Bhoothakaalam review.

Bhoothakaalam is a Malayalam film directed by Rahul Sadasivan, starring Shane Nigam and Revathy. It was released in the year 2022.

I got to watch this psychological horror film today. To be honest, it's been so long since I watched a horror film. I'm someone who keeps shifting genres instead of leaning towards one particular comfort genre. But I don't know how I missed watching horror films for so long.

Horror films had their wave a few years back across all industries. We got to see filmmakers coming up with sequels, and that kind of went like a season. After that, a genre shift happened, and now it's more action-oriented films. That's why when family dramas and love stories come, they stand out, because we have been lacking such films.

Maybe I should've gone beyond Indian cinema to explore the horror genre. Sure, I'll do that soon. Just like how our youngerselves would watch such scary films even though we were scared. Unconsciously, I've kept this genre away in my adulthood phase, and I think Bhoothakaalam can be seen as the beginning of bringing me back to this genre track.

This film was released during the COVID-19 pandemic. But I believe this deserved a theatrical release. To know why, do read this blog :)

Bhoothakaalam begins with a family of three members. An old lady who is bedridden, and she is taken care of by her daughter and grandson. The grandson is tired of taking care of her. He also sees her as a burden, as he has lost a lot of outstation work opportunities because he must stay in town to look after her.

The next day, his grandmother dies.

Since the beginning, the film sets its dark tone. After the old lady's death, the protagonist senses some unusual and terrifying happenings in his house. But others don't believe him, as he is an alcoholic and a regular smoker. Meanwhile, his mother, tired of her own struggles and dealing with depression after her mother's death, battles loneliness. Mother and son don't really share a personal bond. Both remain rigid and distant.

What happens in the end? Were those unusual events just his hallucinations, or was some spirit behind them? Did his mother believe her son? Did they break the wall between them and reunite? That forms the remaining story.

First of all, what stood out to me was the MAKING. The storyline is very simple, but the execution was brilliant.

To talk about the performances, Shane Nigam and Revathy have just lived as disturbed, depressed individuals throughout the film. Along with them, we too carry that sad, low mood.

I personally loved how Revathy carried herself. She is known for her radiant smile, but here you won't see her smiling at all. That's how depressed the character is. Immeasurable responsibilities, grief, longing for affection and attention, sadness, fear, tiredness, and finally venting out all her emotions — she has simply eaten up the role with her nuanced acting.

I was reminded of Urvashi's role in Ullozhukku.

Ohhh, both are legends.

Shane Nigam's naturalistic acting is a major strength of the film. His physical acting too deserves special mention. He convincingly portrays the deterioration of a young man fighting unemployment, insomnia, hopelessness , and severe anxiety. Especially his breakdown in the climax , it is terrifying to watch.

The supporting characters, too, complement their parts well.

Secondly, to talk about the making, each and every scene, though very simple, is constructed carefully, slowly, making the audience sit on the edge of their seats.

The film uses SILENCE as a weapon. The auditory void drives the audience into a claustrophobic space. I read that the film captured SOUND live on set rather than re-recording it later in a studio. Mundane activities like the mechanical hum of a ceiling fan, hammering on a door, and the scraping of a chair amplify the realism of the haunting.

These unsettling sound elements  and spine chilling background score create a huge impact on the viewing experience. That's why I said it deserved theatre release. 

The CINEMATOGRAPHY by Shehnad Jalal deserves appreciation. His controlled, unhurried camera movements and the use of very limited spaces increase the terror.

The choice of SETTING is also impressive. Instead of a grand, lonely mansion, the film uses a normal middle-class house surrounded by other houses, which slowly begins to feel like a cage as the story progresses.

The DIRECTOR takes a very simple plotline and, through complex characters dealing with issues like clinical depression and loneliness, along with brilliant direction, cinematography, natural lighting, dominating black shadows during night scenes, thrilling background music, limited characters and duration creates an impactful psychological horror film.

I personally liked how the depressed mother and son finally saw a ray of hope through their reconciliation and mutual assurance.

It was beautiful to watch these individuals, tired of their lives, finally decide to live despite the many haunting hurdles and the possibility of death.

I believe their arcs became complete when they decided to fight against the spirit and, at the same time, against their OWN SELVES.

In this very simple plot, that arc stood out the most for me.

And yes, the film doesn't really offer a complete feast. A lot of details remain unsaid, and audiences are left with unanswered questions.

That might disappoint some viewers and leave them with the feeling of waking up from an awesome but incomplete dream. Still few might see that as a space for interpretations.

Other than that, Bhoothakaalam is a great watch if you are looking for a slow-burning psychological horror film.

Rahul Sadasivan's recent releases are Bramayugam (2024) and Dies Irae (2025). 

I've read a lot about these films, but I haven't watched them yet.

Will soon catch up with them, and I'll be back with their reviews on my blog.

see you! 👋