User Reviews

The last time i was mind blown for staging in an Indian arthouse was for Pushpendra Singh's The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs (2020) and Ronny Sen's Cat Sticks (2019). I can add few more titles which standout for it's fresh filmmaking like the works of Prantik Basu, Aditya Vikram Sengupta's Jonaki (2018), Ekta Mittal's Birha (2018), Achal Mishra's Gamak Ghar (2019), Ridham Janve's The Gold-Laden Sheep and the Sacred Mountain (2018), Arun Matheswaran's Rocky, Koozhangal by PS Vinothraj and finally one of my favourite Varthamana (2018), directed by Umesh Amshi with late actor Sanchari Vijay. Kuthiraivaal is added to the list now and i must say this film is a labyrinthine that combines the weird with the banality of the everyday and ultimately raises more questions than answers. The tail of existence is told in a Kafkaesque style mind trip that leads to a series absurd moments, but occasionally loses itself in its own pretensions and feels like a random collage of abstract and surrealistic visual elements. I know this sounds like a recipe for pretentious disaster but there are genuine efforts in the filmmaking that turns this awkward undertaking into a total cerebral experience. In few scenes i could recollect films of Latin American arthouse filmmakers, even Georgian director Tengiz Abuladze, Nobuhiko Obayashi, Eduardo Nunes's Unicórnio (2017) and some Béla Tarr. There's so much to say but i'll leave it here, maybe revisit this again. I don't recommend this to every moviegoers, it will be a tedious watch to sit through and seem like a boomer uncle going through existential crisis. Like my Rocky (2021) review, i want to end it by requesting only the passionate/serious cinephiles to support this experimental effort and spread the word.

Quite a little, Kuthiraivaal is a surrealist, absurd, psychic mode of film and it goes slow and vivid. The subject matter of the film recollects me of a French film Holy Motors where a lot of symbolism and metaphors are there. When entering detail into the structure of the film there lies a lot of elements that resembles to the subconscious condition of human minds. The reference to baby syndrome/mirror syndrome, the importance of the preservation of nature, etc is some of the layered themes inside this movie. The movie is completely a different path of making and it only engages that kind of audience.

I gave 7 star to only cinematography and music. Because I am not able to understand what exactly writers trying to convey in this movie.

If you attempt something new, then you should explain the things as a voice over in the movie to make understand layman. Even I used to watch Martin sorceress, Hitchcock, Wes andersan, Nolan etc. But their movies are easy to understand. Because they delivered the clear plot.

My worry, i spent 1000 rs with my family for kuthiraivaal. Am not able to enjoy the story as I was not able to understand anything. Not only me. We were around 30 ppl in theatre, no one has understand the movie.

If you make movies for only intellectual then you should prepare audience before they step in to theatre.

If you don't want to explain the movie, then you should promote movie as its made for only intellectual. So, we don't watch this kind of movie.

If you are intellectual, then you better make the movie for yourself and show it to ppl whom think can understand the movie. Don't release the movie in theatre.

The film is an exceptional fantasy thriller but a bit fantasy not that much of fantastic experience it gives.. Kuthiraivaal- the story it comes to deliver to us is about the dream chasing the hero of the story and about how it influences him.

Though director made a good screenplay yet it wasn't enough for a comman man to understand this one in a short duration..it needs a little more to understand and particularly enjoy the movie and there were many loop holes in this movie but it was overcome by the confused story..the climax was made clear yet to make that the director had gave us a difficult story plot to clear the climax Overall- the movie had many new things and a bold direction and trying to give a new experience to the world class audience but still in edge to satisfy the local audience.. If that could have made clearly then it could be a great fantasy and fantastic thriller.

The only thing that made me go awe was how they designed the shots and panning. The visual experience keeps you on a trip. However, the narrative was screenplayed without considering the audience. It's as if only after you see the casting info and character names in end credits, you understand the story. The movie has lot of theories but never respects the audience nor care to explain it. Jiivi movie is good example of how to keep the audience engaged though it has theories and characters through generations. Watch Jiivi rather than this movie!!

Onnume puriyile! Shabbbaaaa. Thookam.dhaa vandhadhu. Donno what the director is trying to convey . Tried Something different with "dream comes true" but Sema bore . 3/10.

This movie is 1st of its kind in Indian cinema. The movie is just amazing. It is a visual treat and the background score is of a different level. While watching it one should watch it carefully n paitently. For me personally this had a lot of suprises with the story in between. The way dreams can be interpreted and can percieved has been used really well in the movie. Acting of Kalaiarasan, Anjali and Chetan are really good. The interval and climax scenes are the highlight of the movie. Great work by director, cinematographer and editor. Speacial mentions to Pradeep Kumar's music.

This movie overall looks dope. New and decent attempt. Pradeep Kumar did a great job with the background music.

If the movie was cut short to 1.5 hrs without songs and more engaging screenplay, then I might have liked it.

Since hero has a tail, he need to act like an horse humping. But he overdid it. Kalaiarasan's mannerisms irritated me more than the film.

This film is criminally underrated. Tamil audiences don't seem to understand the concept of surrealism, and theorizing films that generally "don't make sense". So what do they do? They trash talk the film and gice it a bad rating cause "boohoo what is this I don't uderstand this SO BAD!!!". Truly pathetic. This film is a good take on avant-garde cinema, defying general, stereotypical narrative storytelling. The cinematography, framing, and lighting is great. The film encapsulates the essence of surrealism, playing with interesting concepts such as philosophy, dreams, and the theory of knowledge. It does have a bit too much exposition at times, such as when the main character keeps mentioning plot developments to himself, out loud, and the use of songs. This isn't a musical, it's cinema. It truly sadddens me that the tamil cinema industry has produced so much of stereotypical and generic recycled trash, its audiences taste and understanding of art continues to decrease and distort itself into that of monkeys. 5.6/10 is a cruel rating for a film like this.

I give this a strong 9.3/10. One of the best tamil films of all time.

I was done within 30 mins of the movie. Not sure how did they convince the producer to shell out 5 crores for this. I would have eneded up with a migraine if i would have watched the whole movie.

Movies are for entertainment and this was no entertainment.

A little too far fetched for me. I watched till the end as the movie was different from the normal run of the mill type. Writer was trying to say something but it didn't reach me.

I never seen such worst movie in my lifetime. Production company and director after make the films you didn't see that? Worst story psycho movie. One of my friend refer this movie. After that watch movie. I never talk to him don't ask him any suggestions hereafter. Don't waste your time watching the movie because it can cause you to have suicidal thoughts.

It would be Better if the screenplay is little fast and understandable.

Excellent cinematography

Good sound designing

But iam waiting for another film like this .

The creators showed all their imagination on screen... but their imagination is not good to watch. Need lot of patience to watch this movie... but being patient to watch this movie is a total waste of time... honestly if you watch this movie fully it ll make you mad... so better don't watch this movie... thumbs down...

I gave 10/10 for opening a new genre of movie for Tamil Audience. The first biggest applause goes to the Sound Engineering of this movie. Camera work is fantastic, I wonder where they got a such a naturalistic village and enhanced its beauty. Zero or less Visual Effects (CG) is a big plus.

This is not a fantasy movie or psycho thriller. There are movies made for Fans. There are movies made for experiments. The first one can earn more and stay for a while. But the second one will stay for ages in pulp culture. Kuthiraivaal will stay long.

Most of us are living in Fantasy world now, trying to go back to our originality, but lost those days. If we can't go back to the lost world, we start living in the imagination. It happens to everyone once in a life.

Acting of Kalaiarasan, Anjali and Chetan are really good. Good work by the entire team.

What a theme! Interpreting a dream opens up the suppressed mystery. I love the theme. I love everything of this movie. That is why giving it 10. But deduct one because it is so boring and confusing. Humans do not come with such patience to digest such a boring movie. Give my wasted time back. Please don't waste your time unless enough patience to tolerate this boring movie.

This movie is kind of a painting and the beauty n detail of it can be interpreted based on the particular viewer's experience on innocence, love, compassion, etc... Generally a movie, will travel with clear director's(plot) point of view and the message he/she wishes to deliver. But this movie, has left tat doors open.. An effort to keep those doors open for viewer's is to be appreciated.. I think one small, fine line drawn here is from the point the protagonist realizes that he has lost his loving self somewhere in life's journey and search for the point where he has lost his loving self and reaching it there to reconnect with it.. Again, it may be my perception on the movie..Showing his innocent part of life using budding friendship with a girl child when he was a kid is beautiful.