Raw realism and finesse have defined how Malayalam cinema explores themes of grief, desire, love and struggle. Even with its stellar reputation for telling stories with fearlessness, it is interesting how Malayalam cinema seems to hold back while portraying fear. Despite being a pioneering industry that lead the nation with innovative films like Padayottam (1982), the first Indian film to be blown up to 70mm with 6-track magnetic stereo sound, and My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), which defied convention and created a milestone as India's first 3D film, horror seems to be a door that Malayalam cinema doesn't want to fully open.
The seeds of horror in Malayalam film industry were sown as early as 1964 with Bhargavi Nilayam, based on a story by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. It was a classic that gave us a ghost story filled with sorrow, and was less about making you scream and more about making you feel. The movie was remade as Neelavelicham in 2023 starring Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal and Roshan Mathew. Post 1970, horror films saw a resurgence, with iconic films such as Kalliyankattu Neeli (1979), Lisa (1978), and Aakasha Ganga (1999). However, most leaned on the usual tropes, including a white sari-clad vengeful female spirit at the centre of it all. We also had slightly different attempts like Sreekrishna Parunthu (1984) based on PV Thampi’s novel Krishna Parunthu, which had its focus on dark arts and the hunger for power that drives the protagonist, played by Mohanlal. Adharvam (1989) also focussed on dark arts, and included a conversation around caste, with Mammootty playing the illicit son of a renowned astrologer. He becomes the master of Vedas, practising in a well-mannered way until he gets insulted in an assembly of Namboothiris, irking him to turn to Adharvaveda. Vayanadan Thamban (1978) introduced the concept of black arts, the protagonist played by Kamal Haasan, a very old feudal warlock worships the devil– Karimurthey. His quest? Eternal youth the Karimurthey grants on the sacrifice of 10 virgin girls.
What stood out from the standard dark magic or revenge thirsty woman elements was the 1968 movie Yakshi directed by K S Sethumadhavan. Regarded as the first psychological thriller in Malayalam, Yakshi, which was adapted from Malayattoor Ramakrishnan’s novel of the same title explored the disturbed mind of the protagonist played by Sathyan. Another distinct film was Ennu Swantham Janakikutty (1998), directed by Hariharan which portrays the yakshi from a female perspective. The film visually presents Kunjathol played by Chanchal through the perspective of Janakikutty, the titular character. For her, Kunjathol is a friendly yakshi. This was a huge milestone in the feminist reading of Malayalam horror films. With Manichitrathazhu being a success in 1993, the Malayalam film experienced an upsurge of horror comedy. Film makers started combining horror with humour developing a hybrid genre that allowed them to flirt with fear without fully embracing it. By combining these two genres, the creators could bring in larger audiences to the theatres, one that might be turned off by dread or psychological intensity but enjoyed the laughs that came with a few digestible scares. Movies such as Vellinakshatram (2004), In Ghost House Inn (2010), Adi Kapyare Kootamani (2015), Pretham (2016), the recent Hello Mummy (2024) and the widely popular Romancham (2023) are a few of the examples.
“I chose Pretham among several of my other scripts, because of the horror- comedy element. I was scared to attempt a pure horror film since I was unsure of its commercial popularity,” says the film's director Ranjith Sankar. Malayalam cinema has always operated on tighter budgets compared to Bollywood, Tamil and Telugu industries. Horror often needs solid production design, CGI/VFX, sound design, and makeup elements that cost tons of money. The industry risk associated with doing a horror movie is high, but as Ranjith Sankar explains, the business side of filmmaking often demands safer bets. For horror to be effective, especially in its purest form, high production value is almost non-negotiable. In contrast, horror comedy leans heavily on performance and timing, making it more accessible for smaller teams and tighter budgets.
“It took around 5 years for our concept to develop into a movie. We tried for so long to find artists and producers. The directors would have told the script to more than 100 people.” recalls Abhayakumar K, co-writer of Chathur Mukham. Although the project initially generated excitement among industry members, there was widespread hesitation largely due to uncertainty about how audiences would respond. Several producers remained unconvinced, struggling to fully understand the concept. Their decisions often shifted, influenced by external opinions, resulting in many early supporters eventually withdrawing from the project. At the time Ezra (2017) was being made, the possibility of making pure horror films was being discussed more openly. “Ezra was an extremely expensive film. In contrast, Pretham was made with nearly one-tenth of its budget,” states Ranjith. Ezra (2017) paved the way for a new type of horror movement that relied on high production value. The slick supernatural thriller took Jewish folklore and transplanted it into Kochi’s colonial architecture. Its technical polish helped horror feel elevated and cinematic which set an important step toward boosting the genre’s status.
A door opened to a broader exploration of horror subgenres. The Priest (2021) though flawed, attempted a paranormal detective narrative. Nine (2019) explored the science fiction horror where a global crisis arises after a comet passes very close to the Earth for nine days. Chathur Mukham (2021) starring Manju Warrier explored the techno-horror genre, which explores the terrifying consequences of excessive reliance on technology, where what connects us can quickly turn against us. A film that created widespread conversation was Rahul Sadasivan's Bhoothakaalam (2022). A psychological horror film that explored loss, mental illness, and intergenerational trauma. Destroying all boundaries that traditionally held the genre captive within standard tropes leaving audiences questioning the possibility of the supernatural or something a human mind was capable of. Continuing the trend of horror, Rahul Sadasivan was back with Bramayugam (2024). The Mammooty-starrer delves into a timeless, folklore-heavy territory, employing stark black and white visuals, atmospheric sound design and allegorical narration to probe into power, terror and the vicious cycle of evil. The movie has also been used as a case study for sound design at the University of Creative Arts in the UK. Bramayugam pioneered experimental and high quality horror films that set a new tone for the genre in the industry.
Upcoming films such as the massive project Kathanar -The Wild Sorcerer are generating a lot of buzz with the majority of the portions shot using virtual production technology. The zombie sub-genre, an unexplored territory in Malayalam is set to appear in three movies Vala, Manjeswaram Mafia and Jambi. Malayalam horror aueteur Rahul Sadasivan’s upcoming film Dies Irae starring Pranav Mohanlal is also highly anticipated and widely discussed. Abhayakumar states, “The haunted house formula has been overused, only more experimental and unconventional approaches can resonate with contemporary viewers”. Ranjith Sankar also stands by the concept of experimenting. “I made Pretham since it was a fresh idea”. Their words signal the need for innovation and the unconventional, that shift is already underway. Malayalam cinema is creating its grammar of fear which is introspective, deep, and devastating. It has already begun, we just have to wait and watch... And get spooked.
