'Demonte Colony 2', directed by R. Ajay Gnanamuthu, hits the screens today (August 23) in Telugu. Mythri Movie Makers has released it in Nizam.
Story:
The film's story takes place in two different timelines. On the same date in different years, a set of interconnected events take place, subjecting the main characters to bewilderment and fear.
Debbie, played by Priya Bhavani Shankar, is a young, traumatized woman haunted by the loss of her husband, Sam. In a supernatural bid to preserve their connection, Debbie makes the unconventional decision to use Sam's frozen sperm to have a child.
In her attempt to reconnect with Sam after inaugurating a Chinese restaurant in his memory, she crosses paths with a greedy young man (Arulnithi) who wants to inherit thousands of crores from his dead father by hook or crook. Meanwhile, Demon Demonte is itching to consume anyone who possesses his gold chain.
Performances:
Priya Bhavani Shankar is absolutely good. She gets her due and shoulders several portions with confidence. Arulnithi in a dual role makes an impact with his restrained acting. As Srini and Raghu, he never emotes too much. Arun Pandian as Dr. Richard, Debbie's father-in-law, shows the required tension inherent to his character. Muthukumar as Dayalan, Raghu's uncle, is good.
Tsering Dorjee as a daoshi, a Buddhist monk, is seen in several scenes. Archana Ravichandran as Aishwarya, Srini's and Raghu's half-sister, has an extended role.
Technical Departments:
Sam CS's background score brings out the ominous atmosphere of the setting pretty well. The jumps and scares are not typical and therefore, the BGM had to be unconventional. The composer delivers goods. The strategic moments of highs and lows have been complemented by the score. The cinematography by Harish Kannan understands the setting. The second half takes place in a limited space; the visuals never look out of place. The editing by Kumaresh D is good. The visual effects could have been more compelling.
Analysis:
'Demonte Colony' and its sequel don't belong to the regular horror universe. The horror genre has been defined by films like 'Kanchana' and 'Aranmanai' in Tamil and 'Prema Katha Chitram' in Telugu. In Telugu, only a few films have managed to steer clear of conventional horror movie obsessions. The film under review has no usual elements like slapstick comedy, a romance that results in misery, fights that don't suit the mood, distracting songs, or a convenient climax.
Director R. Ajay Gnanamuthu goes for visual horror as much as psychological scares without causing confusion. The domain of the netherworld has been tapped into thoroughly. From the antichrist symbolism to pentagrams and more, this is a cerebral horror thriller.
The use of the non-linear narration as a device works wonders for the movie. This keeps the story appear deeper. The editing pattern follows a certain technique.
The lead-up to the third part of the film is another high point. In doing so, the film doesn't resort to gimmicky narration anywhere.
Vox Verdict:
'Demonte Colony 2' is an effective horror thriller that also becomes a survival drama at one level. The performances, the writing, the visual quality are thorough.
Rating:3
