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Top 10 South Indian horror films; from Pizza to Romancham
Horror films have the innate ability to give the audience an adrenaline rush. Here are the top 10 South Indian horror films that are sure to send chills down the viewer’s spines.
Be it get-togethers with friends, or sleepovers, horror films have grown to be a fan favorite genre, with the ability to send chills down the audience's spine, giving them a guaranteed thrilling experience. Over the years, the South Indian industries have come up with several such horror films. Here are the top 10 South Indian horror films, and where to watch them.
10 Best South Indian horror films
1. Pizza (2012)
- Language: Tamil
- Runtime: 2 hours 7 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Director: Karthik Subbaraj
- Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Remya Nambeesan, Bobby Simha, Aadukalam Naren, Karunakaran
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Pizza is the directorial debut of Karthik Subbaraj. The film is a horror thriller film, which follows the tale of a pizza delivery man, who finds himself caught in a mysterious predicament. The film also brings forth fresh air into horror, bringing a kind of storytelling that has never been seen before. The film received praise from both fans and critics at the time of release, especially for the storytelling. The music by Santhosh Narayanan was praised as well.
2. Bhinna (2019)
- Language: Kannada
- Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Director: Adarsh H Eshwarappa
- Cast: Payal Raghakrishna, Sowmya Jaganmurthy, Sidhaartha Maadhyamika, Shashank Purushotham
- Where to watch: Zee5
Bhinna is a Kannada horror thriller film, helmed by Adarsh Eshwarappa as his second feature film. The film follows the tale of an aspiring actress, who is obsessed with method acting. The lead actress was all set to feature in a film when the lines between her imagination and reality began to blur. The film had a direct OTT release and was praised highly by fans and critics.
3. Romancham (2023)
- Language: Malayalam
- Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
- Director: Jithu Madhavan
- Cast: Soubin Shahir, Arjun Ashokan, Sajin Gopu, Chemban Vinod Jose, Abin Bino, Siju Sunny
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Romancham is the directorial debut of Jithu Madhavan. The comedy horror film is based on real-life incidents and garnered praises from fans and critics as it dealt with the horror genre in a manner never done before. The film follows the story of seven bachelors sharing a house in Bangalore. One evening, out of sheer boredom, they use an Ouija board. The events that follow form the plot of the story. The film also ended with the promise of a second part, as well as the possibility of spin-offs.
4. Andhaghaaram (2020)
- Language: Tamil
- Runtime: 2 hours 51 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Director: V Vignarajan
- Cast: Arjun Das, Vinoth Kishan, Pooja Ramachandran, Jeeva Ravi, Kumar Natarajan
- Where to watch: Netflix
Andhaghaaram marks the directorial debut of Vignarajan. The film is a hyperlink film that follows the lives of three people, a clinical psychiatrist, a blind library clerk, and a cricket coach. Their lives intertwine in eerie circumstances, and the story revolves around how they overcome the challenges. Fans and critics praised the director’s debut work, calling it a unique attempt to the horror genre.
5. U-Turn (2016)
- Language: Kannada
- Runtime: 2 hours
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Director: Pawan Kumar
- Cast: Shraddha Srinath, Roger Narayanan, Radhika Chetan, Dileep Raj, Pramod Shetty
- Where to watch: Netflix
U-Turn is a supernatural horror film that revolves around the mysterious death of motorists, who break the traffic rules at a particular flyover in Bangalore. An investigative journalist helps to find the actual culprit behind the mysterious deaths, along with the help of a sub-inspector. The film received high praise from fans and critics and was even remade into multiple languages including Telugu and Tamil, in which Samantha plays the lead role, and in Malayalam under the title Careful.
6. Bhargavi Nilayam (1964)
- Language: Malayalam
- Runtime: 2 hours 55 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Director: A Vincent
- Cast: Madhu, Vijaya Nirmala, Prem Nazir, Adoor Bhasi, PJ Antony
- Writer: Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
- Where to watch: YouTube
Bhargavi Nilayam is a romantic horror film that is based on the short story Neelavelicham, written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The film is considered to be the first horror film in Malayalam and tells the tale of a novelist who moves into the house of a woman who had been murdered. He pens down the tale of the woman, based on the conversations he has with her. The film has garnered a cult fan following over the years as well.
7. Maa Oori Polimera (2021)
- Language: Telugu
- Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Director: Anil Viswanath
- Cast: Baladitya, Satyam Rajesh, Getup Srinu, Kamakshi Bhaskarla
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Maa Oori Polimera had a direct OTT release in 2021. The film talks about two brothers who move to a village that is plagued by black magic. One of the brothers is murdered, and the other sets out on a journey to find out the culprit. Unfortunately, what he finds is more disturbing. The sequel of the film was released in 2023 and received widespread acclaim from fans as well as critics.
8. Maya (2015)
- Language: Tamil
- Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Directors: Ashwin Saravanan, Md. Hafizur Rahman
- Cast: Nayanthara, Aari Arjunan, Lakshmi Priya, Amzath Khan, Mime Gopi
- Where to watch: Zee5
Maya is a neo-noir horror film, which tells the story of Apsara, the character played by Nayanthara, who is a single mother trying to make a living by working in advertising. However, her life takes a turn when a ghost starts haunting her and murdering people who are close to her. The film received widespread acclaim and is considered to be one of the best Tamil horror films to be made to date. Critics also praised the retention value of the story.
9. Arundhati (2009)
- Language: Telugu
- Runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
- Director: Kodi Ramakrishna
- Cast: Anushka Shetty, Sonu Sood, Raghu Babu, Manorama, Sayaji Shinde, Laya
- Writers: M. Shyam Prasad Reddy, Manav Mahapatra, Ramana Chintapally
- Where to watch: YouTube
Arundhati is a horror fantasy film that tells the story of the eponymous character who is believed to be a reincarnation of her great-grandmother Jejamma. Soon, Arundhati has to face the same battles as Jejamma, and the events that follow form the story of the film. The film was highly praised at the time of release and is considered to be one of the best films by Anushka Shetty.
10. Ezra (2017)
- Language: Malayalam
- Runtime: 2 hours 27 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Director: Jay. K
- Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Priya Anand, Tovino Thomas, Sudev Nair, Vijayaraghavan
- Writers: Jay. K, Manu Gopal
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Ezra is a supernatural horror thriller film helmed by Jay. K. The film, which features Prithviraj in the lead role, tells the story of a married couple, who experience paranormal activities once they purchase an antique box from the deals. Soon they learn that the box is what is called a dybbuk, and learn the history of this particular one with the help of a rabbi. The film was highly praised for its storyline and the research that was put into it by the makers. The music by Sushin Shyam and Rahul Raj received immense praise as well.
ALSO READ: 7 best Tamil crime thriller movies on OTT: Vikram Vedha to Por Thozhil
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