Tag Archives: devastation

Eenie Meanie

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Vampire Owl: This sounds like a nice name which we can use for a new vampire.

Vampire Bat: How can a vampire be called by such a name in our realm?

Vampire Owl: It is still better than being called Vampire Owl I and Vampire Owl II.

Vampire Bat: So, there is a second vampire who is an owl?

Vampire Owl: We have to be ready for all possibilities in a world of chaos.

Vampire Bat: A world of chaos can only use a chaotic name.

Vampire Owl: That would scare legends like Dr. Frankenstein away.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein already have a scary name for himself.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein is a name given to legends these days.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula has been fed up with that name for some time due to those illegal and ridiculous experiments involving lightning, which have caused power shortage in the castle.

[Gets a gobi masala dosa and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Edie Meaney (Samara Weaving) had a troubled past which included being pulled over by police while driving her drunk parents who had drugs in their possession, and had ended up crashing the car. Then, as she was aged fourteen, with her mother dead and father paralyzed after the accident which was meant to save them from being arrested, had to go through a series of abusive foster homes, and was almost sold to sexual slavery, but was saved by John (Karl Glusman), a young criminal with whom she had also fallen in love, and stayed together for about fifteen years. Edie and John had carried out multiple robberies for the ruthless mob boss Nico (Andy Garcia), who had nicknamed her “Eenie Meanie”. She was known for her driving skills which had helped them a lot during the most complicated situations, something which had made her the favourite driver of the group, and her getaways have been iconic. Even her rival driver Perm (Marshawn Lynch) had a high opinion about her.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: In the present, Edie has left her life as a getaway driver a long way behind, and had finally found the emotional courage to break up with John. As she works at a bank to support herself in going to college and get a degree, she becomes stuck at the bank counter during a robbery and is hit on the head to be knocked out. At the hospital, she finds out that she is pregnant with the child of John. Even though there are many advice for her to mind her own business, Edie goes and visits John, who is being interrogated by Nico’s men, and after surprising them, reluctantly uses her driving skills to save him. John had kidnapped Nico’s card counter man Leo (Randall Park) for a certain activity, and as he takes them out of the hiding place, ends up killing him much to the dismay of Edie. Once again pulled into the criminal world, this time being pregnant, she gets a call of Nico and him as well as his right-hand man George (Mike O’Malley) provides her with an offer.

And what more is to happen here as one man would dictate the terms? :: This offer would involve stealing a car containing three million dollars in cash, which is to serve as the prize for an upcoming poker tournament at a casino in the state. Only this could cover their losses due to the death of the man and this would be the one thing that could keep John alive at least for now. After getting a new car with the amount provided by Nico, they go and see Chaperone (Jermaine Fowler) as instructed, but he finds John to be liability who slows down both Edie and the mission, but she remains adamant that he is an integral part of the mission, and it is not just because he had helped him a lot in the past when she had no hope. She asserts that he also has the same kind of skills within him, and has helped a lot with the earlier missions, and that leaves the doubts behind for the time being for them. With some help from casino staff, the Dodge Charger which is to be given as the prize with three million inside is replaced with an identical model which is ready to drive as soon as the cash is loaded into it. But can Edie manage to take it out when everyone’s watching?

The defence of Eenie Meanie :: The movie rest on the shoulders of Samara Weaving, without doubt – her style, dialogues, charisma, dry humour and screen presence, all rises all the way above the whole movie, and rarely do we such a work which feels better than the film itself, and as we remember her performance in Ready or Not, we do feel here that she has always been ready, and eternally ready to shine in action movies. Whenever the movie gets weaker due to its lack of anything special, she becomes the one special ingredient. Elle Graham who plays her younger version had also made an early impact. Then, it can be seen that the heist and getaway driving sequences are nicely shot. During these moments, the high-speed thrills look polished and fast-paced. The humour works at times, and we see some elevation here and there. The second half shows a clear upgrade from the dumb beginning moments, and all the memorable moments are right there. Andy Garcia remains solid as the crime boss. Then the movie has its good looks.

The claws of flaw :: The movie feels elongated with not that much of a content to stretch it to the final run-time which it has achieved. Karl Glusman is playing a strange man who is good for nothing, and the main character for a past, remains attached to the person, and one cannot stop being bothered about it – there are not many things absurd than this which seems to cause everything that happens in the movie. One can only wonder if such a step will be taken by a smart modern woman in any case, as there is always limit to everything. The movie also seems to try too many things, some of them unnecessary – there is a pregnancy storyline, family estrangement and a number of unnecessary characters, which leaves the main heist plot feeling rushed and most of the things seem to wait till the end, even when there were so many opportunities to keep planning and talk about the same in between. There was much to be done to add right towards the action and even humour, and the emotional side just goes not useful at all. Some of the scenes including the first meeting of the two former lovers stay ridiculous.

How it finishes :: The movie maintains the brainless fun mode pretty well, but the slow progress does not help the same too much. The tale also does not seem to add anything too interesting in its narrative, and holds back with its action which arrives too late. The final moments do come up with what it was required to do, but it feels rushed, after all those talks in between. There is some poetic justice delivered right there. Then there is Samara Weaving who makes this feel so much better, and as she shoulders this, the quality itself feels very much improved. There is always hope when she is around, and we see the level of the movie elevated, and this much she achieves with that strange character that takes decisions against her own ideas and plans. The ending stays closer to reality, and most of it was something we waited to see happen. There are many thoughts about how this one could be improved. We would expect a more fast-paced full action thriller with a nicely planned heist, but that much is not reached. This one serves as an entertainer in Jio Hotstar which we can watch for time-pass.

Release date: 22 August 2025
Running time: 106 minutes
Directed by: Shawn Simmons
Starring: Samara Weaving, Karl Glusman, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Steve Zahn, Andy Garcia, Randall Park, Mike O’Malley

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ice Road: Vengeance

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Vampire Owl: I have always thought about creating an ice road in the realm.

Vampire Bat: An ice road would not be that smooth a path for vehicles.

Vampire Owl: We just hover over the ice with our vampire levitating skills.

Vampire Bat: In that case, you can ask the vampire sorcerers to create a magical path.

Vampire Owl: No, too many magical witches on the way who could devastate the path.

Vampire Bat: Well, all the magic does not belong to one particular group.

Vampire Owl: Yes, like Dr. Frankenstein uses that magic of science.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein will never know true science.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein’s science is beyond all vampire limits.

Vampire Bat: We will know more about the same when Uncle Dracula addresses one of the great vampire gatherings again and make declarations.

[Gets a fortune cookie and three cups of taro tea].

What is the movie about? :: Mike McCann (Liam Neeson) a seasoned ice-road trucker, is going through a certain amount of survivor’s guilt after the death of his younger brother, Gurty McCann who (Marcus Thomas). Despite the best efforts of his psychologist, he is not able to find anything positive in life. After some days, to honour Gurty’s last wish, Mike decides to travel to Nepal so that he can scatter his ashes on the top of Mount Everest. As he reaches there, there is something going in a village further away from Kathmandu, in Kodari. There, local people keep opposing the construction of a huge hydroelectric dam that would affect the access of water supply from the river, which is the biggest dream and grand project of the nation’s leading industrialist Rudra Yash (Mahesh Jadu). Rudra is determined to make this happen one way or the other, and decides to kill the members of the family who refused to send the lands to them – Vijay Rai (Saksham Sharma), the youngest member of the family is chased by goons through the town.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: While standing in front of protests, Vijay understands that his grandfather was murdered by Rudra’s henchmen by pushing his bus off the huge cliff using a truck killing so many other passengers, thus making it look like an accident, as nobody else was around. Mikes finds his guide to travel to the top of Everest as some guy named Dani, but later realizes that it is Dhani Yangchen (Fan Bingbing), half-Nepali and half-Malaysian who had reached the top of the mountain many times. They join a group of passengers aboard a bus known as Kiwi Express which goes through the Road to the Sky, a narrow, high-altitude mountain pass. An American professor who had recently delivered a talk in the nearby university, Evan Myers (Bernard Curry), and his daughter Starr Myers (Grace O’Sullivan) also get into the bus along with a few others. But soon, Vijay is attacked by two strangers with guns and they knock out the boy while hijacking the bus, asking the driver to go through another route so that they can take him to a location according to their plan. Now, can the bus be saved?

The defence of Ice Road: Vengeance :: All the action at Kathmandu around the Himalayas makes sure that a visually unique and stunning background is achieved, and there are moments with this landscape which makes the situation even better. The visuals keep us hoping for such a journey through Himalayas or any other snow-covered mountains, especially as we rarely see any snow around. The quick pace of the movie makes sure that we are always in an action thriller, even those dialogues seem to support the same. Almost everyone among the cast seems to be fully powered for action, and there is something about their fight for survival which keeps us wishing them the best against all odds. Different types of people coming together to save themselves and defeat the villains never gets less interesting. There is a certain amount of humour and the emotional side is also there up to an extent. The nostalgic, old-school formula which reminds us of those 1980s and 1990s action flicks working so well here keeps us more interested. In the end, it is all about saving a village, and that matters here.

Positives and negatives :: The movie nicely makes use of the available elements from its cast to the visual world that surrounds everyone. It might not become the perfect action thriller without those huge action sequences, but we always have enough. Even with a message about nature and conservation of environment ready to come to the front, it never does the same, and leaving with the same does not happen at all. There are also moments when the movie feels like going the silly way, but with some willing suspension of disbelief, the same is handled well. Even though this one remains visually stunning, the Computer Generated Imagery is not used to the best advantage. The journey through ice road is rather less in this one too. The ending scene is lovely, but it seems a little bit forced. The action just before that was grand, but could have been quicker in execution, and the danger in the end should have given a riskier feeling, especially with a group with rich and powerful people with control over police chasing the people in the bus. Yet, the thrills remain there and the fights continue to be effective.

The performers of the soul :: Liam Neeson once again does the job, and like in Taken, A Walk Among the Tombstones, The Grey and Non-stop, goes through the difficult times to make it better. Nobody does it better than him when playing an aged hero with a past which has more tales to tell than people can think about. Fan Bingbing as the mountain guide Dhani Yangchen is a strong lady lead who can hold her own side in the narrative, and there are some fine fight scenes for her to excel. Amelia Bishop also plays a mercenary villain who gets a lot of action for herself. Grace O’Sullivan’s character is also played well as the significance of this one is also there at all times. Bernard Curry’s work is short-lived as the character is the first one to be killed. Marcus Thomas as Gurty McCann makes some presence through the flashbacks which come to the screen at times. Mahesh Jadu plays an antagonist who is menacing enough, Monish Anand’s supportive villain also has his moments. Geoff Morrell’s character adds some initial fun too. Saksham Sharma as Vijay Rai manages the role just as expected.

How it finishes :: Ice Road: Vengeance is one of those fine entertaining action thrillers which never losses its strength during its journey with a run-time just a little bit less than two hours. This is that kind of a movie which leaves us the feeling of a natural thriller, as it feels close to life due to never overdoing it and the situation related to dam construction and destruction of home and nature remaining even closer to life. There is no extra effort, but we are glad about what we see around. The 70-plus-year-old Liam Neeson trying to climb the Himalayas and also beating up people with a certain amount of struggle still makes it believable while staying on to be a highly entertaining watch which has shots which we will remember. As the movie also has everyone fighting for lives, there is a certain amount of balance here too. As most of us have not watched the previous movie, we cannot really compare this to the first movie, but this is surely that kind of a movie which should have released in the theatres here in style as there is a specific touch that could attract the audience around here.

Release date: June 27, 2025
Running time: 114 minutes
Directed by: Jonathan Hensleigh
Starring: Liam Neeson, Fan Bingbing, Marcus Thomas, Bernard Curry, Geoff Morrell, Mahesh Jadu, Amelia Bishop, Salim Fayad, Saksham Sharma, Grace O’Sullivan, Monish Anand, Shivantha Wijesinha, Rosie Traynor, Seth Kannof, CJ. Bloomfield, Luke Clayson, Sahil Saluja, Anna-Mai Hoek

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Bhootnii

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Vampire Owl: Bollywood continues to have its ghosts, I see.

Vampire Bat: There are rarely the kind of ghosts that we accept among us.

Vampire Owl: Yet, even in human world, ghosts are real.

Vampire Bat: Let their ghosts be theirs and ours be as we need.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein once researched on a new ghost realm.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein can research on nothing that really exists.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein can do anything when provided the scientific equipment.

Vampire Bat: The only thing he can get is a ban from Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Owl: Scientists like him will rise again with new paranormal inventions.

Vampire Bat: Pseudo-scientists who claim to create life from lightning are not included.

[Gets a set of idli and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the campus of St. Vincent College, there is a particular strange tree known as the “Virgin Tree,” which is believed to grant true love to everyone who prays under it on a Valentine’s Day. But on the day of Holika Dahan, a student mysteriously dies, and people say that it is claimed by an evil spirit and that the tree as well as the area around it remains haunted. Shantanu (Sunny Singh) who is heartbroken after a recent breakup, creates a mess around the Virgin Tree, asking for true love while threatening to give up his life. He does not know if there was a result to his prayers, but the truth is that his earnest plea awakens Mohabbat (Mouni Roy), a vengeful and obsessive spirit bound to the tree. As Mohabbat’s obsession grows, she begins to haunt anyone who has a chance of coming between her and Shantanu, as she takes a human form in front of him, making him fall for her. Sahil (Sahil Arora) and Nasir (Aasif Khan) are his two best friends who are surprised that he is having a new girlfriend all of a sudden.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Shantanu’s longtime friend Ananya (Palak Tiwari) comes back to the campus after a programme and tries to help him get better after the earlier heartbreak, but quickly becomes a target for the spirit who understands that she has always been in love with him despite never accepting the same. As strange things continue to happen in the campus, and a few days after protests erupting in relation to a student’s suicide, the management is forced to find a solution, and they call a former student who has been dealing with similar problems all around India, a para-physicist Krishna Tripathi known only by the name Baba (Sanjay Dutt). He reaches the campus, and while seeing the protests against the tree, understands that the problem is not with the tree doing anything, but with some evil presence tied to the tree wandering around on campus. As the spirit begins to set an example with Ananya whom it captures with its never-ending vines, can she and other students be saved in time by Baba?

The defence of The Bhootnii :: The movie has some good humour all around, and the same works above most of the other horror comedy works with only a few exceptions in Bollywood that manage to raise the level. The performers also seem to be good with the humour and the leading ladies also with the romantic side added to the comic side. Sanjay Dutt remains a towering figure of the same, as he is the one name among the cast which we who watch only the big movies of Bollywood can recognize with ease. As Mouni Roy plays that demonic presence with conviction and Palak Tiwari becomes the cutest romantic interest around, we feel the danger and the need to do something soon for the characters, as scares take over from the humour. The setting of the college is really good, and the atmosphere has been nicely built around here. Except for the tree, the institution looks lovely as much as lively. There is a certain amount of Gothic-like beauty in here which makes one feel both the horror and romance suitable for this particular world. Then, the final moments leading to the end is nice with a twist which leaves us with a fine feeling.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not keep away from being silly, and this particular silliness would keep the audience wonder if it is going the wrong way. There are moments when we feel that this is not going to end well, and some of the jokes get nowhere. Despite setting the horror, humour and romance mood well in the beginning, there is a struggle right after the first dance song, and then the situation gets better only when Sanjay Dutt faces the ghost for the first time and leads an escape – there is quite some time in there between the beginning and this, which is one-fourth of this, when things seem to be less interesting. Some of the special effects could have also used some more attention. The “true love” idea does not work at all, as we keep feeling that the same is far-fetched element in this one. The idea of love being misunderstood as friendship is also a little bit too old for this age. Considering the loss of pace in between, it is only safe to say that the movie could have indeed been a shorter one.

The performers of the soul :: Sanjay Dutt as Baba is the character who has to save everyone, and he plays the strong slayer of ghosts well, and reminds us of those whom we have been seeing in Hollywood, but this time with an emotional twist. There is no problem with him playing this particular character, as it suits his looks and the efforts here are surely working. Sunny Singh as Shantanu remains stable in a role where he has to be the campus lover affected by a ghost, and that also works well for him. Mouni Roy does a fine job as the spirit, and she manages to show the multiple sides of the ghostly presence with beauty, charm, terror and even a little amount of humour, as there is that stunning appearance that makes an impression every few minutes after the first introduction. This is the first movie I am seeing her around in a big role, and this is a memorable one indeed. I am also seeing Palak Tiwari for the first time in a movie, and she scores with a certain amount of cuteness and humour added with romance or even when facing the horror. One has to say that she suits well for this role, and she is indeed an actress who deserves more big roles as most of the other Bollywood actresses would overdo this one, but she maintains grace.

How it finishes :: While watching the movie, I could not stop wondering if this could be a sequel to Adi Kapyare Kootamani, a Malayalam movie with so much humour and a little bit of horror coming up in the final few moments, and there is no shortage of trees and search for true love there either. But we know that such a sequel could be a lot better with the fine ending maintained there. Back to this one, it works more as the comedy and less as the horror flick, something which we have seen throughout the Bollywood attempts at the same, from Stree, Munjya, Thamma and even those sequels of Bhool Bhulaiyya which might have lost the focus. Some of the horror elements of these movies were also unintentional horror in one way or the other. As far as our movie here is concerned, it is that horror comedy with romance that tries better than other movies of the same genre which do not have a franchise to go with it. With some stunning visuals and classic moments of humour established through one-liners and somewhat good scares, this one catches our attention despite somewhat losing its way in between.

Release date: 1 May 2025
Running time: 130 minutes
Directed by: Sidhaant Sachdev
Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Singh, Mouni Roy, Palak Tiwari, Aasif Khan, Sahil Arora, Meherzan Mazda

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

A Woman Called Mother

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Vampire Owl: Why is this particular woman only called a mother?

Vampire Bat: Maybe it is a name in another language which means mother in another.

Vampire Owl: Or calling a mother not a mother is usual among some humans.

Vampire Bat: And yet it is a horror movie with a mother.

Vampire Owl: There was that movie called Mama with such a theme, right?

Vampire Bat: Yes, but I would not find any relation between the two.

Vampire Owl: The human worlds are never really related to one another.

Vampire Bat: It is a good reason to hate one another for the humans.

Vampire Owl: Is hate another word for humanity?

Vampire Bat: Human hatred is infinite and eternal, like Uncle Dracula’s curse and Frankenstein’s madness.

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

What is the movie about? :: Yanti (Artika Sari Devi) goes through a severe psychological breakdown after her husband leaves her and their children and files a divorce. She becomes desperate to claim her independence and provide for her family which is now financially broken. She moves to a new area with her two children, her teenage daughter Vira (Aurora Ribero) and her younger son Dino (Ali Fikry) to a rural town where she plans to open a stylish and advanced new hair salon. Her two children are not confident about the same, as this shop is opened right beside their home which is far away from the roads and town area, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It is indeed a peaceful place for a home, but not the right place for a salon as Vira keeps asserting. Yanti invites different people of the town to the salon, and her children do notice a certain amount of seductive nature in that invitation. Then all of a sudden, the move seems like a blessing, as people seem to come in big numbers to her new venture.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The success of the salon brings them a lot of wealth, which interests them, but Vira has not been feeling well at the place which feels as strange as what has been happening with her mother’s business adventure. She sees some shift in the mother’s behaviour and she seems to be doing something strange in the bathroom, lying in the bathtub. Then, she also sees someone else, a shadowy figure with her mother, mostly reflected in the mirror. Yanti is also seen drinking a lot of milk for no reason, while a certain cruelty and brutality when preparing meat can also be seen from her side. Dino had also felt something while trying to explore an abandoned house nearby with overgrown vegetation as part of her attempt to take a video for the social media. Unlike Vira, he feels that it is safe inside the house until he sees his mother both inside the house and outside on the streets at night. But as their room is not bathroom-attached, they might need to walk around at night. Now, what might be the problem with the mother and how can this terrifying situation be solved?

The defence of A Woman Called Mother a.k.a. Dia Bukan Ibu :: The movie places the characters nicely inside the house and the salon making them ready for all the horror which is to come, with the rest of the world only adding less to the scares in comparison. As the mother’s evil presence grows to be more menacing, the danger is even more felt in a world of terror. The focus here is not only on the fear of the supernatural which is ready to unleash itself on the family, the real-world tragedy of a broken home, financial devastation and the immense burden placed on single parents. With the trauma already there much earlier, we see the horror as the extra addition to what is already there. The final moments nicely show the unleashing of pure evil, but we already see the signs of the same in a bathtub and the actions of the mother with shadows and darkness nicely complementing all of these without hesitation. The imagery of horror that we have here catches our attention, and being a fine atmospheric horror is the movie’s advantage.

The claws of flaw :: The movie drags quite a lot as we look at it – there is the time taken to get into horror action, and even after that there is some drag. The middle part drags significantly as the story takes so much time revealing what is actually going on – this would test the patience of viewers looking for clues early itself. The idea in the movie is also not new, and it is not extended that much to provide a new divergent feeling. The movie’s best moments also fall apart after starting very strong. A number of characters of the movie that fails to go relevant also goes through a struggle. The blood and gore might upset some people as it is rather evenly distributed around here, and focused on animals, which can also be found not good for a number of viewers. The supernatural is also not that much explained here. We keep feeling that there is more to this, and enough has not provided around here related to the world of terror. Then we remember that there were many repetitions, and still there was not enough provided here to make the narrative’s movement through the inner evil smoother.

The performers of the soul :: Artika Sari Devi’s performance as Yanti remains something to be appreciated. There is more than one side of the character that she displays around here. She shows the shift from a broken, grieving mother to a feral, unpredictable and possessed monster of pure evil incredibly well. Her work brings the scares and makes the whole thing deeply terrifying to watch with the help of some mysterious gestures and expressions. The bathtub scene and the last moments with her coming in a bloody dress would be two moments which would be remembered as classic additions to an otherwise dark movie which depends on quick scares. Aurora Ribero comes up with a performance to remember as the young woman who does a fine job in understanding that there is something wrong with her mother, and she plays a character with confidence and determination which has us rooting for her. We would feel that she would make a great scream queen in horror movies someday. Ali Fikry has his moments, and the brother-sister moments add well to the side of drama.

How it finishes :: If you are looking for a a highly unsettling piece of psychological domestic horror, this might be the one, even though it is never near perfection in any way. There are so many moments which could have been better, and it is only safe to say that there were so many occasions which could have been dealt in a better way. There are indeed those moments when it falters under its own weight with the repetitions. Furthermore, it treads incredibly familiar territory for anyone already well-versed in Indonesian occult cinema. The movie had made some good impact in the Indonesian Film Festival too, and deserves a watch for its divergence from the usual. Indonesian movies have had some fine horror added here and there which have kept us wondering why more industries could not follow this particular path. It is the one reason why this movie came to the movies to be watched list early. Its availability in JioHotstar was another reason, and this one does not disappoint the audience who loves to have some variety in horror.

Release date: September 25, 2025
Running time: 119 minutes
Directed by: Randolph Zaini
Starring: Artika Sari Devi, Aurora Ribero, Ali Fikry, Fara Shakila, Khiva Iskak, Sita Nursanti, Dian Sidik, Husein Al Athas

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

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

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Psycho Killer

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Vampire Owl: So, they have finally used the exact title for a smart killer.

Vampire Bat: Being psychotic is not a new thing for humans.

Vampire Owl: If this movie was in the vampire world, it would be psychic not psychotic.

Vampire Bat: Our world has its own dose of psychic vampires.

Vampire Owl: Doctor Sleep, I think, was inspired by them visiting the human world.

Vampire Bat: Vampires visiting human world have more similarities to Byzantium.

Vampire Owl: Yet, the human world remains too close to cruelty as their reality.

Vampire Bat: Brutality is the first step to becoming a human. It has always been so.

Vampire Owl: Whenever the word psycho is used in relation to any species, it points to humanity.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula tried long reasoning with them and banned them within minutes.

[Gets a savala vada and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Satanic Slasher (James Preston Rogers) has been terrorizing multiple districts of USA for quite some time, murdering people who seemed to be random victims as he never really chose one place at a time. The scenes of murder were identified as places of unparalleled terror where even police officers fear to go. He had received the name from the media and public due to the occult symbols he had left behind at the crime scenes and his brutality seemingly reflecting the hell which he had written about at the areas where the murders took place – Satan worship was the only common thing. Jane Archer (Georgina Campbell) is a highway patrol officer who finds her husband, a police officer, being murdered by Slasher as his identity was almost discovered by the man. She becomes obsessed with finding and bringing the man to justice if she cannot kill him, and with memories of her husband and expecting their first child, she decides to go on a hunt much to the dismay of her relatives and the co-workers who understand that they cannot stop her, whatever they say or do.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She feels that Slasher could be a murderous Satanic preacher who held his own people hostage and then killed them in a famous case of mass murder, but is someone who was supposed to have died some time ago. The other option is that someone who is a big fan might have taken over the identity, especially someone who is interested in Satan worship and hopes to go full evil as a demon of destruction to please the devil, the signs clearly being there in the death scenes. She also finds out that Slasher murdered a female pharmacist in a small town around and had raided the pharmacy for a number of antidepressants and other drugs. Despite her getting no support from the FBI which had taken over the case from the police, one of the officers Becky Collins (Grace Dove) provides her the route of his attacks and the fact that he had never taken the drugs to sell them, and could have only used them for himself. She also adds that he had also attacked a librarian and some books were also reported stolen from the local library.

And what more is to happen here as a demonic serial killer is on the hunt? :: Slasher also kills a couple facing a car breakdown whom he finds on the way, and gets into a church and kills the parish priest there after asking for a confession, and drinks his blood. But he is not satisfied as he keeps looking for answers. As Jane finds him staying in a motel and tries to restrain him all by herself as FBI provides no support, he attacks her and beats her up before throwing her out of the room, knocking her out before fleeing. Slasher decides to speed things up and goes to a mansion owned by a Satanist cult which is run by a strange man, as they replied to a secret Satanic advertisement with codes which was given by him after committing a murder. Slasher uses them to find a man whom he has been looking for, and despite them accepting him as one of theirs, he finds their ways hedonistic as the Satanic members go on naked sexual acts pairing up random men against women for unleashing their carnal desires in the name liberation and liberalism against all limits of morality. He decides to do something that he feels will open the gates to hell. But can he do that all by himself? How many more will die in the process?

The defence of Psycho Killer :: Georgina Campbell as Jane Archer comes up with a brilliant performance, as we feel the determination related her, and how well she does a woman on vengeance as much on duty and mourning. James Preston Rogers as the slasher is a strong presence, and never losses the power of the psycho killer on a mission. The grim, bloody and dark atmosphere of the movie works really well as the visuals suit the serial killer mode as much as the demonic level nicely. The brutal murder of the hedonists in the Satanic mansion might be one of the best moments in the movie as it has a certain amount of poetic beauty to it. The next classic moments come by the end of it, as the attempt to open the gates of hell got a terrifying vibe to it, with hidden implications, even though not a real intervention of supernatural in store. The evil here can be really felt as there is the Satanist and anti-God vibe to it; the depiction of the same is exactly as we have seen in the movies and news here too – the need to do evil is rather too strong here.

Positives and negatives :: The final moments provide that fine twist related to the idea of hell, and it is indeed a smart move but people will still feel that this is a deviation from the serial killer mode which was to go on a full psychotic murder spree from the shadows. There could have also been more action in the final moments and a supernatural twist would have also done more. The Satanic cult tropes, bloody aesthetics and the atmosphere for fear still stays well here. Malcolm McDowell’s role is also worth noting as Satanic leader, but one feels that he could have been there for more. The same is the case of Grace Dove and Logan Miller who leaves rather too early. Then, the Computer Generated Imagery show some struggle at times too. The blood and gore, despite never over done for a slasher movie, might not be comfortable for everyone. Its release also went unnoticed, as we look when it really came out for the viewers. If it was not for its entry into JioHotstar, I would have never known about it either.

How it finishes :: The movie maintains the aesthetic of horror as a psycho killer going the Satanist way provides the extra, but one also feels that the final product does not go to the psychological thriller mode which was also there for the taking. This is still a classic finish with some moments to remember in between, as we see a kind of slasher with nostalgia which brings something to stay with its divergence which is not from the basic elements, but to bring something new. The movie surely had so much scope as a slasher which could make it big here, as the idea would feel still relevant in this world rather than where it really released. For all the die-hard slasher fans of 1990s thriller aesthetics, it will always remain the right watch for us. When most of us remember that we were all fans of Evil Dead, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream and other franchises from quite some time ago, this one should begin another franchise – the ending happens in such a way that there is scope for sequel. A slasher fan would find it better not to read too much of those negative reviews and go for a sequel if it finally gets released.

Release date: 20th February 2026
Running time: 91 minutes
Directed by: Gavin Polone
Starring: Georgina Campbell, James Preston Rogers, Malcolm McDowell, Logan Miller, Grace Dove

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pumpkinhead

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Vampire Owl: I would accept this one as part of the vampire team.

Vampire Bat: There can never be a pumpkinhead vampire.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had once created a creature out of a pumpkin.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein can create only be a creature and can create none.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein can only be a creature of supreme intelligence.

Vampire Bat: Do not transform him into an alien now.

Vampire Owl: He is not of this realm, and therefore he is an alien, the smartest among them.

Vampire Bat: He is not worthy enough for any designation.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about the greatest scientist of twelve realms.

Vampire Bat: He is the one pseudo-scientist that I would avoid.

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

What is the movie about? :: A thirteen-year-old boy named Sam (Bean Reid) who was forced to leave his friends and relocate from New York City to a small village with a seemingly perfect and peaceful farming community called Redhaven with his family. The story of the village points to Palmer (Kevin McNulty), who is known as a generous, friendly old farmer who is the descendant of those agriculturists who saved the town by creating agricultural success out of nowhere at a time when everything was failing in the land and crops were dying. The people of the village have been spreading the word that it was achieved through hard work and advanced farming techniques and the villagers celebrate the same through a harvest festival. During this festival, Redhaven’s unmatched prosperity in compared to the area around them continues to be celebrated as the award-winning crops which are sold in bulk and at high prices throughout the neighbouring villages are remembered in Palmer’s lands. But Palmer keeps people away from his farmhouse, which he keeps away from the village folk, but everyone surrounds the area around the farm where he has kept the celebrations alive.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Angry about his move to the strange place which seems to have nothing for him, and chased away from the farmhouse by Palmer while looking at a strange pumpkin, Sam decides to steal a massive pumpkin from the farmer’s restricted area just to make the man feel bad about it. The police begin to start searching about the same as a case was registered, and the farmer who was held at high regard by the village gets all the condolences. Sam’s elder brother Finn (Seth Isaac Johnson) finds out about the same, and with hope for the best about the family’s relationship with the village where they have to spend rest of their lives decides to return in back at that night itself, even though Sam remains unhappy about the people of the village and its lack of facilities compared to every place he had stayed before. But Finn who reaches the farmhouse is attacked by some unknown force, and some vines which capture him, take him right into the sand.

And what more is to follow here as things seem to show tendency to get further complicated? :: The next morning, as he cannot find his elder brother anywhere, Sam keeps searching for Finn, but is not able to find him. As he keeps searching for him, he remembers that he was going to Palmer’s house to return the pumpkin, and with his only friend from the area which he had just found, Becka (Adeline Lo), he goes on searching, only to be thrown out of the farmhouse by Palmer. As he tells his mother Cassie (Kendra Anderson) about his elder brother going missing, but he discovers that she does not remember Finn and according to her, such a person never really existed in their memory even as an acquaintance. He brings photos of them together, but she does not see her elder son and asserts than Sam is her only child and they came to the village as a group of two in their car. Becka tells him that children have gone missing from the village before, and none of the adults seem to remember them. She tells him not to waste time with adults of the village anymore, and only an outcast named Rusty (Matty Finochio) might be able to save them. At the same time, the scarecrow in the field seems to look at them. Can they find the secret behind the missing children soon enough or will more of them go missing?

The defence of R L Stine’s Pumpkinhead :: The movie’s biggest point is the scarecrow monster itself, which brings effective scares. The creature’s unnatural and unsettling movements create genuinely unsettling visual scares, and rises a long way above CGI using an actor. The idea of children being erased from the memory and even proof of their existence disappearing makes a scary point here further away from the usual horror. Despite the scares, this one remains a horror which stays within its borders, making it watchable for everyone, and still does enough justice to the genre. The presence of ancient evil makes sure that a high level of danger is always there to unleash chaos into unsuspecting people. The kids do a great job, and the pairing of the leading children works effectively, and the final villain reveal also blends in well. The visuals are nothing less than stunning, as the autumn imagery and the small-town harvest festivals with pumpkins, all with that orange shades provide a stunning look here, and in this case, even the night view has a certain charm as much as the horror that stays. The climax twist feels classic and should inspire a sequel.

The claws of flaw :: This is that kind of a movie which we had not heard about until it was released on Amazon Prime Video, and when something goes unnoticed by the horror enthusiasts, that feels strange. Some of the acting in the beginning does feel like a struggle, especially with the first few moments never really bringing much of an interest. The weak beginning might decrease the number of people who watch movie to its more interesting parts. The main character if written better, would have helped the process in those early stages, and the protagonist being a little more likeable would have surely served the purpose better. The people who look for strong and extremely terrifying moments will be disappointed, as the movie never really goes for something huge. One would also feel if something other than the scarecrow and some vines within a farmhouse could have been added to extend the strength of horror, as the idea of an ancient evil rooted on Earth and nature would have endless possibilities. The supporting characters are not given enough according to the situation either, and our hope to see the pure evil unleashing itself is lost.

How it finishes :: R L Stine’s Pumpkinhead stays different from other horror movies as a work on screen which can be watched by the whole family, never really taking it to the next level – it can be a good thing of something bad, as it limits the movie, but keeps it accessible to everyone. The scares are still effective enough, and staying within a drawn line of control, it can still call for all kinds of audience. Its power as a highly effective, atmospheric gateway horror movie cannot be questioned at all. It balances the spooky nostalgia of 90s horror with modern style, making it a perfect entry point for younger audiences who are looking for horror entry while remaining entertaining enough also for those usual horror fans. It can also be said that the horror here is not just physical, but psychological as the memory of a loved one disappearing also adds on here. The feeling is more or less like folk-horror as centuries-old ancient horror comes out of nowhere with unsuspecting people playing along with the evil plans. Now we will see what can come in this franchise if there is a sequel – there should be more evil to unleash here.

Release date: 17th October 2025
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed by: Jem Garrard
Starring: Bean Reid, Seth Isaac Johnson, Adeline Lo, Kevin McNulty, Bob Frazer, Matty Finochio, Troy James

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Eesha

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Vampire Owl: Looking for recent horror movies, we have to go into another industry.

Vampire Bat: Well, not all industries have all movies exactly as they project for outside world.

Vampire Owl: I think that the best movies are those which are not known to many people.

Vampire Bat: True. They do not release the best movies in the theatres.

Vampire Owl: Yes, the theatres are for heroes who fly and beat up thousands of people.

Vampire Bat: They do even worse things, and it is strange for our world, not for theirs.

Vampire Owl: Can’t one of these movies become highest grossers instead of that mass masala?

Vampire Bat: Well, mass has the advantage because theatres are for the masses.

Vampire Owl: Yes, strange humans and their love for the mass thing.

Vampire Bat: This is the exact reason why humans are not allowed inside the Dracula Castle. Even the worst of the witches or fully drained zombies would not let them in.

[Gets a Chicken curry puffs and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Kalyan (Thrigun), Naina (Hebah Patel), Vinay (Akhil Raj Uddemari) and Aparna (Siri Hanmanth) are four youngsters who try to find the truth behind supernatural situations and expose fraudulent spiritual leaders who try to extort money out of unsuspecting believers – they find out that the easy targets for spiritual practitioners are those who feel that evil has possessed their own people or homes or maybe even believes that some curse has been unleashed, and death or hell awaits them. As they were childhood best friends, and Vinay and Aparna had managed to get married some time ago, and is expecting a child. But this has not stopped their plans to expose more people who are involved in spiritual practices and they become well-known for the same in the city. But they extend their plans to go for something much bigger, far away from their city, but Aparna is hesitant about it. But with the support of the rest, who are firm believers in rationalism, they set out to investigate the case of Aadidev (Babloo Prithiveeraj), a former neurosurgeon who has turned into a spiritual healer.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Aadidev has been treating individuals who claims to be afflicted by supernatural forces at an ashram which he found in a remote village in the border between Andhra Pradesh and Odissa. He had left his job as a reputed neurosurgeon who conducted so many surgeries which saved many lives after the death of his wife. The friends find a video of the woman before his death and feels that she was just mentally disturbed and the attempt at exorcism killed her. As they travel to the remote area on the border of two states through a twisted road on the hills, they almost meet with an accident when coming against a motor-bike carrying a family, but the woman who was sitting on the back of the vehicle dies as she falls down the cliff. But the friends remain unaware of the same as they reach their destination. When they reach the ashram, they are attacked by a strange man, but Aadidev saves them. But the friends call all of these to be staged with paid actors and Aadidev faces such strong lack of belief for the first time.

And what more can happen in this world of faith against another one which lacks the same? :: This makes him take the friends to an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. He tells them that the place is haunted with spirits and after three days of living there, the friends will start believing in life after death. The friends accept it as a challenge, but he tells them that it is no usual place, as there have been so many deaths including murders and suicides right in the building. He also has his disciples write some incantations for protection along with leaving a few religious and spiritual items there. He also asks them not to cross a certain area which would take them out of his protection and the same would be extremely dangerous. They do not really care about the same as they find the spiritual man to be a fraud who uses the faith and belief of the locals to his best advantage – they feel that he had chosen this particular way of life as it seemed as the easier and influential job through which he could earn the most with the least efforts while taking no real risk. Can the friends stay there for three days and come back alive or will they lose all their rationalism and might even be killed by the evil spirits who roam in the area?

The defence of Eesha :: The movie has some very impressive visuals which serves the purpose or horror very well. The darkness, shadows, and the shades give the film an eerie, high-quality visual beauty of horror. The atmosphere is nicely created and some fine settings serve like a special boon here. The background score nicely supports the same. The beginning itself had nicely set the mood here. Babloo Prithviraj’s work is a big bonus here, and we see that even though not on the side of the protagonists, he scores so well that we like him from the beginning even when the heroes talk about him. Hebah Patel as Naina plays the biggest sceptic of the movie really well, and she reminds us of the actions and talks of Gayathrie Shankar playing Meena in the Tamil horror movie called Pechi, but there is no similar twist for this one. Siri Hanmanth as Aparna has her moments, while the male cast seems to be more in support with the two women seemingly deviating into their thoughts well. The dramatic twist which comes in the end remains a strong one, and it is something which make on think, and is not limited to one world.

The claws of flaw :: The movie leaves too many gaps in the tale as it seems to have some trouble about understanding what it really wishes to achieve. There is a certain amount of confusion about the dead person’s spirit coming back as revenge instead of anything else, but then the situation of the four friends explained in the end does not seem to match with the same leading to multiple confusions in the thread that binds all of them. Then the rationalist friends also act a little too strange even when they see things that could make even the most sceptic people believe in all of these, and after exploring so many fraud cases, they cannot seem to feel a difference here, as the act of being brain dead makes it appearance at times, but we knew that this was coming, but they surely manage to solve some of those problems in between, not aggravating the whole situation in any manner. Adding more cases and their comparison with this, as well as revealing the modus operandi of the friends to such situations, would have made the whole thing more interesting; yet we just have them just going through the whole thing with no real plan.

How it finishes :: The movie manages its horror with a difference, and the deviation from the usual can also be seen around. It can be considered a visually striking, technically superior horror film that feels like being pulled down by its own ambitions to make it more twisted than it should have been, especially considering the overall mood going on another path. When the standard paranormal terror strikes with that divergent twist, the narrative struggles to get them together. The concept of a rationalist group facing the consequences of their arrogance is still interesting, but the overlapping of reality, hallucinations and spiritual possession often asks for more, but we are happy with what we get here. One can thank the mood, background scores, and high-quality visuals which brings that creepy experience, as we horror fans get the horror we have always wanted. After all, for a horror movie, it is more about what is one the screen, and what experience we are going to have, with hope for fear more than anything else.

Release date: 25th December 2025
Running time: 127 minutes
Directed by: Srinivas Manne
Starring: Thrigun, Hebah Patel, Akhil Raj Uddemari, Siri Hanmanth, Mime Madhu, Babloo Prithveeraj

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Wrecking Crew

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Vampire Owl: We have acted as wrecking crew of our vampire army before.

Vampire Bat: I thought you preferred the words, destruction and devastation.

Vampire Owl: I had also used the word, annihilation. But not anymore.

Vampire Bat: So, you are becoming more positive in your ideology.

Vampire Owl: As long as I do not see any human; they are too evil towards infinity.

Vampire Bat: Human evil in a particular form is also shown in this movie, I believe.

Vampire Owl: Humans can only elevate the evil; there is no escape.

Vampire Bat: Shadow demons once called them the true demonic ones.

Vampire Owl: Shadow demons, despite their strength in shades are lesser evil.

Vampire Bat: Human evil will always find a way, even better than the undead witches.

[Gets a pineapple cake and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: James Hale (Dave Bautista) and Jonny Hale (Jason Momoa) are step brothers who have been living apart for a long time, never really feeling the need to meet each other or even have a talk over the phone in the last few years. Jonny has moved to Oklahoma, and is working as a police officer with his girlfriend Valentina Silva (Morena Baccarin) a Portuguese-speaking immigrant from Brazil. After he makes a mess of things again as he has been doing for a long time, he gets suspended, and despite all the begging about him needing her and in spite of all the sweet talk about her being the most beautiful Latino girl he ever known, Valentina decides to leave him citing the lack of concern and talk he had with her in the last few months. At the same time, James is an officer in the United States Navy, and is living a happy and peaceful life with his wife Leila Hale (Roimata Fox) and his two children back in Hawaii, and takes his job very seriously. He is a much-loved figure in his town for his responsible and helpful behaviour, and the family has built quite a positive reputation.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The death of their father by a car accident brings them together, even though they know nothing about him from the last few years, and have not seen him quite some time. Jonny decides to stay at Hawaii for some time to attend the funeral as well as investigate his death. The meeting with James and his family feels like a thought process, as they had not seen each other for such a long time, and never even called to know the other. Their cousin Haunani Palakiko (Frankie Adams) also arrives for the funeral, and she is one of the few people permanently settled in the area as she works for the mayor of the town, Peter Mahoe (Temuera Morrison). Jonny tells James that the death of their father was not an accident, as he was attacked by some Yakuza thugs at his Oklahoma home, and they were asking for a package which was sent by their father. James does not want Jonny to investigate and get into trouble as the police had already called it an accident, and their father was carelessly standing on the road while the car was speeding.

And what more would happening here as there is indeed a mystery to solve? :: James feels that Jonny just keeps getting into trouble for one reason or the other like the day when he had to leave home for a long time while being hunted by a local crime syndicate who still seeks vengeance. But James decides to go through the investigation just to make sure, and Jonny is already on the same, beating up people according to the need for information. As their paths converge to their father’s apartment, they find plans for a casino and resort. With their cousin’s help, they discover that the casino is to be built on the Hawaiian homes which are already occupied by the locals. It is to be built by an influential billionaire known as Marcus Robichaux (Claes Bang), and the brothers decide to crash one of their grand parties. There, they meet Monica Robichaux (Lydia Peckham), who is Marcus’ wife, and also the members of the same gang who launched an attack on Jonny. Monica tells him that she had hired their father to investigate on her husband. They realize that all of these are connected and there might have been some secrets which got out. But can they find out anything before they are hunted or the evidence is destroyed by money and influence?

The defence of The Wrecking Crew :: The movie works the best more due to its use of its leading cast, the two classic action heroes who do such a fine work. Dave Bautista, the Drax of Guardians of the Galaxy from Marvel and Jason Momoa, the Aquaman of Justice League of America from DC, manages to do deliver heavy punches as they did in those movies where they had superpowers, but this case remains much believable. The different characters which they have been playing in the past also helps in the purpose, and they genuinely look like they belong to one bloodline and fights together like a near-perfect team of two brothers. The hand-to-hand fight scenes are intensely physical and very much gory, with the fight between two brothers also adding to the same. Then there is Morena Baccarin who gets into the action so well, and that sequence with a helicopter chasing the car is too good especially with her around. Along with the rest, she also handles the humour really well. Morena transforms into an action star very soon, and the other female characters despite following well, just got to do the usual thing.

The claws of flaw :: The movie depends too much on the main characters and does not come up with anything different or special. The action and the journey itself never really leave the predictability as we look at the beginning and the initial situations. We should have also had more of Morena, as she seems to have come to leave her lover and drive a car away from a helicopter, and is not present during the rest of the movie at all. Lydia Peckham could have also had a bigger role here, as she looked stunning when she was there, and her character had a lot of scope too. Then the investigation could have also been as interesting as the action, as we wonder how this could have been made more of a suspense-filled search for a murderer and what lies beneath all of these. The final moments become predictable in nature as the bigger revelations happen too soon. The later moments of the movie after the big fights serve less than one would expect. This could have also used the beaches to a better advantage as we look closer.

How it finishes :: The Wrecking Crew goes through its action and a certain amount of humour without looking back at any moment. There are some stylish and classic action moments which would be remembered for how well it is shot with that humorous side, and never really moving away from that light-hearted side. The energy that the characters possess in unparalleled, and it is not just limited to the main protagonists, but also to their partners. As Dave Bautista’s serious strength and Jason Momoa’s wild-man energy matches each other, we watch it in the style of watching a computer game with wrestlers beating up the bad guys – with the case of WWE’s Batista, this would feel as perfect as it could be, as he and the Rock has provided the feeling that wrestling has come to Hollywood, and John Cena has also did it up to an extent. It is a privilege to have wresters who can act in action thrillers, as they make the whole situation better in a believable manner with that kind of a physique. After all, there is no better places to build performers for action that World Wrestling Entertainment which had some of the most classic scripts and on-ring works that we watched during childhood.

Release date: 28th January 2026
Running time: 122 minutes
Directed by: Ángel Manuel Soto
Starring: Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Claes Bang, Temuera Morrison, Jacob Batalon, Morena Baccarin

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

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Cheekatilo

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Vampire Owl: So, another Telugu movie after quite some time in between.

Vampire Bat: There have been long gaps between movies except English and Malayalam.

Vampire Owl: I thought we had enough Hindi movies in there.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but due to some reason, these OTTs are more into series and not movies.

Vampire Owl: Any work should end in a few hours and should not be stretched.

Vampire Bat: Yes, we are forced to wait for an infinite time to have the next episode.

Vampire Owl: Keeping people waiting for so long. Absolutely ridiculous.

Vampire Bat: The wait is never worth it when we have other things do in life.

Vampire Owl: Still, the blind and dumb fans will have other ideas.

Vampire Bat: No wonder Uncle Dracula said no to any more humans turned into vampires. Dracula Castle has no place for nonsense.

[Gets a blueberry cake and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sandhya (Sobhita Dhulipala) has been working as a journalist in one of the leading television channels in the city. She has been looking forward to report and talk about crime in the city and bring the less explored areas to light. But when the crime report which she was going to read is changed by her superior to bring a sexual and illicit relationship to the scene, she protests and submits her resignation, much to the shock of the Managing Editor and surprise of her co-workers. The intern who has been working under her, Bobby (Aditi Myakal), is still happy though, and she asks her to begin a crime podcast. Bobby finds Sandhya as a true journalist among TRP seekers and her role model in the field. Sandhya also asks Bobby to join her. But soon, Bobby is found tied up, raped and murdered while her boyfriend is also tied up and murdered in her apartment. Sandhya tries to solve this case with the help of her boyfriend Amar (Vishwadev Rachakonda) with whom her marriage has already been fixed by their parents despite him being two years younger than her.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The police inspector in charge of the investigation, Rajeev (Chaitanya Krishna) does not like her and her boyfriend trying to poke their noses right inside his case file and crime scene. But Sandhya manages to find her own clues and points to a man through his podcast, but it turns out that he was only the man who stole Bobby’s earrings, and a phone call from the killer reveals that more murders are to follow soon enough. Another police officer named Ananditha (Isha Chawla) is assigned the same case, but Sandhya is not ready to leave the case and connect it to similar rape and murders which occurred in the villages on the outskirts of the city. As she seems to connect the dots, the police officers are not that impressed, especially after her previous framing of another man, and her podcast and hashtag campaign seem to make the killer angrier. Can the police or Sandhya stop the killer in time, or will similar incidents keep happening to keep the common people in terror?

The defence of Cheekatilo :: Here is another murder investigation that works, and at no point does the movie losses its strength. The twists are there to come, and the thrills are sufficient. Along with the same, the movie remains a thoughtful critique of how society and ratings-driven television handle crimes, with focus on the need for trauma, healing and empathy for victims. The focus on the past of the serial killer is also something worth mentioning. The mood is nicely built with the atmosphere as much as an initial scene which serves a time period much earlier as it lets us know what is to expect in a classic manner, and the sound effects and music used work really well. There is no attempt to overdo anything for the fans, and maybe the release on Amazon Prime Video helped the purpose – the Hindi dubbed version which we watched could also serve the purpose well. The movie is also not that long, staying at two hours, which would be the best choice. The film actually came as a pleasant surprise, as we had not heard about its release and were looking for a new thriller movies and this one just came out of nowhere.

Positives and negatives :: The movie does seem to drag a bit with many tales and some repetitions here and there. The romance is also almost completely lost in the totality of things. We keep trying to find the love, but we get the killings, and as it is a thriller, we say that it will do for now. The red herrings work, and they remain constant reminders of the extra effort being put in here, and the predictability is lessened right there. Even though the final revelation is effective and brings the surprise really well, the motive feels too quickly explained by a very fast backstory, thus making the climax giving the feeling of being prepared in a hurry. But the same surprisingly works, and it is because the willing suspension of disbelief never really leaves us, and the flow is still there towards that surprise and the motive. There is also the feeling that there is something missing on the side of the characters, with some of them never really keeping us interested. Some of them might be responsible for making us feel deviated from the main thing here.

The performers of the soul :: Sobhita Dhulipala delivers the best performance of the movie, with a certain command over the narrative. As she plays a true-crime podcaster who gets personally entangled in a murder investigation, this one becomes all about a grounded investigation that never goes out of her control as far as acting is concerned. We have seen he in her first movie, Raman Raghav 2.0, and therefore we know that she is no stranger to psycho killers and brutal murders happening around her character with a true psychopath on the hunt and a police officer also on a grand search. Her subtle facial expressions and body language nicely brings her internal conflict into the picture, as the character also has the trauma from childhood to go beyond. She blends is as the podcaster as well as the journalist with remarkable ease. Vishwadev Rachakonda as Amar makes the lover believable, but not without those shades which work nicely in the process. Chaitanya Krishna as Rajeev makes a fine police officer. Isha Chawla as Ananditha is the other police character, and that works well too. The rest also works along nicely.

How it finishes :: The movie stands strong with its core and the thrills and twists which follow, as we have something which goes well like Memories, Dheeram, Anjaam Pathiraa, John Luther, Forensic etc with its investigation. This is almost among my favourite Telugu movies, as there is no overdose of anything here, going on a path which never tries to satisfy the blind masala fans, as we have seen in many other Telugu movies. This one goes on a fine path which we can accept without much trouble, as the balance is maintained with the investigation always leaving something for us, even in the form of interesting red herrings. As we see that this movie released on Amazon Prime Video, one can be sure about the blind fans of the theatres never really creeping in, and the same might have helped the purpose a lot. With the movie’s atmosphere and the smooth journey, it feels like a movie made in the further south, and even with some predictability and seemingly strange deviations, there is the feeling that we have watched a fine murder investigation thriller with some messages to go with it.

Release date: 23rd January 2026
Running time: 126 minutes
Directed by: Sharan Koppisetty
Starring: Sobhita Dhulipala, Vishwadev Rachakonda, Chaitanya Krishna, Esha Chawla, Jhansi, Aamani, Ravindra Vijay

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Running Man

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Vampire Owl: I have been wondering why humans keep running so much in their lives.

Vampire Bat: They search for meaning in their lives, but finds nothing in the end.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that there is no hope for humanity.

Vampire Bat: Well, humanity never really had any hope.

Vampire Owl: I remember watching that old movie with the same name.

Vampire Bat: Well, we had also read the book with the same name.

Vampire Owl: Stephen King movies have often struggled to make an impact in the last few years.

Vampire Bat: Yet, Doctor Sleep was one of the greatest among them.

Vampire Owl: There are always It, Pet Sematary, The Monkey, Carrie, Salem’s Lot and others too.

Vampire Bat: We cannot expected all such adaptations to be classic horror stories.

[Gets one M&M McFlurry and three cups of mint tea].

What is the movie about? :: In a not that distant future United States of America, an authoritarian media network takes control of the nation while focusing on patriotism and the need to keep the country safe from its usual and common enemies, some of the inside and the others from outside. Most of the citizens of the United States live in poverty with minimal access to healthcare which leads to a high infant mortality and most children not even born among the majority who lives with minimum low wages. Most people are busy with the meaningless and unreal violent game shows and absurd reality television. The most popular programme running in the nation is The Running Man, hosted by Bobby Thompson (Colman Domingo), which has three runners selected with a big opportunity to win a billion dollars by surviving 30 days while being hunted down by five hunters selected by the media team itself. They are led by the furious Evan McCone (Lee Pace) as they are allowed to take any step to end the runners, while citizens are also provided with opportunities which would bring them rewards.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Starting with thousand dollars and a twelve-hour head start when they are not attacked by anyone, the runners are also required to video tape themselves and send to the media office or else forfeit their earnings and more viciously hunted with no rewards. The murder of the hunters would also bring rewards to the runners, raising their earning by a long way. This is where Ben Richards (Glen Powell) attempts to join, as he is not able to buy medicine for his little daughter after being blacklisted for union activism which had him standing for the other workers, leaving him jobless and not able to care for his family. He had planned to join a game with lesser risk, but was drafted into The Running Man with Jenni Laughlin (Katy O’Brian), a seemingly confident young woman in his neighborhood and Tim Jansky (Martin Herlihy), a nerdy character who seems nice to everyone. Despite trying to back down, Ben is made to agree to the offer by Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) with an amount which he had never seen in his life, despite his wife Sheila Richards (Jayme Lawson) warning him against it.

And what more can happen in this world of future chaos with no real hope for humanity? :: Despite giving a safe house to his family and also providing an advance, Ben is shown as an enemy of the state to the audience and his wife’s moral side is also questioned, much to his dismay, as he promises to be back and give them what they deserve. But he would have no time for anything, as his time started, with all three contestants keeping on running through their own paths. With the help of a disguise taken from a friend, he goes to New York City and manages to start there by staying in a hotel right in the middle of the city and blend among the crowd with his changed looks. He watches Tim wandering in the city as it is shown as part of the show in television, and as he just goes through a normal life, is shot dead by the hunters bringing excitement to the audience who call for the blood of the other two runners. Ben who gets scared about the situation, and not sure about his safety in the big city anymore, decides to escape to Boston. But would that save him from the hunt or will be able to finish the hunters instead?

The defence of The Running Man :: The dark and possible future of the world and with a feeling of Stephen King’s novel, this one makes us very much interested in the movie which also has some nice chase and fight scenes. The world has been very nicely created, and we see how will it suits the situation, and there is a certain amount of charm even to its dark side. The charisma and intense physicality of Glen Powell as the desperate hero of his family manages to keep the movie strong. He had to do something extra to match the original hero and he comes close. Josh Brolin becomes the true antagonist whom we will remember for that terrifying face within that visage. Colman Domingo’s energy makes this even more suitable for its premise and genre as that works so well. Among the ladies, it is Emilia Jones who scores the most, and she is that character whom the audience will fall in love and even brings a certain amount of humour here. They fit nicely into this dystopian society which is obsessed with the circuses of ultra-violent television while being told what to do and made to struggle by the ruling class with the help of the reality shows which reflects the world differently.

Positives and negatives :: There are some classic moments from Lee Pace, but that comes a little late for our liking. The fans of the original might not feel that this matches, due to the absence of Arnold as the man of unparalleled strength. There were still opportunities for more, as the other runners could have also had focus, especially that of the lady runner who was doing so well. The emotional side of the wife and kid works less here for some reason, and the wife role seems to be dismissed as an irrelevant one with Emilia taking over as the lady who decides to switch sides to save the hero. The 1987 version, despite its own deviations, had a more heroic version of the same, and it is only natural that people would prefer that Arnold version, as his work with the fights would also be more believable as he is provided with that kind of a past; the female lead in that movie also had that unparalleled presence in the film, but not anymore. The final battle in the flight could have also been bigger, and the lack of a huge spectacle makes sure that the movie struggles even further.

How it finishes :: Those who have watched that older version might wonder about the necessity of having this one around. There is the world that we have seen before, brought to the big screen again in a similar, but different form. There is the action and thrills in a fine world, and we are entertained enough to be interesting in the movie throughout its run. But when the familiar scenario keeps getting repeated, people will wonder if how much of the same returning to the screen and what all not being adapted from the novel would be the right thing for this kind of movies. The movie remains visually striking and adds to the Stephen King adaptations which have done a good job on the screen, but it was surprising to see it not going too good at the box-office – well, we never really go to know if the movie even released at this part of the world, and one has to guess that due to those lower quality imitations released in different languages in India, with even post-apocalyptic worlds cheaply imitated. This one is superior to those movies which ridiculously copies elements from Hollywood and other languages and presents them as their own, but does leave the audiences slightly wishing that the creative strength here had run stronger, but most of us would be happy with what is found here. Then there is the message against government control.

Release date: 14th November 2025
Running time: 133 minutes
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Starring: Glen Powell, William H Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Katy O’Brian, Sean Hayes, Colman Domingo, Josh Brolin

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pongala

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Vampire Owl: I did not know about this movie being released then.

Vampire Bat: Well, just some movies take all the hype in this world.

Vampire Owl: Most of those hyped movies are like good for nothing too.

Vampire Bat: Unless those collections come down, there will always be such movies.

Vampire Owl: Such movies will never be hits in the vampire world.

Vampire Bat: You know that vampires will never create such big movies, but will have content.

Vampire Owl: Only in our world, there is quality about everything.

Vampire Bat: You know that even the smallest stone of Dracula Castle is shaped in quality.

Vampire Owl: Uncle Dracula is never known to make mistakes, you know.

Vampire Bat: The Vampire Elders have given assurances to him towards infinity.

[Gets a gobi paratha and three cups of Bandarawela tea].

What is the movie about? :: Aby (Sreenath Bhasi) is a man who had to go through a lot of crisis and trauma during his early life, as his father Joseph (Alencier Ley Lopez) had owed a lot of money to man named Lawrence (Sudheer Karamana). This man had come into their home to sexually assault his mother, he had to fight as the elder child, and the situation led to the intruding man getting killed, for which he had to go to correctional home life followed. From that day, his father had gone missing, and he had to take care of his family including his mother and younger sister from the moment he returned from the correctional home. It was not an easy task for him, and he joins the gang of Sabu (Baburaj) a local fish monger and gang lord who has his own violent ways of dealing things and maintaining his business over everyone else. Aby quickly proves his worth in street fights, as he rises through the ranks of Sabu’s goons to become his most trusted henchman. At the side of Sabu’s brothers Biju (Kichu Tellus) and Baiju (Indrajith Jagajith), he remains a force to reckon for. They maintain a iron-fisted monopoly over the harbour of Vypin.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Despite things seemingly in a violent, but profitable manner, Aby remains a stoic young man who does not care about many things, and seems like a man without feelings for the people of the village. During this period of random fights, a woman from the neighbourhood named Linta (Yami Sona) keeps following him, and tells him that she is in deeply in love with him. Though Abhi remains to be stoic and focused on his responsibilities, Linta who does not stop following him becomes a part of his life, as she is the best friend of his sister and also keeps visiting their home. At the same time, one of Aby’s close friends, Martin (Surya Krish), has a hidden crush on Linta, which she never reveals to his friends or her. Things then take a further twist when Sabu attempts to sexually exploit the vulnerability of his former classmate, a woman who used to be his classmate. Sabu, Biju and Baiju also begin expanding their criminal enterprise into illegal drug trafficking which leads to further rift being formed with Aby, despite his effort to keep peace between him and his childhood friend Biju. Will there be peace or will everyone turn against Aby without mercy?

The defence of Pongala :: The movie’s natural backdrop of the Vypin fishing harbour within Cochin provides an authentic and atmospheric feel – the visuals support the same really well. The initial scenes which go longer with a few flashbacks could nicely bring the situation to the picture without much of a difficulty. In this world, the action also happens well, but in simple manner, despite the leading character’s heroics. There is no attempt to follow that absurd nonsense flying and slow-motion of the so-called superstars who look like balloons and rockets while getting claps from the dumb and brainless fans who celebrate their famous stars destroying SUVs, cars by trying to throw villains on them or out of them and enjoy broken vehicles. The songs are fine and the music remains effective, as the mood of the movie in that setting has been maintained well. The actors nicely get into situation and keep the movie going without any trouble. It is always good to see the less explored areas in the industry getting attention too. Even though it was not much known during its release, the OTT should do well for the movie.

The claws of flaw :: The plot seems to have been somewhat inspired from the predictable, pre-2000 revenge tropes with gang wars even though it is shown as happening much later at the same area. The dialogues also feel somewhat dated and uninspired for these times. There are also so many fights which the hero wins with unparalleled ease, and it is not something we would expect from a man fighting so many people at once and when battling terrifying antagonist who comes with such a build-up. The one-man army mode feels outdated even though the fights and more like a street fight and therefore more realistic than those infinite slow-motion fight scenes create for those superstars in the name of style or rather dumb nonsense created for the brainless fans. The romance also feels like not given the full strength and the focus there seems to be not on love, but a past and sympathy. The predictability in the movie can also be seen at times, with the movie going through what we expect on more than one occasion.

The performers of the soul :: Sreenath Bhasi leads the way in a convincing way here as he moves away from his earlier roles by a long way and delivers a committed, physically agile and intense performance as a stoic action hero who doesn’t show fear in his actions. He has surely come a long way, and the signs of the same were already visible in a few other movies which released earlier, and this one reiterates the same. There is something about Baburaj in this kind of movies and with similar roles which pose no challenge to him – this one is also a more controlled performance from him rather than the usual antagonists. Kichu Tellus also has a role which is familiar to him and leaves him any difficulty. Yami Sona is a lovely addition to the movie, and this feels like the first time I am seeing her in a movie, and she does her job really well, even though we do not see her that much as we wanted in the movie, and the romance should have had a better focus than just her forcing it upon the situation. Sampath Ram has a fine screen presence, but does not get that much to do in the movie other than talk, following by contact on mobile phone. Alencier Ley Lopez only has a limited role here too. But Sadiq Mohammed has a notable presence and it is a role in which we have seen him multiple times, as he shows no struggle with it.

How it finishes :: It is clearly seen that the movie does not try too hard, as it follows an idea which has been tried so many times. The action works well, and we enjoy this as another old model movie which never really tries too hard. The predictability will hold it back and repetitions will do the same, but it keeps us interested from the beginning to the end. The atmosphere of the Vypin coastal belt and harbour brings a breathing character of its own. Sreenath Bhasi as a stoic becomes a fine action hero too. This adds to his versatility and carries the movie’s action sequences almost entirely on his shoulders. The attempt at the revolutionary side would not work, but taking the movie back to the working class who are actually hardworking itself has been a tough thing, and the movie has made that happen without any character who is lost in the internet – such movies are rare when taken in a big city, and that much is achieved. But with a little bit more focus and a shorter length, this one could have done wonders as there were nice opportunities for a fine twist and one villain who could unleash himself in a grand manner.

Release date: 5th December 2025
Running time: 138 minutes
Directed by: A B Binil
Starring: Sreenath Bhasi, Baburaj, Kichu Tellus, Sampath Ram, Sadiq Mohammed, Alencier Ley Lopez, Yami Sona

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Fear Below

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Vampire Owl: Things that we should fear would not come from below.

Vampire Bat: So, you are looking for the flying fears from above.

Vampire Owl: I feel that the dead below are less scary.

Vampire Bat: There can always be the shadow demons from the underworld.

Vampire Owl: The underworld does not qualify as from below.

Vampire Bat: They are surely located deep underneath us, and you can even see them as a warning.

Vampire Owl: Shadow World of underworld is technically another realm.

Vampire Bat: Well, they are here now, in a series of underworld tunnels, beyond the red door of chaos.

Vampire Owl: The tunnels only serve as portal to another world.

Vampire Bat: Well, vampires do not shadow walk, but we are able to go through their world – connects them to ours as one, doesn’t it?

[Gets a packet of pineapple cream biscuits and three cups of Peerumade tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the late 1940s Australia, a team consisting of Ernie Morgan (Arthur Angel), Clara Bennett (Hermione Corfield) and Jimmy Barriakada (Jacob Junior Nayinggul) are part of the Sea Dog Diving Company, which is going through a terrible financial crisis. They have had training in the military during the Second World War or had won medals for their diving performances, but are not able to run the business due to tough competition in the field, and with a lot of people ready to invest money, they struggle, and hope that they can buy a boat to further support their cause, while competing better. It is then that they are approached by a mafia leader named Dylan Maddock (Jake Ryan) to retrieve a sunken car from the bottom of the river which has some very valuable items which he recently lost due to some careless driving. He provides them with a deal which would involve a lot of money and gives them an advance, but warns them that this much of cash is given for no questions being asked.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is revealed that he cannot go to the authorities and get a crane service to lift the car due to smuggled gold biscuits being present inside – he would be just happy with the crates holding the gold biscuits being taken to the land, and nothing more. They had not reported the accident too, as any forced help from people would lead to the gold biscuits being discovered. The plan is to make the divers go in and get the crates, and after that, to just murder them. Ernie is overjoyed with the proposal of so much money without knowing the danger behind the same, and so are his crew members. They make detailed preparations for the big job which has come to them after such a long time. They reach the place, only to find Clara being attacked by a bull shark underwater, but manages to come out without that much of a problem. But now, the shark remains a major problem, and the mafia is also getting restless. Can they find a way to get out of this crisis? And who will get to keep all the gold under the river?

The defence of Fear Below :: The film nicely adds a gangster story with what seems to be a shark horror from the posters, as the attempt to recover stolen gold from a river where a bull shark is ready to attack anyone who sets foot in there. The combination would itself feel innovative enough, as the blending works well here. The 1940s feeling with post-war effect remains a fine addition to the overall movie which uses the style to the best effect. The movie never really moves out of that feeling, even when we look closer. The whole thing does have a realistic rather than exaggerated feeling, with nothing impossible being given a push. The effects also seem to have not much computer-generated imagery, which means more of a feeling close to life. The shark does not have too much extra around here, as the situation looks like a usual crisis, never going too much beyond. The urgency is never really found in the movie either, as the simple world and simpler people will also stay around.

The claws of flaw :: Even with a shorter run-time, the movie does seem to have too much of wasted time, where there is nothing much of interest. The pace of the movie is not much as we keep looking closely, and all these things could have happened within a few minutes without using one and half hours. The predictability factor is always present, pulling the whole movie downwards. The action is also low in quantity, with the shark being present only for a few minutes of time. This had felt more like a shark movie from all its posters, but we see it just for some time, and the shark attack is also not that strong enough to leave an impact. The scenes underwater seem to be more or less without clarity with the water itself being not clear – comparing this to movies like Deep Blue Sea and Underwater or even Under Paris which have clear water visibility of waterbodies will feel like a crime. The budget might have been a problem here, not just with water, but also with showing more of the shark which needed to go beyond what seemed to be a guest role of a different kind. There are some supporting characters who feel rather weak too.

The performers of the soul :: Hermione Corfield here is coming up more with the cuteness factor than anything else, and she surely nails that side, but does not get that much of an action as one would expect from the lady lead who plays an expert diver. Despite being only one of the main characters, she maintains a certain amount of charm throughout the movie, making sure that she is the one character whom we all wish to see having survived in the end, no matter what shark or even whale or dinosaur comes through for the prey. She plays a determined and confident young lady, who is also looking at an uncertain future, but never losses hope in the way. Arthur Angel adds further emotional weight as the older man who is determined to make things happen and help his younger colleagues survive too – this is also a character we love to see around. Jake Ryan plays the gangster who remains a threatening presence through the crime drama setup of the movie. The support that includes Maximillian Johnson, does just enough here.

How it finishes :: Fear Below, despite blending different sides, manages both, but is often confused in the process, as if someone who is trying to find oneself in a world which has chaos on one side and opportunities on the other. From the posters, it is a shark movie, but as one reads about it, the focus is more on a few gangsters seeking their gold – the balance is not exactly there, but both sides do the job well enough. For a low budget crime thriller having a shark around, the whole thing might feel enough, but we have seen bigger movies made out of smaller budgets in our part of the world; guess not with where the movie comes from. It would feel fine if you are not really looking for that grand shark with computer-generated imagery to support the same. Well, some of us are never really satisfied by this much, especially with Amazon Prime Video being the platform, and the other films recommended with this one are quite bigger and having a higher budget. In the end, it all depends on the viewer to go for it.

Release date: 15th May 2025
Running time: 85 minutes
Directed by: Matthew Holmes
Starring: Hermione Corfield, Jake Ryan, Jacob Junior Nayinggul, Arthur Angel, Josh McConville, Clayton Watson, Maximillian Johnson, Will Fletcher, Kevin Dee

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Whisper

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Vampire Owl: Have you heard about vampirism spreading through whispers in the wind?

Vampire Bat: Vampirism is supposed to spread only by biting.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein knows about scientific vampirism.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein does not know science or vampirism.

Vampire Owl: Well, we only have one scientist and he is Frankenstein.

Vampire Bat: It is a shame that we immortals are to trust a duplicate from another realm.

Vampire Owl: He is the original certified scientist who is also a half-vampire.

Vampire Bat: Still, you shall find the vampires of this movie as stranger.

Vampire Owl: I do not see why they would not be strange in comparison.

Vampire Bat: You cannot expect all vampire depictions around the world to be the same.

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

What is the movie about? :: Lucía (Ana Clara Guanco) has fled from her home with her young brother Adrian (Marcelo Michinaux) as the situation in their home with their father Victor (Luciano Cáceres) would need them to follow a family vampire tradition. Victor has always been telling them that Adrian is just like him and will turn into a vampire, but Lucia who cared for her little brother did not listen to the same. Leaving Victor behind, they arrive at a secluded mansion deep into the woods seeking refuge and hoping that one day, they will have normal lives. But this attempt to stay normal is shattered when a cat which lives in the area brings them a human finger, revealing the fact that there is something terrifying going on in the area. There are movements around the house at night and something keeps triggering the car alarms, while the switches and electricity are not working properly either. The night seems to be difficult to go through, but she keeps asking Adrian to keep the headsets in his ears and forget all of these, while a group keeps kidnapping girls to kill them on camera and then sell the snuff videos for financial gains.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She finds the worst when they find a girl being killed by some masked people on the camera on the collar of the cat. She checks for information online and finds out that many girls have been kidnapped from the area and one of such incidents happened on the road that goes in front of their home. She feels that they could be attacked any moment, and as she takes a file out of the camera and plays it on her desktop computer, she realizes that the house has been entered and they had tried to take her, but her brother had gone missing. Desperate to save him, she goes out and finds the men killed by her brother who seems to have bitten them and even turned one of them into a ruthless vampire. As they try to escape from the rest of the members of the group, she finds herself and the boy kidnapped and tied up in a warehouse. As she is unable to come up with an explanation what had happened to the other gang members, the group focusing snuff videos, decides to make her their next victim as they strip her down to her bra and panties and chain her to a bed to brutally kill her on the camera. Can the siblings escape in time?

The defence of The Whisper :: The tale of a brother and sister escaping an ancient family curse while also fighting a group of criminals makes such an interesting premise with a lot of possibilities, often endless and most of time very interesting. The isolated home with woods creates a bleak, eerie atmosphere that keeps viewers engaged while being emotionally attached to the brother and sister. The abiding sadness which surrounds the character of Ana Clara Guanco will keep us emotionally attached to her. An air of melancholy surrounds her at all times, and the depth of the same is reflected not just on her face, but in her movements which feels more motivated by perpetual sadness rather than fear. A crime thriller, supernatural horror, family drama and mystery come together towards the same here. The visuals of the setting are nicely captured to increase the tension and the feeling of danger. One can also note how well the cat in the movie serves the purpose, and how the initial scenes had set things in motion. The darkness has been effectively used as the movie’s ally too.

The claws of flaw :: The non-linear path which is taken here does not serve the purpose that well. The psychological side does not work that well here, and the terror could have also been shown in a more detailed manner with the cruelty felt even more. The slowness of the movie could also be seen as a concern as the movie brings down its pace a lot in the middle, which basically makes us feel that nothing much is to happen here and there would be just some forced ending to follow. The multiple ideas and genres followed here, despite having something in each, might not satisfy everyone as it goes through all of them without full focus on anything. Some subplots could have also been better explored and some character development for the characters other than the protagonist would have been much appreciated. Even the other two clearly named characters could have had more focus, but as Ana Clara Guanco does a brilliant job, most of it is just forgotten and not claimed as a big problem. The fights could have also been shown in a better manner and the vampire attacks misses out on fangs and claws while there were so many opportunities for the same.

The performers of the soul :: Ana Clara Guanco as Lucía does that kind of a work which we will remember for her being that tragic heroine who is ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for her brother. For him, she is ready to leave her home and all possibilities of a better life, moving to the middle of nowhere with no assurance of doing any better for herself and she does not even care for her safety. She plays the sibling whom every little brother would wish for, and the same is done in a believable manner. It can be seen that she runs to save him when he seems to be in some kind of trouble and when there is some problem, she tries to protect him with all her life. This reluctance to bring any harm to the boy lands her under the knives of a butcher, stripped to her underwear and chained to be hacked to death brutally in front of a camera. In the end, she would have to make the ultimate sacrifice and as the tragic heroine, embrace the worst. It is a very emotional performance which is there to stay. Luciano Cáceres as Victor has more than what we think he has to do, as he brings a lot more as the movie goes towards the end. Marcelo Michinaux also plays some good work as the little brother. The rest just have to follow the flow.

How it finishes :: The idea of escaping a violent world, stumbling into a world of snuff films and confronting a terrifying family curse at the same time is an idea that had a lot of scope. This definitely works, but one cannot say that it is at his best of strengths, and losses the power at regular intervals in between. This is still another interesting vampire movie and the one movie which it reminds one the most is Byzantium, but that was a more superior movie in all aspects; this one can only follow with most elements. Throughout the movie, we are still reminded that vampirism is one of the lesser evil that we can encounter, and there is always the bigger evil, which comes from humans who might know no way to stop themselves from turning pure evil. We are reminded that evil always finds a way and being attacked by a vampire is the least of your problems as human horror is always ready to be unleashed as darkness becomes more of their ally than that of any known nocturnal creature from myth or reality. With an emotional side, this one brings that particular reminder well, as we watch this one Amazon Prime Video.

Release date: 22nd January 2026
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: Gustavo Hernández Ibañez
Starring: Luciano Cáceres, Ana Clara Guanco, Marcelo Michinaux, Darío Lima, Horacio Camandulle, Rasjid César, Joro Gorfain, Machu Gutiérrez

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

War Machine

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Vampire Owl: I am sure that they are talking about.

Vampire Bat: We are not war machines, for we are simple friendly neighbourhood vampires.

Vampire Owl: There was a war in the realm, and we fought many battles.

Vampire Bat: The magical wars do not make us war machines.

Vampire Owl: Still, you have to agree that we are not friendly at all.

Vampire Bat: Well, we have been friendly with the vampire elders.

Vampire Owl: Vampire elders are just respectable seniors who cannot be fought against.

Vampire Bat: Still, most of the new generation vampires are not friendly with them.

Vampire Owl: The new generation was never meant to respect elders.

Vampire Bat: Well, we have already witnessed the highest level of new generation disrespect. And we know that it keeps happening each and every day.

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

What is the movie about? :: 81 (Alan Ritchson) attends RASP to earn and assignment to a battalion of the consolidated 75th Ranger Regiment, and meets others who wishes to be part of it and are assigned similar numbers. He was hoping to be part of the group with his brother, but both were attacked by insurgent groups in Afghanistan during a mission and only he had survived, despite sustaining heavy injuries. He was also awarded a medal which make him look like a war hero to other despite his guilt of surviving alone. 15 (Blake Richardson) who is an young man who does not care about anything immediately feels that 81 has the immense pride that keeps him apart, while he himself gets into trouble for unruly behaviour as the funny young man of the whole camp. 7 (Stephan James) attempts to get closer to 81 who continues to be not open to anything personal in nature and makes no conversations with others. The group that includes 60 (Keiynan Lonsdale), 57 (Daniel Webber), 44 (Alex King) and 109 (Jack Patten) gets to the final around along with 81 who almost drowns while giving up during an exercise.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The seniors have their doubt about 81’s mental state despite him doing physically well after coming back from that life-threatening injury. They feel that he should go back and attend some long sessions of counselling, but as he refuses to do so, they make him the leader of the final group. He had opposed to that idea from the beginning, but this time, there is no choice during the final exercise known as the Death March, which serves as a simulated mission in the nearby forest to destroy a classified aircraft and bring home a pilot. It is then that the reports on television talk about a suspected asteroid flying past the planet and slowly breaking off into pieces which move away from each other. But the same is dismissed are irrelevant as the team set on their mission, only to find a strange flight-like machine on the location and sets off the explosives. But it does not harm this particular machine which rises and begins an attack, surprising them. They do not have any contact with the base and are stranded there without any strong weapon as they are running simulation. What kind of other-worldly thing has come up with this attack?

The defence of War Machine :: The fights in the movie are really impressive, with some classic shots, but never really overdoing, and staying close to a reality of make believe, keeping the willing suspension of disbelief exactly where we wish to see it. There are the believable combat scenes and large-scale explosions, giving the action a realistic feel rather than that usual overload of alien unreality. The blend of military action and science fiction never really gets out of control as both are combined really well and without any doubt seemingly arising about the progress. There are not many alien movies which have managed to be this realistic in nature. The emotional side also works surprisingly well here. The alien machine is nicely designed and we see it working in a pattern which remains as much interesting as it catches our attention. The truth that during an invasion by an advanced alien civilization, humans never really stand a chance, and that they have no real superheroes to save them is asserted well, while focus still on the possibility of a sequel which could make some fine advancements here.

The claws of flaw :: The characters do not develop that much here, and we never even have the names of the main characters, which is strange, as at least the first name could have helped us to connect with them more. Some of the characters seem to be left there to die rather than to live inside the story. The predictability is there as we feel the aliens coming to Earth earlier, and the progress seems to reveal who all are going to survive and how this cannot end here with bigger scope only coming later. There is some loss of strength in between, and it is regained only a little later in the second part. A better focus on the other members of the squad, the supporting characters, would have helped better. The beginning stages do feel like there is something missing, and the power to satisfy the genre is also not there to be taken in the early stages. The story could have also had something special to make things better during the initial stages of soldier training which never really advances as we think it would – those moments seem to be just a random addition to make things get somewhere better.

The performers of the soul :: Alan Ritchson who leads the way comes up with a commanding performance as the central character, as he adds both physical intensity and screen presence to this particular role which demanded them. His portrayal lands an anchor for the film’s action-heavy narrative and keeps the strength felt whenever he is around. The emotional side is also handled well by him showing the loss as well as the bonding related to brotherhood. The movie always has something about him, and despite having so many characters around him, keeps the focus right there. Jai Courtney has only a small presence here, and we would miss having any more of the same later. Stephan James plays the second most important character to make an impact, and we see him developing into an important character soon enough. Blake Richardson brings the humour in a movie which mostly lacks in the same. Dennis Quaid also has his moments as we see how the movie progresses.

How it finishes :: This happens to be that science fiction action thriller focusing on an alien invasion that succeeds primarily through its strong but realistic action sequences, impressive but believable visual effects and some good performances from the leading cast which serves the emotions and the need for adventure really well. Even though it has that alien invasion to focus, it never really losses itself here in the process to create something like the usual movies of the genre. It only occasionally relies on familiar genre conventions, and manages to do enough for the fans of both military action and science fiction. Despite its shortcomings in some character development and often struggling with the narrative depth, this remains a fast-paced and engaging watch that serves as an enjoyable entertainer that could be watched on a fine weekend for some nice fun. After all, we have waited so long for an alien invasion to happen, but all that we are left with in real life is humans fighting each other due to different strange reasons, and we never really reached an end to that human violence itself. At least we see aliens making an impact in movies and considering the current situation, one has to wonder on which side most humans will be when there is that invasion.

Release date: 6th March 2026 (Netflix)
Running time: 107 minutes
Directed by: Patrick Hughes
Starring: Alan Ritchson, Dennis Quaid, Stephan James, Jai Courtney, Esai Morales, Keiynan Lonsdale, Daniel Webber, Alex King, Jack Patten, Blake Richardson, Steve Nation, Robert Rabiah, Patrick Hughes

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Primate

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Vampire Owl: A movie with another monkey at the core?

Vampire Bat: This is an ape who is not really a toy like that movie.

Vampire Owl: I feel that Vampire Monkey will not be that happy. Neither will be Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Bat: Vampire Monkey is no longer affiliated with the vampire castle.

Vampire Owl: So, he is a freelance vampire with part-time work.

Vampire Bat: We do not offer part-time work anymore, as it affects overall quality.

Vampire Owl: Well, there has been some strange things going on around here.

Vampire Bat: Still, not that strange as the human field of work.

Vampire Owl: Well, humans have never been the species to look forward to. They are the fallen ones. Ask Dr. Frakenstein for details.

Vampire Bat: Even humans after death are not the kind of people we should choose. Compared to them, witches and zombies are clean.

[Gets a savala vada and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) is a young college student, who is on the way back to her home in Hawaii after spending many years far away from her family and friends. Her best friend Kate (Victoria Wyant) is also with her and meets her in the airport, but is dismayed to see that Kate has also invited an additional guest, Hannah (Jessica Alexander), without telling her earlier, and this particular acquaintance is not someone she is really fond of. While boarding the flight, the three friends also meet Drew (Charlie Mann) and Brad (Tienne Simon), two young men who are taking the same flight to have a grand vacation in the same place. In Hawaii, they meet up with Kate’s brother Nick (Benjamin Cheng) who drive them to the family home located on a cliff with all the modern facilities. They also meet Lucy’s father Adam (Troy Kotsur), who is a famous novelist, and a deaf man who mostly communicates through sign language. Then they also come across Erin (Gia Hunter), Lucy’s younger sister. Ben (Miguel Torres Umba), a chimpanzee owned by the family is also present at the house.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ben is considered to be highly intelligent and has been taught to communicate using a software on a tablet by creating sounds by clicking on it. Ben lives in an enclosure outside the house, but comes into home when he is taken there by the family members during daytime. Later that night, Ben begins acting strangely after being bitten by a mongoose in his enclosure. He plans to take the mongoose to a lab the following morning to check for infections and asks Lambert (Rob Delaney), a veterinarian to check on Ben as he has to leave for a book signing. But as the friends enjoy the party by the outdoor infinity pool at the cliff’s edge, Lambert who enters Ben’s enclosure, is attacked and brutally killed by Ben, who is clearly infected by rabies after that bite by mongoose. Ben escapes the enclosure and moves towards the pool, towards unsuspecting youngsters, only to be noted by Kate and Lucy who found the teddy bear covered in blood. As Ben unleashes chaos, the youngsters enter the pool and hopes that the ape would leave, but is it possible?

The defence of Primate :: The movie maintains strong tension, jump scares and edge-of-the-seat situations which keeps the terrifying situation quite strong. The survival mode is activated soon enough, and after that, the movie keeps us close to the main characters, going through the journey of trouble with them. The attacks are also violent and the gore adds to the seriousness of the situation and reminds the pet owners to be careful, not just for themselves, but also for those who live around them, or with them. There has been too many cases of violent dogs affected by rabies attacking even little children and elders who cannot move away in time, and it has been more of the result of animal lovers not taking the right action and the pets being left on the road without care – replace the chimpanzee with dog and you have the exact reflection. The attack here seems to be unique and never exaggerated, making us feel close to the whole situation. The setting is too good, not just perfectly suited for the situation, but also visually stunning. The movie is of short length, and never really makes us feel bored as something seems like ready to make a difference all the time.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s tale is just the usual repeated one with a number of youngsters hunted by a force which feels almost impossible to stop. Some of the characters are just generic, and feels even less important than other horror movies which at least brands them into a group as even more clearly said in The Cabin in the Woods. This one has the extra characters seemingly just to get killed by a chimpanzee which is too smart and is powered as much by his earned skills as by the rabies which just got into him. There are two friends of the main girl added here instead of her coming alone, but the use of the characters seems to be in the minimum. As in other horror movies, they remain not that smart, but in those movies, they were at least smarter than chimpanzees in the forest around them. There is also that chance to bring innovation being lost here, as there was such a fine setting, and so much to be done – here, they just have the swimming pool, lost phones and the cliff which are not used to the best efficiency.

The performers of the soul :: The biggest performers of the movie is indeed its main antagonist, the work with the ape has been quite remarkable. The rest of the work is led by Johnny Sequoyah, who comes the closest to what should be called the protagonist-like character, even though this one is also not written that much with never really getting enough time alone or with a past that could make the movie and performances stronger. It is more like the character is placed there and the rest, we have to create with imaginary characterizations. But she surely becomes what would be the closest to the scream queen around here, leading the way as the movie nears the end as much as the lives of the remaining characters who have somehow manages to be not ripped into pieces by the ape. Jessica Alexander just supports well and so does Victoria Wyant while Gia Hunter manages just fine. Troy Kotsur is good when he is around, while Benjamin Cheng, Charlie Mann and Tienne Simon are there mostly to serve the ape purpose.

How it finishes :: The movie’s journey is quick and strong, even though there is not that much of a focus on the story. The reminder to keep the pets checked and the fact that animals will always remain with their characteristics is reiterated here with ease – those who were chased by some dogs on the streets or those who were frightened by the neighbour’s dog will know this the best. The thrills are surely there, and the strength of a survival movie is also present along with being a horror flick with moments that will stay for the quick effects and the everlasting gore. The terror of the ape feels real and lasting. But the storyline, predictable structure and mostly shallow characters hold it back from being a memorable one which is there to stay. Yet, it you want entertainment or is with a wish to be scared, this one is definitely there for delivering the same. For the other kinds of survival movies, there is always something like The Shallows in the ocean and Gravity in space or even Bollywood’s own Trapped in an apartment, but this one is more about bringing the scares as much as providing the need to survive against all odds.

Release date: 18th September 2025
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Johannes Roberts
Starring: Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Troy Kotsur

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.