A potentially discussion-worthy science fiction film from Malayalam cinema is on the way. After a long wait, the first footage from Jenuse Mohamed's Nine has been released online. Starring Prithviraj, Mamta Mohandas, Wamiqa Gabbi, Prakash Raj, and Master Alok, Nine belongs to the science fiction genre and is produced by Prithviraj Productions and Sony Pictures International. The film is set to release on February 7.

The technically impressive trailer packs so much information and yet manages to reveal very little about the actual plot. Prithviraj and Master Alok play a father and son, and judging by the footage shown, the story primarily revolves around their bond. Some of the best sci-fi films made in Hollywood have a father-son bond at their core -- Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, War of the Worlds and Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special come to mind.

The neatly edited sequences of freaky nighttime occurrences, a supposedly intergalactic phenomenon (parallel universes?), a terrifying "smoke monster" with glowing red eyes, and a mean-looking mountain wolf promise a curiosity-raising, pulse-pounding adventure tale. Cinematographer Abhinandam Ramanujam has shot the striking visuals. If the film does wonders at the box office, hopefully, more Malayalam filmmakers will develop stories in the genre.