrifices of children. But how is it relevant now? Can they escape whatever is in the forest?

The defence of Pechi :: The movie thrives on its atmosphere and an ancient tale of folklore than runs right through it. Bala Saravanan comes up with the best among the cast, and he plays the only fully sane person around there who seems to understand the gravity of the situation – we remember him in those funny sequences of Godha. Gayathrie Shankar, the actress of Nna Thaan Case Kodu, has provided a memorable performance here, and excels in the last few moments and the flashbacks. The rest of the cast nicely follows the procedure as a cabin in the woods, or lost in the forest tale would unfold. The antagonist here is strong, and is not just another demonic presence – it is the kind of creature from where escape seems almost impossible. There are the moments which provide us with those quick scares and above that, there are the times when it keeps us scared at all times. The fear factor with an inescapable fate brings the terror here. Along with that, the visuals are too good, whether of horror or of the green and dark woods.

The claws of flaw :: The flashback feels repetitive at times, and comes in at a time when it was not to enter. There are moments in between which feels rather confusing, and the scares could have been more visual – it is the kind of scare that would work the best in these situations. Here it seems that the horror elements are not innovative enough and inspired from others instead. The use of darkness is also not at the best. As a cabin in the woods, or journey to the woods story with the usual horror background, there is always a lot more to be added. It also becomes repetitive, and that grand scares which should have come in the end is never there to be taken. A visual terror in the end could have served the best, and combined with the twists would have brought wonders. The twist in the end, even though effective, does not bring that grandeur on the screen, and the flashback provided, even though clear, could have been more detailed. The present situation of the villagers in relation to the witch could have also been shown.

How it finishes :: The movie manages to be an interesting horror flick that elevates itself with the setting and folk-tale power. In a world where there is a shortage of good horror, this one score well, and becomes a good example of bringing working scares out of folklore and myth, something only Stree could do so effectively. As visuals and performances support the scares, fine horror is born. The movie could have still been better, but it is worth watching for sure considering for fans of folk-horror who can appreciate mood over momentum—but it is not for all. There is still a lot to come in a possible sequel, considering how the movie ended, and with one of these main characters having an even bigger role to play there, we will be only glad to wait for more of fear. Until then, we have this movie, and something to remember when we go on trekking, and a reminder to respect nature, local traditions and those who guide the way and advice for the best.

Release date: 2nd August 2024
Running time: 110 minutes
Directed by: Ramachandran B
Starring: Gayathrie Shankar, Bala Saravanan, Preethi Nedumaran, Dev, Jana, Mageshwaran, Seeniammaal, Murali Ram, Aadhirai Soundararajan, Shanthimani

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Tantra

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Vampire Owl: So, after a long time, we are back to a movie of this particular language.

Vampire Bat: We haven’t had many movies in this language.

Vampire Owl: Well, the ones available at nearby theatres are those mass flicks.

Vampire Bat: I vote against watching any of such movies.

Vampire Owl: Well, those need not comes to us as we are different.

Vampire Bat: Mass masala has been too much present in this world.

Vampire Owl: It is strange that such movies even get awards.

Vampire Bat: We are glad to have some horror here instead.

Vampire Owl: As long as we have Amazon Prime Video, we can search for them.

Vampire Bat: OTT platforms have served us well with lesser-known fine movies in languages other than English and Hindi.

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

What is the movie about? :: Rekha (Ananya Nagalla) is a young lady doing her graduation who has the ability to see spirits. The dead people seem to appear to her randomly, sometimes where they died and often leads to her sleepwalking in the middle of the night. She is in love with Teju (Dhanush Raghumudri) who goes to the same college, and they are like the two people who believes in black magic existing in the area and causing evil to spread through their lands. Teju’s uncle Shankaram (Meesala Lakshman) also understands that this black magic or tantra had once existed in their lands as he himself had once ptractised the same not once, but twice, after which he took the decision to never do it again. According to him, it has been there for a very long time, and are even depicted in Mahabharata and Ramayana, as well as other sacred texts. He also cites incidents from history as much as religious texts.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: When the best friend of Shailaja (Kusalina Pulapa) seems to be affected by this dark magic. When a master of magic known only as Baba (Bhaskar Manyam) confirms the same, they decide to take the needed measures. They understand that Shailaja is getting weaker every day, and has started visiting graveyard at nights. Both Rekha and Teju who had their bad upbringings due to the former being born with the death of her mother and the latter having a prostitute as mother. They manage to defeat the evil sorcerer who was trying to take control of Shailaja forever as she had rejected her romantic advances. They manage to do it just moments before she would be completely under his control. It is then that Vigathi Swami (Temper Vamsi), a sorcerer and temple priest arrives at the village after a very long time, and starts searching for Rekha.

And what is to follow as evil spread during the darkest of nights? :: With a warning about death coming to the village, it is to be known how such ancient evil can be stopped. But Baba himself is helpless against this man who had done black magic with Rekha’s mother and that had actually caused her death. His return after eighteen years is with the determination that matches no other. He will have Rekha one way or the other. He has control over more than one demon, and not just some random spirit that scares people. He is powered by some evil deity that knows no boundaries of evil, and is the over-reacher who will awaken those forces hidden for centuries. With sleepwalking remaining as her habit and after finding her in the middle of the road at late nights during regular intervals, how long can Rekha stop herself from going into his captivity? What does he really want to do with her?

The defence of Tantra :: The movie effectively delivers its scares, and due to the settings used, it could elevate the side of fear with ease, at times. The movie has the pillar of the work done by the leading lady Ananya Nagalla, who makes use of a strong character with a lot of emotional depth – reminds one of the leading actresses of ARM from some angles. The performances including that of the villain remains good, and seems to suit the horror world nicely. The atmosphere is too good here, and with the help of some fine tales from the belief systems combined with the myth, the world works really well. The folklore keeps coming up all the time in here, and the cultural roots work in favour, even though the overdose of talks keeps it in check. The idea of black magic has been used to the best advantage. The links are nicely made here with the incidents and a certain narrative skill can be seen at work. The background sounds work well in support of the movie, and the twist is working with suspense maintained.

The claws of flaw :: The movie has a lot of moments which feels stretched, increasing the total length of the movie itself. It gives too many explanations, and the movie could have done well without some of them. Too much talking often makes a horror movie struggle, as a few things could be left without explaining as if it is a horror tuition class. There are too many flashbacks, and we also find those subplots to be rather too much. The drag is mostly felt due to this reason, and in the end, the movie feels long. The fear generation of the final moments is rather too less, and it seems to forced to get to that end. When there is something too dark and demonic coming in the end, it had to do more, if not with the action, at least with the scares. Well, we have met too many nocturnal creatures of the night to like any lesser one unless backup by enough power. This might not appeal in the same way for everyone due to the extra dose of strange content too.

How it finishes :: I have not seen many Telugu movies, and you would not see many film reviews of the same language here for that reason. I did not watch those most famous Telugu movies which the crowd had watched and have been looking forward to make everyone watch more than once. But I have not been a person who wished to go with the crowd. Therefore, the two Telugu movies which I have reviewed here are Konda Polam and Drushyam 2. This one becomes the third, and the first Telugu horror movie to be reviewed here. In this case, it can be seen that despite the problems with the overall pace, the movie maintains the embedded horror really well. It might have rushed towards that ending, but finishes off well enough. There are some good horror movies, and this one will surely stay with us, as that horror movie which raises its level and uses the less used elements to its advantage too. This one is recommended for horror fans for sure.

Release date: 15th March 2024
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Srinivas Gopisetti
Starring: Ananya Nagalla, Dhanush Raghumudri, Saloni Aswani, Temper Vamsi, Meesala Lakshman, Manoj Muthyam, Kushalini, Bhaskar Manyam

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Sector 36

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Vampire Owl: Have you travelled through Sector 36 of the extended castle?

Vampire Bat: It is not an extension of the castle, but our graveyard.

Vampire Owl: Nowadays, we consider it as part of the building itself.

Vampire Bat: Why are you making the castle feel bigger?

Vampire Owl: A bigger castle means better respect.

Vampire Bat: It also means more taxes for all of us.

Vampire Owl: Aren’t we the government? So, we are paying ourselves, right?

Vampire Bat: It is not that direct. There is a procedure for it.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that we do not get most of it?

Vampire Bat: Well, we can only explain it as part of a system.

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

What is the movie about? :: In the busy city of Noida, the number of missing kids has been on the increase. A lot of cases reach the police station, but the cops are not much bothered about them as the lost children are of migrants from villages around the city. Inspector Ram Charan Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal), the corrupt inspector of the police station is not interested in anything, and does not even lodge an FIR for these cases, as the life of these commoners do not matter to him, and is of no profit either. His senior officers also ask him not to bother about the same and work with those which matter. Prem Singh (Vikrant Massey) is the house help of a wealthy and powerful businessman Balbir Bassi (Akash Khurana), and is involved in kidnapping the kids, whose bodies are not found later. He murders them and chops them into pieces without remorse, and no remains are usually found. When part of a skeleton is found, the police dismisses the same as the bones of a monkey which came through the sewers.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ram Charan gets serious only when Prem attempts to kidnap his daughter, but fails. Prem had misunderstood that the girl was a migrant’s child, and leaves her behind when chased. This leads to Ram Charan going on a hunt for the person who has been trying to kidnap the kids, with the help of Constable Shravan Kumar Pathak (Ajit Palawat). But DCP Jawahar Rastogi (Darshan Jariwala) stands on his way, as he would not let anything bad happen to the owner of the house, Balbir. He asks Ram Charan to leave the idea of any investigation near that house, and soon gets him suspended. But he would not stop, and will come up with other plans. But it remains to be seen if he can stand against one of the richest men around, and get to his house worker. This also puts his own family in danger, and the cops of his own police station are now against him. Can he stand as one unstoppable force against them all or will he be destroyed like many others before him?

The defence of Sector 36 :: The movie follows a realistic mode from the beginning itself. There is nothing that seems to be not possible as far as this particular movie is concerned, especially due to taking inspiration from a real-life incident featuring killings. It keeps a chilling mood with the realism that keeps the audience expecting more all the time. There is also a grim, claustrophobic setting that brings the unease and dread with ease. The fear stays on, and the tentacles of the serial killer keeps the movie going forward, and with the police officer finally ready to face him, the audience is left with those high expectations. It also serves as a reminder that the poor never really stands a chance when the highly influential is on the other side. Even though it is not shouted about, the world indeed belongs to the rich, the ones who belong to the one percent or even ten percent. The middle class that tries to side with the poor, would also suffer, as shown here. Well, if you need support, you need money, and that is indeed the point here and the core of realism.

The claws of flaw :: The strength of thrills is low in this one, as the pace itself is low, and that seems to align with the need to keep the whole thing realistic. The transformation of the protagonist also sems to be too quick, and that pace also seems to confuse the writing related to the character, who does not become any smarter despite getting out of the chains that were binding him. The system feels like having no loopholes at all, as if there is no way to escape – there should be some flaw in the design to keep the optimism alive. The ending is also weaker than one would expect, and even if it was done so for the purpose of supporting a sequel, there would be better options. With serial killers or psychos in hand, even within the realistic mold, more is always possible. The absence of a real good figure outside the subaltern is rather disappointing too. The terror her is implied, but the escape is never shown as an option.

The performers of the soul :: The move rests on Deepak Dobriyal and Vikrant Massey to do the expected work, as they play the two characters getting the most screen time, and both needed to perform on different layers. Both characters undergo many changes and are not the same people that we see in the beginning of the movie. While the former is successful in showing the cop being the father and undergoing a positive change, which he emotes really well, the latter who is damaged from the beginning to the end, shows the different shades of his character. There is a lot of depth related to the two characters, and we see the effectiveness with which they are portrayed, and how the same elevates the movie to another level even when it is just going on and on in the usual manner. Akash Khurana plays his role exactly as one would expect from such a character. Darshan Jariwala plays the corrupt side that makes us believe with ease. Ajit Palawat also shows a similar side that works. In comparison, the female characters are to do less work.

How it finishes :: Sector 36 might not be as interesting as the other movies featuring psychos and serial killers, for movies like Memories, Abraham Ozler, Forensic, Anjaam Paathira, Kooman, Antakshari and others will always be above this one by some way. The pacing is slower, and there is no attempt to make it that thrilling. Yet, the fantastic performances and a realistic feeling runs through this one more than ever. As it is based on the 2006 Noida Sector 31 serial murders, that feeling will be more. I do not remember much of it, but the movie follows the realistic mode and the connection is not something that we can think about now. If you are looking for a slow-moving and realistic story about serial killings, this could always be the right movie for you. Then, it also gives a reminder about the system, and how it works, for there will always be something missing and something beyond repair, something about which it is good to be reminded at times.

Release date: 13th September 2024 (Netflix)
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: Aditya Nimbalkar
Starring: Vikrant Massey, Deepak Dobriyal, Akash Khurana, Darshan Jariwala, Baharul Islam, Saikia Ihana Kaur, Tanushree Das, Subir Bisawas, Kacho Ahmed, Ajit Palawat, Mahadev Lakhawat, Fareed Ahmad, Trimala Adhikari

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Agni

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Vampire Owl: Are we looking for vampires of fire?

Vampire Bat: There are none, as fire burns and ends us in seconds.

Vampire Owl: I was talking about the fire inside us.

Vampire Bat: Well, we are going to need firefighters in that case.

Vampire Owl: I would let the fire burn right inside us.

Vampire Bat: None of us vampires require fire, as we are the dark chilling frost.

Vampire Owl: The darkness in us resists the fire and brings the frost.

Vampire Bat: The northern witches have spread the darkness throughout the realm.

Vampire Owl: The magic in the world has been darker than ever and creating more shadows with the shades making an entrance.

Vampire Bat: The pure evil darkness has replaced our original dark, nocturnal world. Now there is darkness during daytime too.

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

What is the movie about? :: Vitthalrao Dhonduba Surve (Pratik Gandhi) has been serving as the Chief of Parel Fire Station in Mumbai, and is disturbed by the fact that there are too many fire outbreaks in his area, leading to restless nights. Sr. Inspector Samit Sawant (Divyenndu), his brother-in-law, is asked to investigate into the matter by the authorities. The two are not in the best of terms, and searches in their own ways. Their wives Rukmini Surve (Sai Tamhankar) and Sayali Sawant (Sakhi Gokhale) are not really happy about this lack of understanding, but there is nothing that they can do about the same. Fire Officer Avni Purohit (Saiyami Kher) finds out that not everything is right around there due to the illegal constructions and lack of enough facilities to fight the fire. But there seems to be something more sinister at work, as Vitthal finds out that there was something about the fire, and it seems more than just a usual one. It seems to spread and cause destruction like no usual accident has been doing.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Senior Fire Officer Mahadev Nigde (Jitendra Joshi) and his own family asks him to take care of his health, as he struggles to breathe at times, but that does not stop him from trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. As time runs out, Samit arrests a businessman, and blames the whole thing on him. He is appreciated by the government, but Vitthal feels that he has captured the wrong person, and the accused might have done many things, but not this particular crime. His son Amar (Kabir Shah) also appreciates his uncle more than his father as he is a decorated police officer. Now, what all awaits the city, and someone knowing this all wander in the streets looking forward to burn the world? Can this particular person be identified and stopped in time? Will there be a final showdown with burning buildings or an arrested criminal who had his strange reasons to get people killed?

The defence of Agni :: The feeling of realism in Agni is too good, and there seems to be no traveling through a journey of nonsense that has plagued Bollywood for a long time. The special effects, cinematography and sound design used here are normal and never makes us feel that it is overdone. There is a lot of fire in this movie, but there is nothing that keeps us away from reality. The performance also feels real and so do the situations. At no moment does this movie try to do the unreal, and that is the beauty of it. It explores the bravery, sacrifice and underappreciated service that the firefighters have been providing, but without gaining that much of an attention. The question remains about how many firefighters do we know even though we might know enough police officers – the fact remains that a mock drill by some of these officers can actually help us in the case of a possible crisis. The main firefighters of this movie are those who will stay in our minds due to what they have been working with here.

Positives and negatives :: The movie does not bring the special around here, as it seeks to remain the usual to stay close to reality. One might feel the need to bring a bigger twist around here, but as the reality element comes into the picture, the same is often forgotten. The flames here become symbols that will stay with us for quite a long time, as it feels like a reflection of lives. The movie is also a reminder on the fact that things are not really what they seem, and that the system will make its own villains, as there might never be a thing like perfect or near-perfect system. Well, it shows that the world can never be fair, but does bring that feel-good factor in the end so that some poetic justice can come to the picture. It leaves us with the faith, belief and hope that efforts and goodness will be rewarded, and the other side would not always have its way. It does the same without preaching and makes the same happen. There is a certain amount bliss that we will feel at the end of the movie, and even if seemingly placed, seems suited. Yet, we long for more, I wonder why.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led forward by a perfect performance from Pratik Gandhi, who never stays behind in coming up with realistic moments of his portrayal of the main character who stays human and not as a superstar who needs to evoke the dumb masses. The silent intensity that he displays with the determination against hopelessness, will keep us going. He becomes the common man’s hero, and not that wretched superhero of unreality, something which the stars of Indian movie industries have struggled to become. Divyenndu is not far behind in doing the same either, as he goes through the work in a classic manner and not as if there is a mass to be treated into nonsense. They do make a good combination, and we would end up wishing for more of them to do with the investigation together. Among the ladies, it is Saiyami Kher who stands apart, and elevates the movie in her own way. Sai Tamhankar and Sakhi Gokhale follows well. Jitendra Joshi and Udit Arora have some memorable characters too.

How it finishes :: Agni becomes a breath of fresh air among those polluted movies with so called superheroes who fly around murdering villains as if they are sleepwalking. It is a shame that such mass entertainers even bring awards to the actors when they performers do nothing of substance in such cinema which means nothing, but appeals to the dumb. This one reminds us of the Malayalam movie Fireman, but is surely better than all those flicks with the content which stays at a classical level with no heroism at all. This is the kind of movies that need, and such movie elevate Bollywood to such a level which not many so-called superheroes can get it. Against such mindless heroes of mass masala, let movies like this one rise, and also leave with a message that we will remember, and in the end, we respect the right heroes, and when we look closely, none of them are celebrities, and no human among them would want to be celebrated that much. There can only be a few Stree, Bob Biswas, Baby, Te3n, Ek Villain, Wazir, Madras Cafe etc that really thrills without going overboard.

Release date: 6th December 2024 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: Rahul Dholakia
Starring: Pratik Gandhi, Divyenndu, Saiyami Kher, Sai Tamhankar, Jitendra Joshi, Kabir Shah, Udit Arora, Sakhi Gokhale, Anant Jog, Pramod Pathakm, Paritosh Pathak, Kanchan Pagare, Abhishek Kandekar, Sushant Shetty

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Infinite Earths III

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Vampire Owl: I am finally managing to find the meaning of infinite earths.

Vampire Bat: There is no true meaning of infinity.

Vampire Owl: There is no truth that infinities can bring.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that your infinity is different from that of others.

Vampire Owl: So, you believe in infinity in our realm too.

Vampire Bat: I believe in death and beyond as an infinite process.

Vampire Owl: So, immortality is the same as infinity?

Vampire Bat: The world is quickly traveling towards infinity.

Vampire Owl: So, you do not believe in end of the world.

Vampire Bat: The whole eternity is a platform to our inevitable end. We die and we continue to live forever as we watch and focus on the darkness of the nights.

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

What is the movie about? :: When the Monitor (Jonathan Adams) died, the cosmic energy within him was unleashed and the same provided the superheroes with enough power to transport the surviving earths with their stars into a dimension between the universes referred only as the Bleed. This made sure that the earths existed safely, even though the place is not stable, with different laws of Physics and regular natural disasters – to add to the same people of past, present and future keeps appearing at the same time, draining resources, even putting a limit on the use of water. The humans in the planets are not happy, and survival would mean fighting creatures including dinosaurs, with the number of superheroes in the universe reaching an all-time low. They are still safe from the Anti-Monitor force and the annihilating tsunami waves, but it is to be seen for how long before they find the location of these planets from outside.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The end of the world seems to be coming sooner or later, whether it is due to this unstable world going beyond the limits or due to the Anti-Monitor force and waves finding the location and coming through. Even though people believe that death is only the beginning, there might not be anything to follow death in this case. They are surprised by the visit of Lex Luthor (Zachary Quinto) who reveals that the Anti-Monitor has found the Bleed and has already forced its way inside. Soon, it destroys Earth-146 and Earth-2, but it is revealed that it was Luthor who revealed the location of these earths to the antagonist to save his own. Luthor and his team of villains had already concluded that life in the Bleed is unsustainable, but he also studies the Anti-Monitor’s weaknesses and kill it. For the same, he comes up with an idea of sacrifice which would suit the best to his biggest enemies. But one has to wonder if he is to be trusted, as he has been one of the smartest villains around. Now, what fate awaits them as the final dawn of battle against apocalypse approaches?

The defence of Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three :: The best part of the movie is the use of Constantine and his powers, and one should always consider him to be bigger than Doctor Strange due to those spells seemingly having a dark side as much as the classic one. The ending with him at the core nicely manages to get things done, and provides hope for a better and more effective world with hope that history would not repeat itself. The final look at the superheroes is something that we would remember for a long time, and the classic action coming in never gets old. Among the superheroes, there is always that childhood of ours that is reminded. The idea of multiverse getting the explanation also makes an impact, and so does the anti-monitor entering its existence. We also leave with the idea that Justice League never ends and we will always have some justice to be served in whatever is to come in a new world.

The claws of flaw :: The subplots do suffer in this movie, and sometimes, the movie does not seem to feel the need to explain further. The non-linear feeling never really leaves us either, and there is juggling around, which never ceases to leave us. The makers needed to remember that this movie was made for the common people too, and not just the comic fans and the superhero admirers of all times. The Supergirl, even with the sacrificial actions, is once again wasted, and there is no emotional impact to whatever she does, after her actions in the previous movie. The movie also did not seem to have gained that much of an opinion, maybe the loyal audience wanted something else, and most of us have no idea what the comics about the same idea was dealing with. The character crowding continued even after some of them were dead already, and a feeling of repetition creeps in at times too.

Soul exploration :: The movie reminds us about the decisions which we take and the consequences that come with it. It tells us that the desire to change the past is one of the most futile ideas and could affect not just us, but also many others, coming to that point where the end of all humanity and life seems to be close enough. It reminds the viewers to be satisfied with what they have, and that losses are inevitable. Thinking about a terrible past and wondering if we could have changed that, would not be the right thing to do. The movie does feel that focusing on a present and not changing the timeline would have meant that life would not have been this complicated, and so many deaths could have been avoided. The number of losses only increased due to these actions, as it is shown. It is not the death of evil that mattered, as one has to vanquish that evil face to face – fighting evil with evil was never really the solution as reiterated here.

How it finishes :: Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three ends the series of three movies really well – the end is truly remarkable and we are happy with what we had, even though it takes some time to reach there. The feeling of some missing is there, and still, it manages to be here in the end, strong and capable. The emotional moments also manage to get to that end which also seems to have a better logic than some of the most realistic films around. There is also a lot of action that comes around here, and with the inevitable danger that is so huge, the fear element is also there along with this adventure that goes on. It does not focus that much on the subplots, and it is often a good thing and at other times, quite strange. One would now feel that this is the end, and the new beginning can suggest new possibilities – another movie would surely be required to know what a new world would be about. Who all will be missing and what all changes come to the new world is more interesting than any other.

Release date: 16th July 2024
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Jeff Wamester
Starring: Matt Bomer, Jensen Ackles, Darren Criss, Meg Donnelly, Stana Katic, Corey Stoll

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.