Kolaiyuthir Kaalam is an Indian Tamil horror-thriller film about a deaf and mute young woman who has to defend herself from an intruder. The title translates as “Season of Murder”.
Directed by Chakri Toleti (Khamoshi – a Hindi version of the same plot) from a screenplay written by Adam Hiebeler and Carl Lauricella, with additional dialogue by Sara Bodinar, based on Tolet’s storyline. The film is a loose remake of Mike Flanagan’s Hush (2016).
The movie stars Nayanthara, Bhoomika Chawla, Rohini Hattangadi and Lee Nicholas Harris.
Plot:
Shruthi (Nayanthara) is a deaf and mute girl who grew up in an orphanage in Chennai. However, impressed with Shruthi’s character and natural talent, a millionaire from the UK adopts her and also declares her the legal heir.
When Shruthi reaches England, trouble arises in the form of a home invasion. A strange man chases Shruthi inside their Sussex mansion…
Reviews:
” …a lot of this movie does not compare to the plot of Hush at all. In fact, we have to wait a while, due to a rather extensive backstory, before we get to the “scary” elements. And no, it really isn’t scary at all. Instead, it’s rather comical and the death scenes (yes, there are several) seem comical and results in more of a spoof-vibe!” Heaven of Horror
“Even with a short running time of 109 minutes, the flick seems to be too long for its content […] For a thriller to work out the main thing it requires is to refrain from indulging in predictable writing which the storyteller Chakri Toleti has failed to bolt in his mind.” Kollywood Zone
“Nayanthara is the only saving grace of the film, and having already played a deaf person in Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, she looks close to perfect as the vulnerable and helpless Shruthi. And yet, it is hard for us to root for Shruthi who remains clueless till the very end. As clueless as we are about why this remake was made in the first place.” The New Indian Express
“The only menacing thing in the film – somewhere between the third killing and the end – is the music. There are also three, maybe four, continuity errors. Nayanthara seems to slip in and out of various footwear while being chased by a killer.” Silverscreen India
“The film fails right in its set-up. These initial portions, which should have made us care for Shruthi, are so badly directed, with terrible line readings that seem straight out of a dubbed film, that we lose interest right away. And the portions involving the slasher, too, are laughably executed that we neither feel horrified nor thrilled.” Times of India
Release:
The film was scheduled to release in India on 14 June 2019 but was delayed because the film shares its name with a novel by Sujatha Rangarajan, for which director Balaji K. Kumar paid ₹10 lakh (US$14,000) for the novel’s rights. The film then went through multiple release date changes, eventually releasing on 9th August. It was a box office flop.
Kolaiyuthir Kaalam is now streaming on Netflix.
Cast and characters:
Nayanthara … Shruthi
Bhoomika Chawla … Mrs Sawant
Rohini Hattangadi … Cook
Lee Nicholas Harris … Paramedic / Ambulance Driver
Lee Byford … Armed Police Officer
Prathap Pothen … Business Manager
Richard Banks … Paramedic
Julian Freund … Skull Face
Roy Martin Thorn … Armed police
Ambika Bhargavi aka Abha
Chris Martin Hill … Police Officer
Ro Ashika
K.S.G. Venkatesh … Caretaker
Steve Caswell … James
Munichandra … Orphanage Caretaker
Prem Kathir … Anand/Mr Sawant
Ramish Lard … Armed Officer 3
Jo Ellis … Darla
Craig Anthony Summers … Police Officer
Franck Titchard … Emt 2
Raj Kumar … Arts Exhibitor
Technical details:
100 minutes
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio: Dolby Atmos | D-Cinema 96kHz 5.1
