Lokah Chapter 1 Review: This Vampire Tale Sucks More Logic Than Blood

RATING - ⭐⭐✨ 2.5/5*

Lokah Chapter 1 Review Movie Talkies:

Lokah has been riding on a wave of hype for its striking visuals and larger-than-life experience, and I must admit, I agree with much of that excitement. As a theatrical spectacle, it is grand, ambitious, and often breathtaking. However, when it comes to the logical and narrative side of things, my feelings are a little mixed. The film puts forward a rather silly premise of a vampire being chosen and blessed by a Goddess. Traditionally, vampires or spirits are portrayed as fearing divine power, so seeing a vampire accepted as a divine form feels odd and even horrendous. That's against our religious beliefs and notions. Still, despite this major conceptual blunder and a handful of clichés, the film remains entertaining and engaging throughout its runtime. Just don’t go in expecting something groundbreaking, because you might come away a little fooled by the hype.

Lokah Chapter 1 Story:

The story revolves around Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan), an attractive and mysterious young woman who moves into the neighborhood of Sunny (Naslen). Sunny is immediately smitten by her beauty, but soon grows suspicious of her unusual lifestyle and secretive surroundings. It is eventually revealed that Chandra is, in fact, a vampire blessed by the Goddess to protect her tribe. Because of her special nature, she has dangerous enemies constantly on her trail. Sunny gets pulled into this conflict, and Chandra, who begins to develop feelings for him, must protect him—even if it means putting her own life at risk. The central question remains: can she save both him and herself in the face of overwhelming odds?

While the setup is fascinating, some of the conflicts in the film feel illogical or poorly executed. Take the flashback sequence, for example. A king is shown holding a knife to Chandra’s mother’s neck while watching Chandra mercilessly annihilate his troops. Instead of taking decisive action earlier, he waits until she comes closer before killing her mother, as if that would miraculously change the outcome. Realistically, what did he think would happen? That Chandra, who had just slaughtered dozens of soldiers in seconds, would suddenly let him walk away? Unsurprisingly, she kills him immediately afterward, rendering the entire buildup rather silly. Scenes like these highlight the film’s tendency to lean on dated tropes and nonsensical turns. The second half also suffers from familiar clichés: the sudden blooming of a predictable love story, the entry of a more powerful villain out of nowhere, and the typical “sacrifice for love” angle. These don’t necessarily ruin the film, but they stop it from reaching the extraordinary level that some reviewers and sections of the audience are claiming. That said, it’s still a decent watch that works more often than it falters.

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Lokah Chapter 1 Cast:

What lifts Lokah considerably is its cast. Kalyani Priyadarshan is the undisputed star here. She looks stunning and fully embraces a never-before-seen action avatar, not just in Malayalam cinema but across Indian cinema. Very rarely have we seen a female actor lead such an action-heavy narrative with this much conviction. Naslen plays his part well, though his character doesn’t evolve much. Sandy makes a solid impact as the villain, while Arun Kurian, Chandu Salimkumar, Raghunath Paleri, and Nishanth Sagar provide adequate support. A delightful surprise comes in the form of Tovino Thomas’s cameo, which, although brief, leaves you wishing for more of his presence.

Lokah Chapter 1 Movie Review:

Technically, Lokah is a landmark achievement for Malayalam cinema. While it falls short of the brilliance of Tovino’s Minnal Murali, even being mentioned in the same breath is an achievement in itself. The cinematography is stylish, the sound design adds an extra layer of immersion, and the production design is top-notch. The visual effects, in particular, are shockingly well-executed considering the modest budget. Watching how the makers managed to pull off such a scale with limited resources is admirable.

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Director Dominic Arun deserves credit for attempting such a bold vision, though the script could have been sharper. The idea of mixing Goddess mythology with vampirism is interesting on paper, but the execution slips into predictability. With better writing, Lokah could have set new benchmarks for Indian superhero or fantasy cinema. Still, as a franchise starter, Lokah Chapter 1 shows promise. If the upcoming chapters can balance spectacle with stronger storytelling, Malayalam cinema might just deliver a superhero saga that can rival big-budget Indian blockbusters. As a whole, Lokah works in parts and falters in parts. It dazzles visually, entertains enough to keep you engaged, but ultimately lands as a decent, not extraordinary, film.

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