Kara

Two days ago , a news broke out in Odisha about a man digging up his deceased sister's grave and brought her skeleton to the bank just to prove she has died . Today , Vignesh Raja's sophomore film opens in theatres . If you had seen the film , you would understand what the news in Odisha got to do with this film . Let's start by acknowledging the small details first . Firstly , I appreciate the names given to the characters in Kara . Our protagonist is called Karasaamy with other characters named Bharathan , Muthu Selvan and Kasi Maayan . There's something refreshing about your characters having memorable names unlike some mega budgeted films that genuinely makes you think they graduated from the school of J.K. Rowling when it comes to naming characters . Secondly , let's talk about the writing . Vignesh Raja is one of the few to credit his writer instead of taking it all for himself . What I mean by credit is actually including the writer’s name in every promotional material and not just during the end credits . After their previous outing , Vignesh Raja and Alfred Prakash have come up with a rural heist thriller that starts on a high note . While maintaining the momentum over the course of its runtime , it eventually falters into a melodrama . The story mainly centers around three characters - a small time yet precise burglar , a soon - to - retire , down on his luck cop and a corrupt bank manager . One goes after the other that makes it an interesting three - way chase and the world building is great . With an ensemble cast almost bringing their A game , Vignesh Raja justified not casting a dark skinned Tamil girl for this role because Mamitha was impressive during the audition and they had to go with her . Not sure the audition was for which film because in the final output of Kara , Mamitha had no scope to perform with a screen time of barely ten minutes . Either her scenes were left on the floor of editing room or both Vignesh and Alfred simply failed to write a flesh out role for her . Kara opens with an incredible burglary scene and the entire sequence lasting about 20 minutes before the title card drops . The pre - interval heist was masterfully staged . Had me on tenterhooks throughout until Aadukalam Naren walks in . At this point , my palms were sweaty and I was tapping my foot . Good stuff . Karasaamy is shown to be a pious person , constantly seeking his deity’s guidance . You see him asking his aide to pray to a broken padlock as it is his first hit , the trio applying vibuthi before carrying out a heist and even putting a single rupee note on the deity’s temple from the stolen bundle of cash . This character establishment gets a little bit serious when Kara becomes the saviour of his people . Saviour complex is a worn out trope in Tamil cinema and that is exactly what Vignesh and Alfred decided to go with again . This is where the script takes a hit and the protagonist now turns into Robin Hood , not by stealing from the rich and giving it to the poor but by taking what’s rightfully theirs . Even though it highlights an important issue which circles back to the news in Odisha , the climax felt weak . The final confrontation between Kara and Bharathan loses the hype in what’s supposed to be an intense face - off , turns into a social commentary and ends with a lecture . But technically , it is a very well made film with solid writing if you could overlook the climax . Let me make it clear . This is by no means a perfect script . It certainly had its issues but Vignesh and Alfred are the director - writer combo in Tamil cinema that I personally think are destined for great things . Now , let’s talk about Dhanush . Just how good is this man ? Shoulders every scene with conviction and if writing is Vignesh - Alfred’s forte , acting is his . Truly one of the best performer of our time . I hope he’s at the stage where he takes on whichever role he wants , especially with that hell of a line - up . Eager to see how it all works out for him . I see some criticism for its runtime but the pacing is not an issue at all . It’s a slow burner that takes it time but does well to keep you engaged . A good start to 2026 for Tamil cinema with an important film . Hope Dhanush’s contemporaries can keep up .

Mother Mary

When the credits rolled , I was sitting there and wondering " what did I just witness ? ". Hypnotic . David Lowery played with metaphors once again , this time steeped in ambiguity and artistry . It feels like you're reading a book and instead of you flipping the pages , it's the book that is in control of you and wouldn't let you put it down . It's heavy in conversations and relies more on sound and image than narrative . Came to my mind shortly after that there's not a single man in the film . It's just women , mainly Michaela and Anne , living ( or dreading ) in the moment and reassessing old wounds . Anne Hathway was impeccable . Especially the scene where she performs one of her song without any music . The sound of her feet thumping on the wooden floor as she submits herself , hurling her body on it as the floor creaks was like watching someone getting possessed in real time . Though it was titled after Anne's character , you cannot deny that Michaela Coel was truly the heart of this film . Transcendental . Jamming to the soundtrack right now .

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

Take William Friedkin's The Exorcist . Instead of Iraq , it's Egypt here and instead of Pazuzu , it's Nasmaranian . That's what Lee Cronin's The Mummy is . There's no mummy , Ramesses I , Book of the Dead or even flesh - eating scarabs . There was a sarcophagus and scorpion instead but that's it . No embalming or mummification but the usual trope of " evil being contained in a body " makes it a possession genre film . Lee Cronin's The Mummy leans more towards The Exorcist and Evil Dead . It's gnarly and unhinged with a few scenes that genuinely want to make you look away in disgust , top it all off with a no holds barred performance from Natalie Grace as Katie . It also has quite a number of split diopter shots which I think was done purely for the love of the game . Very much an unofficial entry in the Evil Dead franchise and far less of a mummy film . Caught myself smiling every single time May Calamawy was on screen . Bloody fun . Also , Lee Cronin can't seem to miss when it comes to title card . Goes hard this time too .

undertone

Incredible sound design . I had my earphones on with full volume and lights off . What an experience . Even when Evy isn't working on the podcast , the sound of kettle whistling and lights flickering were enough to create the atmosphere . But I think apart from sound design being the biggest strength of this film , the camera often moving while actively toying with us works big time . It slowly creeps up and fully unleashes itself in the third act . Never in my wildest dream I thought I would be creeped out by Baa , Baa , Black Sheep . Maybe try not to work on a horror podcast during the witching hour or listen to nursery rhymes in reverse .

The Drama

Imagine having suicidal thoughts but not going forward with it , just to be judged by someone that have killed before . Made my palms sweaty in the theatre . None of them deserved Emma . Not even Charlie . Zendaya bringing her A - game and honestly , Emma is the most beautiful she has ever looked on screen , still second to Tashi Duncan . Loved the editing style .

Jana Nayagan

A 181 minute of Vijay's agitprop in a wafer - thin plot . Felt like an amateurish attempt at filmmaking which makes no sense because it was a remake of Bhagavanth Kesari yet it's objectively bad . Every Tom , Dick and Harry is elevating Vijay like he's an omnipotent being which gets exhausting at some point . Bobby Deol's villan backstory was truly laughable . Third act has Vijay channeling his inner John Connor to save Tamil Nadu from rogue robots . You have Africans speaking Tamil , a villain that is hellbent on world destruction named Himler ( just replace the M with T and call it a day ) , a disgusting necrophilic joke and a lot more that makes Jana Nayagan unsalvageable . Not to forget the AI slop in the second half . The only saving grace for me is Raavana Mavandaa song and Mamitha Baiju in the climax . Mamitha was kick - ass , especially in that armor . Someone should make a femme fatale film with Mamitha . Such a shame to end your 34 years of legacy on a half - baked film like this . Should've went with at least Atlee or Lokesh Kanagaraj for a much safer yet memorable final film .

The Virgin of the Quarry Lake

A slow burner , coming - of - age drama with a supernatural element . Firstly , I love how Natalia ( or Nati ) , played by an astounding Dolores Oliverio , was written . A no - nonsense teenager navigating her teenage girlhood in the summer of 2001 amidst an ongoing economic crisis and is obsessively pursuing her friend , Diego even at the expense of Diego's girlfriend Silvia . She lives on her own terms , masturbates , listens to music , wears make up , goes shopping and even takes her friend to a male escort so that she can pop her cherry . Sexual desire and jealousy aside , the pure female rage in her eyes during the climax where she lets out a single drop of tear and during the phone call with Silvia were the only times Nati was shown as vulnerable . Such a layered and intriguing character . I think the spell worked because I am indeed spellbound to this film . Kudos to the makers . As the proverb goes " Hell hath no greater fury than a woman scorned " , that's The Virgin of the Quarry Lake for you . Had a grin on my face when it was revealed to be short stories adapted from a book by Mariana Enriquez . I might pick up the book sometime .

Aontas

A gripping thriller , backed by strong performances and a killer score . I understand that it can be tricky to tell a story in reverse chronological order but take a bow , Damian McCaan for pulling it off masterfully . Well edited and the choice to go with a synth based score is genius . Carrie Crowley was incredible throughout the film but the last ten minutes , consider me a fan .

How to Make a Killing

" As the Bible says , the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step . " " Does the Bible say that ? " " No . " " Oh . " This is how you know it's a work of fiction because I would have let go of all my fortune from inheritance just to settle down with Jessica Henwick . All in a heartbeat .

Project Hail Mary

" I put the naut in astronaut . " Make no mistake , this doesn't fall under the best space film category to draw comparison with the likes of Interstellar . This one is full of heart and the kind of film that makes you hopeful . The entire sequence in Tau Ceti e was exhilarating . Beautiful visuals and the buddy bonding between Grace and Rocky was wholesome but the fifth star was warranted when Sandra Huller grabbed the mic and performed Sign of the Times at the karaoke . " Amaze , amaze , amaze " is the word and a great time at the movies . An early contender for Best Picture hopefully and adapted screenplay . Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the film adaptation of Rendezvous with Rama .

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

I am probably in the minority but I genuinely think it's better than the first one . The setting actually reminds me of Craig Zobel's The Hunt , minus the " pact with the devil " part . There's a scene involving an Indian and a washing machine where Grace says " bath time ". That was definitely a choice . It's fun and hilarious but somewhere in the middle gets real bloody between Titus and Faith which could be triggering for some . The fight scene between Grace and Francesca is the cherry on top . Samara Weaving was excellent as usual but Elijah Wood with a limited screen time and Sarah Michelle Gellar ( though I feel a little underutilised ) were truly the standout . Glad to see David Cronenberg on screen . Also , how did they make the goat to kneel ? Or is Samara really that powerful ?

Ready or Not

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

A filler entry but also a fun one . Serves as a prequel as it takes place 200 years before the first film . There's not much going on with the plot . It's the same " fight for the throne " premise with a clever detail to tie in with the first film . Also , a cool namedrop of Helm's Deep .

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

" My friends , you bow to no one . " I have lived three different lives over the course of this trilogy . Truly epic at every scale . Left my mind at Minas Tirith , soul at Rohan and heart at the Shire . The shortest 255 minutes of my life and I was still hoping for more . So much to talk about . When Theoden rallies his Rohirrim at Minas Tirith , giving the battle speech and his army chanting " DEATH ", I was already on the verge of crying . Completely lost it when he says , " Forth Eorlingas ", followed by the war horn and then comes Howard Shore with The Battle of the Pelennor Fields . By the time Eowyn removes her helmet and delivers an iconic " I am no man ", I was in a puddle of tears . Truly a spectacle on the big screen . Legendary filmmaking . Forever grateful .

All That's Left of You

" These used to be our homes . " Palestine is the only place on Earth where you are exiled from your own homeland and treated like a refugee while invaders become the majority . How could one not be radicalised after going through all that ? The story spans over seven decades , from 1948 to 2022 yet nothing has changed . The world failed Palestinians and continues to do so . Incredible performances , especially Saleh Bakri and Cherien Dabis .

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Extended version on the big screen . There's a scene which stood out the most for me ( more so than Battle of Helm's Deep ) where Treebeard , after consulting with Ent council , decides not to partake in the ongoing war as it apparently " does not affect " them and shortly after , witnesses the deforestation caused by war . It's such a simple scene yet holds so much weight . Neutrality is complicity . Act now before it happens to you .

The Testament of Ann Lee

All the glazing for Amanda Seyfried over The Housemaid should have been for this performance . Zero nominations is embarrassing . Could easily sweep at least three or four categories .

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

All these years , I held myself back from watching this film because I knew a day would come where I get to witness the extended edition of this absolute marvel on the big screen . Phenomenal . No notes .

The President's Cake

Men start wars and it's women and children ultimately paying the price . Complete silence in my theatre when the credits started rolling . The final scene and the way it immediately cuts to Saddam's birthday celebration was harrowing . Beautifully shot and another impeccable performance by a child actor .

Predestination