Tag Archives: revenge

Killer Book Club

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Vampire Owl: This would be an interesting book club.

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

Vampire Owl: Who reads that many books these days?

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

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

Vampire Bat: I do take external book club cards.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Abraham Ozler

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What is the movie about? :: ACP Abraham Ozler (Jayaram) spends most of his time hallucinating and has sleepless nights after his wife Maneesha Ozler (Anju Kurian) along with their daughter are kidnapped and brutally murdered by a drug addict named Vineeth Ram (Arjun Ashokan), whom he had earlier apprehended in a narcotics case. Vineeth does not hesitate to reiterate the fact that he was under the influence of drugs and killed both of them. Yet, he does not reveal where he buried the bodies and keeps saying that he is not able to remember as he had a heavy dose of drugs. Ozler still continues to be in the police force even though he is not of the same strength and sanity that he used to be. Counsellor Varghese Uthup (Sai Kumar) asks him to get himself busy or the hallucination and insomnia will only get worse. It is then that a young man working in the IT field, Naveen Sivakumar (Harikrishnan) is brutally murdered in the hospital after being hit by a pick-up truck. Maya Naveen (Darshana S Nair), his wife, finds him dead in the hospital room with a note saying Happy Birthday and a note.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ozler, supported by SI Divya Sreedharan (Aryam Salim) and SI Sijo Venu (Senthil Krishna) takes over the case. They understand that this hospital was the only place where the victim would have ended up after the accident, and it was really the day on which he was born. As they start with the investigation, another man is murdered in a similar pattern in another hospital, but this time it is a thug who usually gets into fights. He is also left with a similar note where he was murdered. The third murder also takes place without delay, and this time, it is someone who runs a successful restaurant business – the hospital chosen here is different, but the pattern remains the same. The media calls the murderer by the name birthday killer, as Ozler and his team continue to search for possible answers. Whenever they seem to come very close to finding the answer, they realize that it is a dead end.

And what more is there to be seen here with a killer on the loose? :: They understand that the quotes which are given by the killer are from a Latin phrase related to medicine which could be seen in only one area in Kerala, and they reach the Kozhikode Medical College. There is also the understanding that the murders were committed by someone who had medical skills, but not someone who has been practicing regularly as asserted by Dr. Satheesh Madhavan (Anoop Menon). Everything seems to point to the medical college and a number of students there, among which Suja Jayadev (Anaswara Rajan) had committed suicide. From all of these, they find Dr. Sevi Punnoose (Jagadish) as the next potential victim, and he seems to be least bothered about it. A man who underwent surgery at the same hospital, Krishna Das (Saiju Kurup) seems to be missing, and they feel that he might have a role in the murders. But he is not a man who is capable of doing all of these, and the police officers know that death awaits more people and they have no time to waste. Can they finish the investigation in time and bring and end to this sensitive case with no more lives lost?

The defence of Abraham Ozler :: Our world of thrillers is strong, as proven by Drishyam and its powerful sequel, and Abraham Ozler gets a chance to be part of that list. This movie’s ability to keep the audience so interested and engaged from the beginning to end needs to be appreciated – it never asks for the unrealistic from its main characters either. The dark shades are used to its advantage, and the power going off becomes the foreshadowing with ease. Even with many things tried by the same director in Anjaam Pathiraa, this movie is a clear improvement from that one which had a struggling flashback and weaker ending in comparison to Abraham Ozler. The visuals are very good with a dark and gory feeling provided all the time – there are almost no moments of positivity in this one. This movie is also an improvement on the struggle for heroism that the earlier thriller Garudan seemed to possess. The background music further powers our movie here so well – it keeps us immersed in the overall mood of the film, and we are left excited all the time. The emotional side has the power to keep the interesting going too.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have released during the Christmas holidays, and if that happened, it could have given Neru a challenge which would have helped the audience to be in a full celebration mood, but surprisingly this one backed out despite having everything to make that challenge which would mean healthy competition. This feels like the right holiday movie with all the thrills that it provides. The characters of Anju Kurian and Darshana S Nair gets too less presence in the movie, and we hope that the former can come back for more in a possible sequel. The same can be said about the big names, Sai Kumar and Anoop Menon. The extended cameo becomes the big thing in the movie, even though one would not have wanted the secret to be out too soon. A little bit of predictability comes in with the flashback, and it should not have been this long or detailed, as we have an idea about it from the present situation itself. The serial killer motive remains similar this time too.

The performers of the soul :: This movie means that Jayaram’s run without making impression in new releases have come to an end, for his last best movies were Lonappante Mamodeesa and Panchavarnathatha, both of them not having the quality to live up to the actor who made our childhood awesome. If I have to go back to a movie with him as the solo hero which I really liked, that would be a long way back in the form of Nadan which released in 2013, even though Makal did make some impact in old style. This time, he is just brilliant in this role, as we see the character of the trouble police officer safe with him, and we know that there is more to come in a possible sequel. Mammootty’s extended cameo makes the movie feel even bigger, even though the big revelation should have come only in the later stages. Anaswara Rajan shines in the flashback scenes, and there seems to be no going back for her. Arya Salim whom we remember the most from Minnal Murali, plays her police character incredibly well, and we have the best lady police officer in some time. Senthil Krishna does the same in another way, while Arjun Ashokan seems to promise to bring an even more interesting character in a possible sequel. Jagadish’s serious character once again has our attention here. Saiju Kurup scores well in between.

How it finishes :: Abraham Ozler is surely a better movie than Anjaam Pathiraa and somewhat ahead of the other thrillers like Forensic and John Luther. The last one might still have more similarities with this one than the rest, as in both cases, we have a troubled police officer tracing the murders back to medical students. Memories had the police officer who lost his wife and daughter, and could seek out the serial killer looking for vengeance, and the similarities end there, with this movie coming up with a twist in the end and setting up things for a sequel. Most people would feel that the sequel would do even better, as the film seems to end to point to its beginning, and has everyone thinking deeper. Abraham Ozler never hestitates to bring that mood of investigation with a serial killer lurking in the shadows – the feeling of danger is always there, and even when looking for revenge, there is always the indirect way of going through the same, leaving the red herrings further away. As the predictability only comes late, and with new twists to come, the movie remains engaging from the beginning to end, and we do not feel it to be long.

Release date: 11 January 2024
Running time: 144 minutes
Directed by: Midhun Manuel Thomas
Starring: Jayaram, Mammootty, Anoop Menon, Anaswara Rajan, Arjun Ashokan, Jagadish, Senthil Krishna, Arya Salim, Dileesh Pothan, Sai Kumar, Harikrishnan, Assim Jamal, Arjun Nandhakumar, Aneesh Gopal, Sreeram Ramachandran, Boban Alummoodan, Benyamin (cameo)

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Wifelike

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Vampire Owl: There should be a movie called vampire-like.

Vampire Bat: There is no other like the vampires.

Vampire Owl: Some of the hybrids claim to be so.

Vampire Bat: The claim is certainly not valid.

Vampire Owl: There are some assurances made in relation to that.

Vampire Bat: Most of those assurances do not bind.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that they were good enough on paper.

Vampire Bat: It is surprising that you have started to believe random assurances.

Vampire Owl: Well, I have been different after the corona virus pandemic.

Vampire Bat: You are yet to know enough about that virus.

[Gets a paneer pizza and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: A company named Wifelike begins to provide android companions to people who lost them or requires someone new. An robotic human, programmed to serve as a partner, Meredith (Elena Kampouris) gets assigned as a companion to a widower William (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). This cyborg-being is designed to behave like his late wife with the same name. Everything seems to work fine, but there is an organization named SCAIR or Sentient Citizens for AI Rights who are considered to be terrorists who use the companions for other purposes including wrecking havoc. At the same time, some of these people are seen as asking for equal rights for AI, similar to humans. Meredith is learning everything slowly, while William has the job of protecting companions, while finding those missing among them. It becomes more and more of a dangerous job, as there is an unknown figure known by the name Ring Master completely in control of the activities of SCAIR, and he means to cause more harm.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: There are also interactive dream operators for the companions, to bring the dream mode which helps them while charging themselves in hibernation. There is something strange in these dreams though, as a masked man gives her a card, and the programme does not identify such a person. Meredith finds a lady on the way who asks her to remember while causing her a distraction. The strange lady also visits Meredith in the house. In the dreams, she keeps seeing a masked man who asks her to remember. William assures her that it was only a bad dream, and nothing more. But it seems that her programming has been hacked, and William begins to feel that things are getting more serious than it was supposed to be. The dreams which allows the companions to rest are not safe any more. Wifelike soon brings a new group of company, known as Childlike, which has perfect babies being created. But there is a mess which has already been created, and it requires more attention, and Meredith could end up being a ghost in a shell without some fine job of repair.

The defence of Wifelike :: The idea behind the movie is strong, and even though it feels set in a future, one cannot forget the fact that there are always immense possibilities for the rich and the powerful. There will always be people who can buy anything. The movie goes through such a feeling strongly, in an environment which has been very well created. The stunning visuals support the same throughout its run. The twists of the movie are also nicely crafted, and there are some red herrings brought in here and there to make sure that the audience won’t guess the whole thing exactly as it is supposed to be. The final moments bring in the chance for a sequel, and there are moments when we feel that this film could make a return as a cult classic in the future. Elena Kampouris leads the work from the core, and there are so many moments which reminds us that we will have more than what meets the eye, and the same would be proven in the end.

Positives and negatives :: There are reminders here about other science fiction movies for sure, and at times, we cannot find what we need around here. One might feel that it gets slow and losses focus at times, but everything comes together in the end, and we feel that those moments which were felt to be less important are also significant around here. There could have been some more fine moments added here, with the capabilities of other companions also explored, and the life of at least one more of them being shown. Instead, the movie shows the others as just being less significant androids even while talking about equality for the artificial intelligence. Well, with the further development of aritificial intelligence, there will always be chance for more occuring in real life, even if it need not always be about a Terminator-like incident in which machines take over, or some Ultron requiring Avengers to save the day. With thought-provoking movies like this one, we can always expect more.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led by Elena Kampouris, who comes up with a memorable performance as an android, human recreated into a robot, with a past that she cannot hold on to. She makes a fine robot, and the past is also shown in an interesting manner. She provides many moments to remember, and the emotional past is only another side of her resurrection in the form of the perfect companion. There are signs which show the possibilities of her becoming a bigger star, seemingly well-suited to become a scream queen at some point of time. Playing an android with so much of artificial intelligence would not be an easy task, but she has nailed it. Jonathan Rhys Meyers also plays his role well, and the twist about him makes the character even more interesting. The final moments do set up well for a sequel in which he could bring in another side of the whole companion thing talked about in the movie. The other actors and actresses provide good support, but the movie is indeed focused on these two.

How it finishes :: In the end, Wifelike does not become another Ex Machina, but it does come close in the process. The ideas do travel in a similar path on multiple occasions, but there are not many things that match that particular movie which can be considered as a classic among works of science fiction which dealt with similar topics. The movie gets a number of things right, and with the leading lady interpreting the idea of the android really well, it has more than enough to deal with the content an bring the entertainment along with the twists that work well. Well, when some actresses play humans, they end up with such robotic performances that we would want to ask them to play robots, but here we have the actress who can play both sides. Most of the rating do not bring any justice to this movie, as there combination is indeed effective with this one. This is one movie which could have used more attention when it was released.

Release date: 20th December 2022
Running time: 105 minutes
Directed by: James Bird
Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Elena Kampouris, Doron Bell, Sara Sampaio, Rachelle Goulding, CJ Perry, Alix Villaret, Agam Darshi, Doron Bell, Fletcher Donovan, Claire Friesen, Sari Mercer, Chezca Vega, Stephen Lobo, Bradley Stryker

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ivanna

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Vampire Owl: This would make a nice name for a modern vampire.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that I have met vampires with such names before.

Vampire Owl: Well, not in this half of the immortal life.

Vampire Bat: There is only one long immortal life and you have to remember the names.

Vampire Owl: If there was a name exactly like this, I would remember.

Vampire Bat: Your memory has faded in the absence of longer nights.

Vampire Owl: With the abundance of artificial lights, you cannot trust the darkness.

Vampire Bat: We still believe in the absence of light.

Vampire Owl: We believe in Uncle Dracula’s ability to bring a darker world.

Vampire Bat: Darkness has already spread far, without his assistance.

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

What is the movie about? :: Ambar (Caitlin Halderman) and Dika (Jovarel Callum) are siblings who leave their home in the city for the countryside of the island nation after the death of their parents. They are taken to a nursing home owned by their parents’ best friend, with most of the inmates not around there due to Eid coming soon. Even though there are small disagreements, the two are mostly welcome. Agus (Shandy William) takes care of the place with the support of the nurse Rina (Taskya Namya) who is also his girlfriend. The three elders left in the building, Kakek Farid (Yayu Unru), Oma Ida (Rina Hasyim) and Nenek Ani (Yati Surachman) are happy to have the new young ones around there. Ambar’s vision has been failing for some time, and through her faded vision, she feels that she sees things which nobody else can see. She uses a walking stick as the blurred vision often has her struggling to understand the line between reality and imagination. Ambar also has an eerie vision of a past which might have been part of the building where they begin to live.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Arthur (Junior Roberts) who is the favourite grandson of the elders also makes a visit. He joins Ambar and Dika as they find a headless statue in the basement under one of the rooms. They decide to leave it behind, but soon find that it has reached their drawing room. Each of them feels that one of the others might have brought it inside the home as a prank. Ambar has the vision of a Dutch lady at night, and to her surprise, she is able to see the woman clearly, as she seems to be trying to escape from something. Soon, Nenek Ani goes missing, as she is not found in her room or any of the areas in the main building. They find the diary of the Dutch woman named Ivanna van Dijk (Sonia Alyssa) which tells most of her story which includes their family falling in love with Indonesia and deciding to stay in the nation, but met some terrible fate. So, is this fate going to be repeated once again? Is there a serial killer or a supernatural entity stalking them in the house? How long will it take for the police to come and figure things out on the Eid holiday?

The defence of Ivanna :: This is one movie which is highly atmospheric as far as mysteries and the supernatural are concerned. It uses the darkness very well as a world of mystery and terror should at all times, and the setting is really good. The lighting with the colours of the surroundings adds to the overall style. The background works in its favour, and there are some good sound effects that support the horror. The creepiness never really leaves the movie, as a headless spirit looking to create headless bodies never ceases to create more to inspire the imagination. This world is not that different from a cabin in the woods setting, but the change in setting brings the divergence with ease. The haunted house with a mystery works like the nightmare that we have always wanted. The body without the head has our attention every time it makes an appearance. The fear factor has the support of the unknown to make things further effective. The fine camera work also contributes to the same, as we get the best effects with the angles too. We often see that the simplest thing is often elevated due to some interesting job in the background.

Positives and negatives :: The attempt to create something different from the usual formula of horror needs to be appreciated at all times. It is to be noted that there was also some risk involved with this kind of a topic, but we know that the film did well at the box-office there. We have often looked at Korean, Chinese and Thai movies to lead such paths among Asian flicks, but here we see that Indonesian works have a powerful touch of horror that keeps it interesting even while going through a different journey. There are still repetitions, especially in relation to the headless Dutch lady. It is to be noted that violence is always present, and blood runs through this world with heads being separated from bodies. This film is not that far away from being part of the slasher genre too, as decapacitation of people belonging to any category is the main event of terror happening throughout this movie. Sometimes, we feel that there could be more actions of terrifying murders, but there is one restriction in the way of taking those souls.

The performers of the soul :: The movie has indeed brought some fine performers who suit the genre really well. Caitlin Halderman as Ambar leads the way as the one person makes the difference among the people with clear sight. She plays the struggling youngster really well, and also becomes the scream queen to remember. It can be seen that the fear that she feels is more than what she sees, and it is this image of the faded vision that keeps the film moving in the right direction. Taskya Namya follows a similar path and ends up strong as a supporting scream queen in the movie. We do feel that she could have had even bigger moments in the film. Sonia Alyssa’s work as the titular character is to be remembered too. She would make a fine antagonist in a work not supernatural too. She shines in the flashback scenes too, as we go through the final moments of resistance and death. Shandy William and Junior Roberts plays two usual characters in the horror film, but works really well with the content. The characters from flashback quickly do the job well.

How it finishes :: Indonesia has provided us with some fine horror movies like Impetigore, a movie which feels like a horror classic out of another world. This film here is no different as it makes us feel the supernatural with a vibe that is not usually seen in the usual world of horror. Yet, this particular horror movies makes it feel closer to the horror that could happen in a world that we know well. The power of the need for revenge has been asserted again through the supernatural. The ending seems to make us feel that there could be more of headless supernatural beings. In a world where horror does not get enough accolades, this film gains ground. It is a positive thing for horror fans all around the world. We have always wanted more horror, and we have received too less. It is a necessity to look into more international films right now as the strength of The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun trio has also been fading in the last few years. There is not that much that can be expected from Insidious and Sinister series of flicks, which leads us back to the films of Asia.

Release date: 14th July 2022 (Indonesia); 1st December 2022 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 103 minutes
Directed by: Kimo Stamboel
Starring: Caitlin Halderman, Jovarel Callum, Junior Roberts, Shandy William, Sonia Alyssa, Taskya Namya, Yayu Unru, Farid Rina Hasyim, Ida Yati Surachman, Ani Tanta Ginting, Muhammad Khan, Hiroaki Kato, Kenes Andari

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Furies

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

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

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

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

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

Vampire Bat: But the world is everything except immortal.

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

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

Vampire Owl: Immortality can vary according to situations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

John Wick 4

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Vampire Owl: So, this man is still alive.

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

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

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

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

Vampire Bat: He cannot really invent anything of use.

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

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

Vampire Owl: Even the witches have approved his status.

Vampire Bat: They know nothing about science either.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Black Widow

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Vampire Owl: I hope that we are not speaking about the spiders here.

Vampire Bat: No, none of us vampires are related to spiders, you know.

Vampire Owl: The witches take in a lot spiders.

Vampire Bat: Most of them are killed by the cats in there though.

Vampire Owl: But they are essential part of the dark magic.

Vampire Bat: It is not dark magic, but black magic.

Vampire Owl: You feel that there is a difference between the two.

Vampire Bat: Yes, darkness is not necessarily black, as it can come in different colours.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about darkness being reinvented by the vampire elders.

Vampire Bat: The source is the portal though.

[Gets a paneer momo and three cups of black tea].

What is the movie about? :: Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) are undercover agents of Russia known elsewhere as the Red Guardian and Black Widow, just a few years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Everything seems to be too natural for them, as a family with parents and two children. The agents successfully disguise as a normal American family in Ohio with their two daughters, and after stealing SHIELD intelligence, manage to escape to Cuba, after going through a tough chase. Soon enough, they are trained vigorously for their possible future missions for this secret organization known as Red Room. Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) who had their training in the Red Room to become assassins, continue in their missions to become successful and highly skilled fighters in their own ways. Natasha has become a fugitive for violating the Sokovia Accords, some time after joining the Avengers, after she had left her own team of assassins much earlier to join SHIELD.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Natasha escapes to a safehouse in Norway, while Yelena comes in contact with a former Black Widow who provides a synthetic gas that neutralizes the chemical mind control agent on her, which leads her to understand her actions and move to hiding. She attempts to stop the Red Room, this organization which has been creating assassins by manipulation of the mind. Natasha believes that she had destroyed the Red Room a long time ago, but it seems that it is not the case, as she is hunted by an unknown figure for the vials which were sent to her by her sister. She manages to escape and meet Yelena, only to be attacked by more female assassins, part of the Black Widow programme in the Red Room. Yelena had hoped that someone from Avengers would help her to get rid of the Red Room and free the black widows, but it seems that the superhero team no longer holds strong, and they have to find a few other more effective options.

The defence of Black Widow :: The movie fits in nicely within the list of superhero movies with its own fine deviations. The action scenes definitely make the point, and the two leading ladies make the best part of the movie, and some fine humour is also added in there well. There are surely some fine scenes which stand apart from the others, and not all of them are at the best for the intensity or the use of special effects. The fight scenes when the two sisters meet, and when the black widows fight, are among two of the best. The visuals are really good, as you would expect from a movie like this. The emotional moments are also pretty much working. The film is a fine part of the cinematic universe, but at the same time, it is also good enough to stand alone here. In the end, you do know where to place this movie, and with the final moments after the credits, the same is assured yet again – it is once again that time when you don’t take the eyes away from the screen.

Positives and negatives :: The movie does have perfectly suited cast to work in its favour with a lot of efficiency. The new additions to the cinematic universe are indeed among the best, and we see them joining and blending in so well. We do have hope that there could be a new beginning for the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the new entries, even though the Corona virus pandemic threat is forever, and can affect its run in the future too. There are still times when the movie seems to go up and down, seemingly following an inconsistent pattern – the tale could have followed a more straight forward pattern rather than going on like the tides. There could have also been more training sequences of the black widows, and more of their missions might have done the movie more good. A little bit more of Avengers could have also provided the movie with positives. After all, we are never short of hope, as far as superheroes are concerned.

The performers of the soul :: Scarlett Johansson leads the way, as one would expect. We have seen her do what she has done the best in the previous movies. Florence Pugh is the one who comes up with some fine surprises, and if there is another Black Widow, it could only be her – she makes a perfect one indeed. She would have made a fine addition to the team of Avengers on another day, maybe as part of another dimension in future. The action works for both of them really well, and there is also that humour that comes nicely with them around. It is also nice to see Rachel Weisz in such a memorable role again, as she is one actress who was also part of our childhood for quite a long time. David Harbour brings an extra amount of humour in between too, and even when serious, he adds a certain amount of the same. Olga Kurylenko is also present, even though we don’t see much of her, at least not the face. She remains one action star that we can always trust on, one of the last references being the lesser known film, The Courier.

How it finishes :: We know where these Marvel movies go, and this one does have its deviation which seems to work efficiently by its own. As the new action-packed addition to the grand list, it is an entertaining ride that one wouldn’t want to miss, as we already have that feeling of requiring more of Avengers after Infinity War and Endgame. The superheroes and saving the world have been gone for rather too long, and here we have it back in the form of Black Widow. We have been wondering which the movie would bring that power back, as we around here don’t really watch the series. This one also has its own fine surprises to add to the same, as this one is really a fine mixture of things. It is not that easy to make an enjoyable film which can match the predecessors anymore, as Marvel has come up with some of the best already. Well, this some proof about the about the fact that there is always chance to keep the momentum going.

Release date: 9th July 2021
Running time: 134 minutes
Directed by: Cate Shortland
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Olga Kurylenko, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, Rachel Weisz

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Don’t Breathe 2

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember when was the last time we had gone on a trip that had visions that made us forget to breathe?

Vampire Bat: That was to the Lake of Blood, a long time ago.

Vampire Owl: It is actually called the Lake of Death.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but it has so much of blood, and we cannot avoid that name.

Vampire Owl: The trips have been banned for some time.

Vampire Bat: A trip to Munnar always makes things better.

Vampire Owl: You cannot always trust the highlands.

Vampire Bat: What about some lakeside time at Kumbalanghi?

Vampire Owl: Well, the only trip we might be getting is with corona virus.

Vampire Bat: That is more of a visit and not a trip.

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

What is the movie about? :: Eight long years have passed after the incidents of the first film, and things have changed now. Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang) the blind Navy SEAL veteran has recovered from his injuries, and now lives with his daughter Phoenix (Madelyn Grace) and a ferocious dog to take care of them and the property. He tells Phoenix that her mother had died in a terrible fire in their old house, after which he has been taking care of her. He keeps training her in the name of surviving. His only contact in the society is Hernandez (Stephanie Arcila), a former US Army Ranger and a good friend of Norman. She is the one who always takes Phoenix outside for some fun. It is the same time when a lot of news about abductions by organ trafficking gangs among others are coming up, and Norman feels that it is not safe at all. She finds Raylan (Brendan Sexton III) in the washroom, but he is scared away by the dog. But it seems that he doesn’t stop following her. Hernandez feels that the girl should be out more, and that Norman should stop thinking about his past wars and be nicer to people.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Hernandez feels that the man whom he had met earlier was just a weird man, and there is no shortage of such people in the area. But she comes up against the same person much later on the road, and feels that there is more to him than what meets the eye. Soon, she is killed while on the way back home, by the same people. Norman is against her going to school, choosing homeschooling over her meeting more people outside. Soon, a group of led by Raylan reaches their home, and after killing the dog, kidnaps the girl. He tells her that it is not him that she needs to be scare of, but the man next to her. He adds that he is her real father, and that the blind man took her home to replace his own dead daughter. She resists, but is choloroformed, while Norman is left to die after they set fire to the house. He escapes with the help of the dog which the intruders had brought with them. Even though Raylan was looking for his daughter, he does have another motive. What would that be?

The defence of Don’t Breathe 2 :: There are some fine action sequences with interesting use of darkness, as everything is set in two different buildings. The fight scenes have enough to stay in our minds, even though not as much as the first film. Some of the memorable scenes include the blind man’s use of the environment to survive and continue to combat against all odds – it is a much more difficult task for him in comparison to the first movie. The environment has been well-created, and you do feel that presence of evil at all times. Almost everyone in the film is evil, and it is a reminder of inherent human evil itself – you know that people need to be dead to be not evil anymore, as we don’t usually see good people around. The small number of people whom we meet here are reflections of the same evil, with some of them being a little evil, others more evil, and the rest being completely evil. The other characters are not present in the movie, and the girl remains the only hope for a deviation along with the children with whom she play at times.

The claws of flaw :: It is clear that this movie doesn’t maintain the quality of the first film, and it does struggle to live up to the novel idea and quality that it had maintained. The idea of transforming the blind man into saviour might not be interesting for everyone, and he also seems to do a little too much for a man for his situation. He doesn’t seem to have much of a way forward around, as far as the character is concerned – there is no strong motive to support a further character development, with material seemingly less in comparison to the earlier movie. The first film served better as a horror film focusing on survival, but this one moves too much away from that genre which served so well. With a grand change in the character, this is something which struggles to take control of the deviation well enough – maybe it requires another sequel to deal with that, but that would make one wonder what is to be done next. You know that there are better possibilities with horror characters like this one, but the studio seems to think in a different way so as to make the person useful as a protagonist instead.

The performers of the soul :: It is once again the performance of Stephen Lang as the blind man which keeps the movie going – he does seem to play a more tired person here though, as there seems to be a struggle here which is more than the first movie. With a drastic change coming upon the nature of the character, the man does take it with him well enough, even when that often leads to a struggle. He excels in the action scenes, and is good enough to take it to the next level, rising about the others who are part of the fights. Brendan Sexton III makes a pretty good antagonist, even though the idea focuses more on action rather than anything else. Madelyn Grace plays the child well, while Stephanie Arcila’s short presence is memorable enough. Christian Zagia plays a thug with a conscience pretty well. Even then, it is Fiona O’Shaughnessy who seems to be more evil than any other, as she is one mother whom the sons and daughters won’t appreciate for selflessness – there seems to be a certain amount of witch-likeness in her.

How it finishes :: The fans of the first movie will find it difficult to miss this movie, even though it is weaker in comparison the earlier flick. There is no real horror or the surprise element, but the film scores in action. An old and blind man with a special set of skills is someone of interest as he looks forward to save his daughter, and he is also an iconic character. The memories of the earlier movie also keeps us interested well enough. Among the horror movie sequels, this is the one which we have waited for, more than the other usual ones like The Conjuring, Annabelle, Insidious, Sinister etc. After all, Don’t Breathe had the skills to go divergent, and this one takes the path set by that particular movie. It means that you can be assured that this movie has a nice enough background to build on, and cannot go too wrong with this character at the core. Even though it didn’t release here in the theatres at that times, the movie is now available on Netflix, which is a fine relief for us, as we have been waiting for so long.

Release date: 18th December 2021 (Netflix); 13th August 2021 (USA)
Running time: 99 minutes
Directed by: Rodo Sayagues
Starring: Stephen Lang, Madelyn Grace, Brendan Sexton III, Bobby Schofield, Adam Young, Stephanie Arcilla, Fiona O’Shaughnessy, Steffan Rhodri, Diaana Babnicova, Christian Zagia, Rocci Williams

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Theerppu

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Vampire Owl: So, we get to watch another one on OTT.

Vampire Bat: Well, OTT can take much more.

Vampire Owl: Some of the best of Prithviraj has come on OTT.

Vampire Bat: I don’t see why these platforms shouldn’t have the best.

Vampire Owl: There are not many movies which we have been waiting for this year.

Vampire Bat: That hasn’t stopped us from watching more.

Vampire Owl: Yet, that hasn’t been enough.

Vampire Bat: I believe that the best of the movies have already released.

Vampire Owl: So the creativity is no longer strong as it used to be?

Vampire Bat: Human creativity has been corrupted terribly.

[Gets a paneer pizza and three cups of elaichi tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ram Kumar Nair (Vijay Babu), a business tycoon has decided to host a meeting with an old friend whom he would be meeting after a very long time, surprising his wife, Mythili Ram Kumar (Isha Talwar) who has never seen him as someone who values friends, family and relatives above money. Even the servant at their resort is suprised by this particular decision. It turns out that this was also going to be a business deal. Later, it is seen that Abdulla Marakkar (Prithviraj Sukumaran), an eccentric man meets his old friend, Parameshwaran Potty (Saiju Kurup) who is also accompanied by his beautiful and commanding wife Prabha Nair (Hannah Reji Koshy). Prabha is skeptical and develops an instant disliking to Abdulla as she realizes that there is a troubled history running between Potty’s two friends, and it could be too personal to talk about even among friends. It turns out that Potty and Prabha are going to meet Ram in the upcoming meeting which is supposed to solve all their monetary problems which mounts to many crores. Their only other friend is Kalyan Menon (Indrajith Sukumaran) who is the DIG of police.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ram shows the couple the resort which depends on historical exhibits to attract the foreigners. Soon, it turns out that Ram is only interested in Prabha with whom he has been chatting on Instagram for a long time. It is his sexually motivated interest in Prabha which seems to have brought her and Potty an invitation for a business meeting, and not the old friendship from school which was lost a long time ago. Due to his his infatuation with Prabha, Ram makes fun of Potty and decides to rename the couple’s brand with Prabha as the CEO, also contributing with three crores for the purpose. In comparison to Prabha, Ram considers his wife Mythilli more as a business partner whom he married for the purpose of growing his company. The richer and smarter Mythilli considers Ram as a womanizer who doesn’t hesitate to spend his money for women whenever there is a chance. Aware of her image of voluptuousness that has interested Ram, Prabha doesn’t reject his sexual advances, much to the dismay of Potty, who feels that soon, his wife will be living with the billionaire.

And what is to follow as events get more complicated? :: They are also expecting Kalyan Menon, who is also a partner of Ram in his business deals, but he is delayed by a far-right political organization conducting a programme, which could lead to riots in the city. They are also not able to get Kalyan on the mobile phone, as he remains busy – while awaiting him, they find another person on the door who decides to come in. It is Abdulla Marakkar who has come in, with the reminder of the terrible past of cheating which has been forced upon him and his family, as revenge seems to be closer to him than ever. He would make this a circus of horror with doors locked, and a working antique double-barreled gun in his hands. He would find the special exhibits of the resort including what is claimed to be that bat used by Kapil Dev in 1983 World Cup, spectacles used by Mahatma Gandhi, wine possessed by Saddam Hussein and many more to be interesting, but not that much as the terrible past which was handed over to him by the family of Ram. Considering the situation of Prabha, on which side would Potty stand, and when will Kalyan come to make his own contribution?

The defence of Theerppu :: The movie does have some interesting references running through it, and the expectations that rises in the beginning gives enough hope to keep the audience interested in watching the rest of the movie. The visuals are really good, and world which it creates for a resort of antiques works like a dream. The location works in favour of the mood of the movie. The serving of the basic idea of revenge also stands apart from the usual movies which would have a quick or brutal resolution to the fire of vengeance that would run deep. The cast works perfectly in favour of the movie, as Prithviraj Sukumaran makes an attack like in Kuruthi, and despite the late entry, Indrajith Sukumaran makes an impact. Vijay Babu seems to suit the role really well, while Saiju Kurup once again makes a slow, but effective work. Isha Talwar goes through a smooth journey as the main lady character. Hannah Reji Koshy of Darwinte Parinamam and Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu has a role to remember here, and among the newer actresses, she definitely requires more roles. Siddique’s role in the flashback remains a thing of interest as usual, with the veteran actor showing the same strength.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s final statement seems to be problematic as it seems to be further away from the reality that we have known through these times. The weak cannot defeat the powerful in the ways shown in the movie, that is for sure, as the rich and the influential would always find a way. There are many paths which it could have taken to come up with a better idea with its premise. It could have worked as a more serious drama or thriller without seemingly moving through an ordinary path full of pot-holes which needed some better directions. It does seem lost at times, and confused with where it is actually going. The flashback scenes, despite looking fine, often struggles to provide the desired effect, and some of the characters from the past do not stay, despite seemingly having the power in the beginning stages. The present does not take the effect of that treachery of the past with that much strength because the connection is not that well-made, and the less required deviations are rather easily seen as we look.

How it finishes :: Theerppu is a movie which could have surely been something more with the long line of strong cast and the visual style which it had developed with the premise. The trailer had provided the effect of watching something in an international level, but that losses some power beyond the visuals. Clearer ideas and a focused journey would have made this a more interesting work in the end, especially because there are too many layers at work as far as this film is concerned. We have had many interesting stories of revenge in the past, and even the very successful serial killer movies in Malayalam like Anjaam Pathiraa have pointed to the acts of vengeance. Yet, this is the movie in which revenge gets divergent and ends in a different manner than what is commonly expected. It makes sure that entertainment will be provided with such divergence. You can always watch Theerppu for that kind of a chance which does not hesitate in moving away from the regular.

Release date: 30th September 2022 (Hotstar); 25th August 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 147 minutes
Directed by: Rathish Ambat
Starring: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Isha Talwar, Indrajith Sukumaran, Vijay Babu, Hannah Reji Koshy, Saiju Kurup, Siddique, Sreelakshmi, Srikant Murali, Mammukoya, Suzanne Bernert, Lukman Avaran, Shaju Sreedhar, Alancier Ley Lopez, Aswin Kumar, Poojappura Radhakrishnan, Shameem Rein, Vinod Vaswani

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Sweet Girl

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Vampire Owl: I remember having met a sweet witch.

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

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

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

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

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

Vampire Owl: But we belong to the same realm.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but not the same territory.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Heaven

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Vampire Owl: Do you think that Uncle Dracula is going to heaven?

Vampire Bat: I am sure that vampires have a different afterlife.

Vampire Owl: You mean beyond heaven and hell?

Vampire Bat: Somewhere in between, to be exact.

Vampire Owl: Are you talking about the purgatory?

Vampire Bat: I wouldn’t know before death, but there would surely be blood.

Vampire Owl: Well, as long as there is blood, I am okay with it.

Vampire Bat: You don’t really take the blood substitute anymore?

Vampire Owl: Until Doctor Frankenstein invents the perfect substitute, I won’t.

Vampire Bat: Then, be assured that it will a long wait, because that pseudo-doctor and scientist with fake degree is involved.

[Gets a paneer puffs and three cups of iced tea].

What is the movie about? :: A group of NCC cadets discover a dead body in the forest area where they were camping for the holidays from their school. The first police officer to the scene is Bijoy Kuruvilla (Sudev Nair), and the dead person is identified to be Fabian John (Deepak Parambol), with the help of the forensic experts who are led by Narayana Swami (Joy Mathew). According to the descriptions from the witnesses and circumstancial evidences, the police discover the murderer to be none other than Peter Kurishingal (Suraj Venjaramoodu), another police officer. Then, the movie gets a flashback when Peter is in charge of a police station in a village. He had only recently lost his wife, and has a number of cases for investigation, which he takes very seriously so that he can use them to forget the grief of loss. His mother Mariyam Kurisingal (Vinaya Prasad) takes care of his only son, as he remains mostly busy as a strict police officer. But things get worse as he comes up against a case which would prove to be personal for him, as a family is murdered, and along with them, he also find his son’s dead body, much to his shock.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Peter’s subordinate Sukumara Pillai (Alencier Ley Lopez) is posted in the case with the new officer in charge of the investigation, Inspector Kishore (Padmaraj Ratheesh) who seems to be solving the case rather quickly, and a man named Stephen (Jaffar Idukki) confesses to have committed the crime with an immigrant labourer from West Bengal, as part of an attempted robbery. Peter has his doubts, but as one of the victims is his son, his superior officer Revathi Subramaniam (Abhija Sivakala) declines him an opportunity to be part of the investigation team, but lets him have a look at it as part of a parallel investigation for which he would be solely responsible. Soon, he discovers that the man who is accused of murder, Stephen actually had nothing to do with it. This home named Heaven, where the murders took place, seem to have more than one secrets to be discovered. His discoveries soon lead to him taking over the case after joining back on duty. But it remains to be seen if he will like what he would discover.

The defence of Heaven :: Here is one more addition to the smart thrillers of our times with some fine red herrings. The investigation shown in the movie feels solid, and so does the emotional side. The movie achieves its motives without exaggerating anything at any moment. There are twists till the end of the movie, and we see that it has nicely solved the puzzles to come strong in the end with enough strength. The realistic mode is maintained while bringing up the thrills and twists, and it surely feels like something which could happen during these days when different crimes are part of the news more than ever. Even the police procedures seem to be much accurate, and it doesn’t seem to venture into those areas where the smartness of the audience is questioned; maybe it is because the film chooses to have no such superstars who have so many fans wishing for their favourite actor to destroy evil like a fallen angel. Well, this movie is also something with fallen angels, but it knows how to keep it realistic. This is the kind of film that can teach valuable lessons for Bollywood which has its non-performers coming out of nepotism, not able to emote.

The positives and negatives :: The visuals are really good, and the camera is particularly good in capturing the emotions of Suraj Venjaramoodu, with all the grief which is part of the character’s life. The moments after the son’s death is as emotional as it can get, and it is only matched by the determination in his face that comes up later. There are the inner and outer battle shown here are with their own relevance. Heaven does not hesitate in going through the emotional path of the police officer and his investigation, just like it was seen in the movie Memories which had that abiding sadness in it which would return to haunt the viewer. The movie could have actually focused on the darker side even more. The return to the initial moments come rather too late, and due to the same, people might have actually forgotten the events which had happened earlier. The movie does slow down after the deaths and following emotional troubles, and it could have used a serial killer instead of the usual vengeance ideas being repeated. The music doesn’t feel as that great in comparison to some of the other thrillers which dealt with similar themes.

The performers of the soul :: Suraj Venjaramoodu handles the regretful cop role really well, and it reminds us of his earlier movie Pathaam Valavu, where he had also lost his child. The helpless and lack of hope can be seen on one side, while there is smartness on the other. He is the police officer and father to remember. The emotional struggle which was best displayed in Kaanekkaane, and added with mass in Jana Gana Mana and Driving License works really well here too, as he is indeed one of the best actors to go through a strong emotional side. The biggest support to him is provided by Alencier Ley Lopez who makes a fine cop in a supporting role; I had felt that John Luther could have really used him as a police officer too. The actors like Sudheesh and Jaffer Idukki add more of an emotional side to the film with their shorter presence. Vinaya Prasad also has the emotional grandmother role. Padmaraj Ratheesh and Sudev Nair also makes some fine police officers. Abhija Sivakala as the superior police officer is also solid. Deepak Parambol’s as well Nimisha Sajayan’s smaller roles are effective too. The collection of performers here makes sure that there is something interesting about all of them.

How it finishes :: Heaven gets into the list of interesting thrillers including the recently released Twenty One Grams and Solamante Theneechakal, as well as many others which came earlier. After all, the thrillers of this world mean more than just Drishyam. The movie working a lot better than the heavily hyped movies like CBI 5: The Brain is a reminder that we have some new names who can do the same thing better. Well, this is the kind of film which can never work for Bollywood as the sons and daughters of superstars would not agree to act in movies which cannot progress without throwing hundreds of villains around. Movies like this should open their eyes to the idea that there is the need for more thinking differently, or the drought in Bollywood of blockbusters is going to continue forever. Bollywood’s fight with its own incompetence might be forever, but during those times, Malayalam movie industry, just like the other South Indian film industries, is coming up with some fine works of quality which are to be remembered.

Release date: 19th August 2022 (Hotstar); 17th June 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 130 minutes
Directed by: Unni Govindraj
Starring: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sudev Nair, Sminu Sijo, Sudheesh, Joy Mathew, Alencier Ley Lopez, Jaffer Idukki, Vinaya Prasad, Abhija Sivakala, Deepak Parambol

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pathaam Valavu

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Vampire Owl: So, there is the tenth turn where the twist lies.

Vampire Bat: We vampires are not worried about the turns. We fly over them.

Vampire Owl: Humans do not fly, but their spirits do float.

Vampire Bat: We don’t have the spirits. But we fly.

Vampire Owl: Where do you think a vampire’s spirit cross over to the other world?

Vampire Bat: I am expecting a river of blood there too.

Vampire Owl: So, you think that there will be blood on the way there.

Vampire Bat: Blood will be part of our afterlife as it is now.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that blood also has the spiritual significance.

Vampire Bat: Vampires have been spiritual for a long time.

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

What is the movie about? :: Sethunath (Indrajith Sukumaran) is the officer who is in charge of the Kattappana police station. His wife Suja (Swasika) is pregnant, and Sethunath rarely comes home due to his busy work. After a long time, he finally decides to take a few days off. It is then that he is asked to bring a prisoner who got out on parole and did not return – Solomon (Suraj Venjaramoodu) was arrested as part of a sensational case, and him not returning came as a surprise for most of the police officers. Sethunath visits Solomon’s house with a few other officers in company, just before he goes on a fifteen days leave, as his superior officer as Shihab Ali (Major Ravi) asks for one last duty to be finished. The team gets to Solomon’s home and also finds him, but fails to capture him. But he is caught by Xavier (Nisthar Ahmed) who has a large estate in the area, and they transfer him to the police. On the way back to the police station, there is a landslide on the tenth turn, and the team is forced to stop and have tea and snacks. There, Solomon tells Sethunath his story.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Solomon was someone who survived one of the biggest landslides the highranges had ever seen, at the age of six. He lived as favourite of the locals, especially of the local priest (Sudheer Karamana) who has served as his local guardian. He falls in love with Seetha (Aditi Ravi), who elopes with him with the help of her sister, Anitha (Krittika Pradeep), and in the process, gets disowned by her rich and influential family. They soon have a child too. Varadhan (Ajmal Ameer), the local police officer who was supposed to marry her is particularly angry with them, especially as his next marriage reached the verge of divorce. He also gets transferred to the highranges soon, with a fight breaking out between him and Solomon, and this leads to Varadhan being relieved of duty and going home early. It is then that their child also goes missing, and the dead body is found between the rocks on the next day. Varadhan becomes the usual suspect for the locals, and there is fear in his eyes. His senior officer asks him to go on leave, but he is determined not to go from there. But where does this lead Solomon?

The defence of Pathaam Valavu :: This is a thriller that also goes on the path of a revenge with the support of flashbacks. There are moments of excellence, and unexpected elements of humour are also present with some flashbacks. The visuals give a beautiful feeling to the happenings around here too. The emotional side does the job well, and in between, the cute moments also get something to work on. It is the kind of the movie which could have gone The Great Father way, with the father of a child doing unbelievable acts in stylish dresses as if he was a rich monkey man, but manages to keep things realistic instead – well, you don’t want exaggerations when dealing with this kind of topics. Dealing with the life of the common man which is filled with simple happy moments of family, and turning it into moments of worries have been used effectively in Drishyam and Drishyam 2 along with the remakes – the same idea still continues to work. In the end, it also gives a social message, and finishes well as if poetic justice would return with a little help provided.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does start slow, as nothing much happens in the first thirty minutes or so, as it takes a little bit more time to establish itself. There is also some slow motion forced in there, against the overall mood of the movie. The loss of thrills to emotions can also be seen at times here. There is a lot of predictability that comes to the scene during the later stages of the movie, despite having the twists to provide the power. Some of the clues are also given in the early stages of the movie itself , which is re-established in the later stages too. The clues should have been hidden to keep the audience guessing. The red herring which the movie provides losses the steam because of the unexpected clues which are left in the process of moving the tale forward. The audience had the right to guess the killer differently, but such an opportunity is ruined too early. If the opportunity was better used, this movie could have been something bigger.

The performers of the soul :: Suraj Venjaramoodu remains the strongest element of this movie, and manages the emotional side really well yet again. He has been doing such roles with perfection for some time now, with its highest point in Kaanekkaane, and most recently in Jana Gana Mana. Yet, the one performance from him which would stay with me even more is from Finals. Indrajith Sukumaran has displayed a certain amount of skill in portraying the police officers, last seen in Night Drive – there is the feeling of not exaggerating the cop role when he is playing the role; it has been there since Angels. Aditi Ravi has been an underrated actress, and her realistic performance as a mother is a reminder of her skills. Her recent release, 12th Man did not give her enough opportunity, and it was only Alamara which used her potential well enough. Ajmal Ameer gets a good role in Malayalam movie industry after a long time, and he did come up with a fine performance until the character was just pushed to the background for seemingly no real reason.

How it finishes :: Pathaam Valavu becomes another interesting addition to the long list of engaging thrillers. It does have the moments, and there are other areas where it could have scored more. Yet, one thing I won’t get is that people call movies like these as one-time watchable; well are all movies not to be watched once? There is absolutely no point in keeping on watching a movie again and again, except for the jokes and songs. There have already been two fine thrillers in this year in the form of John Luther and Twenty One Grams, and this one, even though not that good as the two murder mysteries, still serves its purpose with effectiveness. It is also a reminder that we no longer need those big names to play the central character and make the movie a success. We are no longer in that age of superstars, even though fans can still disagree and go to the theatres as a crowd, providing money to their favourite heroes.

Release date: 22nd July 2022 (Manorama MAX); 13th May 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 115 minutes
Directed by: M Padmakumar
Starring: Indrajith Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Aditi Ravi, Ajmal Ameer, Sudheer Karamana, Baby Kanmani, Swasika, Sohan Seenulal, Aneesh G Menon, Jayakrishnan, Major Ravi, Nisthar Ahmed, Abhinav Raj, Binu Adimali, Shaju Sreedhar, Idavelu Babu, Joy John Antony, Sudheer Paravoor, Nandhan Unni, Krittika Pradeep, Pria Menon, Thushara Pillai, Anjana Appukuttan

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Keedam

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Vampire Owl: The name of this movie is interesting.

Vampire Bat: I also support people to use similar names for their movies.

Vampire Owl: We should also grow some vampire pests at home.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula managed to get rid of the pests after a long struggle.

Vampire Owl: We should use the pests to our advantage.

Vampire Bat: You can’t control these pests at all. Only the witches can do it.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that they might use the pests against us?

Vampire Bat: They are good with such small creatures.

Vampire Owl: Well, I would expect an attack at any moment.

Vampire Bat: You should have faith in at least some witches. We are not so different from each other.

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

What is the movie about? :: Radhika Balan (Rajisha Vijayan) lives with her father, Retired Advocate Balan (Sreenivasan) while working as a cyber-security expert at her own start-up company with her partner Vijay (Rahul Riji Nair). She is good friends with CI Charles (Vijay Babu), whom she helps as part of an investigation. Radhika is adamant that one’s privacy should always be respected and that their firm should only help people who have compromised their privacy due to hacking or carlessness. It is then that she accidentally calls a wrong number and Kili Biju (Mahesh Nair) who is on the other side continues to bother her on phone. He gets her name through True Caller App and finds more information about her by searching her name on Facebook. She is frustrated and decides to complain to the police, and things go out of control at the police station. Biju’s friend Thurumbu Aji (Renjit Shekar Nair) is a man who has been on the criminal records for a long time, and was also involved in a murder case – he decides to lead his friends (Anand Manmadhan and Arjun Ranjan) in an attempt to make Radhika’s life a living hell, and doesn’t leave her father out of it either.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: They follow her at her home and office, and also goes on to destroy the reputation of her father – it feels like wherever she goes, they are present at the location. When they decide that they are finally done with Radhika and her father, she decides that this is not the end. She decides to get into their privacy by hacking their mobile phones, so that they won’t think about doing this to anybody else again. Vijay is worried about her actions, and the same is the case of her father, but she is not ready to go back on it. She manages to get into the phone of Biju, and even though it is only revenge that was looking for, she comes across the information that could mean more than that. It turns out that even though they live as scrap-dealers, there is more to them than what meets the eye. They are involved in gold smuggling and other illegal activities, and they work as carriers for different people in different areas. Radhika might be dealing with a little bit too much, and it will be of the best interest for everyone if she backs down, but will she? What will Aji and his group do when they find out that she is spying on their crimes?

The defence of Keedam :: We can see that Keedam chooses a realistic character who doesn’t create any magic within a thriller unlike what is often expected. The female protagonist here does what she has always done the best, and she does the same in style. The messages about cyber security is more or less of a reminder of the world that we are living in, and leaves the idea that we need to be more careful when we are using any electronic device. There are some defining moments here which makes things more interesting. The final moments are indeed thrilling, even though the much needed final closure was not there to be taken. The divergence that the movie possesses is to be appreciated, and unlike some other industries, Malayalam seems to have all those movies, with the makers moving from one category to the other with relative ease, and even coming up classic stuff in between. The father-daughter relationship is shown well, reminding one of the same in Helen and Uyare with Lal-Anna and Siddique-Parvathy, even though the father figure here is more worried and weakened, and still doesn’t trouble her with his lectures much.

The claws of flaw :: Keedam doesn’t use its resources to the best advantage – the premise was so good, and there were so many paths which it could have travelled; there is no limitation in the cyber world. Cyber security is no longer the topic of a selected few, and the rise of Jio and the spread of COVID-19 did change the situation for internet and its unlimited resources which came upon unsuspecting people all of a sudden – most of them were easy prey to cyber problems as they were not ready, and the youth just fell into the mobile gaming trap. The film could have dealt with such problems more effectively like Operation Java. Often, there is the feeling that something is missing in between. As it follows this particular pattern, there is the unconvincing feeling coming up at times. The ending could have also been better, and it didn’t need the forced extra scene there. The movie had also started with Hindi lines with the beginning credits, and that provides the feeling that someone speaking Hindi was involved in crimes or that this happens outside Kerala and Tamil Nadu, a rather strange to do, whatever be the reason.

The performers of the soul :: Rajisha Vijayan who could be a part of the much acclaimed Jai Bhim after the sports drama Kho Kho, once again does an excellent job in another role of interest. There are not many roles which she can’t do in the industry, as she rises above the other actresses with movies having her as main protagonist. She gets into this character which is very much different from her much appreciated roles in June and Finals, and always looks comfortable with the same. Rahul Riji Nair who directs another film with the same lady lead has things in control as the actor too. Sreenivasan is present in the father role, and has done the character of a concerned father well. Vijay Babu plays a sensible police officer with all the qualities which are needed with it. Manikandan Pattambi of Marimayam fame manages the negative character well, and it is his dialogue which seems to give the title to this movie. The rest of the antagonists of the group have managed their roles well, and in a realistic manner, led by Renjit Shekar Nair. For this movie, the choice of antagonists did work in its favour, even though in the end, there should have been more in store for them.
How it finishes :: Keedam is a movie which could have achieved so much more – there was so much potential considering the topic which it was dealing with. But with its idea and the protagonist to be noted, there is another step in the right direction, and it remains very much interesting at the same time too. It is another reminder of Malayalam movie industry’s courage to venture into unfamiliar territories, as it had already done with the superhero stuff in Minnal Murali stuff, while also having one of the most human films in the form of Madhuram releasing in different OTT platforms within the gap of a few days. Rajisha Vijayan might be the best actress we have in Malayalam film industry now, and we know that people don’t get Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress on debut movies just like that as she did in Anuraga Karikkin Vellam. She has dealt with sadness, depression, anger, fear, love and friendship with so much effectiveness in her movies. The movie could have had more for her, but as it seems now, is an entertaining thriller which also has a realistic side in parts.

Release date: 1st July 2022 (ZEE5); 20th May 2022 (Theatre)
Running time: 104 minutes
Directed by: Rahul Riji Nair
Starring: Rajisha Vijayan, Vijay Babu, Sreenivasan, Manikandan Pattambi, Renjit Shekar Nair, Anand Manmadhan, Mahesh Nair, Rahul Riji Nair, Arjun Ranjan

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Innale Vare

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Vampire Owl: Is this movie about yesterdays?

Vampire Bat: From the title, it seems that yesterdays are important.

Vampire Owl: Our yesterdays are pretty much far away.

Vampire Bat: The vampire yesterdays have always been centuries away.

Vampire Owl: Not all centuries are the same.

Vampire Bat: Yes, but they are all short for us.

Vampire Owl: Not just for us, but for all immortals.

Vampire Bat: Depends on how we will take the immortality.

Vampire Owl: Does this movie fit into our immortal calendar?

Vampire Bat: It is something which is yet to be seen.

[Gets a green apple cake and three cups of chocolate tea].

What is the movie about? :: Adhi (Asif Ali) is a superstar who is now going through a struggling phase as an actor. His movies haven’t been getting the success that they used to have, and he no longer remains the crowd-puller despite having so many fans and fan clubs. Due to his lavish lifestyle, he also has a lot of debts to be paid. Due to the same reason, he is forced to act in many advertisements, most of them which he doesn’t like at all. He is in love with Aishu (Reba Monica John), whose family doesn’t approve of such a relationship, as Adhi does have other affairs too – he is almost living together with a married actress named Karthika (Athulya Chandra), and he successfully keeps that a secret. Jomi (Rony David) handles things for him as the efficient manager, but the debts seem to get worse, as money lenders even reach his home and take away his cars. Both Aishu and Karthika are infatuated with him, and is not ready to leave him at any cost. Karthika knows that she is not the only one for him, but finds comfort with him in the absence of her husband who never bothers to call her or come home.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: At the same time, a stranger who identifies himself as Sharath (Antony Varghese) is following him. He seems to collect information about him through cameras and hidden voice recorders. Aadhi who one day comes to know that Karthika is carrying his child, tries to get there as soon as possible, and finds a lady who calls herself Shaani (Nimisha Sajayan), and she offers him a lift. She asks him to come to her home and see her husband once, and adds that she is ready to give him the car so that he can go wherever he wants to. Finding this to be a comfortable option, he gets to her apartment, only to find himself locked inside one of the rooms. It is later revealed that Sharath and Shaani has other plans for him. It seems to be motivated by money in the beginning, but there seems to be something different about these two. Yet, the need to save a house from being taken away by the bank seems to be a priority. But they don’t seem to know that Adhi has no money. How can any of them get what they want at this stage?

The defence of Innale Vare :: The movie doesn’t exaggerate things, and seems to go on without adding the unnecessary things including those highly emotional and romantic songs which would have been there for the taking. The tension and anxiety are maintained most of the time, and there are enough twists to keep things going around here. There is a certain amount of mystery about a lot of things around here, and the same is solved in the end, as different sides seem to come together. The idea about how technology can be used to make a person disappear by impersonating him or her will also keep us interested – Cold Case had also dealt with some part of the same, and this one takes it to another level. The messages from this type of movies might to be more careful about what we choose to do, no matter which side we are on, for even the most social ones can suffer – it is also easy to misunderstand someone. Yet, the movie’s main message seems to be that if we try to know people, everyone is good, as it seemed to be in most of the movies of the same director that came much earlier.

The claws of flaw :: The movie surely had a lot to do with its premise, and it doesn’t manage to come up with enough on most occasions. It seems to have struggled hard to make it a feel-good movie, wandering a long way away from where it seemed to be heading in the earlier stages. For an effective thriller, this one needed to keep a certain amount of its darkness as an interesting element which contributes throughout its run. There is almost no intensity with this thriller, and the characters seem to be not motivated enough to do most of the things – they seem to let things go on without trying hard. It is also too long with its content which is not strong enough to withstand time. The final twist and ending could have used some polishing, even if the purpose was to leave with a happy finish. There are too many repetitions around here too, and predictability also has a role to play. Some of the moments are shown just for the sake of being there, and in the process, it elongates the movie to a length that would have been stronger for more content.

The performers of the soul :: Asif Ali who finally has his first direct OTT release, does a good job, as things happen around his character. It is not that much of a big or challenging role though. It is good to see Antony Varghese in a role with a difference, which he seems to find okay. Nimisha Sajayan disappoints for most part of the movie though, in a work which seems to be unnatural. Even for the audience, she seems to be overacting in front of the police in scenes, but the cops within the film don’t seem to find it so – there is also that certain expression she seems to maintain, which doesn’t suit here, as much as in her earlier movies. Rony David is really good in another supporting role, and Irshad does the police job well again. Reba Monica John’s role is unfortunately a little bit too small, but she proves to be suitable in that one. Athulya Chandra does job well, as she seems to reflect the character in concern really well. Nandu is there in a small role, and so are a number of performers who make the smaller contributions.

How it finishes :: The fact that the director switches from feel-good movies like Sunday Holiday, Vijay Superum Pournamiyum and Mohan Kumar Fans, the effect seems to be lesser than what the genre deserved. His first movie and the only thriller, Bicycle Thieves was one of the worst thrillers which graced Malayalam movie industry with a twist which was as dumb as it could get. This one is surely much better than that, but one has to wonder about the purpose of making feel-good thrillers – most of the time, such combinations form a strange paradox which is not acceptable. When actors play actors, there seems to be something lacking too, and the same was seen in movies like Driving Licence too. But the makers do manage to bring things together as the movie nears the end, and this seems to be the kind of thriller which would also make the family audience happy, as such light thrillers are not easy to find. Well, if this kind of thrills happen in real life, there would be terror guaranteed, but not that much in this case.

Release date: 8th June 2022 (Sony LIV)
Running time: 136 minutes
Directed by: Jis Joy
Starring: Antony Varghese, Asif Ali, Nimisha Sajayan, Reba Monica John, Rony David, Nandu, Irshad, Athulya Chandra, Anand Bal, Siddique Ismail

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

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Black Island

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Vampire Owl: Are we talking about the island near the Northern Witches territory?

Vampire Bat: That one is called the Dark Island of Magic.

Vampire Owl: Well, that depends on the translation.

Vampire Bat: Let the vampire elders deal with the translation of ancient languages.

Vampire Owl: Doctor Frankenstein is good with languages.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that Mr Frankenstein was talking about computer languages.

Vampire Owl: He has worked with the Northern Witches in relation to creating new magic potions through scientific experiments.

Vampire Bat: This is why I told you that he is a pseudo-scientist of no real value.

Vampire Owl: You should say the same thing when he wins the Vampire Nobel Prize,  and gets elected to the Vampire Science Academy.

Vampire Bat: There is no Vampire Nobel Prize for pure nonsense.

[Gets a green apple cake and three cups of ginger tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jonas Hansen (Philip Froissant) is an orphan who lives under the sponsorship of the last member of his family. He recently lost his grandmother to the attack of a dog on a beach, while his parents had died in a car crash caused by another driver, both incidents seemingly having something strange about it. Nina Cohrs (Mercedes Muller) who lives in the island is instantly attracted to Jonas, and they become good friends. Most of the girls of the island do have some attraction towards him. It is that kind of a place where there is not that much of a modernity – beautiful scenery seems to make the best out of tourism, but even then, not many tourists visit the area. The place doesn’t have a lot of things happening around there either, and it remains a place of serenity throughout the year. Helena Jung (Alice Dwyer) takes over the German classes in an island which is located far away from the mainland in Europe. She is the replacement for a teacher who just had an accident, and would take a lot of time to make a return.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The new teacher feels like someone whom everyone would like, and she remains friendly with almost every student. She asks the students to call her by her first name when they are not at the educational institution, or when nobody else is listening. She also shows great interest in making the students write poetry and improve their creative writing skills, and with the friendly attitude, becomes a favourite of almost all the students. Soon, Helena seems to get really close to Jonas, or rather too close for a teacher and student, while Nina maintains a certain amount of dislike for her. Nina’s suspicions are at place, but the relationship between the teacher and the student only becomes more intimate. There are too many secrets related to the new teacher, and any attempt to venture any deeper into it will put Nina in peril. But can she stay away from this mystery as she cares too much about Jonas? Will Jonas really understand what is going on here? What is the motive of Helena, and why would she choose to be in a remote island instead of the city from where she arrived?

The defence of Black Island :: The movie does work as a mystery thriller a few minutes into action itself. There is the eerie feeling that spreads through the movie especially due to the setting on an island which reminds one of that strange world surrounded by water shown in Sacrifice. The twists await us, and the movement forward, even though slow, is rather smooth. It also makes sure that there is no falling into that usual pit of nonsense with the relationship at the centre. The visuals are really good, as we are introduced into a world with natural beauty within, and surrounded by beaches and crystal clear ocean water, reminding us to go for a journey soon enough. Well, after that COVID-19 scenario, travel hasn’t really opened up for most of us, and it is nice to see this world of beauty at least on the screen. The atmosphere does suit the thirst for revenge, and we know that this kind of a world can have even a serial killer on the loose with maximum effect. There will be the moments to cherish right in between.

The claws of flaw :: This is not the kind of idea that one would need to appreciate for theme – elder teachers falling in love with too young a student is not something that should be encouraged, even with seemingly decent movies like Premam which would use pretensions to play with the minds of the unsuspecting people – as part of a plan of vengeance, that wouldn’t look that bad in this case; there is enough of a past around here. Still, the relationship should have looked more convincing, and the things around here looks rather too easy. These are the kind of things which are to be dealt with more intensity. The movie also kills off one of the most interesting characters in there rather too early. The investigation into all of these should have also been stronger, and people in this movie are not as smart as they should have been. The moments which are of importance here should have also been edited better, showing them as the parts which shouldn’t be missed. The movie could have also picked up pace too.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is mostly an Alice Dwyer work, with her as the centre of attraction. There are still moments when one would feel that she could have been completely into this case of revenge, but at times, she seems be not in focus at more than one thing. It could be more because of her character not being written with that vision that a revenge-seeker should have. A stronger character would have been better for our eyes and the rest of the senses. Yet, she maintains that mystery about her well, especially during the first half of the flick. Mercedes Muller plays a strong role, and she is lovely in her infatuation towards her long-time friend. She seems to be the one intelligent and determined person like nobody else in the movie, and she surely required a screen presence throughout the movie. Philip Froissant plays a usual character who surprisingly has too less to do other than listening to his teacher who became the lover and the friends around him – he is reduced into a person of not that much of importance. The other performers are of not that importance in this small world.

How it finishes :: I have come across some of the interesting German movies in the last few years, and they seem to keep a certain level with the thrillers. Whether it was Blood Red Sky, Freaks or Breakdown Forest, there is some attempt at thinking differently instead of going with the usual things. Well, horror movies and thrillers are the only things which seem to keep me going in this world of chaos and hopelessness. There has been the down-feeling which came with the Corona virus which doesn’t seem to leave, and it feels worse as we are going back to the society. Still, when we see the hatred that is seen in movies like these, we feel that this is real, a reflection of the society that we know, the one full of liars and cheaters. We have to accept horror as a normal part of life, more real than romance and drama which are considered too real. With some more focus, this movie could have done better, and as of now, it goes on as a thriller which also a work of drama and mystery that takes over on many occasions. The movie works better than what some of the reviews had talked about.

Release date: 18th August 2021 (Netflix)
Running time: 106 minutes
Directed by: Miguel Alexandre
Starring: Jolene Andersen, Alice Dwyer, Susan Angelo, Hanns Zischler, Mercedes Muller, Jonas Hansen

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

<<< Click here to go to the first German film reviewed here.

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

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.