Until Dawn

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: We never really wait for dawn.

Vampire Bat: It is because we are against dawn. We are people of the night.

Vampire Owl: So, these people are looking forward to dawn.

Vampire Bat: They are surely trying to get rid of people of the night.

Vampire Owl: Well, we are not the only people of the night around here.

Vampire Bat: Yet, we are the major ones around here.

Vampire Owl: The werewolves might disagree.

Vampire Bat: Would that matter if they do not agree?

Vampire Owl: I am sure that Doctor Frankenstein would mind.

Vampire Bat: Well, Mr. Frank has never been the ideal or even real doctor as we know.

[Gets an onion vada and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Clover (Ella Rubin) has been searching for her missing sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell) for a very long time, and she decides to retrace the steps of the sister traveling through the final days when she was in contact and sent a video. For the same purpose, she is accompanied by Nina (Odessa A’zion) her best friend, Max (Michael Cimino) her ex-boyfriend, Abe (Belmont Cameli) Nina’s boyfriend and Megan (Ji-young Yoo) Max’s step sister, who are all hoping that Clover could get better by going through the same path her sister had taken, and get better by understanding that this is the end and the past should be left behind for what is the best. As they stop by a gas station where Melanie had recorded a video, Clover is warned by the attendant there that people go missing in a mining town called Glore Valley, and it has never been a safe place, as he has been noticing for years.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: They keep driving though, and as there is a thunderstorm with heavy fog on the way, Abe is not able to see the road, and every turning back or driving straight seem to lead to the same place, and they finally reach a building which resembles a centre for visitors or a guesthouse of the mining town, and surprisingly, the climate is rather better around there. As Nina signs on the visitors’ register, she finds the name of Melanie there, and there is also the photo of Melanie on the noticeboard in the drawing room with many others, but there is no address, phone number or e-mail to contact if the person is found. There is also a moving hourglass which gets turned on. At the same time, it seems that their car is taken away by someone and Clover feels that she heard someone calling her by name, and she thinks that it was none other than Melanie. But soon, they come across a person with an axe, and he proceeds to kill everyone around quickly.

And what is this certain strange mystery all about? :: Soon, the group finds themselves waking up in the same house, but with the realization that they were brutally murdered. They find their photos on the missing list placed on the noticeboard this time, and hopes that they can get out of the building before the same person tries to kill them again. But it seems that this time, it is not the man with the axe that they need to worry about, with some other entity awaiting them. This time, it is a demonic possession that awaits them, as they realize that Megan who had a strong connection with the supernatural is possessed and there is something more sinister than a man with an axe that awaits them. There is also a new house in front of their house, and there seems to be more terrifying elements coming right out of there. Now, can they survive this night, and how many others await them? If they survive this, if this the end? Even they are out of this, can they really get back home to a normal life?

The defence of Until Dawn :: Like The Cabin in the Woods and Evil Dead of the past, this movie makes a fine impact in horror. The scares feel really good and the mystery is too good to be left behind as we are taken right into the middle of terror from where there is no escape. The location is too good and the music and sound effects nicely supports the events. The methods of death used here are pretty much efficient, and the monsters brigng the scares nicely. Ella Rubin who is also seen in Fear Street: Prom Queen makes the perfect scream queen, the classic heroine of the horror films, as it is seen here too. Her different looks seem to support the same, and we hope to see her in one of those classic horror reboots, with serial killers or demons. Her final look with that determination and pickaxe makes the whole thing feel more classic. After a fine work here, Odessa A’zion could also have herself in a horror movie which would make a similar impact, as we hope to see her in similar horror movies of interest.

Positives and negatives :: There are not many movies with an infinity of horror, and this one provides the unlimited horror with repeated deaths which makes one feel the ineffectiveness and uselessness of life itself. It could have been more, but we can be very much satisfied with what we have. The movie’s twists are quite nice, and we have the feeling that there is always more than what meets the eye. It is like having many horror movies into one, and not being sure in which film we are in and which one is to follow next. This way, the movie also provides a fine tribute to the slasher horror genre which has not been getting to its past glory again due to the inability to use the basic elements which were always there to be taken. When we take the young cast as a whole, we know that so much talent is there to be used in the horror genre, and it is an advantage that the new generation of horror movie makers have, and they need to use it every time, just like atmosphere has been used efficiently here.

How it finishes :: This movie is a reminder that good movies can be made out of computer games, especially from the survival gaming modes to a survival film of a higher level. I still believe that Doom, Hitman, Resident Evil, Silent Hill etc were well-made. I have not played or heard about the game before, but it would be an interesting choice to get into that – even though I have that feeling which says that my days of gaming are over, even for those old versions of Age of Empires: Conquerors and Unreal Tournament: GOTY. The final scope for sequel that is left in the end would make one wonder what twist is yet to come. This is like being respawn in Unreal Tournament or Quake 3 Arena to kill more and be killed, as we think about it, but as we use this idea in horror, there is much more at stake. After watching this movie, we can only feel confident that horror will stay alive as long as cinema takes forms like these.

Release date: 25th April 2025
Running time: 103 minutes
Directed by: David F Sandberg
Starring: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A’zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell, Peter Stormare, Lotta Losten

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Romancham

Posted on April 8, 2023 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: We have heard a lot about this movie.

Vampire Bat: When we hear too much about a film, it won’t be good.

Vampire Owl: Well, human tastes rarely apply to us.

Vampire Bat: Yet, there have been exceptions from old times.

Vampire Owl: The exceptions have not been really worthy either.

Vampire Bat: There are actually so many movies releasing these days.

Vampire Owl: But we don’t even know most of them.

Vampire Bat: They just come and go as fast as possible.

Vampire Owl: Well, releases used to be more relevant until some time ago.

Vampire Bat: The movies these days mean too less. It has been so quiet.

[Gets a paneer biriyani and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jibi (Soubin Shahir), Rivin (Anantharaman Ajay), Niroop (Sajin Gopu), Shijappan (Abin Bino), Mukesh (Siju Sunny), Karikuttan (Afzal PH) and Soman (Jagadeesh Kumar) are seven youngsters sharing the same house in Bangalore. Most of them don’t have any job, and some among them are not really interested in working at all. The people in the neighbourhood do not like them and consider them to be nuisance. One day, they come across the idea of playing an ouija board by decorating a carroms board to tranform its looks. Even though they feel that it doesn’t work at all, things seem to get supernatural at least within the board, as there seems to be a female spirit named Anamika talking to them. The spirit answers to all their questions, which even brings people from outside to become part of the game. People even get to know things which were unknown to most humans around. It seems that the spirit could even solve mysteries and crimes, which surprises everyone. But things go out of control when it seems that the spirit is capable of more than just being part of the game, and they finally decide to stop playing the ouija board.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: But things don’t get any better after the oujia board is destroyed. They bring an acquaintance named Sinu Solomon (Arjun Ashokan) to the house after he had faced a trauma of being kidnapped, but this man seems to be even stranger than the lady spirit. He seems to act strange, and even knows things that he was not supposed to know, even about Anamika. He seems to be stuck at times while doing something or talking to himself during regular intervals which makes everyone feel strange. To add to it, he also talks about human skull soup, much to the dismay and fear of the already scared group of people. They try to bring a common acquaintance to talk to him, but he feels that the problem is with Jiby. Compared to others, Jiby feels that there has never been a spirit in the house, as it was him who started moving the glass on the board, and thinks that someone else might have continued from where he had left. So, is there a chance the spirit is actually something else, or is there something to be afraid of?

The defence of Romancham :: The genre of horror comedy gets the much needed strength with this particular movie. This is the category which hasn’t managed to find a fine footing in Malayalam film industry, and this is a positive move in that direction. The prevailing mystery in this movie never ceases to exist, and we are left to think about the spirit more than anyone in the movie. There is the humour that works, and it is that kind of a comic side which has been used before, but not something that we haven’t seen before, thanks to the premise and the setting at work here. The movie also manages to connect most of the dots really well, and it doesn’t back down when there is chance for some realistic talk to go on in between. It is also that kind of a horror movie which does not require us to think too much about evil that has its claws stretched towards human lives, as it is more focused on letting the audience live through the experience of the main characters who remain different from each other, even with so many common things which seem to run through. The final moments do score well, and leaves scope for guessing for another movie which can also follow.

The claws of flaw :: There was so much to be done with this movie, and a lot more than what was seen on the screen. The horror remains weak throughout this movie, and there is no clear indication of what has happened around here in relation to the spirit – the lady spirit is never really shown around here, and we never really get to see the demonic spirit. The movie also takes too much time to start becoming interesting, as the first forty-five minutes are rather dull with the life of random youth being shown with all the useless elements. It is only when the board gets the focus that things begin to be of significant nature. Then, the movie seems to be getting ready to become something extraordinarily huge, but it never really manages that, as it stays within the limitations instead of breaking free to bring the unlimited doses of anything of the blended genres. Along with the same, I have to say that movies based on Bangalore has worked less for me, and it was the same case with Bangalore Days which was so much appreciated for some reason, which I would never really find out. There could have been more than what meets the eye, but there isn’t, and it is also too long a film.

The performers of the soul :: The movie depends on a list of newcomers to make the desired impact, and the same has been mostly achieved with most of the actors. Among the performers who have a long history, Soubin Shahir is there for the longest time, and he manages to keep things going strong. The next one who is there for more time is Arjun Ashokan, who has his moments, especially with funny side having a spooky addition to it. Chemban Vinod Jose should have been there for more time though, as he seems to be most experienced person who shows the face around here – it remains more or less a cameo-like performance though. Among the new faces, the ones who catch our attention the most are Anantharaman Ajay who plays the decent boy among them all and Sajin Gopu who played the supposed-to-be-brave character. The movie does miss the female cast though, as the only ladies around here are those of no importance to the tale or a spirit which is never revealed in the feminine form. Deepika Siva as a nurse might be the only other female presence on whom the camera is focused for enough time period.

How it finishes :: The movie misses out on the opportunity to have the side of horror up and running along with the comedy, but in the end, it seems clear that this one would not give the genre of horror any advantage in between the comedy. There was a lot to be achieved by this movie, and it only happens to be successful with some of them. It could do better with a sequel, but even without such hope, remains a film of interest. Adi Kapyare Koottamani which had a horror presence in the end with all the comic side is still to have that long awaited sequel, and so we just cannot be sure about another film. The movie might not feel that huge as some of the opinions about it, but the use of the available resources to become effective is to be noted. Making a horror movie work has been more difficult than ever during these days, and such difficulty in display here is managed better during the later stages of the movie. The device at work for the supernatural here is the homemade ouija board out of the carroms board, and it is the innovation that makes one feel the presence of the local ghost even without that woman in white saree.

Release date: 7th April 2023 (Hotstar), 3rd February 2023 (Theatre)
Running time: 129 minutes
Directed by: Jithu Madhavan
Starring: Soubin Shahir, Anantharaman Ajay, Sajin Gopu, Abin Bino, Siju Sunny, Afzal PH, Jagadeesh Kumar, Arjun Ashokan, Joemon Jyothir, Chemban Vinod Jose, Deepika Siva, Sneha Matthew, Asim Jamal, Thankam Mohan, Jolly Chirayath

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

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kho Kho

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Tennyson

What is the movie about? :: Maria Francis (Rajisha Vijayan) is appointed as a PT teacher in a girls’ school, in the remote area of a village which is surrounded by backwaters. She is forced to take up the job because her husband Ben (Venkitesh VP) was facing failure in business, and was in requirement of the money. Maria used to be a sprinter, and was very close to representing India at an international level when something terrible happened in her life. At the new school, the two people who is in support of her activities are the peon Shivaprasad (Renjit Shekar Nair) and the accountant Vinod (Rahul Riji Nair), the latter being doubtful about the requirement for a PT teacher in the school, yet being interested in Maria. After some days of doing almost nothing in the school which has historically given no importance to arts and sports, she decides to create a kho-kho team for the first time in school history, a move much appreciated by the headmaster.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: With a confused but hardworking team led by the stubborn Anju (Mamitha Baiju) who has her own mood swings and not missing her chance to pick up a fight, Maria hopes to make history through her students, and achieve greatness which she couldn’t earlier due to circumstances. The parents of the students are against the students choosing sports instead of using that time for studies, and do not appreciate the fact that the girls are going somewhere far away to compete. But as they qualify for the district level competitions, they do manage to gain a certain amount of support. The girls’ problem related to balancing studies and sports, their problem with wearing shorts within a conservative world and Anju’s attraction towards Shivaprasad might be the least of the problems with Maria will have to face here. Can she and Anju lead the team towards seemingly impossible victories and an even more elusive final triumph?

The defence of Kho-Kho :: Depending more on the emotions than anything else, Kho-Kho also has the usual moments of thrill with the games. It is the common motivational story of the underdogs who had no chance, but with hardwork and inspired performance, comes out victorious against all odds. The characters and the setting become interesting in this case, as this goes through life of common people for most of the time. We also have some nice visuals to go with the same. There are many exciting scenes here to remember too. The struggles of the characters involved here are shown well, especially the two main characters played by Rajisha and Mamitha. The feeling which was provided by Finals is somewhat repeated in this movie, and if you had like that movie, this will be on your favourite sports drama list too. The songs are pretty good, and they go on well with the visuals as well as the mood, and so does the background music. Unlike Chak De! India and Dangal, this is the real woman-centric film with empowerment, and without those unnecessary superstar exaggerations, and that feels true to life in many ways.

The claws of flaw :: Kho-Kho is certainly not that big as Finals, the other film with the same actress in the lead. The background story which keeps on moving silently is not that strong when we look at it. The premise feels similar to other movies, and we can predict a lot of things which are going to happen here. A number of training scenes and events are more repetitive rather than trying to do something different or unpredictable. To add to it, some dialogues actually look more artificial, right out of paper, rather than coming with the emotional weight. Venkitesh is also very much underused in another movie after The Priest limited him, and Thattumpurath Achuthan‘s song presence had made us feel that he would be a regular full presence. More of the girls in the cast should have got more attention though, at least half of them. The release of the movie on Asianet was delayed by a week, and it was Drishyam 2 which had its television release then, a disappointing decision from the channel which might have kept some people away.

The performers of the soul :: We have seen Rajisha Vijayan only in a few movies, and among them, we have seen such great skill. We have seen her in the grand performances from Anuraga Karikkin Vellam which brought her the Kerala State Award for Best Actress, through the nostalgia-inducing coming-of-age story of June, to the earlier sports drama of high acclaim, Finals. It is to be noted that in both sports drama, Rajisha plays a character with a tragedy to go with both life and career. With her role beginning as the trainer, the tragic background was established much earlier here. Rajisha once again has the whole thing in control here, and from the beginning to the end, it is a determined as well as emotional performance. Well, Finals was the best movie of the season when it released, but many people missed the work on the big screen, and the same is the case here too due to COVID-19, and it seems that the early television premieres are changing some of the situation here, with everyone getting the needed access not too late.

Further performers of the soul :: Mamitha Baiju who was also seen in Operation Java plays the captain of the team, and plays her role in a very much believable manner, with all the emotions and determination required for the role. She will surely be a talent to look out for, with more of similar roles. There is the rage and a flurry of emotions that she comes up with, which suits very well for her character with a troubled past. Unlike the character she played in the Balu Varghese starrer, the energy here is intense. Venkitesh VP as the protagonist’s husband has only a limited role, and we are still hoping to see him in bigger roles, like we have wanted all those actors and actresses in the Naayika Naayakan reality show to come out with their performances on the big screen. Renjit Shekar Nair and the director himself – Rahul Riji Nair comes up with good supporting performances. Vettukili Prakash’s role might have felt unnecessary. The cast of girls in the team is also nicely done, and at least quarter of them stay with us by the end, even though not more than one or two gets extra attention.

How it finishes :: Kho-Kho is another sports drama which you don’t need to miss, and it is also a film which goes through the base level of the game, without overdoing the same. Just like Finals, it is nice to see another sport with lesser fans getting all the attention, and not the highly fan favourite Indian sport of cricket or football which comes second. Cricket never really required movies as support, but some sports can have films made on them to bring out interest back to them, and this is the same case happening here. The movie is a reminder of a sport which is often left unnoticed among the bigger names. Kho-Kho is a film that can have even a sequel with this content, and there are times when it also reminds us of Godha, which brought back memories of wrestling as a sport. These are indeed the films which needs our support, and not those overrated stuff which has wandered around with a lot of hype and no substance. Kho-Kho needs to come back to television or release on Amazon Prime at some point to expand its horizons.

Release date: 14th April 2021 (Theatre), 28th May 2021 (Asianet)
Running time: 119 minutes
Directed by: Rahul Riji Nair
Starring: Rajisha Vijayan, Mamitha Baiju, Renjit Shekar Nair, Venkitesh VP, Vettukili Prakash, Arjun Ranjan, Sreejith Babu, Jeo Baby, Geethi Sangeetha, Rahul Riji Nair