Kollywood's Zodiac - Ratchasan(2018)




Right after watching the teaser of Ratchasan, I was so pumped about this film. Amidst the trend  of horror comedies and commercial flicks comes a out and out thriller , that too involving a psycho- killer. I had my doubts about the director's skill to handle this genre. His first film, Mundasupaati was a period comedy, it had good content and comedy. This genre was a different game altogether. But after watching Ratchasan, I was completely blown away, I even thought that this was a horror film at many times throughout the film . This is one of the longest films out now, about three hours, I didn't, for once feel the lengthiness of the film.

Short Gist

Arun is an aspiring movie director who after many failed attempts to make a psycho thriller movie becomes a cop to support his family. He is pulled into a web of serial murders happening in the city and there is psycho serial killer is behind all these events. The rest of film is weather the killer is found or not.



The film starts off with Arun ( Played by Vishnu Vishal) desperately trying to sell his story to producers, this goes for like 10 mins until we get into the actual genre of the film. I really didn't know the relevance of this portion, may be the director wanted to personify his own struggle to bring this genre into the screen. Nevertheless the killings starts very soon. Within a few minuted I could compare this film to many of the suspense thrillers, we had seen like Vetayadu Vilayadu, Yutham Sei. But in all these films, we had at least had a vague guess who the antagonist might be. Ratchasan's case is quite different, the director gives us no clue on who this is. Its like a good thriller novel, where there can be hundred possibilities for the thriller.



Since the film involves a psycho- killer , you would expect lot of violence in the film,  there is but not the one you would normally see. The director depicts violence in a much more subtle manner, by means of expressions of the fellow actors or by some one describing the incident. This has worked out brilliantly for him, this can been seen when Arun's niece is found dead in the trunk of his car and when Nizhalgal Ravi as the post-mortem doctor explains the work of the killer. The way we start imagining the incident just gives us chills running through our spine.


This is a very dark and racy film,one you could see in very directors in the south. I did not expect this style of film making from Ram Kumar. The feel of the entire film is like watching a film by Myskin but its also different at the same time. Almost until the last 30 mins we do not have even one clue about who the killer. The killer has a back story which was completely unexpected, I don't want to spoil that! . Vishnu has done a brilliant role as the rookie cop. I don't know whats with him, but everything clicks for him. He is just brilliant getting into the character. The background score by Gibran is a big plus to the film.

In the end, I felt as though I had watched a brilliant psycho thriller movie. A totally satisfying story-screenplay with great performance by the entire caste. I had a feeling that this might be the first script by director Ram Kumar or the one which he wanted to make for a long time. I felt so much of content in the script, one which would require a lot of time and effort as compared to Mudaasupati. Eagerly waiting for his future works.

Star Cast:
Vishnu Vishal, Amala Paul. Sangili Murugan


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