‘Akaali’ is a 2024 Tamil horror thriller film, which is currently streaming on the ‘Aha’ OTT platform with Telugu audio. The film is the debut directorial effort of Mohammed Asif Hameed. Actors like Nassar, Swayam Siddha, Vinod Kishan, Thalaivasal Vijay, and Jayakumar Janakiraman play key roles. The film attempts to provide a different experience in the horror genre. However, how successful was the film? Let’s take a look at this review, including the actors’ performance and narrative analysis.
Storyline
The story of ‘Akaali’ begins with the reopening of a murder case that took place seven years ago. Newly appointed investigating officer Shivangi (Swayam Siddha) tries to unravel the supernatural forces and evil entities behind a series of satanic murders in the city. Former police officer Hamza Rahman (Jayakumar Janakiraman) joins her to help her. Who is the mysterious force called ‘Akali’? What is the truth behind these murders? The story revolves around the questions. Unraveling mysteries and fighting supernatural forces are the key elements of the story.
Analysis
The story of ‘Akali’ attempts to blend the horror and thriller genres, but the lack of clarity in the narrative reduces its impact. The film succeeds in creating a scary atmosphere in the first hour, but the director falters in explaining the key points of the story. Unnecessary expository dialogues and jumps between irrelevant scenes make the story confusing. For example, the origin of the ‘Akali’ power is not clearly explained till the end of the film, which leaves the audience unsatisfied.
The second half of the film’s 145-minute runtime is very slow-paced. The screenplay fails to maintain the tension required in a thriller. However, some of the horror scenes (especially the scenes in dark caves and abandoned buildings) provide a scary experience. If the satanic theme in the story had been explored more deeply, the film would have been more engaging.
Actors’ Performance
- Nazar: Senior actor Nazar brings depth to the character with his experience. His role is that of a mysterious saint, a key character in the story who explains the supernatural powers. Nazar makes the character impressive with his dialogue delivery and body language. However, his limited screen time is a shortcoming.
- Swayam Siddha: Swayam Siddha impresses with her performance as Shivangi, but her role is not fully utilized in the story. Although she appears to be a brave investigating officer, her decisions and actions are ambiguous in the story. Swayam Siddha should have been given more strong scenes and emotional depth.
- Jayakumar Janakiraman: Jayakumar has given an impressive performance as former police officer Hamza Rahman. His character acts as an emotional anchor in the story. Jayakumar has effectively portrayed Hamza's past injuries and his fighting spirit. His scenes in the film are the highlight.
- Vinod Kishan & Thalaivasal Vijay: Vinod Kishan appears as a mysterious villain, but his character lacks a proper backstory. Thalaivasal Vijay impresses with his experience even in his limited screen time, but his character also does not make much of an impact.
Strengths of the film
- Atmosphere creation: Cinematographer Giri Murphy has created a terrifying atmosphere with stunning visuals. Abandoned buildings, dark shadows, and deformed statues add a haunting feel to the scenes.
- Music: Anish Mohan's background score adds tension to the horror scenes. Although the music is over the top in some scenes, the film is overall strong.
- Production Design: The production design that effectively portrays the satanic theme gives the film a different flavor.
Weaknesses of the film
- Narrative flaws: Vague narration, unnecessary dialogues reduce the impact of the film. The satanic theme is not analyzed in depth in the story.
- Slow pacing: The slow narration in the second half reduces the suspense that should be in a thriller.
- Character ambiguity: The lack of clarity about the characters of 'Akali' Shakti and Shivangi makes the story confusing.
Technical aspects
Giri Murphy's cinematography is the biggest strength of the film. The shades of horror are effectively depicted in every frame. Although Iniyavan Pandian's editing is tight at some places, it has not been completely successful in improving the pacing of the film.
For Telugu audiences, 'Akaali', which is streaming on 'Aha' with Telugu audio, is a different experience for those who like horror and suspense thriller genres. While the performances of Nassar and Jayakumar, the scary atmosphere are the strengths of the film, the narrative flaws and slow pacing may not impress everyone. Those who like films like 'Tumbbad' and 'Adam Zone' can watch it once.
Rating: 2.5/5
'Akaali' impresses as a horror thriller with its attractive atmosphere and performances, but the clarity of the narrative and pacing need improvement. A film worth watching once on OTT, but it is better to watch it without high expectations.
Final word: 'Akaali' impresses with its visuals and actors' performance, but the narrative flaws do not allow it to reach its full potential. A film worth trying once for horror fans.