Slasher genres are very common in Hollywood, but because drama is so valued in this city, filmmakers haven't fully explored them yet. The technological aspects and a few logical jumps cares of this horror subgenre are also its greatest assets. Miral, directed by M. Sakthivel, makes a valiant effort to follow in these footsteps but falls short of successfully entrancing us in its world. Miral has some powerful scenes and jump scares, but it lacks a unique element that may have set it apart.
The movie opens with Rama (Vani Bhojan) experiencing a nightmare in which a stranger is attempting to kill her family. Rama and her husband Hari (Bharath) decide to journey all the way to the temple in the former's village after learning that something is upsetting the calm in their life. Due to a job engagement, bharath and his family decide to leave immediately after the rites in order to return home. When they run into a masked intruder who wrecks their car and makes a threat to harm the family, a game of cat and mouse ensues. What exactly is going on, and why is Hari's family being forced to see this terrible act?
Miral got off to a respectable start with a few interesting moments. But as the story developed and several disclosures were presented in the second half, our first impressions of this movie changed. The movie may have been lot better if the director had been true to the slasher genre without including forced features and emotional aspects towards the finale. The director made a mistake by using a tired formula in the hopes of appealing to a wider audience. But that's not how movies operate. This movie is nothing less than a terrible hit and miss. Although the first half's jump scares were decent, reflecting on why they were added lessens the impact they initially had.
If the reveal had been compelling or admirable enough, this would have met expectations. Additionally, it appeared as though the concept was being stretched in a number of places solely for the duration. Few characters' spoken delivery seemed a little shaky, and these elements keep us from fully engaging with the movie. The only thing saving the movie are bharath and vani Bhojan's good performances. The actor who portrays vani Bhojan's father, KS Ravikumar, keeps us interested right away.
Although Miral is not very technically sound, it only partially meets the needs. Miral terrifies us occasionally but doesn't pose a threat or keep us on the edge of our seats overall.