I was simply blown away by the detailing and the research that has gone into moulding the major antagonist (psychopath) character in 'Ratsasan'. After a light-hearted 'Mundasupatti', Ram Kumar returns with a chilling serial-killer flick that keeps you hooked from start to finish. However 'inspired' serial killer plots these days might seem, Ram Kumar's treatment is fresh and this is what makes the film downright amazing!

The film starts off a bit slow showcasing the failed efforts of Arun (Vishnu Vishal) in successfully landing a producer for his dark, serial-killer subject, but picks up pace once he transitions into a cop and the murder investigations take centre-stage. We saw a similar psychopath (with motiveless malignity) in ARM's 'Spyder' earlier this year but the forceful insertion of way too many commercial tropes made the film appear tepid overall. I did wonder if someone could make a serial-killer film with negligible compromises in Tamil and I got my answer almost a year later.

Ram Kumar's 'Ratsasan' boasts a script that is spine-chilling in itself. It features multiple edge-of-the-seat moments, supported greatly by an eerie background score from the brilliant Ghibran (songs are just about okay, though). There are a few red-herrings thrown early on in the film and having watched a multitude of serial killer flicks (in various languages), it's easy to predict that things are going to get a lot more gruesome in the second half. What I really liked about the film is the fact that the director has not shied away from portraying/talking about murders in all its viciousness, especially when the subject matter isn't one that can be digested easily by audiences.

The main antagonist is neatly packaged, in terms of looks, slickness, and a proper backstory. The plot twist is one that we don't exactly see coming but it doesn't come across as startling either - but hey, if it works on screen, it most definitely WORKS. Vishnu Vishal looks fit for the role of a cop, and this time around, he is able to emote pretty well too. Ramdoss is also really good, especially in the scenes where he breaks down completely. Amala Paul is functional, and unfortunately, her character remains underwritten for most part. Some characters (such as Arun's mom, sister, and landlord) don't appear in the film after a few scenes early on, but that's okay considering it is focusing more on the serial-killer-hunt.

If you are looking for a racy serial killer flick that has as much substance as style, then I'd say 'Ratsasan' is certainly worth a viewing.