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🎬 Footage (2025) – When the Camera Reveals More Than the Eye Can See
Genre: Thriller | Mystery | Psychological Horror
Language: Tamil (Dubbed in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi)
Director: Arvind Rajan
Cast: Arjun Das, Aparna Balamurali, Kishore, Indhuja Ravichandran
Release Date: March 2025
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5)
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🎥 Introduction:
"Footage" is not your typical horror movie. It doesn't rely on loud background scores or ghosts jumping out of the screen. Instead, it patiently crawls into your mind, tightens its grip, and makes you question everything you believe about reality, memory, and technology.
Directed by Arvind Rajan, known for his gritty storytelling and sharp camera work, Footage takes the psychological thriller genre to a bold new level in South Indian cinema. It’s dark, intelligent, and deeply emotional.
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📖 Plot Summary (Spoiler-Free):
Set in Chennai, Footage follows Ravi, a young cinematographer who returns to his village after the sudden death of his father, a retired police inspector. As he clears out his childhood home, he finds an old, rusted video camera with a few tapes inside — unlabeled and dusty.
Curious, Ravi decides to watch them. What starts as casual recordings of random places soon takes a terrifying turn. The tapes seem to contain footage from a police case that was never closed — a case involving a missing girl, a haunted hill station, and a string of disappearances from 1997.
What’s even more disturbing? Some of the tapes seem to have clips of Ravi as a child... in places he swears he never visited.
As Ravi digs deeper, with the help of his childhood friend Anitha (Aparna Balamurali), they uncover a hidden layer of their past, one that was deliberately erased. The line between fiction and reality blurs as they follow the trail of tapes — leading to a shocking revelation that connects their families, the village, and a mysterious man who hasn’t aged in 30 years.
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🎭 Performances:
Arjun Das is outstanding as Ravi. His expressive eyes, combined with a subtle and layered performance, make him the perfect fit for this complex role. He balances vulnerability and determination effortlessly, especially during scenes where his character begins to mentally unravel.
Aparna Balamurali shines as Anitha — confident, empathetic, and sharp. Her chemistry with Arjun is natural and understated, adding emotional depth to the narrative.
Veteran actor Kishore plays the role of Ravi’s late father in flashbacks, and his scenes — especially the one where he leaves behind a cryptic message — will stay with you long after the film ends.
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🎬 Direction & Storytelling:
Arvind Rajan’s direction is masterful. Instead of relying on jump scares or CGI, he builds fear through silence, shadows, and suspense. He explores themes like memory manipulation, trauma, and the moral line between truth and secrecy.
The screenplay is tight, and each act slowly raises the stakes. The second half becomes more intense, with twists and reveals that recontextualize everything you saw in the beginning.
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🎞️ Technical Brilliance:
Cinematography by Manoj Parameshwaran is hauntingly beautiful. The way he captures abandoned buildings, forest trails, and night shots using minimal light is visually gripping. The VHS-style flashbacks look authentic and eerie.
Editing by Praveen KL is sharp and purposeful. The intercutting between timelines is seamless, keeping viewers constantly intrigued.
Music by Santhosh Narayanan deserves a special mention. The background score is minimal but intense, filled with low ambient hums, reversed sounds, and haunting flute segments. The main theme is unforgettable — creepy yet oddly emotional.
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💡 Themes & Symbolism:
Truth Buried in Time: The idea that the truth can be hidden or edited, just like footage, is central to the film. What if the memories we hold dear were altered?
Guilt & Silence: Many characters live with secrets. The story touches on how silence, even with good intentions, can do more harm than good.
Camera as a Witness: The camera in Footage is more than a device. It becomes a silent witness to the past, revealing things no one was meant to see.
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🌟 Highlight Scenes (No Spoilers):
The first time Ravi pauses a tape and sees a figure move after pausing — truly chilling.
A long-take sequence where Ravi walks through his old school with a tape playing in his earphones, syncing reality and memory in a mind-bending way.
The final confrontation at the hill station — beautifully shot and emotionally devastating.
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🧩 The Ending:
Without spoiling anything, the climax is deeply satisfying. It avoids clichés and instead leaves you with a heavy heart and a mind full of questions. The ending is not just about solving a mystery — it’s about healing, acceptance, and the courage to face your past.
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🔍 Minor Downsides:
The first 20 minutes feel slow — more like a drama than a thriller. But once the story picks up, it’s hard to look away.
Some side characters could’ve had more development, especially the villagers who hint at supernatural elements.
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🎯 Final Verdict:
Footage (2025) is a bold and intelligent thriller that proves South Indian cinema continues to lead in innovative storytelling. It blends mystery, horror, and emotion into a compelling narrative that keeps you thinking long after the movie ends.
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers like Ratsasan, Game Over, or Andhaghaaram, you’ll absolutely love Footage.
> “The camera never lies... unless someone rewinds the truth.”
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🎟️ Rating: 4.2 / 5
✅ Strong Story
✅ Powerful Performances
✅ Eerie Cinematography
✅ Original Concept
❌ Slightly slow start
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