When it comes to horror films in Tamil cinema, almost every aspect of the genre has been used to the saturation point. Makers have now opted for the option of twisting the same plot over on its head, thereby leading to a new route. Aruvam is the latest experiment in the line, and below goes our Aruvam movie review.
Aruvam puts two characters in the frame – Siddharth plays a food safety officer while Catherine Tresa, in a very nice role, is a teacher who suffers from a medical condition named anosmia. As both of them come on to the same page and get along well, few murders take place in the different parts of the city. Aruvam then tries its best to surprise you with some twists and turns, but only parts of it end up working well.
Siddharth’s idea to pick this film is gone for a toss, but he does give it his best. It’s nice to see how he has grown from a performance-oriented artist to a star-like ‘hero’ who has a very good screen presence and can fight baddies convincingly. On the other hand, Catherine Tresa struggles to get her act right, even though she has a superb role to perform with a lot of scope. The rest of the cast just have extended cameos, with Aadukalam Naren being the only one to get a memorable moment.
Thaman’s Veesiya Visiri works as a good romance number, with his BGM work being decent. The cinematography and the editing give the film what it needs.
Overall, Aruvam is a barely passable horror drama that could entertain the fans of the genre. With some more care and a different narrative structure, things would have worked out in a better way.