Name: Dies Irae
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Released: 2025-10-31
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Pranav Mohanlal, Jibin Gopinath, Manohari Joy, Arun Ajikumar

Rohan’s affluent lifestyle spirals out of control as he becomes convinced there is a supernatural entity in his home. As he starts to uncover the mystery, he is drawn into unexpected worlds and alliances, along with the horrors that lie ahead.

Dies Irae

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Dies Irae starts off with a body being pulled out of a well. Kani, the woman who has died by scicide suicide, is the character that connects the story from start to finish. We don’t get to see much of her to truly understand her, apart from a few words from Rohan, played by Pranav Mohanlal, and a handful of other characters.
After his visit to her funeral, Rohan — who has a past with her — leaves with a keepsake. He begins to feel that his house is haunted. His guilt over how things ended with Kani could be a factor in how he initially reacts to the haunting — with the arrogance of a man who has always had everything at his beck and call. That he lives in a parallel emotional realm is also evident in how his seemingly normal words suggest that her deep emotions seemed like nonsense to him. However, Rohan is contradictory in how he behaves with his parents.
The way Rahul Sadasivan, the writer-director, writes Rohan’s character actually makes the lead in this horror film feel familiar to the audience — showing how the character goes through the stages of denial, acceptance, and resistance. Pranav Mohanlal is fantastic — his career best, for sure. In a scene where his character is dragged down the stairs and thrown around, the finesse in acting we find is something seen only in thespians.
Other spectacular performances come from Gibin Gopinath and Jaya Kurup, though describing them further would turn into spoilers. These very promising actors have much more to offer the industry. Their portrayal of fear, delusion and insanity certainly begs the question: who did it best?
Rahul also weaves magic around the modern home that Rohan lives in. How do you create fear in daylight, in everyday moments, inside a large, open, modern room that is definitely not your cliché horror setting? This is, in fact, a study in how to use light and sound to create the right chills. There are a few jump scares, but the real fear and anxiety-inducing moments are the seemingly normal ones that flip like a switch. Who could imagine a jump scare during a casual conversation between two people in broad daylight? Cinematographer Shehnad Jalal, sound mixer MR Rajakrishnan, the entire sound department, editor Shafique Mohamed Ali, and composer Christo Xavier have worked hand in hand with Rahul Sadasivan to deliver this perfect fear.
In a horror film, writing emotion may often feel forced, but here, it works beautifully. The apology, and the way Rohan grows out of his privileged mould to offer a hand, are two poignant moments.
Later, the elements of shared delusion — often seen between co-dependent family members — and the signs of insanity make the film more of a horror story with psychological, mystery, and thriller aspects woven in. There are a few scenes that contain foreshadowing — the close shot of the buffalo and the eeriness that follows before the beginning of the final arc.
A couple of gripes would be the predictability of the ending after the final arc, and a handful of unanswered questions — the latter perhaps by design.
Dies Irae means The Day of Wrath, and while it has little to do with the actual plot, it lingers on the periphery.

‘Bhoothakaalam’ and ‘Baramayugam’ are two promising horror films that came from Malayalam cinema and also found their audience across the country. These two horror films in particular introduced director Rahul Sadasivan to the world, who, with his penchant for the genre, crafted two brilliant masterpieces that earned the love of the audience. Especially when horror has almost become a joke in Indian cinema, he is back with his third horror film offering, ‘Dies Irae’.
Rohan (a compelling Pranav Mohanlal) is an architect from an affluent family living alone in a posh Kerala locality while his parents are in the US. His carefree life of parties takes a dark turn when he learns his schoolmate Kani (Sushmitha Bhat) has died by suicide. A visit to her home to pay respects triggers a series of supernatural events that threaten his sanity and survival. At one hour and 55 minutes, you get to know who’s haunting Rohan, why, and how he escapes from this situation.

Trust Malayalam cinema to turn a simple storyline into an almost two-hour horror film that still feels fresh despite having cliches. Like every horror flick, the arrival of the spirit or ghost is preceded by window creaking noises, rustling of curtains, and the sound of the anklets. Yet, Rahul Sadasivan keeps you hooked throughout with a bunch of solid jump scare moments that work big time as theatrical moments.
Pranav Mohanlal delivers a compelling performance as Rohan, nailing his act one expression at a time. The intensity in his eyes and limited use of dialogue added to the eerie atmosphere. Gibin Gopinath lent great support to Pranav, and so did Manohari Joy and Jaya Kurup.

For a horror film to ace the genre, a lot of work depends on music and sound design. Music director Christo Xavier’s music makes ‘Dies Irae’ the masterful horror flick that it is. And a special applause to the immersive sound design that adds an eerie quality to the atmosphere.

From jump scares to gory visuals, Rahul Sadasivan didn’t hold back. He went all out, and that effort has paid off. For fans of Rahul’s previous films, you do have a surprise that is organic and isn’t on the face. The filmmaker’s vision and directorial touches make ‘Dies Irae’ a near-perfect horror flick. However, there are a few open-ended arcs involving Kani and her brother that remain unexplored, leaving room for potential future exploration.

‘Dies Irae’ is an outstanding and impactful horror film, ably supported by an efficient cast and top-notch technicians. For hardcore horror fans, the Pranav Mohanlal film is a must-watch in theatres.

Just about 10 minutes into Dies Irae, I couldn’t help but admire the natural rhythm at which the film was progressing. It’s not that writer-director Rahul Sadasivan packed the horror thriller with intriguing and chilling incidents from the word go. Following the first few minutes, when we are introduced to Madhu (Jibin Gopinath), a building contractor, and then the “suicide” of his young neighbour Kani (Sushmitha Bhat), Rahul teleports us to the world of Rohan (Pranav Mohanlal), a spoiled brat. Even here, as we see Rohan throwing a lavish party for his privileged circle — appearing as if they are jointly taking pride in their profligate natures — Rahul never loses sight of what he wants. It’s not just the sheer sharpness with which he has composed every frame, but also the brilliant way they coalesce into a colossal figure, where every part fits perfectly together, almost as if it were a single, seamless piece.

Although it initially appeared to be just another day at work, an eerie sensation suddenly grips Madhu as he is at a construction site. He is jolted awake from his oblivion by his phone ringing with tragic news: Kani has “died by suicide.” He rushes there as her body is being fished out of the well at her home. Soon, Rohan — a decadent, wastrel and libertine young man who was her classmate — also learns of the mishap. He visits Kani’s place with a friend, and from there, he casually takes one of her hair clips. It is then that the movie reveals they had a short but passionate fling some time ago and that Rohan ghosted her later when she wanted to take their “relationship” to the next level.

Following his return from Kani’s place, his life changes as weird things begin happening around him, particularly at his mansion. Eerie at first, with the feeling of someone nearby when he is actually alone, it soon escalates to chilling as he begins hearing the clink of what sounds like Kani’s ghungroos and the hair clip he had taken. Worse still, the mysterious force begins attacking him as well, leaving Rohan fear-stricken. Helpless, he approaches Madhu, seeking assistance to get her family to ensure the emancipation of Kani’s soul. Madhu, however, mentions that any person who died with a heart full of hate for someone/something or with unfulfilled desires never truly leaves the earthly realm. Yet, he assures help. But can they win over whatever is haunting Rohan?
One of the major factors that makes Dies Irae a magnificent horror thriller is that Rahul hasn’t tried to “scare the audience” all the time. Yes, there are a few jump scares and startling moments, but they only help amplify what the director has already set. Instead of shocking viewers, Rahul has made the movie slither under their skin step by step, each move sending a shiver down their spine. Rather than petrifying, he has focused on making the audience writhe, ensuring that the sensation lingers. Much like his Bhoothakaalam (2022), here too, the ghost doesn’t appear all the time; nor has Rahul opted for any similar convenient artistic choices. Even though he has reintroduced the “sound of anklets,” which was a staple in most old Malayalam horror films, it’s not random and pointless in Dies Irae, unlike in its predecessors. Here, it’s of utmost importance, which becomes fully evident only by the end. Instead of opting for convenience under the guise of fantasy, the director has attempted to organically build Dies Irae’s world with only those elements that justify their presence. In a way, it can be said that Rahul Sadasivan seems to be on a mission to elevate both the quality of horror cinema in India and the expectations of its audience.
The tone the director has attempted and the sensation that he wishes to create in the audience become all the more evident in Christo Xavier’s phenomenal background score. The music jumps out of nowhere only a few times in the film; elsewhere, it glides into the visuals, beginning softly and gradually reaching extraordinary heights. The compositions are nothing short of wondrous, and I definitely don’t have an answer to whether Rahul’s filmmaking or Christo’s music is the best here. I don’t want to find out either, because the magnificent way the two have blended their creative contributions is what has made Dies Irae what it is.

(Spoilers ahead) While offering a hat-tip to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time, Rahul Sadasivan also adds his spin to the classic tale with an effective use of subversion and role reversal, while anchoring it in emotional grounds, ensuring it resonates with the Indian audience. Even the subtle references to the actual Dies Irae and the Last Judgment towards the end of the movie are so well integrated into the narrative and brilliantly shot that it’s almost impossible not to appreciate Rahul for his skill as both a literal and visual storyteller.
At the same time, it’s doubtful whether the movie truly induces fear — beyond creating the earlier mentioned creeping sensation — at the moments it genuinely tries to. Were it not for the extraordinary technical quality, it’s doubtful whether Dies Irae would have been considered a “good scary movie.” Considering that Rahul has not attempted to justify the horror elements in Dies Irae by linking them to psychology, a bit more work on the scares was indeed necessary.

Pranav Mohanlal has given his career-best performance here, shining magnificently in the physically demanding scenes. Just like what director Abhinav Sunder Nayak did with Vineeth Sreenivasan in Mukundan Unni Associates (2022) and Dominic Arun did with Kalyani Priyadarshan in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Rahul Sadasivan has cleverly played to Pranav’s strengths, ensuring he is made to do only what comes naturally to him, thus giving the impression that he’s an extraordinary actor. The trick has worked big time here, as Pranav delivers a stunning portrayal, nearly compensating for all his shoddy performances thus far. While Jibin Gopinath is brilliant as Madhu, Jaya Kurup as Elsamma, the maid at Kani’s house, knocks it out of the park towards the end, displaying both restraint and impact in some extremely demanding moments, mirroring Bindu Panicker’s stellar performance and character in Rorschach (2022).
Jothish Shankar once again proves that he is a legend in production design, as no frame in the movie appears incomplete or lacking. Although achieving perfection is too difficult, Jothish, however, proves that it isn’t impossible. Shehnad Jalal’s sublime cinematography and Shafique Mohamed Ali’s razor-edged editing only amplify the visual richness further, offering an unparalleled experience. Jayadevan Chakkadath’s sound design and Ronex Xavier’s makeup also deserve high praise for their extraordinary work.

Dies Irae - Teaser (Malayalam) | Pranav Mohanlal

Dies Irae - RELEASE TRAILER (Malayalam) | Pranav Mohanlal

Pranav Mohanlal is an Indian film actor, singer, guitarist and songwriter, who works in the Malayalam-language film industry. 

Dies Irae(2025)