‘Su From So’ movie review: JP Thuminad delivers a refreshing and hilarious horror comedy

Very few films grab your attention from the first frame. In Su From So, after a jumpscare, a death is announced, and the entire village in the coastal Karnataka region gathers for elaborate mourning rituals and a feast that follows it. Debutant director JP Thuminad (the actor who played Deepak in SSE Side B) establishes the backdrop and its people with a gentle song. S Chandrasekaran’s cinematography draws you into the picturesque setting.

Music is the heartbeat of Su From So, a refreshing horror comedy. Unheralded composer Sumedh K and Sandeep Tulasidas, who has scored the BGM, elevate the several moods with their brilliant work. Director JP Thuminad’s generous use of songs to drive the narrative results in an emotional manipulation, albeit in a good way.

The movie begins with goofy fun, and it helps when you have funny, charming actors such as Shaneel Gautham, Prakash Thuminad, and Deepak Rai Panaje exuding vibrant energy to the narrative with their brilliant comic timing. Actor-filmmaker Raj B Shetty, who backed the film under his banner, has great fun essaying a parodical character. The film thankfully, doesn’t get reduced to a series of comedic sketches, as the plot kicks in at the right time.

It’s challenging to discuss the central plot without revealing crucial details. The spoiler-free description of the conflict is that the villagers face a Herculean task to drive away a spirit, named Sulochana, from Someshwara (hence the title), that has possessed a youngster named Ashoka (JP Thuminad). The director derives comedy from a variety of ridiculous reactions and zany situations. He also deploys observational humour, highlighting eccentric characters (like the one played by Pushparaj Bolar) whom you miss without a keen eye.

JP Thuminad in ‘Su From So’.
| Photo Credit:
Lighter Buddha Films/YouTube

Apart from having plenty of scenes that combine humour with supernatural events, Su From So has standalone comedy sequences to generate the big laughs. JP Thuminad’s control over the genre is so strong that we don’t mind these scenes, even if they slightly delay the next turn in the story.

In the final act, JP Thuminad resists the urge to be specific to a juicy genre, which allows you to go to any lengths to provide the thrills. He instead, treads a unique path, moving deftly moves from serious territory without making us feel the weight of it, and wraps it up as a horror comedy with a big heart.

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Male characters flood the frames in Su From So. Yet, the film reaches its pinnacle when it tells a stirring tale of a woman (Sandhya Arakere in an affecting performance) fighting patriarchy. The film, which begins with words of high praise for the external beauty of villages, delves deep into its internal filth, the mindset of men who stop women from expressing themselves. This tonal shift is never jarring as Su From So ends on a rousing note, maintaining the assurance of a quality film till the very end.

Su From So is currently running in theatres