Connect is decent thriller for horror addicts

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Crisply told in less than 99 minutes, Connect is a decently-plotted supernatural thriller. All the horror film templates are intact in this Tamil thriller dubbed in Hindi, but with a fresh twist: it is set in the Covid lockdown.

Susan Murugasan (Nayanthara) loses he doctor husband (Vinay Rai) to the virus, and this upsets her teenage daughter Anna (Haniya Nafisa) the most. She tries to attempt communication with him on an Ouija board, but a malicious spirit possesses her instead. Susan begins to notice changes in Anna, and her father, Arthur (Sathyaraj) suspects something supernatural.

Soon, their worst fears come true. A priest (Avinash) tries to cure Anna but is unsuccessful. More, Anna has stopped believing in God, who has not saved her father, who sacrificed so much for so many victims of the virus. They have to now consult the exorcist Father Augustine (Anupam Kher), but he cannot come to Susan’s home because of the lockdown as he cannot ‘Connect’ with her. So a never-before experiment is tried out.

Those susceptible will get their share of chills and thrills as the film is modestly scary. The production values are basic but decent, just like the film, including the photography, VFX and background music—three elements most important for a horror film. The Hindi dialogues are alright.

Nayanthara is good as the troubled mother, and Haniya Nafisa gets a fairly challenging part as the daughter. Sathyaraj is sincere, as is Anupam Kher as the concerned grandfather. In a brief role, Vinay Rai makes an impression as the loving father.

Watch it if you are a horror fan. Its brevity may add to a good Connect with such an audience.

Rating: *** (Almost)

Rowdy Pictures’ Connect Produced by: Vignesh Shivan  Directed by: Ashwin Saravanan Written by: Ashwin Saravanan, Kaavya Ramkumar, Jolly Shibu & Seema Seedhar Music: Prithvi Chandrasekhar Starring: Nayanthara, Sathyaraj, Anupam Kher, Vinay Rai, Haniya Nafisa, Avinash, Mekha Rajan & others