Malayalam actress Bhavana returns to the thriller genre with Hunt. Directed by the veteran Shaji Kailas and written by Nikhil Anand, the film marks a reunion of Bhavana and Kailas after their earlier hit Chinthamani Kolacase. This horror-thriller leans into a mix of investigative crime and supernatural drama, set against the backdrop of a medical college — a setting rarely explored in Malayalam cinema for this genre.
While the August 23, 2024, theatrical release has been met with lukewarm response, Hunt has now acquired a second lease of life on OTT, perhaps attracting a new spate of eyeballs keen on its horror theme and starry line-up.
Movie Plot
Hunt follows Keerthi, a postgraduate student of forensic medicine who stumbles upon skeletal remains of a missing anaesthesia student in her medical campus. Her discovery snowballs into an investigation that becomes hard to distinguish from the rational and the supernatural. As she becomes increasingly involved, Keerthi is forced to question her unshakeable belief in logic, especially when inexplicable things begin to happen in her life.
The movie positions itself as a horror-thriller with a touch of psycho elements, complemented by fleeting images of college suspense, social undertones, and haunted visual suggestions. The movie attempts to combine traditional horror cliche with modern investigative elements. Critics have however pointed out that despite the decent performances — especially Bhavana's — the story often resorts to being old-fashioned and melodramatic in its approach, thereby becoming a less interesting proposition for the audience seeking something fresh in the genre.
Review
Though Hunt does not take any new territory in the arena of horror-thrillers, it is an effort worth applauding by Malayalam cinema in getting back to the paranormal genre — a still cult-commoditized one. Bhavana's fans and fans of psychological thrillers with a sprinkle of supernatural suspense can consider watching Hunt at midnight.
Watch Now: Hunt is available exclusively on ManoramaMAX from 23rd May 2025. Read about other Malayalam OTT releases here.
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