Diés Iraé (2025) Movie ft. Swathi, Pranav, and Gibin

When Diés Iraé released last Halloween, it brought Rahul Sadasivan back to the horror space he knows so well. After making waves with Bhoothakaalam and Bramayugam, the director chose Pranav Mohanlal for this new thriller. The film also stars Gibin Gopinath, Manohari Joy, and Jaya Kurup.

Running close to two hours, the movie takes viewers through a chilling tale of guilt meeting the supernatural. Shehnad Jalal handles cinematography while Christo Xavier creates the musical backdrop. For horror fans, this seemed like a combination worth watching.

A Story Built On Grief

Rohan Shankar lives the good life as a successful architect in Kerala. Everything changes when he learns about Kani’s death. She was his former classmate and someone he had briefly dated after they reconnected at a college reunion.

The first hour takes its time building the world and characters. But after the interval, things shift gears. The story gets tighter, and I found myself leaning forward in my seat more often.

Pranav Steps Up His Game

This role marks Pranav’s first attempt at horror, and he handles it better than expected. Coming from lighter films like Hridayam, this was clearly different territory for him. He plays a privileged young man whose reality starts crumbling.

I noticed how he captures the character’s confusion and fear without going over the top. There are moments where his expressions could have been stronger, but overall, this stands as his most mature work yet. The transformation from casual confidence to genuine terror feels believable.

Where Sound Becomes Everything

If there’s one aspect that truly stands out, it’s what Christo Xavier and his team did with sound. The audio design doesn’t just support the visuals—it becomes a character itself. Every whisper and musical note adds layers to the fear.

From the opening moments, the sound places you inside the film’s unsettling world. The mixing ensures you catch every detail without the music drowning out conversations. I kept noticing how specific sounds would make my skin crawl even before anything scary appeared on screen.

A Director Who Understands Fear

Sadasivan doesn’t believe in making you jump from your seat every five minutes. Instead, he prefers letting dread build slowly until it becomes unbearable. That approach defines his style across his three horror films.

What makes this film interesting is how it explores loneliness and loss. The horror emerges not just from supernatural elements but from the characters’ emotional states. Their isolation becomes as frightening as any ghost could be.

I appreciated how the director is creating links between his different films. Sharp-eyed viewers will spot references to his earlier work. This universe-building happens subtly, never forcing itself on the story.

The Strong Points

The mood created here doesn’t leave you easily. Days after watching, certain images and sounds stayed with me. The scares, when they arrive, feel like they belong to the story rather than being randomly inserted.

The ending brings together loose threads effectively. Questions raised earlier find their answers, and the final revelation adds new meaning to earlier scenes. I found the conclusion satisfying even if not entirely surprising.

Where It Stumbles

The length becomes noticeable, especially during the first half. Some sequences repeat themselves, and I wondered if tighter editing might have helped. The film takes considerable time reaching its points.

This works better as a home viewing experience than a theatrical one. While the technical work shines on big screens, the slow pacing doesn’t always justify the theater visit. Watching it quietly at home might actually enhance the atmosphere.

Critical Response And Public Reception

The Indian Express gave the film four stars out of five, noting how it builds discomfort steadily rather than chasing quick shocks. The Hollywood Reporter praised Sadasivan’s approach to psychological horror that goes beyond surface-level scares.

India Today rated it three and a half stars, appreciating its intelligence and respect for the audience. The Week awarded four and a half stars, calling it a unique horror experience. The Hindu placed it among Malayalam cinema’s finest horror achievements.

Rating: 3.5/5