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Kala Reviews

KALA clearly earns its place in the series of recent, very fascinating films in Malayalam Cinema. An audiovisually striking, animalistic and brutal fight, that reveals a lot of the human psyche and the society in which we live.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Apr 7, 2022

Though there is a lot of extreme action in the film, it ends on a different note and also offers the audience an intriguing message. The film can be a visual treat for those who love action movies.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 2, 2021

No question that Kala is a carnival of violence. But, look a little closer, and it offers more than just a bloody duel. It may even give you something worthwhile to think about...

A beautifully crafted home invasion story that also packs in social commentary, a dysfunctional family dynamic and relentless violence.

Full Review | May 25, 2021

In a meta sense, the film follows a fascinating narrative structure that asks us to questions our own perspective as we side with the family before we look 'outside'

Full Review | Mar 29, 2021

Kala Movie review: A furious, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride

Rating: ( 4 / 5).

Kala has the texture of an old-school Hollywood western as well as a spaghetti western. It's a revenge drama that later transforms into a home invasion thriller. Tovino Thomas' Shaji evokes the flawed protagonists from some of the John Ford Westerns made in the 1950s. He also shares some traits with the protagonists of William Friedkin's The French Connection or To Live and Die In L.A. There's also a bit of Travis Bickle-style narcissism inside him. Remember how we were rooting for, almost idolising, Travis Bickle at first, but later found yourself gradually detaching from him because of what he does in that film's second half? We first assume someone in Kala is the 'hero', but then a 'villain' arrives to shatter our perception of both characters. You may surprise yourself by rooting for someone who was initially perceived to be the 'bad guy'. Kala plays with this contrast so beautifully.

Director: Rohith VS

Cast: Tovino Thomas, Divya Pillai, Sumesh Moor, Lal

When we first see Tovino Thomas' Shaji, he resembles a 'mass' hero. But he also has the look of a for-hire thug with a chiselled physique. It's only when his supportive and loving wife (Divya Pillai) and little son enters the picture that we learn about a soft, vulnerable side to his personality. The situation gets more embarrassing when we learn that he is not on buddy-buddy terms with his father (Lal), who keeps Shaji, his wife, and son at a cold distance. Shaji is like that college student who dresses up like a South Indian masala movie hero and rides a Royal Enfield but instantly switches to the 'humble boy-next-door' mode the minute he returns to his parents' home. Shaji is at his softest, humblest form in front of his father -- and he is now tired of living under his shadow. Their equation is reminiscent of Mohanlal-Thilakan from Spadikam or Narasimham , or most recently, Prithviraj-Ranjith in Ayyappanum Koshiyum. Kala subverts the idea of the typical Malayali macho hero.

Shaji walks around as though his life is a 'mass' movie in which he is the hero. During one particular fight scene, he seems to be delighted by the idea that his son is watching him through the window. This scene is slightly disturbing and funny at the same time. Some men are heroes in their own heads but weak to the people occupying their space. You don't for a moment think that Shaji's wife and kid are in awe of what he is doing. He is a restless character who, one assumes, has been desperate to exhibit his 'mass' hero skills for a long time. You also get the sense that he is suffering from an inferiority complex on account of his past failures, particularly with regard to business — a fact which he is constantly reminded of by his father and brother-in-law. He is also the sort of guy capable of theft and then blaming it on a daily wage worker. The class divide, not just among humans but also animals, is suggested. This factor also adds to the film's unpredictability.

When Sumesh Moor's character shows up like Charles Bronson from Once Upon A Time In the West and stirs up trouble, he establishes himself as an adversary who relentlessly pursues Shaji with the intention of -- well, I'll leave it for the viewer to find out. Suffice to say, Shaji goes through the wringer. But he is not someone who takes everything lying down.

Kala has as much fury as the Indonesian film The Raid. The film is a long, bloody duel that impresses with its rawness and ingenuity. Most of the action takes place around Shaji's home and the vast expanse of land surrounding it. But the central conflict is so gripping that you only begin to notice the limited geography when you start thinking about it. The same goes for the number of cast members. When the film opens, it doesn't immediately become apparent if the trouble will be caused by a single individual or several. The suspicious characters are introduced in a way that evokes the films of Sergio Leone. Every gesture, facial tic, water drop, mud, flora and fauna becomes a participant. Some images stand out — two butterflies photographed against the backdrop of two duelling men, or both father and son having a bandaged foot each.

If I have a minor quibble, it's in the way a few portions felt overstretched. These two men seem to possess a near-superhuman endurance level despite going through one intense fight scene after another, which makes you wonder whether either or both will come out of it alive -- or whether both will meet their makers. It requires you to suspend your disbelief to a certain degree. Your appreciation of the film will also depend on your ability to withstand, for a long period, the sight of blood -- and Kala has the characters bleeding a lot. But at the same time, this aspect made me ask why we are willing to digest such insanity in The Raid or other international action thrillers of a similar nature but not in Malayalam or Indian cinema.

Akhil George's camera manages to explore as many inventive angles as possible. Thankfully, this approach doesn't go to Ram Gopal Varma-level extremes. The camera sometimes sits on a gate, moves with Shaji, or sees things from either his or his adversary's perspective, you know, Hardcore Henry-style. At one point, it peers through a snake pit -- we see eggs but not the snake, so the possibility of seeing one around soon adds to the mounting anxiety. In another scene, we get a variation of the split diopter shot when Shaji's senses heighten. Also making a significant contribution is Dawn Vincent's ominous background score and Chaman Chacko's perceptive editing.

When Kala ended, it reminded me of a line from Paatal Lok. "When a dog loves a man, he is a good man. When a man loves a dog, he is a good man." Just like that series, director Rohith VS' new film has dogs playing an important part. A raw action film structured around a man's bond with an animal, Kala attempts to measure a man's worth by the degree of love he has for his pet. Though the concept of the 'good guy' and 'bad guy' doesn't exist here, Kala reveals whose side it is on when the end credits roll -- the placement of the two main actors' names in the end credits should give you the answer.

'Kala' movie review: This Tovino Thomas-starrer is a furious, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride

A still from Tovino Thomas-starrer 'Kala'.

Kala has the texture of an old-school Hollywood western as well as a spaghetti western. It’s a revenge drama that later transforms into a home invasion thriller.

Tovino Thomas’ Shaji evokes the flawed protagonists from some of the John Ford Westerns made in the 1950s. He also shares some traits with the protagonists of William Friedkin’s The French Connection or To Live and Die In L.A.

There’s also a bit of Travis Bickle-style narcissism inside him. Remember how you were rooting for, almost idolising, Travis Bickle at first, but later found yourself gradually detaching from him because of what he does in that film’s second half?

We first assume someone in Kala is the ‘hero’, but then a ‘villain’ arrives to shatter our perception of both characters. You may surprise yourself by rooting for someone who was initially perceived to be the ‘bad guy’. Kala plays with this contrast so beautifully.

When we first see Tovino Thomas’ Shaji, he resembles a ‘mass’ hero. But he also has the look of a for-hire thug with a chiselled physique. It’s only when his supportive and loving wife (Divya Pillai) and little son enters the picture that we learn about a soft, vulnerable side to his personality.

The situation gets more embarrassing when we learn that he is not on buddy-buddy terms with his father (Lal), who keeps Shaji, his wife, and son at a cold distance.

Shaji is like that college student who dresses up like a South Indian masala movie hero and rides a Royal Enfield but instantly switches to the ‘humble boy-next-door’ mode the minute he returns to his parents’ home.

Shaji is at his softest, humblest form in front of his father — and he is now tired of living under his shadow. Their equation is reminiscent of Mohanlal-Thilakan from Spadikam or Narasimham, or most recently, Prithviraj-Ranjith in Ayyappanum Koshiyum. Kala subverts the idea of the typical Malayali macho hero.

Shaji walks around as though his life is a ‘mass’ movie in which he is the hero. During one particular fight scene, he seems to be delighted by the idea that his son is watching him through the window. This scene is slightly disturbing and funny at the same time.

Some men are heroes in their own heads but weak to the people occupying their space. You don’t for a moment think that Shaji’s wife and kid are in awe of what he is doing.

He is a restless character who, one assumes, has been desperate to exhibit his ‘mass’ hero skills for a long time.

You also get the sense that he is suffering from an inferiority complex on account of his past failures, particularly with regard to business — a fact which he is constantly reminded of by his father and brother-in-law. He is also the sort of guy capable of theft and then blaming it on a daily wage worker.

The class divide, not just among humans but also animals, is suggested. This factor also adds to the film’s unpredictability.

When Sumesh Moor’s character shows up like Charles Bronson from Once Upon A Time In the West and stirs up trouble, he establishes himself as an adversary who relentlessly pursues Shaji with the intention of — well, I’ll leave it for the viewer to find out. Suffice to say, Shaji goes through the wringer. But he is not someone who takes everything lying down.

Kala has as much fury as the Indonesian film The Raid. The film is a long, bloody duel that impresses with its rawness and ingenuity.

Most of the action takes place around Shaji’s home and the vast expanse of land surrounding it. But the central conflict is so gripping that you only begin to notice the limited geography when you start thinking about it.

The same goes for the number of cast members. When the film opens, it doesn’t immediately become apparent if the trouble will be caused by a single individual or several.

The suspicious characters are introduced in a way that evokes the films of Sergio Leone. Every gesture, facial tic, water drop, mud, flora and fauna becomes a participant. Some images stand out — two butterflies photographed against the backdrop of two duelling men, or both father and son having a bandaged foot each.

If I have a minor quibble, it’s in the way a few portions felt overstretched. These two men seem to possess a near-superhuman endurance level despite going through one intense fight scene after another, which makes you wonder whether either or both will come out of it alive — or whether both will meet their makers. It requires you to suspend your disbelief to a certain degree.

Your appreciation of the film will also depend on your ability to withstand, for a long period, the sight of blood — and Kala has the characters bleeding a lot. But at the same time, this aspect made me ask why we are willing to digest such insanity in The Raid or other international action thrillers of a similar nature but not in Malayalam or Indian cinema.

Akhil George’s camera manages to explore as many inventive angles as possible. Thankfully, this approach doesn’t go to Ram Gopal Varma-level extremes.

The camera sometimes sits on a gate, moves with Shaji, or sees things from either his or his adversary’s perspective, you know, Hardcore Henry-style.

At one point, it peers through a snake pit — we see eggs but not the snake, so the possibility of seeing one around soon adds to the mounting anxiety.

In another scene, we get a variation of the split diopter shot when Shaji’s senses heighten. Also making a significant contribution is Dawn Vincent’s ominous background score and Chaman Chacko’s perceptive editing.

When Kala ended, it reminded me of a line from Paatal Lok. “When a dog loves a man, he is a good man. When a man loves a dog, he is a good man.”

Just like that series, director Rohith VS’ new film has dogs playing an important part. A raw action film structured around a man’s bond with an animal, Kala attempts to measure a man’s worth by the degree of love he has for his pet.

Though the concept of the ‘good guy’ and ‘bad guy’ doesn’t exist here, Kala reveals whose side it is on when the end credits roll — the placement of the two main actors’ names in the end credits should give you the answer.

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Kala Movie Review: This Tovino Thomas Starrer Is A Celebration Of Raw Violence And Masculinity!

Kala is the action thriller that features Tovino Thomas in the lead role. According to the makers, Kala , which earned an A certificate from the censor board, is the most feel-bad film of the year. The movie, which is directed by Rohith VS, has hit the theatres as leading man-producer Tovino Thomas' first release post-lockdown.

Did the action thriller meet the expectations of audiences? Read Kala movie review here to know...

What's Yay:

Making and Visualisation

Performances

Raw action sequences

What's Nay:

Too many loose ends

Shaji (Tovino Thomas) is an unemployed man who is surviving on his father's (Lal) money after a few unsuccessful business attempts. He spends most of his time with his pet dog, Blackie. A group of labourers arrives at their farm for work, and one of them (Sumesh Moor) has a mission. Things take a different turn when Shaji's wife (Divya Pillai) and son are at her parental house, and his father goes for a medical check-up.

Kala Movie Review: This Tovino Thomas Starrer Is A Celebration Of Raw Violence And Masculinity! | Kala Review | Kala Review And Rating

Script & Direction

Rohith VS, the director himself has written the film along with Yadhu Pushkaran. Kala is an absolute celebration of raw violence and masculinity, which makes it a refreshing watch (especially while considering the overflow of feel-good films in the last few years). This Tovino Thomas-starrer is a dark, violent thriller that stays completely true to its genre.

Unlike the formula films, here we are presented with a protagonist who is egoistic and narcissistic. Shaji is not the epitome of goodness, but he is someone who wants everything to go his way. The director-writer duo succeeds in developing all characters with utmost conviction, which is laudable. Another plus point of Kala is that it never over-explains anything and demands viewers to use their intelligence.

But, the movie does falter at places when the dark tone and eeriness used in the narrative goes over the board. As the trailers suggested, the action sequences take up major portions of the film. While the attention goes completely towards the stunts and technical side, the plot development dies down after a point.

Kala Twitter Review: Here's What Twitterati Think About The Tovino Thomas Starrer

Tovino Thomas has excelled as Shaji, the flawed man. Shaji is entirely different from all the characters Tovino has played on screen so far, and the actor has pulled-it off with absolute ease. Sumesh Moor, who plays the antagonist, delivers a brilliant performance as the youngster who can go to any extent to extract revenge. The rest of the star cast, including Lal and Divya Pillai, are good in their respective roles.

Technical Aspects

Akhil George, the DOP once again proves his mettle with the exceptional visuals of Kala , which creates the perfect backdrop for the raw action thriller. Pheonix Prabhu, who has handled the stunt choreography of the film, has done a brilliant job. The editing by Chaman Chacko is top-notch. The songs and background score by Don Vincent have enhanced the overall mood of the film.

Kala is a celebration of raw violence and masculinity. This Tovino Thomas-starrer is an absolute treat for the action movie lovers but is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

One Box Office Prediction: A Massive Opening Is On Cards For The Mammootty Starrer!

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Kala Movie Review, ‘Not’ Starring Tovino Thomas: A Brutal, Visceral Duel Where Violence Becomes Poetry

Director: Rohith VS

Cast: Tovino Thomas , Sumesh Moor, Lal

Spoilers Ahead…

Rohith VS, who made blessedly-strange films like Adventures Of Omanakuttan and Iblis , returns with another that widens his place as something of an acquired taste. Set in the Kerala monsoons in the late 90's, Kala follows the events that unfurl across two days in Shaji Nivas, a biggish bungalow at the centre of a large areca nut, pepper plantation. The first set of shots paint the picture of a cliched happy family with the father and his young son joking around outside the house with the mother busy cooking inside. Shaji (Tovino Thomas) is busy too because he's bathing his black Cane Corso who they call Blackie. In all this mirth, their son, Appu, asks what seems like a naughty question. "Why don't you ever give me a bath like you give Blackie or…amma?"

It's an intelligent line that works three ways. It establishes Shaji's contribution (or the lack of it) in raising the little boy. It also hints at the importance of this "foreign breed" in the household. And we then get a sense of the kinky sexual energy shared by Shaji and his wife Vidya (Divya Pillai) that seems to spill out of their bedroom and into the world outside. With repetitive use of quick cuts (reminiscent of the 'hip hop montage' in Requiem For A Dream) even for mundane everyday activities, we're looking at the first five minutes of a Sathyan Anthikad movie, if it had been edited by Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall.

But the background music, by Dawn Vincent, seems to believe this is another kind of movie. Apparently there's more to these sunny frames (by the amazing Akhil George). Routine life has seldom felt so, so ominous. When Blackie runs out of the gate and into the plantation, the urgency with which Shaji chases it isn't proportional to an owner looking for his expensive dog. As Shaji runs through the field behind Blackie, we become spectators along with caterpillars, leeches, lizards and butterflies. Both the fair, six-packed Shaji and his big black dog feel unnatural in this extremely natural setting. It's not just the dog but its owner appears foreign too in this landscape, giving us a feeling of dissonance.

Which is odd because Shaji is supposed to feel like the hero. With his Jesus-like beard and hair and Greek God-like body, Shaji even gets the typical hero introduction here. He's also the family man or THE man of Shaji Nivas. When Appu starts crying, he says, "boys don't cry," as though he's grooming Appu. We're speaking about a time when the both of them are in awe of a new Malayalam film called 'Jagannathan' (Mohanlal's name in Aaram Thampuran, directed by 'Shaji' Kailas). And when Appu needs to be entertained, Shaji plays him a cassette of Jackie Chan's Armour Of God. It's like violence is hereditary in this family.

Because that's the sense we get when we meet Ravi (Lal), Shaji's father. That's when you understand why Appu asked Shaji who their house belongs to, his dad or his grandad. Shaji is a different person around Ravi, fearful and subservient. He even has to ask Ravi's permission when he's planning his day. Having lost a lot of his father's money in bad investments, it's like Ravi now has Shaji on a tight leash. And it's only getting worse because he's probably never opened up to his father (or himself) about what this has done to him. Because, "boys don't cry".

But this fear isn't limited to Shaji alone in this house. There seems to be a sense of doubt and worry about the five farmhands who've come there to pluck areca nut. The music and the shaky camera movement gives us the sense that we too should worry for this family. As the family members go about their day, they feel they're being watched. So when Appu sees the main worker Maanu (MGK Vishnu) through a window, he imagines a ghost is staring back at him. Even Vidya, after having taken a bath, feels the need to dry her clothes inside because she feels a perv is amongst them. As they use terms like paandi or attapadi pejoratively to refer to these workers, you sense that there's only room for either fear or disgust for outsiders in Shaji Nivas.

But who really is the outsider here? During their tea break, Maanu explains to the workers how Ravi and his clan usurped the land they rule over today. Even Shaji's stress comes from his need to protect their possessions, including the kilos of pepper they've stored in the warehouse. So you're not really caught off-guard when one of these workers (Sumesh Moor) have a score to settle with Shaji. In Shaji's egoistic need to impress his peers, he ended up killing Moor's dog a while ago. Distraught and hurt at the murder of his companion, Moor now wants to kill Blackie to show Shaji what he's been going through.

It is here that Kala transforms into one of the bloodiest ever battles in Malayalam cinema. From rocks, wooden spears, a cactus, blows, kicks and punches, nothing is off limits in this most visceral duel between the insider and the outsider. Moor hardly gets a line or two but there's a buttload of angst and anger in his madness that's a form of controlled chaos. Even Shaji develops into a fascinating anti-hero. His vulnerability is most evident when it looks like he's just won the battle. After punishing Moor, Shaji negotiates a truce which includes an offer to 'buy' him a bigger, better dog of any breed. And when a worker falls off a tree, Shaji is more concerned about protecting his pepper rather than rushing him to the hospital. It is here that Moor realises that killing Balckie is not going to make Shaji feel the loss he felt. A blow to his ego is far more painful to him.

That's when you sense the difference in the way Shaji and Moor look at their respective dogs. It's like the dogs are a metaphor for their relationship with nature. For Shaji, the thoroughbred Blackie is status, self-respect, wealth and power that needs to be protected and held on to with both arms. If somewhere were to kill it, Shaji would perhaps be happy if they offered him an even more exotic dog because, it's merely a thing for him. But it's not so for Moor. His dog is his companion and his brother. He offers the dog the first sip of the arrack he brews, ever before he tastes it himself. It goes back thousands of years for him with the dog being man's partner. So when an 'outsider' kills it, revenge is as primal as the feeling of hope.

The action choreography is brilliant and the episode-like repetitions of the many many battles is intentional because man versus nature is a never-ending war. Kala subverts every rule of the home invasion thriller by demanding that we ask ourselves, "whose home is being invaded by whom?"

In a meta sense, the film follows a fascinating narrative structure that asks us to questions our own perspective as we side with the family before we look 'outside'. And when Moor ends up reclaiming his throne (it's a toilet) in Shaji Nivas we learn that he could never kill Blackie (we get a brilliant eye shot of him looking at the dog). There were clues everywhere with the opening credits showing Moor's story. It's Moor's name too that appears right on top even in the end credits. Apart from reclaiming his rightful place at the end of the battle, Moor's is also a reclamation of who should be the Malayalam cinema protagonist.

Top cast 22

(as Pramod Veliyanad)
(as Bibin Perumbilli)

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Connections References Armour of God (1986)

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March 25, 2021 (India)
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Trailer Video

Kala Malayalam Movie

Kala is a 2021 Indian movie directed by Rohith V S starring Tovino Thomas, Divya Pillai, Lal and Moor. The feature film is produced by Siju Mathew and Navis Xavier and the music composed by Dawn Vincent.

Tovino Thomas in Kala as Shaji Raveendran

The death of a beloved dog hurls two men into a violent and bloody conflict on a sprawling estate in Kerala.

		Shaji Raveendran
		Vidya Shaji
		Raveendran
	Moor

		Mani Ashan
	Bibin Perumbillikunnel	Anil
	MGK Vishnu	Maanu
	Ashik Safiya Aboobakker	Sathyan
	Abhishek Ganesh R
	Sai Achu
	Master Arish
	Remadevi
	Siju Mathew
	Aneesh Kallarakkal
	Sajeed Pattalam

Director: Rohith V S Producers: Siju Mathew, Navis Xavier Production Company: Juvis Productions Music Director: Dawn Vincent Background Music Composer: Dawn Vincent Song Lyrics Writers: Vinayak Sasikumar , Dawn Vincent Sound Designer: Dawn Vincent Cinematographer: Akhil George Editor: Chaman Chakko Art Designer: Jothish Shankar Original Story Writers: Yadhukrishnan, Rohith V S Action Choregraphers: Phoenix Prabhu, Basidh Al Gazzali, Irfan Ameer

- Jul 10, 2020

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‘Kala’ movie review: A mindless celebration of violence

Vagueness is the hallmark of this tovino thomas-starrer all through, which leaves too much to our imagination.

Updated - March 25, 2021 06:01 pm IST

Published - March 25, 2021 05:58 pm IST

A still from ‘Kala’

When a film advertises itself as ‘the feel-bad film of the year’, one is bound to feel thankful, having experienced an overdose of feel-goodness at the cinema in recent years. Yet, by the time ‘Kala’ (Weed) ends, one is left ruing the fact that the warning in that advertisement was not taken seriously, for it delivers what it promises.

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At the center of it all is Shaji (Tovino Thomas), a man who revels in his masculinity and competes in ferocity with his pet dog of an exotic breed. He survives mostly on his father (Lal)’s money. We get enough hints that Shaji has already wasted quite a lot of it in unsuccessful ventures. The events in the film happen over the course of a day, when his father (Lal) is out for a medical checkup and wife (Divya Pillai) is away at her parents’ house. Alone in the house with a few workers who have been hired to harvest the vast arecanut plantation attached to the plot, Shaji comes face to face with someone who is out to seek revenge for an event from his past.

Director: Rohith.V.S
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Lal, Divya Pillai
Storyline: A man’s life takes a violent turn, when someone from his past returns to take revenge

Rohith.V.S, who debuted with the quirky ‘Adventures of Omanakuttan’ and went on to do ‘Iblis’, returns with a film which is unlike his past works. In ‘Kala’, he has chosen to do a dark, violent drama, where just quite a lot of blood is spilled. While that consistent habit of experimentation is laudable, this work sorely lacks in substance and seems to yearn for appreciation for its technical output, most notably the fast cuts, which are overdone in some places, and the visuals.

In the initial half, the eerie background tone and visuals are used to create a sense of foreboding, even for scenes in which nothing really happens. Vagueness is the hallmark of the film all through. It is almost the opposite of some films which over-explain things and insult the audience’s intelligence. This vagueness can be seen in how the characters are written and in how the narrative plays out. Right from the exact reasons for the fear and mental pressure that Shaji’s wife talks about, to Shaji’s past, and the reasons for his peculiar nature are painted in broad strokes, leaving too much to our imagination.

Much of the attention instead is invested in the action sequences, which fills up almost the entire second half of the film. While some of the raw action does thrill us initially, the novelty soon wears off as the two men get involved in a mortal combat, almost reminiscent of the popular old computer game. The underlying theme of the story seems to be the fightback of the oppressed and the downtrodden against the ones who have pillaged their lands and inflicted extreme cruelty on them. Yet, that theme is somehow lost in what is a celebration of mindless violence, and ironically of masculinity.

Kala is currently running in theatres

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What is the release date of 'Kala'? Release date of Tovino Thomas and Divya Pillai starrer 'Kala' is 2021-03-25.
Who are the actors in 'Kala'? 'Kala' star cast includes Tovino Thomas, Divya Pillai, Lal and Sumesh Moor.
Who is the director of 'Kala'? 'Kala' is directed by Rohith .V .S.
Who is the producer of 'Kala'? 'Kala' is produced by Siju Mathew,Navis Xaviour.
What is Genre of 'Kala'? 'Kala' belongs to 'Psychological,Thriller' genre.
In Which Languages is 'Kala' releasing? 'Kala' is releasing in Malayalam.

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Kaala movie review: Rajinikanth-Ranjith's film gets mixed talk from Telugu audience

Kaala/kala movie review live updates: director pa ranjith's telugu movie kaala (kala) featuring superstar rajinikanth and nana patekar in the lead roles is a crime thriller drama with high action quotient..

Director Pa Ranjith's movie Kaala (Kala) featuring Rajinikanth and Nana Patekar in the lead roles, has received mixed reviews and ratings from the Telugu audience, who say that it is a one time watch.

Kaala is a crime thriller drama that is high on action quotient and director Pa Ranjith has written the script and dialogues in collaboration with Aadhavan Dheetchanya Maginan. The movie has been produced by Dhanush under his banner Wunderbar Films. The film has received a U/A certificate from the censor board and it has a runtime of 2.4 hours.

Read: Kaala movie review by Tamil audience

Kaala movie story: The film revolves around the story of a man, who migrates from Tirunelveli to Mumbai, where he emerges as a virtuous gangster. How he becomes the saviour of Tamil migrants, who are victims of discrimination in the Dharavi slums, forms the crux of the story.

Analysis: Kaala deals with tried and tested story, but Pa Ranjith has made it entertaining with some interesting twists and turns and a message. The movie is dragging and predictable in parts. But the director manages to keep you hooked on to the seats right from the beginning till the end, say the audience.

Performance: As usual, Rajinikanth has delivered an electrifying performance and Kaala is his show. His action, dialogue delivery and mannerism are the highlights of the film. Nana Patekar's acting is another attraction of the movie. Samuthirakani, Aruldoss, Eswari Rao, Huma Qureshi, Anjali Patil, Sukanya, Aravind Akash, Sayaji Shinde, Sampath Raj have done their jobs well and they are also assets, say the audience.

Technical: Kaala has brilliant production values. Santhosh Narayanan's background score, G Murali's picturisation, Sreekar Prasad's editing, choreography of action scenes and punch dialogues are the attractions on the technical front, say the viewers.

Kaala review live updates: We bring you some Telugu viewers' verdict on the movie shared on Twitter. Here is the audience's response.

Satyajith Ankareddy‏ @satyajithpinku

#Kaala is not bad at all, fantastic casting, splendid performances, very impressive Camera work and BGM. Only a weak story line and the length makes it an average watch. @beemji made this better than Kabali. @rajinikanth 's best full length movie in recent times, his acting, timing and styling makes him what he is Eswari Rao was very good, Huma Quereshi, Anjali Patel and @thondankani did very well #Kaala

Nitin Chakravarthy‏ @Nitinreddy1111

Halfway through #Kaala ! Good Despite its terrible start, the proceedings have gained great momentum after @humasqureshi entry. Could expect a winner if the 2nd half is equally good. Superstar at his super best Average 2nd half. Overall An Average movie that can be easily watched once. SUPERSTAR at his best along with Nanapatekar ji who's outstanding as Hari dada. Their combination scenes #Kaala

Varun Kilaru‏ @varunkilaru

#Kaala⁠-The beautifully done 1st half is undone by a lethargic 2nd half! Thalaiva 2.0 is initially refreshing but you start missing the vintage fun and adrenaline pumping moments as the film progresses. Eeshwari,Rain Fight, Police station scene and Thalaiva screen presence

Sharat @sherry1111111

#Kaala First half - first 10 min is good. Last 30 min is very good. Pre interval fight, Interval, BGM, Rajni, Huma were Average till now #Kaala Nana Patekar - what a brilliant actor! #Kaala overall an average fare. Last 30 min is very predictable and routine

HARI KIRAN‏ @harikiranroyal

Ee Slow Songs and Screenplay endira Beemji gaaa #Kaala Rain Fight.. Vintage Rajini. #Kaala 1st Half - Good. Started on a slow note and became interesting towards interval. Vintage Rajini Feel in Rain Fight and Confrontation Scene with Nana Patekar. #Kaala - Hit. Pa. Ranjith handled the subject well this time. Goosebumps inducing dialogues and Vintage #Rajinikanth in many of the scenes. Nana Patekar is too good.

Thyview‏ @Thyview

Flyover fight followed by the epic confrontation between #Thalaivar & #Nanapatekar..sorry it's not confrontation it's pure thalaivar's dominance, What an epic Interval Bang GOOSEBUMPS #Kaala #KaalatheRageofRajinikanth Movies starts off slow and #PARanitg slowly changes gear and all this doesn't matter when you have Thalaiva on screen and the chemistry between #Rajni & #EshwariRao , its just a treat to watch... 1st half, it's fun filled with some mass elements #Kaala Kudha ka hukum , kaala ka kasam, mein thuje Chodunga Nahi....What a scene to go head to head with Super Star , Nana Patekar , What an actor #Kaala #Kaala climax is a celebration of an euphoria called RajniKanth on Big Screen.. As @dhanushkraja is the biggest fan of thalaivar, the climax is sort like his ode to the India's biggest super star Last time @beemji used the actor @rajinikanth, this time he left no stone unturned, he just unleashed the Super Star on screen, especially in the 1st half , interval Bang...Wow just Wow #Kaala and also the police station scene in the beginning of 2nd half, thalaivar in full form With an excellent 1st half and a decent 2nd half with good climax makes #Kaala an enjoyable ride Thyview Rating : 7.5 / 10 #Kaala 2nd half starts on high with the police station scene & confrontation between NANA & Thalaiva and it bogs down a little just a little. I personally would have liked more hair raising moments in 2nd half . #NanaPatekar is excellent as villian. Just too good (1/2) And coming to #Kaala family, #EshwariRao is too good and @thondankani Gaaru, @humasqureshi and the actors who acted as the sons are perfect in their roles. Technically the movie is solid , The cinematography & #SantoshNarayan BGM is excellent #KaalatheRageofRajinikanth

B.Abhishek‏ @maverix111

First half done ..such outdated rowdyism ..disjointed scenes with too much build up only to fizzle out immediately ..not sure y he accepted it ..has nothing to offer..slow mo shots n lengthy to put u to slumber..#kaala Second half had some really good scenes until a certain point ..the confrontations and all were nice which could have led to a good showdown but the pre-climax and climax scenes make it a total dud..senseless...maybe a feast for his fans but difficult to like it ..#Kaala

VamsiShekar‏ @UrsVamsiShekar

#Kaala Press Show: Simple, cool & stylish entry of @rajinikanth. Manchiki Naa help yeppudu untundi - Rajinikanth #Kaala Dialogue #Kaala Actress #EaswariRao plays a typical nagging wife of Rajini. @humasqureshi plays the role of a social activist who lands in Dharavi to develop it. Background music by @Music_Santhosh is terrific, especially in action episodes #Kaala Bollywood actor Nana Patekar appears just before the end of first half. Essays a politician #HariDada..Confrontation scenes of @rajinikanth and Nana Patekar looks very natural and executed well by director First Half: A commercial gangster based film. Introduces us to the basic plot of living and existence in slums(Dharavi).. Dialogues by @rajinikanth are effective as usual @rajinikanth & Nana Patekar compete with each other with their extraordinary performances in second half | @humasqureshi @beemji @Music_Santhosh @LycaProductions @wunderbarfilms |

Yogesh Naidu‏ @_YogeshOfficial

#Kaala 1st half is just bang bang bang! The charisma, power punch, style! Vintage #rajinikanth! The rain fight was. The fire that was missing for sometime in him has come back this time around! Still in the awe of the rain fight! Damn!

Vamsi Kaka @vamsikaka

#Kaala is one of the finest works of Superstar Rajinikanth. Each & every actor delivered their best in this film. Kaala's Mass Scenes + Santosh Narayanan's BGM = Unlimited Goosebumps stuff. Rain Fight, Hero & Villain confrontation scenes are Kickass.

Suresh Kondi‏ @V6_Suresh

Good first half.. Many #Rajinikanth moments.. Rain fight, Interval block are highlights.. @Music_Santhosh BGM stands out. #Kaala #కాలా

Nikhil Reddy‏ @sainikhilreddy7

#Kaala interval now at Salem and the person beside me and in front of me both are watching your review @itisprashanth . Realised today how popular you are . #Kaala First half- Thalaivar @rajinikanth rocking it with his screen presence ...

RaJiV‏ @RajivAluri

#Kaala is a political drama dealing with Land grabbing issue in a boring way..Few scenes were good and Rajinikanth is good in his vintage avatar.Overall the film lacks punch in narration.

Telugu360 @Telugu360

Flyover fight followed by Interval block are superb mass Rajini Elements in First half. BGM & Cinematography are excellent #Kaala final report - An slow paced Pa Ranjit film that showcases fight against oppression in Dharvi. Few episodes with Rajinikanth are excellent. #Kaala Review -- Struggle of urban poor narrated in Pa Ranjith style. While the movie gets off to a promising start, it fizzles down at the end. We are going with 2.75/5

123telugu @123telugu

First Half Report: #Rajinikanth 's screen presence, pre-interval action block and interval episode are highlight of the first half. #Kaala #KaalaFDFS

Rayalaseema Chinnodu‏ @InceptedDream

#Kaala Above average to Hit.. rest depends upon Rajini how he manages to pull the crowd from day 2

PuvvalaVirat‏ @PuvvalaVirat

#Kaala ONE TIME WATCH for HARDCORE FANS !! Interval bang and title song at the climax are enough for me !!! #Rajinikanth garu masss

Mirchi9‏ @Mirchi9

#Kaala first half report- Decent. Superstar @rajinikanth looks at much more ease compared to #Kabali in #Kaala. The lungi clad avatar and small mass mannerism and style are a treat for fans. Final report: #Kaala is a one-time watch affair with Superstar @rajinikanth and #NanaPatekar pulling the strings. Check our brief report, review coming soon.

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Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter was among the first critics to review Horizon Chapter 2 after its Venice premiere. And while Felperin said the second chapter is “more fun to watch” than Horizon Chapter 1 , the critic’s observations were not good.

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“This second three-hour tranche of Wild West-themed soap-operatic drama, premiering at Venice, has basically the same problems as its predecessor: too much setup and not enough payoff; jagged editing that only highlights the lack of harmony between its disparate narrative strands; and cliché-tinged production values that often make it feel corny and old-fashioned, and not in a good way,” Felperin writes.

VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Isabelle Fuhrman, Director Kevin Costner, Abbey Lee and Georgia ... [+] MacPhail attend the "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2" red carpet during the 81st Venice International Film Festival at Sala Giardino on September 07, 2024 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)

Other ‘Horizon 2’ Reviews Aren’t Much More Positive

Among the other critics from Hollywood’s major trade publications reviewing Horizon Chapter 2 was Jessica Kiang of Variety , who remained frustrated by Kevin Costner’s ambitious Western epic.

Summarizing Horizon Chapter 2 , Kiang, like THR found some positive things to say in her review, but ultimately panned the film.

“Despite often superb, old-school western technique, the second 3-hour-plus installment of Costner's passion project is just as unwieldy and bewilderingly scattershot as the first,” Kiang writes.

Meanwhile, the headline of the review of the film by The Wrap’s Ben Croll reads in part, “Kevin Costner’s Slow and Flat Sequel Unlikely to Win New Fans.”

Croll also called Horizon Chapter 2 “more soap opera than spectacle.”

Horizon Chapter 2 —which screened out of competition—closed out the 81st edition of the Venice International Film Festival.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 is still awaiting a U.S. release date.

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The Greatest of All Time

There’s a decent-sized twist partway through “The Greatest of All Time,” a new Tamil-language Indian action showcase for forever youthful-looking star Vijay. I must spoil you, dear reader, not only to illustrate how far Vijay will go to substantiate both the movie’s title and his self-appraised versatility but also to explain why this movie is a superior Vijay vehicle. Besides, this plot twist happens within the first hour of the movie’s three-hour runtime and has already been foregrounded in several reviews, so it seems to be fair game. That said, please stop reading now if you wish to remain virginal and unspoiled.

In Vijay’s recent movies, the now 50-year-old leading man takes time to boast about his range, like when he’s hailed as a “multifaced tiger with a multifaceted avatar” in the concluding song from “Beast,” an unhinged and very entertaining 2022 “Die Hard” clone. In “The Greatest of All Time,” Vijay plays two main roles so that he can literally fight a younger version of himself, seemingly de-aged either by artificial intelligence software or bad computer graphics.

Either way, Vijay stars as Gandhi, the widely revered super-spy, and also Jeevan, Vijay’s bashful son. That sort of twist isn’t anything new from mainstream Indian cinema, as Amitabh Bachchan’s fans can tell you (I’ve only seen two of the six or more movies where Big B plays his own father). Innovation isn’t either Vijay or “The Greatest of All Time”’s main strength. Rather, it’s the vigor with which director Venkat Prabhu and his collaborators match their chipmunk-cheeked star and his love of melodramatic overkill.

As both Gandhi Sr. and his adult child, Vijay’s character depends entirely on whatever the scene needs him to be. In early scenes, Papa Gandhi is an Ethan Hunt-type force of nature, like when he confronts terrorists on a moving train in Kenya armed with a mask and complicated voice-altering technology. He’s also a generically truant father and a comically bad liar to his very pregnant and very anxious wife Anu (Sneha), who suspects that Gandhi’s cheating on her.

Gandhi’s two worlds soon collide on an ill-fated trip to Bangkok, which results in the kidnapping and presumed death of his son Jeevan (Akhil, in establishing scenes). Sixteen years pass; grey hairs cover up Gandhi’s dimples. He’s sadder and wiser now, and also not on speaking terms with his wife, not until an unexpected reunion caps off an impromptu melee at the Indian embassy in Moscow. Gandhi recognizes someone across the way. Time slows to a crawl. Is that—could it be—a second Vijay?

Jeevan’s return sets up a staid pre-intermission twist, soon explained by a conventional chain of post-intermission flashbacks, whose sheer bleak-ness soon tips over into a thrilling sort of look-ma-no-brakes heedlessness as terrorism, child trafficking, and corporal punishment are thrown together to create quite the backstory.

Prabhu (“Custody”) and his fellow writers never hesitate to over-deliver on their movie’s pulpier promises (the child-trafficking stuff is a bit much). Their tendency to overdo it comes to a full head once Vijay throws himself into the role of his own son. He’s not yet a great ham, but his mustache-twirling version of Jeevan leads to the movie’s best musical number, which features both the best group choreography and best song (“Matta,” or “Drunk”) as well as Vijay’s best character-driven dancing in this and most of his other recent movies. Better yet, the inevitable Vijay vs. Vijay fight delivers most of what you should want from such a confrontation, including cricket-related peril, a bomb scare, and an airborne motorcycle.

With “The Greatest of All Time,” Vijay celebrates himself in very literal and often amusing ways, including a few callbacks to his own earlier movies, like “Thirumalai” and “Ghilli,” the last of which was re-released earlier this year in India, where it broke box office records. And in case you miss those references, some well-annotated subtitles will help orient you. Vijay’s been riding a wave of success throughout the pandemic, and “The Greatest of All Time” suggests that he doesn’t take that for granted. Here he delivers the best of his recent movies’ dance numbers as well as the most polished fight and action scenes, as well as more crowd-pleasing tangents and dramatic build-up than even in “Master,” his best recent movie. “The Greatest of All Time” still makes a lusty grab for that distinction simply by going for broke harder than most.

When it comes to broad comedies and unabashed melodramas, I’m usually not satisfied unless the moviemakers commit to exhausting whatever genre movie clichés or tropes that they’re futzing about with. “The Greatest of All Time” comes close enough to that ideal and on a fairly consistent basis.

Simon Abrams

Simon Abrams is a native New Yorker and freelance film critic whose work has been featured in The New York Times , Vanity Fair , The Village Voice, and elsewhere.

Vijay as Gandhi / Jeevan
Sneha as Gandhi's Wife
Laila as Doctor
Meenakshi Chaudhary as Srinidhi
Venkat Prabhu

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‘the front room’ review: brandy norwood shines in a24’s offbeat psychological horror movie.

A pregnant woman is relentlessly harassed by her husband's cruel stepmother in the feature directorial debut by Max and Sam Eggers.

By Justin Lowe

Justin Lowe

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Max and Sam Eggers , siblings to Robert Eggers ( The Witch , the upcoming Nosferatu ), clearly appreciated the power of casting when selecting Brandy Norwood as the lead for their debut feature. Taking on her first substantial horror role since 1998’s I Still Know What You Did Last Summer , the iconic actress practically guarantees instant recognition for The Front Room , although the power of her performance alone would have been sufficient to assure attention for this oddball horror film.

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‘The Front Room’ Review: A Force Too Malevolent for This Movie

Kathryn Hunter is enjoyably creepy in this new horror film starring Brandy Norwood. Too bad the rest of the freakouts are predictable.

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A white-haired woman in black, with a pillbox hat, a gold watch and wedding ring and two burnished wood canes.

By Manohla Dargis

The first time that Kathryn Hunter appears in the ho-hum horror movie “The Front Room,” her head is forebodingly obscured by a veil. She’s at the funeral of her husband, who, you suspect, probably left this mortal coil unwillingly. It’s too bad that he couldn’t stick around longer because if he had, the poor guy would have been able to watch Hunter — as a flamboyantly malicious force named Solange — rapidly get her weird on, inching into the shadows like a malevolent spider while weaving a progressively stickier, ickier web.

Hunter greatly enlivens “The Front Room,” so it’s too bad she is mostly relegated to supporting duties in this tale. Its featured attraction is Belinda (Brandy Norwood), an anthropology professor who quits in a fit of pique shortly after the story opens. She has her reasons, more or less; she feels understandably aggrieved and undervalued at work, but given that she’s pregnant, and that she and her husband, Norman (Andrew Burnap), need the money, it’s clear common sense isn’t her strong suit. This first impression deepens into an irksome trait when she and Norman learn that Solange — his stepmother — will help them out if she can move in with them. Since they’re cash-hungry, they agree; woo-woo trouble ensues.

The writer-director twin brothers Sam and Max Eggers, making their feature directorial debut, have a grasp of the genre’s fundamentals: They know how to stage an unwelcoming house, and how to play with light and shadow. But either they don’t know or don’t care how easy is it for viewers to lose interest in characters who, like Belinda and Norman, consistently make wrong choices. It brings out the sadist in you (or maybe it’s just me), especially when those wrong choices are so obviously a matter of narrative contrivance and weak character development. (“The Front Room” is loosely based on a short story of the same title by Susan Hill about a couple who, inspired by a sermon, charitably take in a widowed relative.)

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Kala (2021)
Kala (2021)
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Kala movie review: Tovino Thomas starrer makes moments of violence feel
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Kala (2021)

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Kala
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Kala
The death of a beloved dog hurls two men into a violent and bloody conflict on a sprawling estate in Kerala. Watch Kala with a subscription on Prime Video. A beautifully crafted home invasion ...
Kala Movie Review: A visual treat for those who love action movies
Kala Movie Review: Critics Rating: 3.5 stars, click to give your rating/review,Though there is a lot of extreme action in the film, it ends on a different note and also offers the.
Kala review: Tovino Thomas delivers a bold, unapologetic carnival of
Movie Review; Kala review: Tovino Thomas delivers a bold, unapologetic carnival of violence; Premium. Kala review: Tovino Thomas delivers a bold, unapologetic carnival of violence ... Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Written by Manoj Kumar R Bengaluru | May 20, 2021 22:07 IST. 4 min read. Kala is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Kala
Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets ... Kala Reviews All Critics ...
'Kaala': Five reasons why you should watch Rajinikanth starrer
Also Read: Kaala Movie Review. Santhosh Narayanan's kickass music Be it the thumping 'Semma Weightu' and 'Onti Thala Raavana' or the beautiful 'Chittamma', Santhosh delivered a hit ...
Kala Movie review: A furious, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride
Kala is a Malayalam film that follows Tovino Thomas as Shaji, a man who faces a relentless adversary after a heist gone wrong. The film is a furious, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride that subverts the idea of the typical Malayali macho hero and plays with contrast and unpredictability.
'Kala' movie review: This Tovino Thomas-starrer is a furious
4 min read. Kala has the texture of an old-school Hollywood western as well as a spaghetti western. It's a revenge drama that later transforms into a home invasion thriller. Tovino Thomas ...
Kala (2021)
Particularly emphasizing the brilliant technical side of this movie which includes cinematography, virtual effects, editing, foley, color grading, background music, sound designing, and fight choreography. Kala sticks to what it promised; The feel-bad movie of the year, but views on it are highly subjective.
Kala Movie Review: This Tovino Thomas Starrer Is A ...
Kala is the action thriller that features Tovino Thomas in the lead role. The movie, which is directed by Rohith VS, has hit the theatres as leading man Tovinos first release post-lockdown. Read ...
Kala Movie Review, 'Not' Starring Tovino Thomas: A Brutal, Visceral
Kala is a Malayalam film that subverts the home invasion thriller genre by questioning who is the invader and who is the invaded. It follows a brutal, visceral fight between Shaji, a wealthy landowner, and Maanu, a farmworker who seeks revenge for his dog's death.
Kala (2021)
Kala: Directed by Rohith V.S.. With Tovino Thomas, Lal, Divya Pillai, Pramod Velliyanad. A psychological thriller that revolves around Shaji who faces an intriguing conflict with the many layered shades of human behavior.
Kala Movie Review: Tovino Thomas' Thriller Is a Brutal ...
Kala is a Malayalam thriller written and directed by Rohit VS. The movie stars Sumesh Moor, Tovino Thomas, Lal, and Divya Pillai. Tovino has also produced the movie. Kala is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. 🎥 Kala Movie Review: Tovino Thomas' Thriller Is a Brutal Saga That Pokes Holes Into Alpha Masculinity (LatestLY Exclusive).
Kala (2021)
Kala Malayalam Movie. Kala is a 2021 Indian movie directed by Rohith V S starring Tovino Thomas, Divya Pillai, Lal and Moor. The feature film is produced by Siju Mathew and Navis Xavier and the music composed by Dawn Vincent. The death of a beloved dog hurls two men into a violent and bloody conflict on a sprawling estate in Kerala.
'Kala' movie review: A mindless celebration of violence
In 'Kala', he has chosen to do a dark, violent drama, where just quite a lot of blood is spilled. While that consistent habit of experimentation is laudable, this work sorely lacks in ...
Kala Movie: Showtimes, Review, Songs, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos
Kala Movie Review. Times Of India. The Times of India, TNN, Mar 25, 2021, 05.14 PM IST Critic's Rating: 3.5/5. Story: The life of Shaji, a laid-back youngster, turns upside down when someone from ...
Kala Movie Review : 'Kala' Is A Must-watch Of Haunting And Thrilling
Kala Movie Review - Kala is directed by Rohit R.S who is well known for his unique works like Adventures of Omanakuttan and Ibilis. 'Kala' is a must-watch of haunting and thrilling experience
Kala Ending Explained: Decoding the Violent Climax of Tovino ...
Kala is a Malayalam thriller written and directed by Rohit VS. The movie stars Sumesh Moor, Tovino Thomas, Lal, and Divya Pillai. Tovino has also produced the movie. Kala is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. 🎥 Kala Ending Explained: Decoding the Violent Climax of Tovino Thomas and Divya Pillai's Malayalam Thriller (LatestLY Exclusive).
Kaala movie review, Kala rating by Telugu audience: Live updates
Kaala movie review: Rajinikanth-Ranjith's film gets mixed talk from Telugu audience Kaala/Kala movie review live updates: Director Pa Ranjith's Telugu movie Kaala (Kala) featuring superstar Rajinikanth and Nana Patekar in the lead roles is a crime thriller drama with high action quotient.
O Kala Telugu Movie Review
Release Date : April 13, 2023 123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5 . Starring: Gourish Yeleti, Roshni Sahota, Prachi Thaker, Devi Prasad & Others Director: Deepak Kolipaka Producer: Navya Mahesh M, Ranjith Kumar Kodali Music Director: Neelesh Mandalapu Cinematography: Akhil Valluri Editor: Satya Giduturi Related Links : Trailer
Kala
Check out the exclusive TV Guide movie review and see our movie rating for Kala
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie review (2024)
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is an overstuffed toy bag of a movie: every minute or two, the director digs into the bag and produces a new toy. It's a return to form for director Tim Burton only in the sense that, like Burton early in his career, it's not interested in form, except at the immediate level of the image and the scene.
'Horizon: An American Saga
Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 is the latest installment in writer-director-star Kevin Costner's planned four-part film series, which opened in the U.S. this past July to many poor ...
Critics Rip Kevin Costner's 'Horizon Chapter 2' In First Reviews After
Early reviews of Kevin Costner's "Horizon: American Saga: Chapter 2 are out after its Venice Film Festival premiere on Saturday, and critics remain unimpressed. Subscribe To Newsletters.
The Greatest of All Time movie review (2024)
Jeevan's return sets up a staid pre-intermission twist, soon explained by a conventional chain of post-intermission flashbacks, whose sheer bleak-ness soon tips over into a thrilling sort of look-ma-no-brakes heedlessness as terrorism, child trafficking, and corporal punishment are thrown together to create quite the backstory.. Prabhu ("Custody") and his fellow writers never hesitate to ...
'Wolfs' Review: Brad Pitt & George Clooney in Light, Cunning Actioner
Jon Watts ('Spider-Man: Homecoming') wrote and directed this New York-set action comedy, which will roll out on Apple TV+ after premiering in Venice.
8 New Movies Our Critics Are Talking About This Week
'Rebel Ridge' When a local cop unjustly confiscates his cousin's bail money, a former Marine (Aaron Pierre) challenges small-town corruption in this somewhat somber thriller from Jeremy ...
'Lover of Men' Review: The Heart of President Lincoln
About a century ago, the poet and biographer Carl Sandburg remarked upon the "streaks of lavender" in Abraham Lincoln and a Southern gentleman named Joshua Speed.
'The Front Room' Review: Brandy Norwood Shines in Offbeat Horror Movie
Brandy Norwood stars as a pregnant woman terrorized by her mother-in-law in A24 horror 'The Front Room,' the directorial debut of Max and Sam Eggers.
'Rebel Ridge' Review: Their Corruption, His Destruction
This crime drama from Jeremy Saulnier stars Aaron Pierre as a man whose run-in with small-town police officers uncovers uncomfortable secrets. By Amy Nicholson When you purchase a ticket for an ...
'The Front Room' Review: A Force Too Malevolent for This Movie
The first time that Kathryn Hunter appears in the ho-hum horror movie "The Front Room," her head is forebodingly obscured by a veil. She's at the funeral of her husband, who, you suspect ...