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TNN, June 22, 2023, 01.12 PM IST, Logesh Balachandran

Rating by Reviewers: 2.5/5

As part of their profession, five young people decide to investigate an abandoned mansion in London in the movie Asvins. They had no idea that their choice could endanger their lives.

Movie Review for Asvins:

This appears to be the one-liner for most of the horror films that we get to see in the present day, and frankly, it's very boring. Aspiring YouTubers, an abandoned cottage, and a demonic ghost. Asvins, the newest film from Vasanth Ravi, too follows a similar formula, but happily, its premise and the idea it explores in the second half make it an effort that deserves praise.

Arjun (Vasanth Ravi), Ritu (Saraswathi Menon), Grace, Varun (Muralitharan), and Rahul (Udhayadeep) are five Indian teenagers who are given the task of investigating a mysteriously abandoned property in London. Aarthi Rajagopal (Vimala Raman), an archaeologist and specialist in religious ceremonies, originally owned the structure. Despite being aware of the risks, the five friends enter the estate, and as soon as they do, each of them begins to have paranormal encounters that make their lives miserable. But destiny provides Arjun with a way to expel the demonic force inside while simultaneously rescuing his pals who are suffering in a stage between life and death.

One reason why Asvins might succeed is director Tarun Teja's admirable goal of creating a technically competent horror movie. Work among the genre's followers. Although the jump scares don't actually frighten us, the sound mixing is excellent enough to occasionally make us feel uneasy. In fact, one of the characters in the movie is portrayed as a budding sound engineer who accepts the task of recording the many sounds that they hear while on the mission. Nevertheless, the first half lacks engaging moments because of the weak storyline. We primarily experience jump scares rather than actual surprises or confrontations. The author also spends a lot of time describing Aarthi Rajagopal's past and the hardships she endured after her excursion to a small community close to Kanchipuram.

The second half's tone shift from horror to psychological thriller serves the movie both favourably and unfavourably. We become invested in Tarun's world because of the lofty ideals at play. It discusses the curse, the intermediate condition of death, the devils and good thoughts we all possess, and much more. Tarun has certainly maintained true to his vision as a writer, but it may have worked better on screen if it had used correct cinematic language that would have helped viewers grasp what was going on. This would have aided in the movie's effect.

Once again, Vasanth Ravi gave a powerful performance, especially during the climax. There isn't much to criticise about the movie's actors. Director Rajiv Menon's daughter Saraswathi Menon portrays Vasanth's partner, and she has a strong debut. Vimala Raman, who appears for the majority of the second half, too puts on a performance worth noting.
Although Asvins has several intriguing concepts, the fundamental problem is that they don't mesh well together.