Ezra (2017) Review!!!!

Synopsis – A man discovers that the bungalow he just bought is haunted.

My Take – The horror genre in Indian films, especially in recent times, have been more on the intentional humor side, while some films (released nearly a decade ago) managed to raise the level of the fear quotient, they have been few and too far in between to give the genre a sincere nod. Plagued with over dramatization, unnecessary (though melodious) song sequences, a thin script and poor performances, horror films in India have become a joke, and just when you think that Bollywood directors like Vikram Bhatt have been steering away with his age old nonsense, directors of comparatively a smaller yet more talented industry in the South (thankfully) seemed to have picking up on their reigns. Marking his debut as a film maker director Jay K has made sure this Malayalam language horror thriller stands tall amidst them by marketing fear from the beginning. Be it the stylish posters, the well made trailers or the rumors about the film’s set being haunted, this has made sure to capture the attention of cinemagoers including a non Malayalam speaker like myself, and of course the presence of one of the most underrated gems of our country, Prithviraj, as the lead always helps. Thank fully, unlike most trailers now days, this film delivers on what it promises, an out-and-out horror thriller, which totally does justice to its genre. What makes this film decidedly dissimilar to the horror flicks coming out of India is that the fear in it for once, is no silly business. Sure, the film does bring in some of the usual clichés seen in an exorcism drama, mainly that dwell on a much recognizable theme and quite identifiable plot devices, nonetheless with a well written screenplay, brilliant direction and excellent performances, director Jay K’s film emerges as a triumph by creating the most intensely shot horror film in Malayalam and to an extend in India, till date.

The story follows Ranjan Mathew (Prithviraj), a newly promoted professional, who works in a company that deals with the business of managing nuclear waste from three major nuclear power plants in South India. Due to his new assignment, Ranjan has along with his wife Priya (Priya Anand), moves to Kochi from Mumbai. While Ranjan accustoms himself to the intricacies associated with his high security job, Priya, an interior designer by profession, occupies her time in redoing the villa that the couple has just moved into. In favor of authentism over modern furniture, Priya goes around picking antique articles to decorate their new home and ends buying a striking dybbuk box, which begins its havoc as soon as Priya unwittingly opens the box and lets out the maleficent present inside. How Ranjan along with A. C. P. Shafeer Ahammed (Tovino Thomas), Fr. Samuel (Vijayaraghavan) and Rabbi Marques (Sujith Shanker) fight this evil forms the crux of the story. A Christian man married to a Hindu woman fights a Jewish evil spirit with the help of a Muslim cop, a Christian priest and a Jewish rabbi. Who said secularism is dead in India? Jokes apart, the first half of this is old-fashioned horror flick has all the usual elements. A large house with too many mirrors, a creepy maid (in one scene, she’s watching The Conjuring II late at night), inexplicable sounds, and of course, a sensitive woman who first starts experiencing strange happenings. But once the plot is set, the film detours from usual pattern and surprises the viewer, by having very less of the spine shocker moments that make you jump out of your seats with your hearts thumping away to glory. That sudden sound blows that startle you out of your wits – the crashes and the clangs – aren’t there either. Instead, it progressively builds up edginess, continually supplementing it with an ambience of sheer disquiet. If you are looking to scream all the way through and spill your popcorn every two minutes, the film will come as a disappointment. There are only a handful of scenes that will genuinely make you jump but it’s not as if the rest of the narrative is flat. Director Jay K takes his time to tell the story – there’s a love saga built in, the story of a controlling father and an obedient son, a betrayal, and black magic. What is perhaps cleverer is that the film so very cautiously drapes a Jewish culture garb over a highly identifiable story line, and makes it look almost unsullied. A rabbi is brought in as the exorcist and as things heat up in Hebrew, the film gets deliciously creepy, all the while retaining those relatable plot twists and turns. With a solid plot, the motion picture investigates Kerala’s Jewish foundation blended with a portentous romantic tale that later prompts to the present situation. An occasion that occurred hundreds of year’s prior return to life as a vindictive spirit. It has to be acknowledged that unlike many horror films, Ezra has a strong story line. An incident related to a Jewish family from the 40s is woven in, and the scenes from the past are presented in an authentic manner to the last detail, by no means an easy task, kudos to the team which worked out the Jewish customs and traditions as well. There are without doubt, a few sequences in the film that make your hair stand on its end, probably less on account of the terror associated with it, and more due to the technical finesse on show. There are scenes galore in the film that have hitherto been never endeavored in Bollywood or maybe Malayalam cinema too (opinion based on the massive success of this film), and as such Jay K’s film does flaunt a landmark accomplishment.

However, there are some parts of the plot which are disconcerting, for instance, the ease with which every character in the film, whether a police officer or a doctor, buys the theory of the haunting. Nobody thinks of calling a psychiatrist or examining any other possibility that’s remotely rational. Everyone’s too happy to believe that the old box is the reason and jumps on the exorcism boat enthusiastically, whatever be their faith. If you accuse the film for being typical, then I guess you will have to accuse almost all horror films for that. We all know the drill in a horror film. The amount of darkness will be high. People will go behind voices even after knowing something scary is going to happen (who does that?), we always kind of know when the ghost face will be shown. Yes, this film isn’t devoid of the standard ingredients we have seen in almost all the horror films. But where it manages to create some novelty is in the conflict part. I don’t have any extensive knowledge in the genre, but the intermission dilemma of the main protagonist was a refreshing one. The film also refuses to give in to the often compromise that most horror films bank on, and mercifully does not have a sudsy sub plot that involves the antics of a few jesters. Fear isn’t a funny thing here, and the gloom that pervades all over gently seeps into you, drawing you steadily into the midst of the quagmire. The second half has the quintessential flash back sequence had an excellent production design. And oh my, the twist in the final act is something, I as a viewer did not see it coming even by a distance. While the abrupt appearances of unnecessary songs do hinder the pacing at times (the film is 147 minutes long, too long for a horror film), the editing by Vivek Harshan keeps the film up slick. The cinematography by Sujith Vaassudev is terrific and classy. The background score by Sushin Shyam is good and induces the required tension and fear in the audience. The cast does a decent job of keeping things together. As expected, Prithviraj Sukumaran dives into provide yet another superb performance. Priya Anand plays her part well. In supporting roles, Tovino Thomas, Vijayraghavan, Sudev Nair and Sujith Sankar are adequate. Exorcism scenes can become comical in the hands of poor actors but the convincing performances of the cast, especially the lead pair, raise the level of the film. On the whole, ‘Ezra’ is a competently directed, splendidly acted; impressive horror film that despite accustomed themes is worth a definite watch.