Once famous Indian director Anurag Kashyap said,' there is more to Indian cinema than just Bollywood. I think regional cinema, specially Tamil and Marathi cinema, are exploring some really bold themes.'

It is a travesty that our knowledge of Indian film industry does not go beyond typical Bollywood "masala" movies when someone tests our knowledge about the subject. A country like India where every language tends to change its dialect after every fifty miles, Indian film industry further divides into several different regions, specially, in Southern demographic portion of the country and makes us acquainted with Kannada, Malayalam, Tulu, Telugu and Tamil film Industries collectively known as South Indian Cinema.

As Anurag Kashyap hints indirectly about risk taking ability of regional Indian cinema in his comment, a Tamil psychological thriller "Ratsasan" (Monster) released in 2018 further validates authenticity of his observation. "Ratsasan" directed by Ram Kumar shocks its viewer with dark but gripping narrative, emotionally charged performances and tactful treatment. The suspense of this Tamil thriller is so captivating that it kept me hooked till the end even there were no English subtitles available. The way it has been shot, narrated and paced you can easily fathom whatever situation "Ratsasan" unravels in its whole run time. Ram Kumar who has directed only two films so far including "Ratsasan" seems to be heavily inspired by South Korean serial killer movies like "Memories of the Murder" and "I Saw the Devil", in one of his interviews he admitted the same. In "Ratsasan" he successfully creates similar atmosphere of consistent fear on screen with a potential of sending shiver to viewers' spine.

"Ratsasan" is a story of struggling film writer who wants to make a movie on psychopaths but after being rejected by many film producers despite having a good script and family pressure he joins police force. Fate plays a unique trick on him after joining the police force when he finds stark resemblance between couple of recent murders and those unresolved cases from the past which he took as research material for his ambitious film script. Though his immediate superior creates few problems for him but with his typical writer's curiosity and instinct he investigates those murders and proves that these recent murders are the work of the same serial killer.

Film's main lead Vishnu Vishal as Arun Kumar has done satisfactory job as per director's requirement because role demanded both resourcefulness and vulnerability same time and Vishnu Vishal seems comfortable in balancing both as story's main protagonist. Along with Vishnu Vishal the other actor who shines is Manishkanth who plays Vishnu's brother in-law. In few sequences he steals the show. Amala Pual who plays the love interest of Vishnu just plays the love interest of Vishnu, nothing more.

On the whole, "Ratsasan" is well crafted serial killer movie from South Indian Cinema which challenges South Koreans in thriller genre but there are certain positive as well as negative technical aspects which need to be mentioned. Background score plays major role in psychological thrillers, if it has been incorporated well, increases viewers' interest in knowing what will happen next. Mohammaed Ghibran as an editor has done splendid work and his score increases the intensity as well as impact of grim situations. Editing seems reasonable not choppy but initial scenes of the film in which Vishnu's progression from failed script writer to police officer has been shown, feels bit hasty, more character development was needed there. Though film's villain Christopher creates right amount of shivering fear in viewers mind but in prosthetic makeup his character miserably fails and looks farcical and could have been better.