Raakaasa Movie Review: A Dark & Gripping Tamil Thriller

Veeru (Sangeeth Shobhan) returns to his native village after ten years, a glossy NRI who has forgotten how to speak proper Telugu and has brought back a suitcase of Western affectations. His real aim? To woo Subbu (Nayan Sarika), a spirited local girl he’s been pining for. But the village is abuzz with a different kind of anxiety. An ancient, nameless darkness - “Raakaasa” - has been stirred from its slumber. It’s not a demon in the usual sense; it’s a territorial, shape-shifting entity that feeds on fear. As Veeru’s clumsy romantic advances collide with the monster’s escalating attacks, love turns into a literal survival game. The film builds toward a climax that pits modern logic against old-world myths, with a surprising emotional toll for the leads.

Manasa Sharma has made a career of mixing tones, but “Raakaasa” is her boldest swing yet. The first half is a breezy, almost sitcom-level comedy. Sangeeth Shobhan plays Veeru as a lovable fool - his American-drawled dialogue and cultural cringe are played for easy but effective laughs. Vennela Kishore and Getup Srinu, as two bumbling village council members, nearly steal every scene they’re in. The comedy works because it feels organic to the setting: the village is a character, full of gossipy aunties and fatalistic elders (Tanikella Bharani is, as always, a scene-stealer with a single wry glance).

Then the horror creeps in. And it creeps slowly. The first full reveal of the Raakaasa - a towering, sinewy creature with too many joints and a voice that sounds like wet wood cracking - is genuinely unnerving. Sharma doesn’t rely on jump scares; instead, she builds dread through sound design and staging. A sequence where Subbu hides in a closed temple while the entity scratches at the door is masterfully tense. Nayan Sarika holds her own here, moving from cheerful cynicism to raw fear with believable gradation.

The problem is the shift. The film is 130 minutes long, and it feels it. The middle third drags as Veeru bickers with Subbu about whether to stay or flee - a conflict that becomes repetitive. The entity’s rules are also frustratingly vague: sometimes it can be held at bay by a certain song, sometimes by fire, sometimes by sheer will. This lack of internal logic undermines the terror. You start asking “why doesn’t it just do that again?” instead of “what will it do next?”

Still, the climax redeems a lot. Without spoiling, the final confrontation involves Veeru using his NRI savvy against the primal entity in a way that is both absurd and satisfying. The emotional beat between Veeru and Subbu lands because Sangeeth Shobhan finally drops the clown act. He’s a good actor when he’s allowed to be vulnerable. Raadhya, as a mysterious elder, provides cryptic exposition that is somehow both clunky and compelling - her monologue about the Raakaasa’s origin is the film’s best-written scene.

Production design deserves a shoutout. The village is shot in earthy greens and browns, but the Raakaasa’s lair - a twisted grove of dead mango trees - is a visual highlight. The VFX are uneven. The creature looks stunning in darkness, but in a few daylight shots, the CG is distractingly rubbery. Still, for a Telugu film that is clearly not operating with a Hollywood budget, the ambition is appreciated.

Pros

• Sangeeth Shobhan’s committed performance, balancing comedy and pathos
• Nayan Sarika’s strong screen presence and chemistry with the lead
• Genuinely unsettling horror sequences in the second half
• Top-tier supporting cast (Vennela Kishore, Tanikella Bharani)
• Unique premise that blends romance and folklore without mocking either
• Clever, character-driven climax

Cons

• Pacing sags badly in the middle act
• The entity’s powers and weaknesses are inconsistently defined
• Uneven VFX, especially in outdoor daylight shots
• Tonally jarring at times - a slapstick sequence right after a death scene
• Some subplots (a minor romantic rival) feel dropped entirely

“Raakaasa” is a messy, lovable monster of a movie. It doesn’t always know what it wants to be - horror purist or romantic comedy - but when it finds its groove, it’s terrifically engaging. You’ll laugh, you’ll flinch, and you might even shed a reluctant tear when Veeru finally stops running and decides to fight for his village and his girl. It’s not the best Telugu film of 2026, but it is one of the most personality-driven. If you can forgive the bumps, the ride is worth it.

Rating: 6.533/10