Andhaghaaram

Pros: * gripping narration * Very good cinematography and editing * Extreme care in technical aspects * Strong script, interesting story

Cons: ~ seems slow at times(but its worth the wait)

This movie reminded me of classic highly reputed hollywood movie "Memento" for the narration style. To take a simple story like this, and elevate the aspects by changing the screenplay, editing is really risky and the director deserves standing ovation for this.

Although the Movie seems stretched, at the end, i dont feel like there is any unnecessary scene. Every scene has some vital role in bringing it closer to the climax(and trying to make sense of the ending).

I am fascinated with this movie as lately its been extremely rare to find a movie on streaming services that can impress as much like the big movies. Also it doesn't try to include too much sounds and thrills to make it sound like a horror movie. I really appreciate the way they handled it.

Please do watch it and enjoy! I would say it's a must watch for thrill seekers. :)

Thanks.

The genre of supernatural thriller is not new for Tamil Cinema; right from Mohini till Kanchana, we had several versions of "supernatural" stories on screen but the genre was not properly explored enough. The movie "Zero" came close in that aspect, in exploring something new but it failed to impress many. However, Andhaghaaram does it right - exploring the unexplored.

Right from the beginning, the setup of the movie is straight and clear - to provide a dark and intense thriller. The gripping camera work assisted by some sharp editing pattern, keeps us guessing throughout the movie. Though there are instances where one might feel distracted, one gets pulled into the action right after that. With a well-written screenplay and a powerful background score, Andhaghaaram explores the supernatural and psychological elements of our life - nothing new, yet refreshing when put-together.

A must watch supernatural thriller. A very well written & twisted screenplay.

Andhaghaaram is a slow burn type movie that goes from the beginning to end in a slow paced manner but keeps you gripped till the end because of the tight and complex screenplay from V. Vignarajan.

The story follows Vinod, a depressed cricketer; Selvam, a blind librarian and Dr. Indran, a former psychiatrist. As the story continues to unravel the mystery, we are drawn into the dark and supernatural world that director has created.

The performances of each and every character is mind blowing. Technically this thriller is a treat, it is strikingly different from the usual thriller "effects" and yet is as intense as it can get.

Finally Andhagaaram is a unique film in this genre which makes it a must watch.

I would have given it a 8 but the movie really drags in some parts and at least 45 mins can be chopped off. Lot of movies released on OTT due to Covid but most of them I felt would have not added any value on going to screen but this one was an exception. This movie definitely lost big time because of an OTT release, would have been a blockbuster if it had, had a theatre release. Extremely good cinematography and effects which create a scary effect without the usual tropes. Original but quite complicated screenplay which felt rushed at the end. Arjun Das did go overboard in some scenes but the actor playing blind guy was perfect. A part 2 is most welcome as some questions still remain open in this movie.

It is really appreciated that "Andhaghaaram" opts for psychological suspense, ignoring the special effects, jump scares that have become a fashion in recent times. A clever, riveting supernatural, part psychological drama that fits many genres into one film which pays off in the end. Disguised as a "Supernatural" film but this is actually a revenge driven drama towards the end with frequent character shifts that are fast. The film blurs the lines between reality & fiction to deliver a psychological shock & that will someday have the respect it truly deserves. It does not register or decipher what is happening but follows imaginary stimuli. In this way, reality, and fiction merge, they can no longer be differentiated. Darkness is a popular film element, and it comes across as striking.

If one releases oneself from the expectation that there must be a 'thrill' behind the gripping opening where a patient pulls trigger on Dr Indran (Kumar Natarajan) and series of suicide follows. There are no questions left on closer observation when the final title begins. In addition to the quality of the content, there is a formal implementation that works on the story in the smallest detail right from the beginning till the credits roll. And then, we are introduced to Selvam (Vinoth Kishan), a blind librarian, a MEDIATOR helping people in the library whose roots hold a mysterious past. Then we meet Vinod (Arjun Das) a cricket coach who lives in a flat. Unfortunately, things are not going well in his life and there is a sense of guilt that prevails. It is difficult for him to cope with the death of his best friend. The room where he stays is a great setting and at the same time a reflection of his conflicts and unstable character. The environment creates eerie shadows from which indefinable noises emerge all the more clearly in later part of the film. He has a landline to communicate with the outer world and like a puzzle rummaging in the streets for smoke breaks that doesn't look like one at first. And then there is this stranger who keeps calling him to his landline number. Vinod goes crazy because he thinks he is tapped or blackmailed. From then on, Vinod hears strange noises, voices and rumbling in his house. It brings him to the brink of a nervous breakdown. The strange occurrences lead him to believe that there is a psychological problem, and he is advised to fix an appointment with a psychiatrist. Having someone unknown call you and never being able to find them with this as the backdrop the film introduces more threads in the screenplay.

What follows is a great mystery and I asked myself whether this topic of Darkness vs Light could fill an entire film. After all, the tension had to be maintained for nearly 3 Hrs and I think the film does that quite cleverly, but it takes some time to get going.

On the other hand, the film convinces with a dense atmosphere and good camera work that shuttles back and forth between flashbacks during the narrative. Still, "Andhaghaaram " is a very interesting film, which is not entirely conclusive and leaves few questions. It almost looks like a cinematic experiment in genre crossover. If you like horror films to be clear and unambiguous, you won't have much fun here. Anyone who loves suspense and supernatural horror will be in good hands in this film. Kudos to the entire team of Andhaghaaram for this indie gem.