Top horror movies in Malayalam

Think of a horror movie and things such as an old haunted house, creaking doors and ugly-as-hell monstrous creatures come to your mind. Malayalam cinema has its share of horror films that has kept us at the edge of our seats. Movies like Manichitrathazhu, Anandabhadram, Moonnamathoral have definitely scared the audience. The use of special effects, digital featuring have enhanced the presentation of horror cinema in Malayalam industry. Here’s a list of top horror Malayalam movies.

Manichitrathazhu–

The film is 1993 psychological thriller based on the tragedy that happened in the life of Alummoottil Tharavadu, a famous central Travancore family, in the 19th century. The movie showed an unusual theme which was not common in Indian cinema, but it was a huge hit. Manichitrathazhu is considered as one of the best thrillers ever made in India as well as one of the best Malayalam films ever made. Manichitrathazhu was remade after nearly 10 years in various languages, including Kannada (Apthamitra), Tamil and Telugu (dubbed) (Chandramukhi), Bengali (Rajmohol), and Hindi (Bhool Bhulaiyaa).

Anandabhadram –

The plot of the movie is based on a fairy tale story set in the rural part of Kerala. The story revolves around black magicians, martial arts experts, ghosts, and spirits. Anandabhadram was based on the novel of the same name by Sunil Parameswaran and was also dubbed in Tamil, Telugu (as Sivapuram) and English, and was an inspiration for Tanthra, another Malayalam film. Anandabhadram won five Kerala State Film Awards in 2005.

Sreekrishna Parunthu –

Directed by A.Vincent Sreekrishna Parunthu, the movie was released in 1984 featuring Mohanlal, Balan K. Nair and Jagathy. The movie was an adaptation of a novel of the same name written by P. V. Thampi. It revolves around the life of a Kumaran who was a bad person. The film tells the story of how he transforms to be a religious saint and the temptations he has to suffer.

Moonnamathoral –

Moonnamathoral is a suspense thriller shot primarily at Peerumedu in Idukki, Kerala with Jayaram and Jyothirmayi in the lead roles. The story of the movie was based on two young girls Anupama and Rahel both working as nurses in a hospital. Soon strange things start happening in their lives. The second half of the movie shows a cop and his wife who is a fiction writer start living in the old palace. Soon the wife gets possessed by the spirits residing there and an investigation is done by (Jayaram) the husband leading him into the unknown shady past of the bungalow, unfolding a forgotten history, thus leading to a shocking realisation of who the ‘third someone’ is. The movie was noted for being the first high-definition (HD) cinema to be digitally distributed to theatres via satellite.

Aparichithan (The Stranger) –

The movie was a suspense thriller starring Mammootty, Kavya Madhavan, Karthika and Manya. It was the directorial debut of Sanjeev Sivan. The movie was based on the plot of superstition and black magic. Aparichithan is considered to have given a new outlook to Malayalam cinema with its advanced technique and craft.

Winter:

The movie was a horror thriller film starring Jayaram and Bhavana. Directed by Dipu Karunakaran the movie was known for its horror scenes which scared the audience. The movie was a huge success at the theatres and was well appreciated by critics as well. It was later dubbed into Tamil with the name of Bhayam Bhayam.

Geethanjali -

The movie was a horror thriller. The story of Geethanjali was another experience taken from professional life of Dr. Sunny, a character played by Mohanlal in Manichithrathazhu. The story is based on 2007 Thai movie Alone. The movie was released in 370 theatres worldwide.