One of the standout aspects of Ajay Gnanamuthu’s debut film, Demonte Colony, was its commitment to delivering a true horror experience, avoiding the typical Tamil “masala horror” tropes. Unlike the Kanchana and Aranmanai franchises, which intertwine comedy, romance, action-packed hero moments, and item songs into their narratives alongside the horror elements, Demonte Colony maintained a consistent tone peppered only with occasional light-hearted moments and music. This approach marked a shift from the usual practice of infusing everything, similar to a variety dosa stall that offers myriad ingredients, into a horror film. Demonte Colony swiftly established a gripping and eerie atmosphere that it maintained throughout its runtime.
Ajay takes a confident step forward with Demonte Colony 2, aiming to delve deeper into an unadulterated horror realm. The sequel kicks off by revisiting the harrowing events from the first film, promptly pulling the audience back into its menacing world. The film opens with a spine-chilling video showing two individuals falling from a high-rise building, followed by another death in the same apartment, setting a grim tone from the outset.
At the center of this narrative is Debbie (Priya Bhavani Shankar), a grieving widow whose life is consumed by the sorrow of losing her husband, Sam. Her house is almost a shrine, adorned with photographs capturing every tactile moment of their union. Obsessed by her loss, Debbie chooses the harrowing path of artificial insemination using Sam’s preserved sperm, a desperate and unsettling attempt to keep his memory alive. This act of desperation ushers in a profound sense of melancholy, foreshadowing the dark undertones that permeate the film.
As with its predecessor, Demonte Colony 2 does have a song in the first half. However, instead of a lively ‘kuthu‘ number featuring drunken antics, the audience is treated to a somber track by Sam CS, reminiscent of the dreariest days in the English landscape. This song only adds to the film’s overall sense of despair and forebodes the horrors awaiting Debbie.
Ajay aims to heighten the horror with a slew of intense sequences, utilizing a variety of horror tropes such as terror induced by mirrors, chaos brought upon by bats, and even a descent into a netherworld realm. The film’s horror arsenal is expansive, incorporating symbols of the antichrist, pentagrams, the titular Demonte, and the emergence of an even more sinister entity.
Despite these efforts, Demonte Colony 2, much like its predecessor, struggles to fully realize its potential to induce genuine fear.
. Though the conceptual framework is promising, the execution falls short in delivering heart-stopping terror. One major hindrance is the subpar visual effects which fail to convincingly portray the horror themes, resulting in a disconnect between the film’s intended atmosphere and its on-screen execution. The lack of high-quality CGI undermines the film’s immersive potential, eroding the fear factor it aims to build.
Moreover, the performances within the film do not quite rise to the level required to convey the characters’ terror and desperation effectively. This shortfall leaves the audience emotionally detached from the unfolding narrative. Sam CS’s musical score, designed to enhance the tension, occasionally misses the mark by culminating in jarringly loud crescendos that further disrupt the pacing and overall ambiance.
However, the film’s structural integrity must be acknowledged. The screenplay is coherent, with characters motivated by clear, understandable drives. For instance, Debbie’s susceptibility to demonic deception, appearing as her deceased husband, stems directly from her overwhelming grief. This character trait is established through flashbacks depicting her desperate attempts to save him during his battle with cancer. Similarly, another character’s altruism, despite being self-serving, makes sense when considering his troubled, motherless upbringing.
Ajay Gnanamuthu also skillfully ties certain plot points back to the first film, ensuring a sense of continuity. The introduction of new mysteries and unresolved questions, particularly at the film’s conclusion, hints at the potential for a continuing franchise, leaving viewers curious about future developments.
Nevertheless, Ajay, in his quest to deliver a pure horror film, cannot completely resist the lure of comedy. An untimely comedic sequence involving Arulnithi and his half-sister arguing over property abruptly disrupts the meticulously built tension from the film’s first half-hour, diluting the overall suspense.
In a fragmented way, just as the cursed necklace haunts the characters within the Demonte Colony narrative, Tamil horror films seem perpetually shackled by the chains of comedic interjections.
Demonte Colony 2 is currently screening in theaters, attempting to carve out its space in the Tamil horror genre as it balances between creating genuine fear and succumbing to mainstream cinematic distractions.
