Immortal Review: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Immortal has a fresh idea, a seductive mood, and a gripping middle. Weak VFX, plain visuals, and a messy last twenty minutes stop it from becoming a memorable horror film.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Genre: Romantic Horror
Language: Tamil
Director: Mariyappan Chinna
Cast: G. V. Prakash Kumar, Kayadu Lohar, T. M. Karthik, Kumar Natrajan, Lollu Sabha Maaran
Vampire films often feel like old stories told again. Immortal tries to change that, and it mostly succeeds. The Tamil romantic horror film surprises you with how well it handles its story, even if it cannot match that effort with its visuals.
It opens with a flashback. A tribal woman gives birth to a monster instead of a baby. Her husband leaves the child to face a wolf. Then we jump to the present, where Magi, played by G. V. Prakash Kumar, works at a printing press and needs a house to rent. He gets a call from Sindhu, played by Kayadu Lohar, and visits her apartment. He is charmed by her at once and moves in. The two grow close, and for a while, it feels like a dream.
Of course, dreams in horror films do not last. Strange things start to happen, and Magi learns the truth. Sindhu is a vampire, and she wants his blood. He tries to leave, but he cannot walk out without her permission. She has trapped him in a strange world, and the rest of the film asks whether he can ever break free.
The opening scene gives away a lot, so the vampire backstory is not hard to guess. Still, the makers dig deeper later and take us back 1,000 years. That old, mystical world makes for a nice horror setup. The animation is not breathtaking, but it does the job. The film gets truly scary and interesting once Sindhu stops hiding who she is and starts playing her game in the open.
If you saw Lokah Chapter 1, you may remember how much noise it made. Many felt it was a one time watch with simple, predictable writing. Immortal does better here. Its writing feels fresher, it connects on an emotional level, and it keeps the romantic and scary sides balanced.
G. V. Prakash Kumar starts slowly but gets stronger in the second half. He shows Magi’s frustration well, and his tired, bearded look suits a man stuck in a suffocating place. It is a decent performance, though not a special one. Kayadu Lohar gets the showier role, and she carries the seductive mood of the film with ease. She is eye catching and confident, and her performance holds up too. T. M. Karthik, Kumar Natrajan and Lollu Sabha Maaran have smaller parts and do a fine job.
Now for the weak spots. The creature design is poor, and the VFX does not help. The climax pits Magi against a giant bat like monster, and the fight is closer to funny than frightening. In one scene, the monster bites his neck and drinks his blood, yet there is no wound on him for the rest of the action. Such a basic slip makes you doubt the care taken elsewhere. The final fifteen to twenty minutes also sit badly with the tight pacing before them.
On the technical side, the cinematography is average, but the editing works well and keeps you hooked through most of the two hour runtime. Sam C. S.’s music is not very memorable, though the songs fit the story. The production design is just fine. Director Mariyappan Chinna has a good idea and handles most of it well, but the finale lets him down.
If you want more to watch after this, our Love Always review covers a Tamil fantasy comedy where magic turns an old couple young again. For something with swagger, our Akka review looks at two women fighting over a gold soaked throne. And if you prefer a gentle family story, our Meethe Mein Kya Hai review is a good pick.
Immortal is a promising idea that deserved a better ending. It keeps you interested and has enough seductive charm to stay with you, even if the effects hold it back.
Immortal is a Tamil romantic horror film directed by Mariyappan Chinna.