Shaji Kailas's film engages the viewers only till the interval part. Post-interval, the story becomes quite predictable and tedious.
Published Aug 24, 2024 | 1:22 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 24, 2024 | 1:22 PM
Bhavana's 'Hunt' is a passable supernatural-investigative thriller. (X)
Bhavana’s latest release helmed by Shaji Kailas, Hunt, has hit the theatres on 23 August. This time, the actor-senior director duo joined hands for a paranormal-investigative thriller.
Shaji Kailas helmed a horror film for the second time; the first was Drona (2010) featuring Mammootty in a dual role. In Hunt, the veteran filmmaker narrates the story by combining investigation thriller with parapsychology.
The director’s efforts are evident from the making style. However, the movie has its positives and its flaws. Let’s check out:
Keerthi (Bhavana) is a forensic surgeon and a rationalist. She is part of a team headed by Potty (Suresh Kumar). However, certain incidents in her life make her believe in parapsychology.
Keerthi’s life takes an unexpected turn after she meets the character played by Renji Panicker as she starts hallucinating. And then, a gruesome murder is reported. As Keerthi discovers the skeletal remains of Dr Sarah (Aditi Ravi) and gets the power to know the whereabouts of a spirit, the mystery starts to unravel.
Writer Nikhil Anand weaves a story around a medical college. The combination of paranormal activity and thriller elements makes for an intriguing watch.
Hunt is more of Shaji Kailas’s typical investigative thriller. However, this time, the filmmaker takes the cinematic liberty and makes the audience feel that superstitions hold.
‘Hunt’ is directed by senior director Shaji Kailas. (X)
Interestingly, the narrative and the incidents remind us of the supernatural horror movies in Hollywood like The Nun films (2018 and 2023). While Hunt can’t be compared with these films, the similarities and the source of inspiration can’t be unnoticed either.
The Malayalam movie also has a slight similarity with Renjith Shankar’s Pretham 2 (2018), where a mentalist resolves the mystery. However, in Hunt, Shaji Kailas-known for his technical expertise-presents the story in his style with fast shots and crisp cuts.
Meanwhile, the murder case of Dr Sarah opens up after five years but surprisingly, the police don’t have a major role to play here, though they are part of the investigation.
Now, Keerthi gets supernatural power, which leads her to the clues to unravel the mysterious murder. How she tracks the culprits form the crux of the film.
Hunt has a good premise blended with paranormal activity and ghost hunting, which offer an edge-of-the-seat experience to the cinephiles who have a taste for horror films. The director treats and presents the horror elements well.
The film also boasts an engaging plot. Shaji Kailas deserves appreciation for convincingly linking the murder in the medical college to parapsychology.
The interesting twists and turns in the climax are something to watch out for. The background music by Kailas Menon sets the right mood for this horror thriller.
However, the film’s script isn’t up to the mark. The movie engages the viewers till the interval part. But, post-interval, the story becomes quite predictable and tedious. The monotonous scenes mostly remind us of Shaji Kailas’s previous works.
Further, the actors who play the real killers in the climax aren’t convincing for the roles, which steals the impact needed for an investigative thriller.
‘Hunt’ is marred by weak writing. (X)
Hunt has some fine performances by the lead actors. It focuses on the life of Bhavana’s Keerthi. The actor, being the central character in the story, efficiently shoulders the film.
Aditi Ravi as Dr Sarah is really good in lighter scenes, especially in the flashback.
Chandu Nath, Anu Mohan, and Dain Davis, who appear as junior doctors, save the film to an extent.
Chandu Nath as Shan pulls off the comedy and intense scenes. The actor already made a mark in the industry with his performances in Phoenix (2023) and Secret Home (2024).
Anu Mohan, Dain Davis, and Ajmal Ameer do justice to their roles.
In all, Hunt is a supernatural-investigative thriller with an interesting plot and good technical support. However, weak writing mars the film.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
