Dies Irae Trailer: Pranav Mohanlal’s Horror Film Out

Kochi, October 1: Horror seems to have found a permanent address in Malayalam cinema, and today’s trailer launch of Dies Irae only strengthens that impression. Directed by Rahul Sadasivan and fronted by Pranav Mohanlal, the film arrives on October 31, Halloween night, which is as calculated as it is clever.

The Trailer Speaks In Whispers

The first cut of the film sets up a world that is dimly lit and suffocating, where the real enemy may be an old family curse or something far more sinister. In the footage, Pranav looks perpetually hunted, sometimes by shadows, sometimes by silence itself. What’s interesting is the restraint, no quick jolts or cheap stunts, just dread tightening slowly, frame after frame.

Sadasivan has teased that the story draws on “true events”, though that claim seems less about fact-checking and more about pushing the audience to wonder how much of the terror could bleed into their own reality. It’s a trick horror cinema has used for decades, and he plays it well.

A Gamble For Pranav Mohanlal

For Pranav, this film could be the turning point he’s been waiting for. His performances so far have been measured, sometimes too restrained, and his choice of films hasn’t always given him the platform to prove depth. With Dies Irae, he’s thrown himself into a genre that demands vulnerability and fear, two things he has rarely shown on screen.

The early glimpses suggest he’s committed, sweaty, unsettled, eyes darting in the dark. Whether audiences buy him as a man torn apart by a haunting will decide more than just the fate of this film. It might decide the arc of his career.

Familiar Hands Behind The Camera

One reason the trailer feels so polished is that Sadasivan has stuck with the same team that powered Bramayugam. The cinematographer, editor, and production designer return, and their fingerprints are unmistakable. Shadows swallow entire rooms, sets feel lived-in yet alien, and the camera never rushes. It lingers, forcing discomfort.

Malayalam horror doesn’t arrive every month, and when it does, it often leans on folklore, memory, and atmosphere instead of spectacle. That slow-burn quality has become the signature of films like Bhoothakaalam and Bramayugam. Dies Irae looks cut from the same cloth.

A Date That Tells Its Own Story

Releasing the film on Halloween is both obvious and effective. In Kerala, the date itself doesn’t mean much, but overseas it does. For distributors and streaming platforms, the timing is gold. It’s also a signal: this is not just a local release, it’s a film with ambition to travel.

Malayalam horror hasn’t often made headlines abroad, but that could change if Dies Irae manages to carry its dread across borders. A well-timed scare has no language barrier.

Rahul Sadasivan’s Growing Shadow

This is now Sadasivan’s third straight horror feature. Most directors flirt with the genre and move on. He seems determined to build a career out of it. With Bhoothakaalam, he kept it close and personal. Bramayugam was bigger, older, and more myth-soaked. Dies Irae feels like a collision of the two intimate in its story of a family curse, but ambitious enough to hold the screen for audiences who demand more than ghosts rattling chains.

There’s a risk in being boxed in as “the horror guy,” but right now, Sadasivan’s name carries credibility. When viewers see his byline, they expect quality fear, and that’s a reputation few Indian filmmakers have managed to build.

The Road To October 31

Reactions to the trailer have been quick and loud. Fans are already praising the sound design, the heavy silences, and the way Pranav seems to disappear into his role. Others are cautious, pointing out that Indian horror often promises more than it delivers. That skepticism is fair but it also means the film has a chance to surprise.

As the lights dim on October 31, audiences will be asking a simple question. Does Dies Irae actually scare? If it does, it won’t just be another horror release. It will be proof that Malayalam cinema has carved out a global identity for terror one shadow at a time.

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Ayesha Khan

Entertainment Correspondent – Ayesha@hindustanherald.in – Web

Covers films, television, streaming, and celebrity culture with a focus on storytelling trends.

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