Tag Archives: revelation

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

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

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ 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

<<< 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.

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

<<< 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.

Shaitaan

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Vampire Owl: So, is the movie really about the devil?

Vampire Bat: There are many demons who identify as the devil.

Vampire Owl: Is there anyone whom you know?

Vampire Bat: We do not make acquaintances with the shadow world.

Vampire Owl: We are also nocturnal creatures of the shadows.

Vampire Bat: We are the shadow warriors, but we are not shadows.

Vampire Owl: Shadows are still our allies, and they even provide warnings.

Vampire Bat: Allies do not make us. We are better than that.

Vampire Owl: The shadows will keep us safe.

Vampire Bat: Not just the shadows, we shall stay in the dark forever.

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

What is the movie about? :: Kabir Rishi (Ajay Devgn), a chartered accountant, his wife Jyoti Rishi (Jyothika), daughter Jahnvi Rishi (Janki Bodiwala) and son Dhruv Rishi (Anngad Raaj) decides to take a break from their busy routine, and spend some time at their farmhouse in the outskirts of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Jahnvi is hoping to end this trip as soon as possible, and go on her on tour with friends, especially her boyfriend. On the way, at a dhaba, they come across a man named Vanraj Kashyap (R Madhavan), who offers them tea when they do not have change. He seems to be a nice person who shows the photo of his daughter and gives friendly advice. He also gives Jahnvi who does not want to have roti and tea, a laddu which she accepts happily. He also leaves her with a few biscuits, much to the dismay of Jyoti. As they reach the farmhouse, they are surprised to find Vanraj following them there. They also find out that Jahnvi had invited him inside the house, and he sits there on the couch as a guest.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: He only asks for a cup of tea and charger for the phone, but soon, Janhvi ends up threatening her brother under his influence, which makes Kabir and Jyoti ask him to leave immediately, to which he disagrees. Before Kabir can push him out, Janhvi under Vanraj’s command stops him. Vanraj says that he has hypnotized Janhvi using black magic, and that she will obey every instruction he gives. To prove his control, he orders her to repeatedly stand and sit, and she does the same robotically. To make them believe in the extremes of his power, he makes her take a tea packet and eat raw tea leaves. He also makes Janhvi slap her father and make her laugh and cry. As she is asked to jump into the swimming pool and stay underwater until he tells her, the parents understand the grave situation. As the frightened family gives him the mobile phones as told, he makes Janhvi destroy all the phones in the house, cutting off their communication with the outside world. Now the question remains about what does he plan to do, and what does he want from the family.

The defence of Shaitaan :: The movie rests on the shoulders of Janki Bodiwala who brings a performance that nobody would ever forget, as she alternates between her character’s own personality and that of a hypnotized mind, as we see her helplessness and determination to commit a task according to an order at the same time, and moving between the two. Madhavan’s alternation between the gentleman and pure evil entity is not that far behind either, as his evolution as an actor is seen again, but we know that he could have also done the father-figure to perfection if given that role. The movie keeps us closer to the situation, because we know that it is indeed a usual family in trouble, even though a little bit too bourgeoisie for many, with the main character driving a Benz Car and owning a huge farmhouse in a hill station besides his original home in the city. The feelings that we have for the family is much more as we can relate to them, at least most of us. The danger is always there, with the younger child closest to death than any other, even though I would consider all lives as equal whether that of children or the elders – I am not a robot to calculate how much more they will live and be useful to society or turn into murderous psychopaths.

Positives and negatives :: The movie might not be appreciated as doing as good as the original, but we know that it is true for all Bollywood adaptations, a case which is best depicted in the works od Priyadarshan, as the original Malayalam movies were all classics which can have no match, certainly none with nepotism factor taking around, like in the case of that remake of Helen. The idea of the original version would always stay strong, and with this one made on a bigger budget and made to suit the spoon-fed and feel-good-seeking audience, some of the soul of a dark movie would be left out – we know what the Bollywood have been involved in making big blockbusters, and so the taste difference would be looked at by the makers who remake works. But the movie has its tension perfectly built and the danger felt from within, with no exaggeration. Each and every moment in the house seems to be perfectly created, and the cast nicely adapts to the same. The satanic touch brings the terror as the movie shifts its world by the end really well.

The performers of the soul :: Janki Bodiwala is the one person who steals the show, long above the veteran stars who surrounds her, and it is no surprise as her character stays at the centre and decides too many outcomes. She had also played the same character in the original movie, and that experience seems to count. This work will establish her as one of the best among the future stars of Bollywood, and maybe could have a hand in another regional cinema too. She has the biggest moments of the film to perform, like the one where sits on the gas cylinder, dancing without end and those smiles and laughs for no reason which are truly spooky. Madhavan might have played the best villain in a horror movie, and let us hope that the ending of Hindi version does not spoil his chance to bring a sequel with him in it. The way in which he gives instructions and talks about his own greatness provides us with the chills. Ajay Devgn and Jyothika plays the helpless parents who still struggle to make things happen and save their family quite well. As the former nicely manages to bring the heroic father to the scene, let’s see what the next sequel of Drishyam brings, as Bollywood is ready take the script from the Malayalam version, and Tamil, Telugu and other versions would be waiting.

How it finishes :: Shaitaan, as a remake of the 2023 Gujarati film Vash, makes a fine impact, even though most of us have not watched the original. But from what has been heard, the original is more of the classic, but as we only have this one around here, and it is very well-made, despite the ending seemingly not that special compared to the original. There is a haunting and satisfying feeling about it, with that strength which is rarely seen in pure horror movies of Bollywood, even though movies like Stree and its sequel had made horror comedy working better. The best horror of pure seriousness was done well by Bollywood quite long ago, and most of the time there were only movies like 3G and Murder which only partially did the job. But this one will surely achieve a legendary status, despite being an adaptation of an older film. Remakes will work very well if done in the right manner, and this one proves it. This is also a proof for the fact that you do not need to keep looking at Hollywood for horror every time, and basic elements for the same working out is right here, with us.

Release date: 8th March 2024
Running time: 132 minutes
Directed by: Vikas Bahl
Starring: Janki Bodiwala, Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan, Jyothika, Anngad Raaj

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Free Guy

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Vampire Owl: We are all free vampires in a world of slavery.

Vampire Bat: This not really that much of a world of chains.

Vampire Owl: You are not understanding the power of our chains.

Vampire Bat: There are no chains in this realm which can hold a vampire.

Vampire Owl: I am not talking about the physical chains.

Vampire Bat: You mean to say that there is a telepath in the realm?

Vampire Owl: Yes, and she is stronger than any vampire mind reader.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about the legend of the witch-vampire.

Vampire Owl: It is actually the vampire-witch. She is mostly the witch.

Vampire Bat: Just because she knows how travel on a broom-stick, she is now a witch?

[Gets a paneer puffs and three glasses of blackcurrant shake].

What is the movie about? :: We are introduced to Free City where people who are wearing sunglasses are heroes, and run the city. They can do almost anything in the city, never really obeying the rules which are applicable to others. Among the many normal people in the city is Guy (Ryan Reynolds), who seems to live a usual kind of life, as he works as a bank teller, and considers his life as a part of a paradise where he lived from the time he can remember. His best friend is the bank’s securiy gurad, Buddy (Lil Rel Howery), who is not really bothered about the bank getting robbed frequently. Everyone out there seems to be very happy, and Guy feels that he has everything that he needs, except for a lover. He attempts to fall in love without success, and feels that he hasn’t really found the right person yet. Soon, he finds a mysterious girl wearing sunglasses, and as he goes after her, is run over by a train. It is soon revealed that the world they are living in is actually a game – a massively multiplayer online role-playing video game, which has Guy as a non-player character.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The mysterious girl is Millie (Jodie Comer) in the avatar Molotov Girl, a player looking for source code to her original game, Life Itself which she wrote with Keys (Joe Keery). It was stolen by Antwan (Taika Waititi), the Soonami CEO who stole it and turned it into something else. Keys wants to help, but prefers to work with Antwan instead, and continue to have a job. At the same time, Guy has deviated from the programme after listening to that unintentional song from Millie. He starts off by asking the wrong coffee instead of the one programmed for the NPC. He also starts talking differently to many people, which leads to changes in the programming of other NPCs too. Soon, he decides to steal the sunglasses, as the girl was also wearing them. He gets one from a robber, and starts seeing things from the perspective of the players from the world outside. It makes him think deviate even further from his original programming.

And what more is here in a world of chaos? :: The programmers think that a hacker from real life has taken over the NPC, and is playing the role differently, feeling that it is indeed a small glitch which will be resolved soon enough. As Millie comes against him, she also feels that he is a player and asks him to level up, so that he could be of more worth, an advice he takes into himself seriously. Unlike the others, he decides to level up by doing good things only, with minimum use of weapons. He begins to try to be like the heroes that he had witnessed on the streets, but with only the good side by helping people in need and fighting some evil. Soon, he becomes a top level player, and is also an internet sensation in the real world. He also saves Millie when she is on a mission to collect the evidence, and she falls in love with him feeling that he is actually a real person who is playing the game. Soon enough, they will understand the same, and so will Antwan. Now, the equations will be complicated. Can the makers find their code, and where does that leave Guy?

The defence of Free Guy :: The movie’s concept is really good, and is a pretty good addition to what we have seen before in different films before. Among the other more famous films, the one which I remember the most is The Thirteenth Floor, even though the world peculiarities also reminds us of the one most famous film, The Matrix. The main character also reminds us of the protagonist of The Lego Movie and the rest of the people like Nerve. We are reminded of the games like Grand Theft Auto, Mafia and The Godfather too. These reminders serve to provide some nostalgia too. The mixture made out of the combination of different interesting things continue to be engaging, and also has a certain amount of humour associated with it. At the same time, there is a strong emotional side which never brings the overdose. The world in the movie is indeed interesting, and there are some fine visuals which support this new universe. It is indeed a stylish and beautiful environment that we have here, and the connection with the original world is well-established.

Positives and negatives :: One might feel that the idea is not new, but the presentation does have some innovation about it, and it never really gets that dark or serious about the happenings around here. Due to the same reason, there can be some predictability here, which they have managed to hide at some points effectively. Ryan Reynolds is here with a fine performance, and a role which is very much more worth appreciation than Deadpool – here he plays one of the most lovable protagonists around, and he seems to do that with ease. As expected, he also excels in the action sequences. Jodie Comer excels in two worlds, and she strikes well with action sequences within the new world and also outside the game. There are some spectacular action scenes with the two around, and would be a case of grandeur on the big screen. Joe Keery also has a nice role to play which he manages well. Lil Rel Howery adds further to the comic side well. Taika Waititi also makes a good villain, the big rich one with only money in his mind.

How it finishes :: Free Guy is that kind of a movie which needs more attention in this part of the world, as it is appropriate for almost every kind of audience. The movie also deals with the idea of existence – maybe we are all in a video game too, and will never know. Maybe we are all programmed to, as there is something special about all of us – then, maybe life has no meaning; all these could be reminded by this one movie. What if we are not programmed to know the truth about our existence? Even in between all these people go for war, and most humans just hate each other. Maybe it would have been all better if this was a video game, for there is so much of hate, and the futility of one’s actions is disheartening. Those who work harder than others and the ones who are the most honest are the ones who suffer the most. You live a life with life-long learning and it might be some moron who gets the job for which you are best qualified – then there are the reservations which hands them the jobs. Maybe, our lives are also programmed – we might be in a video game.

Release date: 13th August 2021
Running time: 115 minutes
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Joe Keery, Taika Waititi

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kimi

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Vampire Owl: I know a witch by this name.

Vampire Bat: Witches don’t have such names – it should be nickname.

Vampire Owl: Northern Witches are now known by some special names.

Vampire Bat: Are you trying to say that they are going to modernize soon?

Vampire Owl: Yes, their covens are all with electricity now.

Vampire Bat: The witches no longer use magic to light their covens?

Vampire Owl: No, they are now deviating the power taken from the nodes elsewhere.

Vampire Bat: So, they are now deriving cent percent of power from their chaos node.

Vampire Owl: Yes, they are now more powerful than ever. Two of them now serve as sources of unlimited chaos energy.

Vampire Bat: You have to warn the vampire border fortresses. Nobody can stop a fully chaos charged witch, not even a full werewolf army with armour on a full moon.

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

What is the movie about? :: Bradley Hasling (Derek DelGaudio) is the CEO of a technological firm known as Amygdala, and the newest product in their list is Kimi, a smart speaker which makes use of human monitoring to improve its search algorithm. They are planning to have a stock launch which will help them to earn a good fortune. Sharon (India de Beaufort), a journalist is suspicious about the same, and considers it to be a case of controversy. Angela Childs (Zoe Kravitz) is an employee who works for the same company as part of the Seattle division’s work from home policy. She is supposed to monitor incoming data streams from Kimi devices and make the needed corrections to the code, so that the software can be upgraded and improved. But she continues to stay at home at all times, as she has agoraphobia, and due to the anxiety disorder reaching new heights, things only get worse for her. COVID-19 pandemic did make it almost impossible for her already. Her mother’s advice doesn’t really help either.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She does stalk people living the apartments and Terry Hughes (Byron Bowers) is her man of interest, whom she end up calling into her apartment as she also feels sex starved. Yet, she is not able to start a romantic relationship with him, as it is no longer her point of concern, living all by herself and not caring about anybody else. One day, as she is working, she goes through a recording that she feels is a sexual assault. As her co-workder Darius (Alex Dobrenko) who is initially suspicious that it is just an argument helps her, she is able to find information about the account holder, a lady named Samantha Gerrity (Erika Christensen). She later finds out that the lady was also killed, and there is a hitman associated with it. She intends to talk about this to Natalie Chowdhury (Rita Wilson), a high ranked executive who is in charge of the operations there, but she doesn’t want to go out. But considering her state of mind, will they be ready to listen to her? Is there something sinister about this particular company? Should she be worried about all of these?

The defence of Kimi :: There is something about Kimi that will keep us going. The protagonist and his struggles are quite close to what the introverts might come across, and in the current world, it is only appropriate not to trust another human being. There are some fine camera angles which make things better too – how her situation inside the house and also when she ventures outside are all nicely taken. The first exit out of the place after a shower and brushing is to be appreciated further. The talk in the bedroom had nicely served to let us understand her character already. They have also served a happy ending here, and there is never a situation of too much of danger around – it seems like she can handle them all by herself even though she does get unexpected help. Even with so many complex happening in between, what we see on the screen is kept simple and things get solved also with a certain amount of luck here. As the movie is on Amazon Prime Video, more people will watch this lesser known interesting thing.

The claws of flaw :: There seems to be a dark side to the main character’s past, but it is not shown well enough for anyone to believe if that really happened or if she was hallucinating, having mental problems for a long time. The use of flashbacks doesn’t seem to be something of importance around here. We also have times when the main character is just an irritating person rather than anything else. After all, the movie itself focuses on her all the time, and the other characters seem like people with no identities for most of the time. Well, humans have the right to be irritating and evil, and therefore we go through that. There were many moments when some action could have been added – fight scenes can serve fine around here. This would have also been a big thriller with a few moments given better focus. This could have been the girl on the run, and throughout the process, there could have been a big adventure, with some funny moments to add to it – the humour could have been used more effectively here.

The performers of the soul :: You will not be able to take your eyes off Zoe Kravitz in this film which is all about her – it is clear that she is so good, as she adapts so well into this character, evolved a lot from Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant. This wouldn’t be a role that can be easy to play for the usual celebrities who are so much used to being part of the public fame. This is the same reason why almost nobody from this part of the world will find it easy to play this kind of a role, except what you had seen in North 24 Kaatham. The moments of her going out for the first time after a long time is among the best scenes – from a shower and electric toothpaste to how she goes on unnoticed by the the public is something worth noting for sure. For all celebrities, this kind of roles would require more work, and she has has surely nailed it. The other performances are of so much less significance in comparison here. Byron Bowers has a few dialogues and some moments to add. At the same time, Jaime Camil makes an interesting killer, and it would have been nice if there was more of the action with him around – some fight scenes could have been added here and there with him and the gang around.

How it finishes :: Kimi seems to remind one of Amazon Alexa, and the movie also serves as a cautionary tale about the possibilities of secrets being leaked through some of the newer technologies, which seems to offer more, but is also doing something else in the process. It also gives a nice picture of anxiety and agoraphobia, both being blended in here. It is also something which most of the introverts would love, and being at home all the time is not considered strange anymore with the Corona virus pandemic and work from home establishment changing things. Well, one wouldn’t be able to live a life like the protagonist of this movie though, as the person would considered mentally unstable and forced to an institution, or will be forced by the family, friends and locals to go out and talk with people. Being at those so called developed countries does have more advantages. Then you remember that this is the least of the advantages that you can have there.

Release date: 10th February 2022 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Zoe Kravitz, Betsy Brantley, Rita Wilson, India de Beaufort, Emily Kuroda, Byron Bowers, Alex Dobrenko, Jaime Camil, Jacob Vargas, Derek DelGaudio, Erika Christensen, Devin Ratray, Andy Daly, Robin Givens, Charles Halford, David Wain

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Kaanekkaane

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What is the movie about? :: Deputy Tahsildar Paul Mathai (Suraj Venjaramoodu) is still not out of shock after his daughter Sherin Allen Mathai (Shruti Ramachandran) died as part of a hit and run accident. He is running a case against the man who was responsible for the incident, and he reiterates the fact that he will not forgive the driver not because of the accident, but because he didn’t stop to check on her daughter, and didn’t try to take her to the hospital. Paul believes that it was this hesitation that led to the death of his daughter, as he went missing, and was not found for a long time – an earlier treatment could have saved her. Paul hopes that he will get justice for his dead daughter soon enough. His son-in-law Allen Mathai (Tovino Thomas) is now married to a woman whom he had met during one of his business trips, Sneha George (Aishwarya Lekshmi), who is also pregnant for the first time at the moment. They seem to be a happy family, and his grandson Kuttu (Master Alok Krishna) is also a happy child when he is among them.

So, what happens with the events here? :: Sneha’s father George (Prem Prakash) is concerned about Paul’s infatuation with the case, but Paul is determined to keep his eyes on the case all the time. It is then that he feels that there is something strange about Allen and Sneha, as he looks into her past. Even though Allen had introduced Sneha to him much later, and had asked him permission to marry her, he finds out that they were together much earlier, from a photo dated many months earlier. Even when he was supposed to be alone for work, he was with Sneha. He feels that Allen was cheating on Sherin for a very long time, and for both Allen and Sneha, it was a comfortable death – with Sherin out of the way, they could quickly get into a relationship. He also figures out that Allen reached the accident spot from the exact opposite direction of where he was then. He decides to find out if there is something more to the death of Sherin than what meets the eye. But as he gets closer to the same, he is not finding it easy to live with anymore.

The defence of Kaanekkaane :: If you consider the emotional side, this film is one of the strongest in that category, and there is no force that can drive it out of there – this one is an emotional thriller with class. Combining family elements and bringing the thrills is no easy task, and such emotional feeling takes some extra skill. The melancholy mood is always there, and defines the work, even before the revelations are made, and we move to the ideas of remorse and vengeance in multiple dimensions. In the end, all these lead to the message of forgiveness and the relief that lies in the same. It reaches the same by following multiple paths, and we never really feel that there is such a revelation. The emotional strength of the film grows on you, and it is at its top most level by the end. All these emotions are shown as ruling these characters. The emotional undercurrents never seem to disappear, as we keep coming back to it, like the Lake Poets to the beauty of nature and the Gothic Novelists to the dark terrors of any ancient castle.

The claws of flaw :: The emotional side often takes over long above the tale of people which is explored here. The story is basic, and we see that the pace doesn’t really pick up here at any point, and there is no attempt to focus around there. The moments before one main character’s death are not that much explored, as the first wife only gets a little less of screen space for our liking. The chance to throw in some thrills here and there has also been missed, and there too, the focus shifts to the emotional side. There is not much of colour in this film, and that should be because of its melancholy side rather than anything else. The movie could have had more advertisements before its release, even though we are seeing more of it right now. It does have a big heart, but that could be something which the people outside the film might be lacking. But when we are immersed in the emotions of the film, any problem is easily forgotten.

Performers of the soul :: Suraj Venjaramoodu leads the way here, and he comes up with another emotional performance, the kind in which he has excelled in the last few years, moving out of that comedy genre for long. As far as he is concerned, the list of fantastic performances is just too long, and my favourite has been Finals, in which he played the determined sportsman and father. The same fatherly strength can be seen here too, and the determination that he shows here, and how his character is displayed here are all, a few things to be remembered. There is a lot of melancholy that runs through his face, and we go through his pain as much as he does. His character is also as close to reality as possible, and the emotional depth of the film starts from him, is strengthened by him, and comes to a close with his own actions. Prem Prakash plays the father of the second wife, and the veteran actor has no problems with the work here.

Further performers of the soul :: Tovino Thomas also plays a different kind of character, and like he did in Luca, has a heavy emotional performance to come up with. Here, he is okay with playing the second most important character, and he once again excels without doubt. One has to wonder how well he has risen in the last few years, and last year he had Kilometers and Kilometers as well as Forensic, but this year, he has many more films to his credit. Shruti Ramachandran who was last seen in Anveshanam has rather smaller role, but we note that down too. Then we have Aishwarya Lekshmi as the leading lady in the movie, one of the best young actresses of our times, keeping the melancholy mood of the film going forward. Seen with Tovino in one of the best combinations through Maayanadhi after her debut in Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, she is indeed the one actress whom everyone needs to watch out for, as she impresses each and every time, leaving nothing to criticize – the same is the case here.

How it finishes :: This is the movie of Suraj Venjaramoodu, Tovino Thomas and Aishwarya Lekshmi, all three coming up with splendid performances, and when we add these three to the melancholic mood which deals with themes that run through here, there is something of fine quality. The human emotions are really well portrayed through these performers, and the strong emotions are always running strong in the background. With such a strong cast, the film has no problems in portraying what it has been trying to do. It is so much multi-layered that we won’t be able to take the side of any character, and therefore we choose to travel through this journey. This is also the first Malayalam film to directly release in this particular OTT platform. Well, for every other good movie in Malayalam, we seem to have the choice of Amazon Prime Video. There is a lot more to release there in October, and that should be enough to keep the movie lovers interested even during the times of Corona virus.

Release date: 17th September 2021 (Sony LIV)
Running time: 120 minutes
Directed by: Manu Ashokan
Starring: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Tovino Thomas, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shruti Ramachandran, Prem Prakash, Rony David, Dhanya Mary Varghese, Binu Pappu, Sruthy Jayan, Sreeja Das, Master Alok Krishna

<— Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Acceleration

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Vampire Owl: How far can you accelerate here?

Vampire Bat: Well, the movie has a world of crime in it, and so, we can be sure that the acceleration will be related to action.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that such an acceleration will affect the plot negatively.

Vampire Bat: I am pretty sure that there will be just the usual plot.

Vampire Owl: They are not really into create a story to run beneath the action, or do they value it too?

Vampire Bat: I have read what the movie is about. It is nothing that you have heard about – we have only that tale without surprises.

Vampire Owl: So, this movie is to be watched only for the action sequences.

Vampire Bat: There could also be some thrilling moments in store.

Vampire Owl: Well, if it works with what it needs to, I have no real objection.

Vampire Bat: Let us see how it manages to work out.

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

What is the movie about? :: Vladik Zorich (Dolph Lundgren) is one of the much feared and respected crime lords of Los Angeles. As he is double-crossed by his most trusted operative on crime, Rhona Zyocki (Natalie Burn), the man who runs many businesses including weapons, gambling, drugs and skin trafficking, decides to make her dance according to his songs. With no more risks possible in his current business, he kidnaps her only son, and with the little kid by his side, he gets the power to make her obey everything that he asks him to do, like a slave under command, the chain being attached to the child. As her son’s life is in his hands, Rhona struggles to obey Vladik’s orders, as she has to face some of the most twisted men and women in the business. But with her son’s life on the line, she will go through punches, kicks, gunshots and torture, with one goal in mind. Can Natalie do all the necessary things needed to keep her son alive, as Vladik has more plans for her? Will she and her son survive?

The defence of Acceleration :: The movie does have some nice action sequences, more related to shooting, and thanks to Natalie Burn being perfect in doing all that, Acceleration does manage to accelerate through its short run-time which is actually shorter due to the longer credit scenes, making it lasting about one hour and twenty minutes, losing another five minutes in the process. With such a low budget, they did manage to make this much, and has also managed to have some good performances from the main cast. The visuals are good too, as we look at the city which is coloured nicely in the night and with the darkness to set the mood for some action with much at stake. As the movie progresses you want to see more of Natalie on the screen, as sooner or later, this becomes all about her, the character on whom everything around here focuses on. You will have to watch it without thinking too much, and things will come together with progress.

The claws of flaw :: There are times when we feel that the writers were in a hurry to finish this movie. This is already a very short movie lasting less than one and half hours, and they don’t find it enough, as it seems from how this movie has been jumping from one scene to the other. There could have been better editing in place for sure. In the end, there is a rush, and at times, the protagonist has it easy – she beats up people easily, and escapes from bondage by herself, not really looking as if she ever had even a little trouble. You shouldn’t make things too easy in a movie like this, as the way she escapes here is just too silly, as the man who caught her and tied her up is a human trafficker and had intended to punish her hard in a way which she would remember throughout her like until she dies, but she just frees herself and simply stabs him after walking through his evil lair which is supposed to be so difficult to escape from. The movie’s twists are not interesting either – there were opportunities to add to it, but the movie doesn’t do so.

Performers of the soul :: The movie has Natalie Burn written all over it as far as performances are concerned, as she becomes the perfect action star with looks and style as much as the action sequences. With her looks, she is separated from the usual leading actress – she possesses that intensity that cannot be unmatched, and that is more or less due to her appearance, as she becomes someone we expect to beat people up, and maybe even shoot them nicely. But action surely is not her only skill, as Natalia Guslistaya, the Ukrainian model can do much more, without doubt. She was also seen in Mechanic: Resurrection, Expendables 3 and Criminal, all of them action thrillers, even though not in those main roles, and so there is a good chance that you might have missed her in those films. Dolph Lundgren was last seen in Aquaman in a significant role, and you can try finding him there, and the clue is that it is linked to Mera, the superhero’s lover underwater in the Kingdom of Atlantis. He is the one other actor worth mentioning, and the others just manage to play along at most of time.

How it finishes :: Acceleration is more or less the time-pass action movie which you can watch without spending much time thinking about. There is not much otherwise as far as this movie is concerned. There is enough in this movie to keep you interested as a crime action thriller. But escapism does get the advantage over the other things, and thus this movie is left with not much for the brain. It goes on the lines of many other action thrillers, but doesn’t use those elements of the genre to the best of advantage – but that might not have been needed considering the fact that this movie doesn’t try too hard. It lets everything go accordingly, because with Natalie Burn and Dolph Lundgren in the lead, an action thriller can go on as expected, without attempted to come with something grand. Acceleration accelerates just enough for you, and the escapist entertainment runs on that initial acceleration which is a little boosted at times.

[Gets some friench fries along with another cup of tea].

Vampire Owl: This movie could have been so much more.

Vampire Bat: Yes, they could have used the leading lady to more potential.

Vampire Owl: This is a movie which was not watched by many people, and so, not many people know about it.

Vampire Bat: She surely is perfect for an action movie, don’t you think?

Vampire Owl: Yes, but more as the lady villain rather than as the heroine.

Vampire Bat: There is no question about the fact that she looks quite lethal with the action sequences and more.

Vampire Owl: I never knew that Hollywood has such actresses custom made for such roles.

Vampire Bat: We didn’t know that there would be Corona Virus either.

Vampire Owl: There are so many things that we don’t know.

Vampire Bat: Well, knowledge doesn’t come with immortality. You have to read a lot to come up with that.

[Vanishes into the shadows behind the oak tree].

Release date: 8th November 2019
Running time: 85 minutes
Directed by: Michael Merino, Daniel Zirilli
Starring: Natalie Burn, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Liddell, Sean Patrick Flanery, Danny Trejo, Dobromir Mashukov

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Evidey

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What is the movie about? :: Symphony Zachariah (Manoj K Jayan) is a busy, but not so rich musician who keeps traveling all the time, not caring much for his wife and children. Jessy Zachariah (Asha Sharath) is left to care for the family which consists of her father-in-law, Kuttichan (Prem Prakash) and two children. When one day, Zachariah goes missing, Jessy is determined to find out what happened to him. Police Inspector Simon Tharakan (Baiju Santhosh) is the one in charge of the case, and it seems that the case is solved when a letter from Zachariah reaches them. But there is something strange about the letter – Jessy doesn’t believe that it was written by Zachariah. A man named Kabir (Kunchan) who comes to see them makes things even more complicated. Jessy even begins to doubt that Zachariah has another wife and kids.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: Their son Leen (Shebin Benson), a college student is in love with Shahana (Anaswara Rajan), a girl whose life he saved when she was drowning, an incident which fetched him a bravery award. But it seems that he is no longer the person that he used to be. Studying at a college far away from home, he seems to be having more opportunities to go divergent from the studies rather than be the student who used to be the face of the college earlier. He doesn’t come home much, and has been a difficult person to find even for his family. This, along with the missing husband is breaking the family apart, but Jessy is determined to find Zachariah. For that, she would have to take more than one journey, through Mangalore and Goa, as he was supposed to perform at one of the events there.

The defence of Evidey :: The movie belongs to the genre of a family thriller rather than anything else, and the approach also seems to suggest a journey through such a path. The short length makes sure that there is no dull moment in the movie, and there is no drag, even when it seems to be trying to be preachy. The issues that are shown in the movie are genuine, with messages against drug abuse, and the parents’ failure to guide children along with the inability to become good role models. This is the time when students need to be told about the terrible effects of drugs and alcohol more, and with parents having no time to take care of their children, along with everything negative influencing them better, the movie has becoming very relevant. There has been too much of such things in the news, and this is a movie which can be shown in schools and colleges.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s songs are all very much interesting, and such a thing does no good to a family thriller – a good family song or even a song on friendship and love if done well enough can lift a movie of the genre and provide it with a boost, covering its faults up to an extent. Evidey doesn’t have that, and it also doesn’t seem to try too hard with its thriller side which was to serve as its stronger point. The investigative side could have also been done in a more interesting way, and a better backstory was needed with the family members – it would have worked well with a good song, and that much time could have been enough to have the characters settled, especially the two pairs. Even the sequences at Goa could have taken a boost, with some more wandering around the major areas of the state which is not short of providing some good visuals at any point.

The performers of the soul :: The movie remains mostly centered on Asha Sharath, who once again plays the mother of a son gone the wrong way, like in Drishyam. It is once again the duty to save him, but the task remains difficult as it is too late – the tormented mother continues to be on the spotlight. Prem Prakash, at the same time, brings some very emotional and controlled moments to remember, as he has done before on many occasions. Manoj K Jayan is not there for much time, as he is the missing character who can only be there with some small flashbacks. One would feel the need for more of such flashbacks to get a better idea of the character. Baiju plays the police officer who is working on the case, and he makes one believable cop. Kunchan has shorter presence too, and Shivaji Guruvayoor as well as Sunil Sukhada got even lesser time on the big screen.

Further performers of the soul :: Suraj Venjaramoodu makes his appearance in the later stages of the movie, and has some of the best dialogues in the whole film. He becomes an integral part of the movie in the second half, and continues to assert his presence until the end. Even though some part of it seems forced, the character sticks on well. Shebin Benson shows some skills in this role, and the emotional sequences are handled very well. We see how the changes occur with the character, and how the same has been portrayed in a believable manner. Anaswara Rajan of Udaharanam Sujatha fame does a wonderful job here, as her character is a well-written and well-performed one without pretensions. From the early happy mood to those emotional sequences, she shows a controlled, realistic version, and tranquility when needed is a skill that we rarely see on the younger stars these days.

How it finishes :: Evidey easily takes its message against drug abuse to the next level, even though it does take some time to be there. With clubs like SADA (Students Against Drug Abuse) being formed in colleges to provide awareness regarding the same, we are slowly, but steadily realizing the fact that the drug menace can’t be left unchecked. Evidey will surely help to bring the awareness, as did Kerala Excise Department with the Vimukthi Short Film Competition and its winning entry “Midhya” by Mar Baselios Institute of Technology and Science, Kothamangalam. After so many short-films tried to make the point in that certain competition, and a number of them winning runner-up and consolation prizes, we now have a full-length movie which doesn’t glorify the evil at any point, and scores with an emotional climax and message against it.

Release date: 4th July 2019
Running time: 122 minutes
Directed by: KK Rajeev
Starring: Shebin Benson, Asha Sharath, Anaswara Rajan, Prem Prakash, Manoj K Jayan, Baiju Santhosh, Shivaji Guruvayoor, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Kunchan, Sunil Sukhada

<— Click here to go to the previous review, and before.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Culprit

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Vampire Owl: Do you know that I am a culprit in love?

Vampire Bat: How is that relevant right now?

Vampire Owl: I just wanted to remind you that the word applies to me too.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that your experience cannot match the genre of this short-film.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that you are not finished reviewing short-films?

Vampire Bat: I don’t see why I should ever stop doing that.

Vampire Owl: What about those big movies which have got you most of the hits?

Vampire Bat: They have stopped being something that matter. I am supporting smaller ones right now; they are the future. There is more material in them.

Vampire Owl: You are talking like a true vampire apprentice.

Vampire Bat: I am the first vampire apprentice to write movie reviews. So, my opinion counts more than most of the others in the New Vampire World.

[Gets some potato chips and three cups of Ceylon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Amal (Akhil Vivek) reaches Mumbai from Cochin to meet Jithu (Danish Ashokan), a friend and an elder brotherly figure. It turns out that he has run away from Kerala after the circumstances which lead to a girl named Ancy Kuriyan Thomas (Dona Shankar) going missing, pointed fingers at him. There hasn’t been much progress in the case which only has him as the sole link to the events, but about which he has no clue. Amal tells Jithu his story, which has his best friend Sooraj (Akash Sheel), and an unknown phone call from a female voice which introduced itself as a girl named Devika Varma. As they get closer, Amal asks for her to meet up with him instead of being the random voice on his phone. But despite her agreeing to meet up at Cherai, later calls him to warn him against calling her again unless he wishes to get in trouble.

So, what happens next? :: As they attempt to investigate on the matter, it leads them to Dr. Shafeeq (Anwar Shereef) on whose name, the sim card is taken. He tells them something about the missing girl in the news, Ancy Kuriyan Thomas, which shocks them. But it turns out that they can’t tell that to anyone else, as it would put the shadow of doubt on them. But the police ends up getting a photo which works against Amal, and puts him directly in trouble from the cops as well as the media. Now, he has come directly to Maharashtra and hopes to solve this confusing problem. Can he do that before time runs out? Who is this Devika Varma and how is she related to the mysterious disappearance of Ancy Kuriyan Thomas? Is there a chance than Ancy might be alive after so many days? Why does all this point to Amal when it seems to be clear that he has nothing to do with the girl named Ancy?

The defence of Culprit :: The suspense that the movie has is pretty much huge, and we enjoy how it is told, and it is twisted, in a positive way. From the first few moments, it is established that we have a thriller in store, and then, after a few minutes of the usual stuff to set up the whole thing, we are taken back to staying on the edge of our seats. One would still feel that the end was too quick, and wonder if the absence of the explanation for some deeds were the need – it still lets us think more, and come up with our own conclusions. The movie is actually longer than most of those usual short-films that you see, and so there is plenty of time for the viewers to get drawn into it. With its half an hour run-time over, we end up wishing for the length to be little more, and that is surely a rare thing. Whenever the movie seems to stray away from its path, there will be something, a moment or a dialogue to bring it back on track, and it has a smooth run all the way.

Soul exploration :: Culprit explores what all are there as more than what meets the eye. It shows a protagonist being clueless against a force which seems to have worked against him right from the beginning. There is a mystery here that needs to be solved, as it threatens his own existence, and he understands it should be done as quickly as possible. What we see here is a crime committed, and the person who does that goes to any end to make sure that he is not convicted; for it is something planned well enough to have more than one escape route – there is not much of friendships here to save the day, as the protagonist can trust nobody. We see the movie slowly and steadily getting hold of things, leading to that wonderful revealing in the end. There are things that the movie doesn’t try to tell, and on everything else, what you see and understand gets the clarity.

How it finishes :: Culprit is a fine example of how the right talent shows itself when there is a chance. On one side, we have those big movies struggling to become interesting thrillers, and even with that high budget and big stars, they fail – but here, we have something small in scale, but strong with the idea, which is presented really well on screen. We get a great quality here, without waiting in the queue or spending that extra money on online booking, along with those increased ticket prices – we just need a few MB of data to get into some nice thrilling moments. Culprit also comes at a time when there have been too many short-films dealing with the great nonsense romance in many absurd ways. A well-made thriller lasting half an hour is something that has the strength to go far, and it is hence proven by this short-film.

[Walks into the balcony with another cup of tea].

Vampire Owl: Do you think that such people can exist in our society too?

Vampire Bat: We are an alcohol-free society – so it would be difficult, but evil always finds a way.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that they could come through the portal which Doctor Frankenstein had opened earlier?

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein can only be the means to evil if we allow him to be.

Vampire Owl: It could be through anyone, someone whom we trust the most.

Vampire Bat: Yes, Evil as a person is a clever manipulator.

Vampire Owl: It could be the Lich Queen, Werewolf Anger, Vampire Kung Fu Panda…

Vampire Bat: Why do you keep waiting for evil to come, when there is the chance to embrace goodness?

Vampire Owl: Well, you just can’t see so much evil, and still go with goodness.

Vampire Bat: Goodness is difficult, and evil is easy. It is on this that we wonder, and get inspired to think more about the same.

[Walks into the silence of darkness].

Release date: 9th July 2017
Running time: 31 minutes
Directed by: Jithin S Babu
Starring: Akhil Vivek, Danish Ashokan, Dona Shankar, Akash Sheel, Anwar Shereef, Santhu Bhai

Watch the interesting thriller, Culprit here:

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.