Romancham is one of those movies that takes a little while (about 15-20 minutes) to get going, but once the Ouija board element kicks in, it goes ALL OUT entertaining. The cackles are aplenty and relentless, with everyone (yes, everyone!) in the cast getting their memorable LOL moments. While I see it being talked about a lot as a horror-comedy, I feel the right way to refer to it is comedy-horror; situational humour precedes all else in the film. The horror aspect gains some strength in the final act, but the setup is kept aside for a potential sequel. But, for what it's worth, Jithu Madhavan's debut effort is splendid in seamlessly blending an eerie atmosphere with humour that arises from spontaneous reactions, subtle change of expressions on the actors' faces, and witty one-liners.
It's a film that lends distinct attributes to each of the cast members. While you can pose questions like what five out of seven guys do for a living (which I'm frankly not sure, except for the guy whose business ventures are constantly flopping and another guy with a corporate job), and whether they do not step out of the house or that particular locality that often, these questions never pop up when you watch, owing to the kickass execution of consecutively hilarious scenes. The aesthetics in and around the house are pretty fascinating too: a bunch of unused toilet pots, an old movie poster, the porch with a swing, the terrace where they play volleyball, and the rat cemetery next to the house. I loved how Jithu uses these elements to keep us entertained for a little over two hours. Full marks to the cast (especially Arjun Ashokan, Sajin Gopu, and Afzal PH) and Sushin Shyam's pulsating score as well. Let's get the sequel rolling!
