Asvins Movie Review

'Asvins', starring Vasanth Ravi, Vimala Raman, Saraswathi Menon, Muralidharan, and Udhayadeep, will be released in cinemas on June 23. The film is made by director Tarun Teja Mallareddy for the Telugu and Tamil audience. Since its trailer is intriguing and stokes enough interest, the horror thriller has been awaited by the discerning audience. In this section, we are going to tell you how the movie is...

Plot: The film begins opens with the narration of a centuries-old tale involving a cursed village. Two idols were separated by a demon. Cut to the present, the two idols have to be united for the world to be saved. And one of the idols is in a mansion owned by late archaeologist Aarthi Rajagopal. A handful of YouTubers visits the mansion to make a documentary tracing the mystery behind the death and disappearance of Aarthi. In the process, they accidentally uncover the centuries-old mystery, spurring a dormant demon into existence. Will they survive the ordeal?

Performances: Vasanth Ravi shines in the role of a far-sighted character with illusions and delusions. By the end of the film, we sympathize and empathize with his perpetually confounding character. Vimala Raman appears in an extended cameo and shines in the role of a religious and ritual archaeologist. Saras Menon, Simram Pareek, Muralidaran, and Udhaya Deep are also seen in other roles.

Most of the time, the focus is on Vasanth Ravi's character. The rest of the performers are negligible owing to the screenplay.

Technical Departments: Vijay Siddharth's background score is very good. It can distract you here and there, but the sound design helps elevate his work. Sound Designers Sachin Sudhakaran and Hariharan M take the narrative forward. Director of Photography AM Edwin Sakay could have done a better job. The mansion doesn't feel claustrophobic enough. Production Design by Don Bala is pretty ordinary. Editing by Venkat Raajen is respectable.

Merits:

The storyline.
The performances.
The haunting sound design.

Demerits:

Some lengthy portions.
No jump scares.

Analysis:

The story has a binary called the real world and the cursed world. The drama that unfolds in the latter world is surreal. The climax is open-ended.

The Telugu version has been released by producer BVSN Prasad of 'Virupaksha' fame. The film is based on a short film made by director Tarun Teja.

If you are a fan of moody horror movies, this one might impress you. The reference to an old tale involving two Rig Vedic deities sets the tone for the movie. The first half, at about an hour, sets up the story. The second half is where the actual story takes place.

Verdict: 'Asvins' is a watchable horror drama with impressive sound design and score. The storyline is a merit.