TheReviewMonk is back — critic reviews for Indian cinema, aggregated. Read our story →

TheReviewMonk
K

Kalyan

M9News

22Reviews
3.6Avg from 22 scored
1Publication

Most Divergent Takes

Nagabandham

Nagabandham

2026 · M9News

Nagabandham, despite its intriguing premise, offers no surprises or exciting moments in a movie that runs more than three hours. The rest are the usual possible scenarios with the worst possible outputs. It's an immediately forgettable movie, as a result.

3.0
TRM 4.1
Full review ↗
Srinivasa Mangapuram

Srinivasa Mangapuram

2026 · M9News

Srinivasa Mangapuram is an outright forgettable debut launch film for Jai Krishna Ghattamaneni and a highly disappointing outing from director Ajay Bhupathi. The first half follows a painfully predictable pattern with a completely done-to-death formula that was already outdated a decade ago, presented in the most uninteresting and boring way possible.

3.5
TRM 4.2
Full review ↗
#Cult

#Cult

2026 · M9News

Cult aims to be a cool slasher thriller for a young audience with lots of blood and gore. However, it fails on all counts and delivers only surface-level content. Overall, Cult is an action movie with lots of blood and gore that fails to deliver in the key elements that make the genre flick enjoyable—it's one-note for the most part and takes a predictable turn toward the end, making it a routine, dull outing.

3.4
TRM 4.7
Full review ↗
Aadarsha Kutumbam House No: 47

Aadarsha Kutumbam House No: 47

2026 · M9News

Overall, Aadarsha Kutumbam (AK47) makes for a familiar one-time watch. Performances by Venkatesh are a strength, but the second half struggles with predictability and an overwhelming sense of familiarity, with little that feels fresh or impressive.

5.0
TRM 5.3
Full review ↗
Agadha

Agadha

2026 · M9News

Agadha, despite its unique setup and potential to thrill, doesn't quite deliver. It labours to establish the mythos and world, then fails to elevate it with the required scares and highs despite the visible content. Old-fashioned making with no emotional connection makes it a boring watch.

4.0
TRM 4.9
Full review ↗
Sardar 2

Sardar 2

2026 · M9News

Sardar 2 does not have a single impressive block. The spy plot offers neither thrills nor a convincing narrative. It is simply a long, tiring, and unintentionally funny mission.

2.4
TRM 4.4
Full review ↗
Mandaadi

Mandaadi

2026 · M9News

Mandaadi is a typical mass movie with backstabbing and shifting loyalties that brings freshness through its unique backdrop and sports-drama angle, but after a decent first half, the movie descends into an overwhelmingly predictable zone and ends up as a strictly passable affair.

4.0
TRM 5.9
Full review ↗
Mahendragiri Varahi

Mahendragiri Varahi

2026 · M9News

Overall, Mahendragiri Varahi is a mystic thriller where neither the mystery thrills nor the devotional angle surprises. It is mainly due to the execution. It's a tiring watch even on OTT, which makes it even harder to watch in theatres.

3.0
TRM 4.7
Full review ↗
Epic

Epic

2026 · M9News

Epic starts with 90s nostalgia but soon settles into mediocrity. A passable first half is followed by a boring second half with no convincing conflict in the live-in relationship leading to an unsatisfying ending.

4.0
TRM 4.6
Full review ↗
Maremma

Maremma

2026 · M9News

Maremma has a decent core with some intrigue. However, the commercial trapping and its execution are where things go wrong. The second half, especially, is extremely difficult to sit through. Maremma, therefore, ends up as an instantly forgettable fare.

2.4
TRM 3.9
Full review ↗
Hi

Hi

2026 · M9News

Hi is a formulaic love story filled with familiar scenes. A few humorous moments work here and there, but the film is mostly an unexciting rehash of proven formulas with a new cast. By the end, it becomes a thoroughly unengaging watch.

3.4
TRM 5.5
Full review ↗
Sahaa - Life of Sanju

Sahaa - Life of Sanju

2026 · M9News

Sahaa-Life of Sanju is a decently intended effort in its approach, but the content and execution leave a lot to be desired. Barring a few moments during the second half, nothing works. It's a forced emotional tearjerker that doesn't earn its emotions.

3.4
TRM 4.6
Full review ↗
Romanchakam

Romanchakam

2026 · M9News

Romanchakam has a wafer-thin story and relies heavily on humour and a tense situation to carry it. Apart from a few comedy gags here and there, the film has little fresh to offer, with weak staging, execution, and poor editing limiting its appeal.

4.0
TRM 5.1
Full review ↗
Thella Kagitham

Thella Kagitham

2026 · M9News

The film starts on a fairly decent note in the first half, but the second half derails in its attempt to turn the film into a serious, socially responsible drama. The intention is visible, but the execution fails to deliver the emotional punch required, making the proceedings increasingly forced and tiring.

4.0
TRM 4.6
Full review ↗
Don't Trouble The Trouble

Don't Trouble The Trouble

2026 · M9News

Don't Trouble the Trouble is a huge missed opportunity, especially as Fahadh Faasil's straight Telugu debut. This film will be forgotten in no time. There's very little to appreciate in the first half, and the second half is one extended stretch of boredom that drags on until the climax.

3.4
TRM 5.0
Full review ↗
Secret Soldier

Secret Soldier

2026 · M9News

Secret Soldier is a spy flick that follows the journey of two friends from different religions, but the issues creep in quickly as the narrative turns repetitive. The whole branding of Vali as a terrorist and subsequent scenes reek of amateurishness. In the end, what we have is a movie where the narrative feels rushed from the start, with bland and lifeless spy sequences and no thrill.

2.4
TRM 4.5
Full review ↗
The Paradise

The Paradise

2026 · M9News

The Paradise is a violent tale of downtrodden people with no identity. However, everything crumbles, and the emotions fail to click, making The Paradise a laborious, tough-to-sit-through film in the recent past.

3.5
TRM 3.9
Full review ↗
Sigma

Sigma

2026 · M9News

Sigma is a surprisingly awkward launchpad for Jason Sanjay, the son of a massive star like Vijay. It is hard to believe a young debut director has come up with something this outdated, routine, and exhausting.

3.0
TRM 4.2
Full review ↗
Comrade Kalyan

Comrade Kalyan

2026 · M9News

Comrade Kalyan is directed by Janakiram Marella, with a screenplay by Kona Venkat. The film depends heavily on comedy, but much of the humor feels a decade or two out of date. Ultimately, the film's outdated comedy is hard to overlook.

3.4
TRM 4.7
Full review ↗
Jailer 2

Jailer 2

2026 · M9News

Jailer 2 delivers a fun first half powered by Rajini's charisma and Nelson's commercial touches. However, the uneven second half, forced emotions, and ineffective cameos pull the film down, making it a passable watch.

5.0
TRM 6.0
Full review ↗
Ranabaali

Ranabaali

2026 · M9News

Ranabaali is a sincere attempt to tell heart-wrenching stories, but despite all the effort, it ends up being a tedious, boring watch. The story is sincere and heartbreaking, but the film itself is a tedious watch with lifeless storytelling and excessive runtime that badly needs trimming.

4.0
TRM 4.8
Full review ↗
418

418

2026 · M9News

418 has a decent start and a few effective moments, but the routine writing, limited scares and messy final stretch make it a weak horror watch. For a film that was publicised as a never-before-seen, terrifying horror film, it fails to deliver on that promise.

4.0
TRM 4.9
Full review ↗