monster 2022 movie review in tamil

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

On their first wedding anniversary, Lucky Singh, an entrepreneur from Punjab walks into the lives of Anil Chandra and Bhamini. Little do they know that this man will change their future On their first wedding anniversary, Lucky Singh, an entrepreneur from Punjab walks into the lives of Anil Chandra and Bhamini. Little do they know that this man will change their future On their first wedding anniversary, Lucky Singh, an entrepreneur from Punjab walks into the lives of Anil Chandra and Bhamini. Little do they know that this man will change their future

• Udaykrishnan
• 18 User reviews
• 2 Critic reviews

Top cast 23

• Lucky Singh …

• Bhamini Chandra …

• Anil Chandra

• [ADGP] Chandrasekhar

• [SP] Joseph Cheriyan

• [CI] Mariam George
• Kunjatta Chandra

• Adv. Vasavan

• [CI] K. Vijayakumar
• [SI] Soumya Dinesh

• [Bhamini's Colleague] Diana

• [Susan] Apartment Caretaker

• [Real] Lucky Singh

• [Real] Adv. Vasavan

• [SI] Gayathri

• Juice Vendor

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Did you know

• Alternate versions The UK release was cut, the distributor chose to make cuts to scenes of strong violence in order to obtain a 12A classification. An uncut 15 classification was available.

User reviews 18

• flywithmeraman
• Mar 24, 2023
• How long is Monster? Powered by Alexa
• October 21, 2022 (India)
• Kochi, Kerala, India
• Aashirvad Cinemas
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 2 hours 15 minutes

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Mohanlal-Vysakh duo's 'Monster': A thriller that rains twists

Malayalam's tryst with Punjabi costumes aren't new. So when Mohanlal-starrer Monster, written by Uday Krishna and directed by Vysakh, opens to the vibrant and garrulous Lucky Singh's (Mohanlal) ‘belle belle’ and the turban, the eager audience is quite at home.

Bhamini (Honey Rose) is a She Taxi driver who picks up Lucky Singh on his arrival at the airport. Lucky Singh has a few things to sort out in Kerala and catch the flight back in the evening. 

The Malayali-Sardarji insists on Bhamini's presence with him, which the latter agrees to reluctantly, despite it being her first wedding anniversary and she has to be with her husband. 

Filmmaker Vysakh responds to troller who called 'Monster' a zombie film

Will 'Monster' surpass 'Pulimurugan'? Director Vysakh has the perfect reply

Lucky Singh is adamant and gatecrashes into their personal space, befriends their five-year-old daughter and the nanny Durga (Lakshmi Manchu) and spearheads the celebration.

The movie progresses with few businesses to take note of but leaves enough hints of something big in store. The story then veers into a thriller terrain and keeps on raining twists. Honey Rose's superb performance makes situations convincing, while meticulously choreographed action sequences might kick you out of boredom. Lakshmi Machu also offers some moderate drama. Mohanlal holds his forte with elan.

The charming visuals and faces which fill the frames, a peppy foot-tapping number that beautifully blends Punjabi, Hindi and Malayalam lyrics and an impactful BGM by Deepak Dev will keep you glued to the screen.

Apart from that, the entourage of a huge police force including Siddique, Ganesh Kumar, Lena and Anjali Nair serves as an unwarranted burden on the storyline.

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Directed by Vysakh

Justice without Mercy

On their first wedding anniversary, Lucky Singh, an entrepreneur from Punjab walks into the lives of Anil Chandra and Bhamini. Little do they know that this man will change their future. Playing along with LGBT support.

Mohanlal Sudev Nair Honey Rose Lakshmi Manchu Siddique Ganesh Kumar Lenaa Idavela Babu Kailash Sadhika Venugopal Swasika Anjali Aneesh Upasana Jagapati Babu Manju Satheesh Biju Pappan Nandu Poduval Johny Antony

Director Director

Producer producer.

Antony Perumbavoor

Writer Writer

Uday Krishna

Editor Editor

Shameer Muhammed

Cinematography Cinematography

Satheesh Kurup

Art Direction Art Direction

Shajie Naduvil

Composer Composer

Songs songs.

Madhu Vasudevan

Costume Design Costume Design

Sujith Sudhakaran

Makeup Makeup

Jithesh Poyya

Aashirvad Cinemas

Alternative Titles

Monster Tamil, Monster Malayalam

Adventure Action Crime

Releases by Date

21 oct 2022, releases by country.

• Theatrical UA

133 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by brutalkangaroo ½

The next time you question your self worth, remember that Udayakrishna is the highest paid writer in Malayalam.

Review by cyril

i am typing this in the theater right now if you see this please immediately call for help i am stuck here and lucky singh is staring into my eyes it is not even intermission yet i do not want to die like this please call the authorities immediately

Review by NimmUwU ½ 7

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Holy shit they just basically made Aaratu 2 Ennalum entoke ayirunnu, 'A certified movie', 'Zombie elements', 'zombie lesbian scene', 'antony perumbavoor in zombie role', 'A10 negative role', 'variety padam', 'malyalathil variety', 'ente manasil veriety', 'hero/villan ellam script'.... Enitu entu kitti, 60 vayasu ulla maushyan 45 minute kidanu kezanganepole oombiya kambi tamasha paranju kalikka, baki neram big boss kalika. Sherikum sangadam ind A10 nigal ingane pokunatu kanan, aa ljp padam engilum virtiku cheyyu.

Review by ShadowMan ½

How to make A10 beat up woman 101:

- introduce lesbian couple.  - make one of ‘em wear sports wear. - let them make out in front of A10. - let A10 get beaten up. - then find a completely unnecessary reason for A10 to get tied on a chair.  - make A10 fight woman again. - make A10 beat woman to death, cuz he feels like that… - make A10 say: Njn, MONSTER.

Don’t forget to sprinkle casual cum jokes, flirting by extremely cute A10us, show save the date videos of lesbian couple ( cuz that’s where they exists irl :ukri_smile:) and insert causal racism done by a child. 

Political correctness achieved.

Review by Pranav 5

മലയാളത്തിന്റെ പ്രിയ തിരക്കഥകൃത്ത് ഉദയകൃഷ്ണയുമായുള്ള അഭിമുഖത്തിലെ മുഖ്യ ചില ഭാഗങ്ങൾ താഴെ ചേർക്കുന്നു :

സർ, താങ്കളുടെ പുതിയ ചിത്രം ആയ മോൺസ്റ്റർ പരാജയപ്പെടാൻ ഉണ്ടായ കാരണം എന്താണ്?

ഉദയകൃഷ്ണ : നമ്മുടെ സമൂഹം LGTV+ വിഭാഗത്തിൽ പെടുന്ന ആളുകളെ അംഗീകരിക്കാൻ ശ്രെമിക്കുന്നില്ല എന്നതിന്റെ ഉദാഹരണം ആണ് ഈ സിനിമയുടെ പരാജയം. ഇത്രയും മികച്ച രീതിയിൽ അവരുടെ കല്യാണ വീഡിയോ ഡയറക്റ്റ് ചെയ്യാൻ വൈശാഖിനെ കൊണ്ടേ സാധിക്കൂ. അതിനെല്ലാം അവർ ഞങ്ങളോട് നന്ദി പറഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട്.

ലാലേട്ടന്റെ പ്രകടനത്തെ കുറിച് ?

ഉദയകൃഷ്ണ : ലക്കി സിംഗ് എന്ന അതിസൂക്ഷമമായ ആ കഥാപാത്രം ആദ്യം തൊട്ട് അവസാനം വരെ ഒരേ മുഖഭാവത്തിൽ അഭിനയിക്കാൻ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ പോലെ ഒരു നടനെ കൊണ്ടേ കഴിയു. ' I Respect LGTV+ ' എന്ന് ഇടയ്ക്കു പറയാൻ ഞാൻ ലാലേട്ടനോട് പറഞ്ഞിരുന്നു. പക്ഷെ ഹണി റോസിന്റെ പ്രകടനം കണ്ട് അദ്ദേഹം വരികൾ മറന്നുപോയി എന്നാണ് പിന്നെ എന്നോട് പറഞ്ഞത്. ഇതിനു പരിഹാരം ആയി ബറോസിൽ എനിക്ക് ഒരു അഥിതി വേഷം തരാം എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട്.

ഈ സിനിമയിലെ തമാശകൾ എങ്ങനെ ഇത്ര പുതുമയുള്ളതായി നിർത്താൻ തങ്ങൾക്ക്…

Review by sasiannan ½ 3

CEO of misogyny Udayannante lesbian padam enthavum enna parayende avishyam illalo. Goofy A10 with casual sexism at first unintentionally oru resam undayirunnu,as an big brother enjoyer. Also avasavyooham Chetan😥

This is so bad on every aspect possible, Atleast Deepak dev didn't disappoint in Big brother, pakshe ivide vanappo athum adapadalam mooji.

One movie away from whole heartedly calling A10 a 'myran'.

Review by moviememes.mp4 ½

Udayakrishna invented modular scripts™ Just swap out a twist from an old script with a new one and call it a day same undercover same pari And myru with corporate happy vibe stock music

A10 being A10 climax motham exposition bigboss level npc interaction, man just standing between some undercover cops and explains the whole climax Imagine naratting the climax

"Yes we are criminals" ith paranjit njan nokkumbo aver kissing bro and then i said lave is lobe then continued to watch em makeovt

Who got the idea of the montage myru

honey Singh pinne eejati andi acting

TLDR As an enjoyer of aaratt I sees this is as what ya doing fellow kids shitshow

Review by Aswin ½

ഉക്രിയിൽ നിന്ന് നിങ്ങൾ Inception പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ചിരുന്നോ നിഷ്കളങ്കരേ ...

Review by Aswin Sadanandan

GCC യിൽ Ban വന്നത് നന്നായി. മലയാളികളായ പ്രവാസികളോട് എന്നും ഗൾഫ് കരുണ മാത്രമേ കാണിച്ചിട്ടുള്ളു . 🇰🇼

Review by baazimm ½

"we are criminals, she is my law"

proceeds to make out agressively in front of A10 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Review by oru_dude

Udaykrishna fighting the war against men 🔥💪

Review by Adi0495 ★★★★★

Legacy of Big brother is passed on to Monster BELLE BELEE MAMAAA A10ne comaliyakki kanicha Vyshakineyum Ukriyeyum Vedich kollukka enna neymam Nadappilakkanam

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Monster Movie Review: Stay away from the film unless you are an ardent Mohanlal fan

Monster, mohanlal's new film, is a middling thriller that fails to do justice to a bold premise. it, however, caters to those who want to watch the veteran trying something new on the big screen..

Listen to Story

• Monster features Mohanlal, Lakshmi Manchu, and Honey Rose.
• The film opened in theatres on October 21.
• Monster is directed by Vysakh.

Release Date: 21 Oct, 2022

In 2015, Mohanlal headlined Loham, one of the most talked about films of the year. While the Ranjith-directed thriller had an intriguing premise, it ended up being a missed opportunity as the screenplay featured one twist too many. Lalettan’s latest release Monster, which opened in theatres on October 21, brings back memories of that disappointing experience. The Vysakh-directed film, however, fares a bit better than Loham, mainly because of its stylish presentation and slick action scenes.

Monster revolves around Lucky Singh, a ‘Punjabi Malayali’ man, who arrives in Kerala to deal with certain personal and professional commitments. He tries to form a bond with Bhamini (Honey Rose), a She-Taxi driver/operator and invites himself to her wedding anniversary celebrations. It soon becomes clear that Lucky Singh is not who he claims to be. This sets the stage for a few revelations and confrontations.

The basic storyline has tremendous potential. It initially uses the tried-and-tested ‘simple guy with secret’ formula, which has previously been employed quite effectively in films such as Vedalam and Baashha, to take the narrative forward. Monster, however, fails to make the desired impact as the screenplay, written by Udaykrishna, is quite lacklustre.

The film begins with a series of sequences that introduce us to Bhamini and her family. While these scenes don’t offer anything remotely special, they set the stage for Mohanlal’s entry. Lalettan single-handedly carried the first half with his lively performance. The scenes revolving around his attempts at wooing Bhamini are quite enjoyable and work because of the effective comic timing. His scenes with the child artist Jess Sweejan, too have come out quite well. The first half does a good job of building a sense of mystery around Lucky Singh. It also ends on a thrilling note, giving the audience a solid reason to look forward to the second half.

The film sadly falls apart after the interval. The second plays out like an investigative thriller, at least for the most part. The interrogation scenes feel rushed. They lack the type of intensity that was seen in similar sequences in Drishyam. A series of twists in quick succession too don’t really help Monster. The film, however, tries to redeem itself by touching upon a sensitive issue towards the end. That said, it needed to be explored in a more in-depth manner.

The action sequences have been filmed quite stylishly. They should appeal to those who liked the ones featured in Vysakh’s 2019 actioner Madhura Raja. These scenes are, either way, much more convincing than the ones featured in the forgettable Laila O Laila.

Coming to the performances, Mohanlal is the heart and soul of Monster. Lucky Singh could so easily have been reduced to a caricature. This, fortunately, doesn’t happen as Lalettan brings his quirky antics to life on the big screen without being too over-the-top.

Honey Rose is burdened with a one-dimensional character. She deserved better. Lakshmi Manchu makes her presence felt despite the limited screen time. Her intense body language helps her do justice to a key action scene. The likes of Sudev Nair, Siddique and KB. Ganesh Kumar are decent in small supporting roles.

Satheesh Kurup’s cinematography is one of the strong points of Monster. It gives the film a distinctly rich look and feel. The Ghoom Ghoom track, composed by Deepak Dev, isn’t a particularly catchy one. It, however, blends with the narrative.

To conclude, Monster isn’t really Mohanlal's best work by any stretch of the imagination. It, however, may have just about enough to satisfy the veteran star’s ardent fans.

We are going with 2.5 stars out of 5 for Monster. Published By: Anindita Mukhopadhyay Published On: Oct 22, 2022 --- ENDS ---

Monster Movie Review: Crude, crass, energy-draining beast

Rating: ( 0.5 / 5).

There have been only a few occasions when I felt sorry for myself while sitting inside a movie theatre, and they all happened after I started a career in film journalism. When not writing about films, there is the option of avoiding them -- and safeguarding your mental health in the process; unfortunately, that's become near impossible now.

Director: Vysakh Cast: Mohanlal, Honey Rose, Lakshmi Manchu, Lena

There was a time when the terrible films of Mammootty and Mohanlal tormented me. Lately, though, the former seems to have grown more sensible with regard to his script choices. On the other hand, the latter seems to be going in the opposite direction, and he doesn't seem to care -- except when asking reviewers to learn about filmmaking before talking ill of a film? My question is this: If someone is so passionate about filmmaking or good cinema, why agree to do films like Monster , Aaraattu , Big Brother , and Neerali ?

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse than Aaraattu , here comes Monster , a creation of the same writer, Udayakrishna. I paused to reflect on which of the two is the worst, and my answer has to be Monster . I would've said Aaraattu considering it's longer than Monster , but the latter managed to inflict as much pain despite its relatively shorter runtime. And since I end up exhausted by the end of one of these films, it's also become quite a challenge to expend whatever energy I have left to write about it. I'll try.

Before the release of Monster , there were speculations about it containing zombies and vampires. There is no such thing. I don't know who started that rumour. Perhaps the makers themselves did it through one of their clandestine promotion teams -- you know, to create hype through negative publicity because that's actually a thing. That said, the film exhibits the traits of a vampire in that it sucks your energy instead of blood. I would've included the actors, too, but then I remembered that actors only do what the writer and director tell them to do.

Let me start with Mohanlal's 'Lucky Singh', yet another over-the-top investigator-in-disguise who feels like an extension of his character in the recent 12th Man . Of course, one can see that it's deliberate, but just because a character has to assume a different identity to mislead others, it doesn't mean we should endure everything thrown at us. In 12th Man , Jeethu Joseph was smart enough not to stretch the 'drunken guy' act beyond what was necessary. In Monster , however, Lucky Singh isn't a drunk, but he puts on the garb of an annoying chatterbox who makes every woman he meets uncomfortable. Let's remember that Mohanlal once did a wonderfully entertaining undercover movie called Olympian Antony Adam , where he got the job done without going overboard. Where did today's makers suddenly get the idea that the lamest of dialogues and jokes can entertain audiences? Don't they see that it's no longer working?

For some odd reason, writer Udayakrishna seems to think he is being clever by having Lucky Singh behave like he is participating in a wordplay competition. The effect is more annoying than astonishing. The early developments take a long time to simmer -- imagine an extreme version of that wallpaper scene from TP Balagopalan MA Only here, Lucky Singh isn't selling wallpapers, only his false identity.

I should admit the pre-interval development was a nice touch; it's effective at piquing one's curiosity. But everything starts to go haywire post-interval when more characters enter the picture, most of them faces you'd recognise in an AMMA event photograph. It gets to a point where you start wondering whether things got even more ridiculous when these characters started acting all 'serious' or when they used to be silly. There is a scene where Mohanlal is briefing his khaki-clad colleagues, who sport an expression that seems to say they are already aware of how ludicrous the entire script is but are somehow trying so hard to look serious. Looking at their 'attentive' faces, one would think Lucky Singh is telling them about some Illuminati conspiracy. And what about Lucky Singh showing up in a motorcade of black Mercedez Benzes flanked by sub-ordinates who look like they just got back after filming an Indian remake of Men in Black ?

The atrocity attains its zenith when we learn the identity of the serial killers. One gets the feeling the makers have something against a particular community. In the pursuit of doing something 'different', the makers conjure a background story for the killers that is as unconvincing as it is insensitive.  The writing is crass and devoid of grace that it leaves a sour aftertaste. Why make them look like stock villains? Was there no space for nuance or layers? Why ask them to talk and pose in a stereotypical way? What's with the amateurish music video-style visualisation?

Also, why name the film Monster ? Yes, we get a mention of it through Lucky Singh's closing dialogue, but it is as senseless as everything else in the movie. There was a mention of 'monster' in Aaraattu too, and I don't get the obsession. Is there a UCU (Udayakrishna Cinematic Universe) in the making? I shudder at the thought.

In a pre-release promo video, Mohanlal said the film's screenplay is both hero and villain. Well, having seen the movie, I can say I understood half of it.

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‘Monster’ review: A shattering exploration of an unspeakable truth

A return to form by acclaimed japanese filmmaker hirokazu kore-eda..

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster has a Rashomonesque plot that offers multiple perspectives on a single event. Winding and seductive are the ways of Yuji Sakamoto’s screenplay, which explores the mystery surrounding a school bullying case without ever overshadowing the film’s deeply affecting core.

Kore-eda’s return to form after the disappointing The Truth (2019) and Broker (2022) begins with a fire that has broken out in an apartment complex. The conflagration will singe single mother Saori (Sakura Ando) and her preteen son Minato (Soya Kurokawa) in unforeseen ways.

Minato has begun behaving strangely. He is accused of bullying his sweet-faced classmate Yori (Hinata Hiiragi). Or is Minato himself the target of abuse by enigmatic school teacher Michitoshi (Eita Nagayama)?

A meeting with the school administration, where Saori butts heads with the formidable vice-principal (Akihiro Tsunoda), is the first indication that all isn’t what it seems. Each of the characters has separate lives that gradually braided together with finesse.

The courtroom drama-like structure, with competing arguments and differing points of view, gives the actors equal play. The smoothly edited film leaves no room for confusion, while retaining suspense over what has exactly transpired at Minato’s school.

The magnificent performances by the child actors overshadow the efforts of the adults. The two young boys anchor a narrative that builds up to a moving finale, in which Kore-eda jettisons ambiguity to daringly reveal a shattering truth. The reality of what has actually happened to Minato and Yori has been evident all along, visible only to those with open minds and hearts.

• Monster review
• Hirokazu Kore-eda

• Entertainment
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Monster: Release Date, Trailer, Songs, Cast

• Release Date 21 October 2022
• Language Malayalam
• Genre Crime, Thriller
• Duration 2h 55min
• Cast Mohanlal, Lakshmi Manchu, Lena, Honey Rose, Sudev Nair, Siddique, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Jess Sweejan, Johny Antony, Arjun Nandhakumar, Kottayam Ramesh, Kailash, Edavela Babu, Biju Pappan, José Joel, Sadhika Venugopal
• Director Vysakh
• Writer Udaykrishna–Sibi K. Thomas, Udaykrishna
• Cinematography Satheesh Kurup
• Music Deepak Dev
• Producer Antony Perumbavoor
• Production Aashirvad Cinemas

About Monster Movie (2022)

The Malayalam film stars Mohanlal as turban-clad Lucky Singh. It is the actor’s first role as a Sikh in his career.

Monster Movie Cast, Release Date, Trailer, Songs and Ratings

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Home » Review » Monster movie review: Mohanlal, Honey Rose's experimental thriller yields mixed results »

Monster movie review: Mohanlal, Honey Rose's experimental thriller yields mixed results

Depicting how the society treats homosexuals as the reason for its characters to turn criminals negates whatever daring the makers of Monster had tried.

• Sanjith Sidhardhan

Last Updated: 06.01 PM, Oct 21, 2022

Lucky Singh, a hotelier from Punjab, lands in Kochi to complete a flat transfer deal and return the same day. Ferrying him around is can driver Bhamini on her first wedding anniversary. Coincidentally, Lucky's flat is in the same complex as Bhamini's and he becomes an unwelcome visitor in her family's life for the day. But is Lucky all that he says he is or does he have another motive?

In a scene in director Vysakh's Monster , two cops tell their superior that they have done all that they have been asked to but are still confused about what's going on. This happens after they have apprehended a suspect of a murder case and also have gone great lengths to verify the suspect's claims by bringing a man who was in another State. At times, while watching the Mohanlal-starrer, it won't be too far-fetched to say that the cops' thoughts also reflect what the audience is feeling. This greatly has to do with how the script of the film has been structured - mainly to hold off the middling suspense. 

The film revolves around the visit of a Punjabi-Malayali entrepreneur named Lucky Singh, who is ferried around Kochi by cab driver Bhamini. His intrusive ways also mean he becomes an unwelcome guest at her first wedding anniversary. But after Lucky departs, Bhamini is caught up in a mess she has no explanation for. Is Lucky who he claimed he was and what were his true intentions? - the answers of these form the plot of this Udaykrishna directorial, which has his usual staple of 'mass' moments, a convoy of cars and the male gaze.

Also read: Exclusive! Lakshmi Manchu: Mohanlal’s Monster gave me a chance to push myself and step out of my comfort zone  

Both Udaykrishna and Vysakh had admitted that Monster doesn't follow their usual template of entertainers and it doesn't. In fact, the movie is structured such that it starts off as a supposed comedy, moves to a family drama, proceeds as an investigative drama and finally ending as a crime thriller with some action. Sadly, for most parts, the movie doesn't work, and even when it does, in the latter half, it does come with its set of problems. Depicting how the society treats homosexuals as the reason for its characters to turn criminals doesn't land as intended and painting the characters evil, in fact, negates whatever daring the movie's makers had tried. But due credit, this is also where the film becomes interesting. The action sequences, especially the one in the climax, is a standout for several reasons. 

Also read: Exclusive! Mohanlal’s Monster has a mixed genre and several unexpected turns: Sudev Nair

For Mohanlal, the role is a cakewalk (no pun intended). As Lucky Singh, he is jovial and loud, and sometimes irritable too. But that's what the writer seems to have gone for. He also gets his share of moments that play to the gallery. The rest of the cast, however, fails to raise the energy. You could feel this by how the movie's pace slackens when the actor is not there. Honey Rose is probably the only other actor to stand out here, partly getting the audience to empathise with her situation in the first half.

All said and done, even though the movie was initially planned as an OTT release, it does have a few tricks up its sleeve to excite die-hard Mohanlal fans but apart from that, this Monster lacks teeth.

Mohanlal's Monster is a mishmash of several genres and only works when the makers focus on the crime thriller aspect. Apart from a few scenes, which the makers are pushing as new territory for mainstream superstar-driven movie, the film leaves much to be desired.

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• Mohanlal (Hero)
• Manchu Lakshmi (Heroine)
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• Vysakh (Director)
• Deepak Dev (Music Director)
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Monster is a Malayalam action thriller directed by Vysakh and starring Mohanlal released in 2022. Written by Udaykrishna and produced by Antony Perumbavoor, the film follows… (continue with the plot summary). Despite its star power, Monster received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office.

Bhamini’s first wedding anniversary loomed, marred by a dark shadow. Anil, her husband, lay bound and silenced, bearing the chilling mark of a gunshot. Lucky Singh, the enigmatic passenger with a fabricated past, had vanished, leaving behind a trail of deception and a gut-wrenching silence where laughter should have been. Bhamini, trapped between a missing family and mounting suspicion, raced against time to unravel the truth before it devoured her whole.

A twisted anniversary gift – Anil’s corpse in Bhamini’s trunk. A chilling video, a gun, and Bhamini’s facade shattered. Rosie, the black widow, emerged, her past laced with murder.Mariyam and Joseph, relentless hounds, sniffed out Bhamini’s web of lies. Fake Lucky Singh, phantom lawyer, silent cameras – a puzzle painted in blood. But Bhamini, the puppet master, staged her own abduction. The real Lucky, mere pawn in her game. Shivdev, the hidden king, exposed her murderous reign. Anil, her latest victim, faked death to trap the queen. Justice, a bloodthirsty beast, chased Bhamini, the hunter now hunted. The mask ripped off, revealing a city haunted by the black widow’s kiss.

Bhamini vanished, a ghost in the city. Shivdev’s chase unearthed her truth: Rebecca, haunted by a love deemed forbidden. Catherine, her partner in crime, an echo of childhood whispers in an orphanage. Society’s scorn drove their dream of escape, a desperate gamble for a life across the sea. Hope flickered in Haryana’s 2011 law, then died in the glare of hate. Their stolen honeymoon, a cruel jest by the police, shattered their haven. Driven by a twisted need for freedom, they sought solace in stolen wealth. Shivdev, duty and empathy warring, confronted them. In the ensuing struggle, their yearning for acceptance met its end, leaving behind a city haunted by the whispers of love denied.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Monster

In this Monster film, Mohanlal , Lakshmi Manchu played the primary leads.

The Monster was released in theaters on 21 Oct 2022.

The Monster was directed by Vysakh

Movies like Paalum Pazhavum , Haal , Bharathanatyam and others in a similar vein had the same genre but quite different stories.

The Monster had a runtime of 134 minutes.

The soundtracks and background music were composed by Deepak Dev for the movie Monster.

The cinematography for Monster was shot by Satheesh Kurup .

The movie Monster belonged to the Drama, genre.

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‘Monster’ movie review: An endurance test of a film, with a warped portrayal of LGBTQIA+ issues

It has to be said that the mohanlal starrer’s portrayal of lgbtqia+ characters does not help in normalising them, but rather in further stigmatising them.

Updated - October 22, 2022 02:03 pm IST

Published - October 21, 2022 03:48 pm IST

Mohanlal in ‘Monster’

When some mainstream filmmakers and scriptwriters suddenly begin to talk about a “subject that has not been talked about much in our cinema,” which often means a film that touches upon LGBTQIA+ issues, one is now filled with a sense of dread going by their past record of negative portrayal of these communities. Any hopes of them correcting past wrongs are often misplaced, as is yet again proved in Monster.

But a discussion on this has to wait. Only a viewer who can manage to sit through the unendurable first hour of the movie would reach these portions where the scriptwriter tries to become progressive. This first hour is the extended slot set aside for Lucky Singh (Mohanlal) to regale the audience with his Punjabi lines (a mish mash of "Balle balle" and "Soni Kudi") and loads of humour, which is most often an excuse for crass double entendres.

Singh, who runs a chain of restaurants in Punjab, has landed up in Kochi to close a land deal. He ends up becoming a headache for Bhamini (Honey Rose), a cab driver who is assigned to pick him up from the airport, as he insists on her ferrying him around throughout the day. He even barges into her house, where she is set to celebrate the first wedding anniversary with her husband Chandran (Sudev Nair). But, as most people might have already guessed from the patterns seen in quite a few films in recent years, there is more to Lucky Singh than meets the eye.

Filmmaker Vysakh and scriptwriter Udaykrishna, who had previously gifted Mohanlal one of the biggest hits of his career with Pulimurugan (which had its share of issues), team up yet again for Monster , where they try their hand at the thriller genre, with a seemingly-progressive twist. At the risk of revealing plot spoilers, it has to be said that the movie's portrayal of LGBTQIA+ characters does not help in normalising them in mainstream cinema, but rather in further stigmatising them.

As per the scriptwriter’s theory, the society’s attitudes and ill-treatment of homosexuals can turn them into hardened criminals, who would then execute a series of crimes with a vengeance. In one key scene, where the lesbian couple is being confronted by a police officer, they proceed to kiss each other in front of him, in an attempt to overemphasise their sexual identity. Sequences like these give one an idea of the warped understanding that the makers have of these communities. Clearly, not much research has gone into writing these parts, which were probably included just because “progressive subjects” have a market these days.

Laziness is written all over the script, with much of the thriller part involving Lucky Singh narrating the entire sequence of events to a set of police officers, who were clueless about what was going on, because they hadn’t watched previous Udaykrishna offerings like Aarattu . Even the film’s title appears to be a random choice, evident from the last scene where an attempt is made to explain it, as an afterthought. It takes quite some monstrous levels of will power to endure this test of patience.

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Monster Movie Review (2022)

Vysakh's 'monster', with mohanlal and honey rose, is a pulpy thriller that entertains until it starts to explain itself.

Monster Movie Cast & Crew

I'll begin by saying that Vysakh's Monster is not a "tasteful" film. It's a film for those with an appetite for trashy pulp fiction, where you keep turning the pages feverishly in order to find out who the bad guy is. Mohanlal plays a turbaned man named Lucky Singh, a Malayali settled in Punjab, and the minute he says " soni kudi ", you know this is not something you take seriously. Short of shaking his shoulders to shouts of balle balle , Mohanlal plays not a character but a caricature. This, I think, is intentional. The man is a total pile-on, a total pest. We are irritated with his mannerisms. We are unable to bear his larger-than-life way of sucking up all the air in the room. And this mirrors the state of mind Bhamini finds herself in. In short, when Lucky Singh hops into Bhamini's cab and spends the day with her, we find ourselves completely empathising with her annoyance and discomfort.

Honey Rose gives a fantastic performance as Bhamini – and this is something you may realise only after the film. It is her first wedding anniversary and she wants to be home, but Lucky Singh latches on to her like a leech. Watch every single emotion on Honey Rose's face, and then recall them after the climax – you will see how cleverly her character is written and how well the actor performs. Monster opens with Bhamini and her husband (Sudev Nair) who has lost his job. They have a little daughter, and their financial situation is dire. They live on the kindness of others, like the nanny played by Lakshmi Manchu. This nanny continues to work despite not having been paid for months. The only wage-earner in the family is Bhamini, who works for a cab company called She-Taxi. The significance of this name will, again, register later.

The writer, Udaykrishna, keeps building the screenplay with small details. One, Bhamini is an orphan. Two, she is not much of a socialiser – she likes to be with her small family and cherish every small moment. So on and so forth. All of this adds to the character in ways we don't expect – and then, the film begins to pile on the twists. There's a murder. The security guard says he never saw Lucky Singh, so are we in a ghost story? Is all of this happening in Bhamini's head, due to her difficult situation? I laughed at the outrageous plot turns, but I must admit I was also gripped. Monster is utterly unpredictable for the most part. At one point, Mohanlal's body language changes. At another point, Honey Rose's body language changes. We realise a lot of this is being done to fool us, the audience, but I was game for the ride. I love shamelessly pulpy stuff (and this film is exactly that), and I needed to get to the bottom of it all.

But when the explanations begin to arrive, the air leaks out of the narrative. Some of the planning to catch the culprit is really far-fetched – but that part is still okay, it’s still part of how pulp works. It's the big fight at the end and the hurried depiction of a relationship that leaves a really bad taste as you walk out of the theatre. In principle, I am not against people being portrayed in a certain way. We are inside fiction, and we have to understand that the sensitivity we have in real life might be sacrificed for the sake of thrills. But this last section is so sudden and so out of a Chinese martial arts movie that you lose any sympathy the film is trying to create in order to justify the murders. The characters become caricatures, very much like Lucky Singh. If that had been addressed, this enjoyable film might have become a moving film as well.

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Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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Mohanlal's 'Monster' movie review: Crude, crass, energy-draining beast

There have been only a few occasions when I felt sorry for myself while sitting inside a movie theatre, and they all happened after I started a career in film journalism. When not writing about films, there is the option of avoiding them -- and safeguarding your mental health in the process; unfortunately, that's become near impossible now.

There was a time when the terrible films of Mammootty and Mohanlal tormented me. Lately, though, the former seems to have grown more sensible with regard to his script choices. On the other hand, the latter seems to be going in the opposite direction, and he doesn't seem to care -- except when asking reviewers to learn about filmmaking before talking ill of a film? My question is this: If someone is so passionate about filmmaking or good cinema, why agree to do films like Monster, Aaraattu, Big Brother, and Neerali?

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse than Aaraattu, here comes Monster, a creation of the same writer, Udayakrishna. I paused to reflect on which of the two is the worst, and my answer has to be Monster. I would've said Aaraattu considering it's longer than Monster, but the latter managed to inflict as much pain despite its relatively shorter runtime. And since I end up exhausted by the end of one of these films, it's also become quite a challenge to expend whatever energy I have left to write about it. I'll try.

Before the release of Monster, there were speculations about it containing zombies and vampires. There is no such thing. I don't know who started that rumour. Perhaps the makers themselves did it through one of their clandestine promotion teams -- you know, to create hype through negative publicity because that's actually a thing. That said, the film exhibits the traits of a vampire in that it sucks your energy instead of blood. I would've included the actors, too, but then I remembered that actors only do what the writer and director tell them to do.

Let me start with Mohanlal's 'Lucky Singh', yet another over-the-top investigator-in-disguise who feels like an extension of his character in the recent 12th Man. Of course, one can see that it's deliberate, but just because a character has to assume a different identity to mislead others, it doesn't mean we should endure everything thrown at us. In 12th Man, Jeethu Joseph was smart enough not to stretch the 'drunken guy' act beyond what was necessary. In Monster, however, Lucky Singh isn't a drunk, but he puts on the garb of an annoying chatterbox who makes every woman he meets uncomfortable. Let's remember that Mohanlal once did a wonderfully entertaining undercover movie called Olympian Antony Adam, where he got the job done without going overboard. Where did today's makers suddenly get the idea that the lamest of dialogues and jokes can entertain audiences? Don't they see that it's no longer working?

For some odd reason, writer Udayakrishna seems to think he is being clever by having Lucky Singh behave like he is participating in a wordplay competition. The effect is more annoying than astonishing. The early developments take a long time to simmer -- imagine an extreme version of that wallpaper scene from TP Balagopalan MA Only here, Lucky Singh isn't selling wallpapers, only his false identity.

I should admit the pre-interval development was a nice touch; it's effective at piquing one's curiosity. But everything starts to go haywire post-interval when more characters enter the picture, most of them faces you'd recognise in an AMMA event photograph. It gets to a point where you start wondering whether things got even more ridiculous when these characters started acting all 'serious' or when they used to be silly. There is a scene where Mohanlal is briefing his khaki-clad colleagues, who sport an expression that seems to say they are already aware of how ludicrous the entire script is but are somehow trying so hard to look serious. Looking at their 'attentive' faces, one would think Lucky Singh is telling them about some Illuminati conspiracy. And what about Lucky Singh showing up in a motorcade of black Mercedez Benzes flanked by sub-ordinates who look like they just got back after filming an Indian remake of Men in Black?

The atrocity attains its zenith when we learn the identity of the serial killers. One gets the feeling the makers have something against a particular community. In the pursuit of doing something 'different', the makers conjure a background story for the killers that is as unconvincing as it is insensitive. The writing is crass and devoid of grace that it leaves a sour aftertaste. Why make them look like stock villains? Was there no space for nuance or layers? Why ask them to talk and pose in a stereotypical way? What's with the amateurish music video-style visualisation?

Also, why name the film Monster? Yes, we get a mention of it through Lucky Singh's closing dialogue, but it is as senseless as everything else in the movie. There was a mention of 'monster' in Aaraattu too, and I don't get the obsession. Is there a UCU (Udayakrishna Cinematic Universe) in the making? I shudder at the thought.

In a pre-release promo video, Mohanlal said the film's screenplay is both hero and villain. Well, having seen the movie, I can say I understood half of it.

Director: Vysakh Cast: Mohanlal, Honey Rose, Lakshmi Manchu, Lena

Rating: 0.5/ 5

( This review originally appeared on Cinema Express.com )

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Monster Review - An enjoyable comedy that gets its priorities right!

PUBLISHED DATE : 17/May/2019

Bharath Vijayakumar

Nelson's debut Oru Naal Koothu was a film that had a lot to say without being preachy. With Monster he reaffirms that he is an able filmmaker who knows exactly what he is upto. Monster can easily fit into the category of films for kids and this is such a rarity in Tamil cinema where they try to add ingredients for adults even in a film targeted at the kids. But Nelson seems to be in no such confusion as he delivers a neat comedy that should be lapped up by the kids and quite an enjoyable outing for the adults as well.

Much like films of this genre, Monster has a very basic one liner and how well you narrate this on screen with adequately entertaining/interesting performances is what matters. Nelson delivers the goods aided by S.J.Suryah and a neat supporting cast. S.J. Suryah is a keen actor and it shows. He has mellowed down a bit. While he could have easily gone over the top here, he stays in sync with his characterisation. Credit to Nelson for a neat track between S.J.Suryah and Priya Bhavani Shankar. It is simple, enjoyable and remains an integral part of the main plot. Karunakaran rocks it in a few scenes.

The CG portions involving the rat are quite good. Nelson has cleverly not gone overboard with the use of CG. The comedy is almost always clean and even the couple of references to body parts are naughty and never vulgar. While there aren't many unnecessary scenes, a little urgency might have helped the film for multiple viewings. The comedy is of the laugh out loud type at a couple of instances and leaves you with a smile for the most part. You wish there were a few more crazy scenes . But when you begin rooting for the rat you realize that this is a job well done by Nelson.

Monster is simple comedy that is neatly executed and positions Nelson as an interesting filmmaker who is likely to explore different genres.

Rating: 3/5

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