Churuli Review : A 'thriller' that goes in circles

Story: Antony and Shajivan are two cops on the lookout for a fugitive. Will they nab him?

Review: Lijo Jose Pellicherry's movies are more than about telling a story; their focus is on creating an atmosphere. Churuli is so bound by this idiosyncrasy of the filmmaker, that the story - slight as it is - seems to have been sacrificed for the sake of creating an ambiance.

Full marks to art director Gokuldas and cinematographer Madhu Neelakandan for capturing the mystery and romance of the forest and the boho chic tea shack.

Chemban Vinod and Vinay Forrt play cops in mufti, who arrive in Churuli, a village with a legendary past about a spirit, in search of a fugitive. As soon as the duo, with a motley group of villagers, cross a ramshackle bridge into Churuli, the mood changes. The villagers and the air takes on a tone of malevolence and machismo: seemingly favourite themes of Lijo and S Hareesh, who wrote the screenplay based on story by Vinoy Thomas.

The rest of the film is more about a feeling of rough masculinity, fear and doubt that looms. We are slightly intrigued about the fugitive, but the cops have to wait to get more details about him till Thankan, played by Joju George, gets back from town, so that under the guise of working for him, they can figure out where their man hides.

As they work at the local tea shop in the meantime, we see the crude local characters stopping by. It is a male world, inhabited by only a couple of women characters, who talk just like the men. So, in that way, there is a sense of equality, let's say.

Will the cops catch their man? If you are someone who likes to see a film as a work of art, more than as a compelling story, watch the movie for answers. But, on a cautionary note, the language is not family-friendly.