'Star' movie review: A bid to deflate myths

Star, Malayalam’s first release after the Covid lockdown, is a mystery drama that attempts to deflate myths.

 

Myths in most spooky movies are a mix of celestial movements, folklore, and supposed paranormal activity. And so is eponymous Star, starring Joju George, Sheelu Abraham, and Gayathri Ashok, with Prithviraj Sukumaran coming up with a climax cameo.

 

So in tune with the interplay of celestial movements and myths, our protagonist, Aardra, is seemingly out of touch with the 'normal' from scene one.

 

Then her behavioural pattern gets as weird as it can get as the plot struggles to unfurl along with her demons of which her doting husband, Roy, and their children have no clue.

 

Their inferences are mainly woven by the folklore revolving around the sacred groves surrounding her ancestral home, which is served on a platter by their housemaid, who is also from the same place.

 

So the children and her hubby struggle to come to terms with her peculiar behaviour, which is initially triggered by a dream in which she sees the sacred groves. That is a bad omen, the maid tells us.

 

And Aardra wants to visit the place.

 

The events which unfurl during and after the visit forms the crux of Star.

 

The acting prowess of Joju is the takeaway from Star, directed by Domin D’Silva.

 

The music is composed by M. Jayachandran, Ranjin Raj, and William Francis, who has done the background score also. Harinarayanan has penned the lyrics.

 

Theatres in Kerala were shut in March 2020 in the aftermath of the pandemic, and reopened in January this year. However, they had to be closed again in mid-April, following the second wave of COVID-19. How Star can pull the crowds to the cinema halls will be definitely a mystery.