Smorgasbord Fantasia

Malayalam Movie industry has been relentlessly churning out some fantastic movies, one after the other. So much so, that I actually have missed out watching a few good ones that released late last year on the OTT platforms. One such gem is ARM ( Ajayente Randam Moshanam) or Ajayan's second theft.  A mix of historical folklore, fantasy adventure and an impossible heist, all rolled into one - this one's Tovino Thomas' magnum opus post-covid big screen release from late 2024 ( He plays a triple role in this, three characters across three generations!) directed by Jithin Laal (in only his first ever big outing as a director) ably bringing to life a surreal story penned by Sujith Nambiar. It truly deserves all the accolades and the money it has made and I only wish more people would get acquainted with this fantastic period action movie, laid with overtones of fantasy firmly rooted in folklore. Being a big fantasy nerd and a fan of anything mythological, this movie was an abso...

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean has an absolute bonkers of a concept. North of England in the Yorkshire Moors, live a clan of six “Families” – who are humanoid/aliens and survive by eating books, gaining knowledge or experiences depending on the kind of literature they “devour”.  They are secretive and surrounding them is an almost Dracula-like legend that cloaks them from the rest of the humanity, only a few even suspecting as to their existence.  Devon belongs to one of the oldest ‘families’ among these people and being one of the rarer “female” of the species, is tasked with the preservation of the clan/race. Which basically leads her leading an oppressive life of being a mule, tasked with marrying into other families as directed by her elders and procreating for the sake of the survival of the clan. Naturally, Devon – a headstrong perceptive young woman, doesn’t take kindly to her “assigned” tasks. Especially after having gotten attached to her first daughter, Salem. Who is...