Dies Irae’s Sound Scares More Than the Story

Director Rahul Sadasivan is well known for delivering intense horror experiences. His films Bhoothakaalam and Bhramayugam got good attention. Now the director returns with another horror thriller titled Dies Irae. Malayalam star Pranav Mohanlal played the lead role and expectations were sky-high. However, the latest audience reactions suggest that the film didn’t quite live up to the hype.

After impressing fans in emotional dramas like Hridayam, Pranav Mohanlal took on a serious role this time by playing a young man trapped in a paranormal situation. Viewers have praised his performance by saying he perfectly portrayed fear and confusion. Supporting actors Jay Kurup and Arun Ajikumaar also did justice to their roles. But the film struggles to hold attention because of its slow pace.

The major highlight of Dies Irae is its sound design. Composer Cristo Xavier’s background score and sound effects have been described as “next level.” Many audience members said the eerie sound design successfully created a spooky atmosphere even when the scenes themselves lacked true horror. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end.

Viewers have expressed disappointment that the movie lacks genuine horror elements. They expected shocking or spine chilling moments typical of Sadasivan’s earlier films but found none. The pacing also became a problem even though the runtime is just two hours, audiences felt the story dragged and tested their patience. Repetitive scenes in the first half and a predictable plot made the viewing experience dull for many.

Some horror fans even guessed the climax twist early and that stood as the biggest drawback. While the film aimed to mix psychological tension with supernatural mystery, it failed to balance both effectively.

Overall, Dies Irae shines in its technical aspects especially sound design and Pranav’s acting, but fails to deliver a compelling horror experience.