One of the standout qualities of Ajay Gnanamuthu’s debut film, Demonte Colony, was its unyielding commitment to horror sans the ubiquitous “masala” elements often found in Tamil cinema. This genre, typified by the likes of the Kanchana and Aranmanai franchises, blends an array of components—comedy, romance, heroic fights, dance numbers, devotional songs, and some horror—into one narrative. It’s akin to a restaurant offering 99 varieties of dosa, with toppings ranging from paneer and mushrooms to unicorn horns and cyanide. In stark contrast, Demonte Colony, despite featuring a few quips and a bar song initially, swiftly transitions into a consistent horror narrative as the plot thickens.
With Demonte Colony 2, Ajay Gnanamuthu advances his pursuit of delivering an unadulterated horror experience. The film begins by briefly recapping the events of its predecessor before plunging viewers into a terrifying world. The opening sequence showcases a recorded video of two individuals falling from a high-rise apartment and another scene showing a person hanging to death within the same apartment, immediately setting a nightmarish tone.
The centerpiece of this horror tale is Debbie (played by Priya Bhavani Shankar), a woman drowned in grief following the loss of her husband, Sam. Her dwelling, laden with photographs of the couple, serves as a shrine to their love. In a desperate bid to maintain her bond with him, Debbie chooses artificial insemination using his preserved sperm. This act of desperation underscores the film’s unsettling ambiance as her sorrow morphs into an obsession. Ajay masterfully establishes a melancholic tone from the outset, foreshadowing the impending terrors.
Much like its precursor, Demonte Colony 2 features a song in the first half. However, it diverges sharply from the previous film’s upbeat kuthu number featuring four drunken friends. Instead, the audience is treated to a somber track by Sam CS, evoking the gloominess of the bleakest English weather.
Ajay’s approach to enhancing the horror involves a myriad of escalating set pieces, including mirror-induced scare tactics, chaos instigated by bats, and a descent into an ominous netherworld realm. His ample repository of horror tropes is on full display, comprising antichrist iconography, pentagrams, the notorious Demonte, and an even more sinister presence.
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Despite these elements, the film grapples with a recurring issue: while the narrative framework is compelling, the execution does not elicit the visceral fear one might expect. Both Demonte Colony films boast intriguing concepts but falter when it comes to delivering a heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat experience.
The primary culprit is the substandard visual effects, which severely curtail the film’s capacity to craft an immersive horror atmosphere. The lack of finesse in these effects creates a disjointed experience, breaking the intended eerie vibe. The performances too lack the intensity needed to genuinely portray the terror and desperation overriding the characters, thereby causing an emotional disconnect for the audience. Although Sam CS’s score endeavors to build tension, it often results in loud crescendos that disrupt the overall mood.
Interestingly, the screenplay is structurally sound, featuring characters propelled by clear motivations. Debbie’s susceptibility to demonic deception, posing as her deceased husband, is directly linked to her obsessive grief. This character arc is underscored through flashbacks chronicling her attempts to save her husband during his fight with cancer. Similarly, another character’s altruistic gesture, rooted in self-interest, finds context in the trauma of a motherless childhood.
The writer adeptly ties some plot points back to the first film, fostering a sense of continuity. The introduction of new enigmas and unresolved queries towards the end hints at the potential for a franchise, leaving viewers eagerly anticipating the next chapter.
However, even Ajay succumbs to the temptation of including humour, despite striving for a pure horror experience. A comedy scene centering on Arulnithi and his half-sister over a property dispute abruptly disrupts the tension painstakingly built in the initial half-hour.
Much like the cursed necklace that haunts the characters in the Demonte Colony franchise, Tamil horror films appear to be shackled by the inclusion of comedic elements.
Currently showing in theaters, Demonte Colony 2 offers a glimpse into a horror franchise that, while imperfect, successfully sets the stage for future sequels that may refine and build upon its intriguing foundations.
