Director: Ram Kumar

Cast: Vishnu Vishal, Amala Paul

‘However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light’- Stanley Kubrick

Director Ram Kumar made a real mark in Tamil cinema with his first film Mundasupatti in 2014. He is now back with his second film Raatchasan and boy, what a contrast this one is when compared to his first! Mundasupatti was jovial, light hearted and full of funny moments whereas Raatchasan takes you along on a dark road laid by a barbaric serial killer. The director however handles this shift with ease and delivers what is arguably the best crime thriller in Tamil cinema so far this year.

Arun (Vishnu Vishal) has aspirations of becoming a film maker. However, he does not seem to get his break and due to circumstances, is forced to take up a job as a sub-inspector in the Police department. A series of kidnappings and murders of young girls seems to be taking place across the city and Arun floats a theory to his superiors that all these killings could be the work of the same crafty serial killer. His theory is shot down initially but his Department is forced to take him seriously when it is revealed that the killer leaves a trophy behind during each killing. The killings are all extremely gory and it becomes personal when one of Arun’s own becomes a victim. Arun starts collecting evidence to try and find any trace of who the killer could be but frequently finds his efforts obstructed by egotistic superiors in his own Department. Arun finally gets a solid clue from Viji (Amala Paul) who had also been his niece’s class teacher. This clue leads him to some startling findings and he is finally able to deduce the identity of the killer through a complex web of events. A bloody chase ensues as Arun tries to take the killer down before more damage is inflicted as Viji’s orphaned niece is also kidnapped. The film climaxes with a showdown between Arun and the killer and leaves you satisfied at the end of it all with most questions answered well.

Vishnu Vishal has delivered a terrific performance in a role that is probably a little out of his comfort zone. All other actors have also put in a real shift and the director has extracted what he wanted from them. Ghibran’s re-recording keeps the tension up and Sankar’s cinematography captures the conflict and suspense extremely well. You do think the film could have been trimmed by a few minutes. A shorter film would have been even more impactful, though on the other hand, you have to laud the Director’s effort to explain everything and not leave any loose ends.

Overall rating: 4/5