Bramayugam follows the story of a singer having escaped from the merchant rule only to enter a realm owned by the devil himself! Will he be able to escape? The story here, shot in black and white, is a refreshing take on the witchcraft from the dark ages that accounts for one of the best atmospheric horrors of recent times. In fact it reminded me of the Robert Eggers directed film The Lighthouse, a film shot in monochrome and an atmospheric horror like no other. And here, you do see shades of it in terms of its story telling and frames in what was a brilliant drama in every sense of the word. The screenplay standing at about 140 minutes moves at a leisurely pace almost inviting the viewers into a world that is haunting with specks of horror drizzled in its surroundings. The atmospherics play a part in creating an ambience which was so refreshing from the standard jumpscares that the horror genre is subjected to. 

The drama opens with a terrific sequence involving the protagonist and his friend who decide to take refuge in a forest at night until a strange occurence takes the life of the protagonist’s friend. This opening sequences was enough to set the ball rolling for things to follow while alerting the viewers on what they have signed up for, while beautifully creating a world of intrigue and mystery. The land is filled with witchcraft and accentuated by the haunting surroundings wherein a lost protagonist makes his way to a lonely house which marks the worst mistake he may have ever made, in hindsight. On his arrival, he is questioned by a cook before being introduced to a character of Mammootty that is intimidating with his devilish smile. In between, the makers do well in delaying the inevitable of introducing the character of Mammootty upfront, almost teasing the fanboys like me which was honestly a great approach. 

The proceedings are a slow burn while being engaging in terms of the situations created along the way. But it was the atmospherics that made for such an eery presence of the surroundings with shades of a folklore along the way in terms of the palace as a setting. The tactful approach of the writers to expose only limited information to the viewers accounted for a layered piece of writing that had shades of mythology thrown in the mix as a part of a quick flashback. Yet, the mystery around the character of Mammootty was intact as you didn’t quite know on what to expect. But a few things were clear, for instance, the protagonist being stuck at the palace wherein he couldn’t even try escaping alive accounting for one of the most memorable interval blocks for a horror film. I could see a sly smile on the face of the viewers, most of whom refused to get up from their seats. And this was a huge victory of the writers who did engage the viewers brilliantly. 

There is a little more urgency in the second hour with the lid being lifted off the entire mystery surrounding the character of Mammootty. This also included setting a booby trap for the character even as the characters of the cook and the protagonist teamed up against the beast. Yet, the whole angle was narrated in a wonderfully layered manner with a little information being revealed while every layered being peeled off. It is here that you are briefly acquainted with the characteristics of the cook and also the protagonist as they look to overpower the devil. The subtle twist at the end is interesting leading up to an outstanding and supremely satisfying final act. Overall, the screenplay writing is brilliant, focusing on the atmospherics while allowing the viewers to feel the horror as opposed to jump scaring them.