Connect is a Tamil horror film directed by Ashwin Saravanan. The script has been written by the director in collaboration with Kaavya Ramkumar. Starring Nayanthara as the lead, the film has Sathyaraj, Anupam Kher, Vinay and Haniya Nafis playing the supporting roles. Vignesh Shivan produced the film under the banner Rowdy pictures.
The peace of a family is shattered when the daughter tries to connect with her deceased father through an ouija board. Realms of the existing and the departed get entangled moving the plot towards a darker sphere.
Nayanthara playing Susan is very convincing for the title Lady Superstar. She proves why she is one of the best in the business through her electrifying yet endearing performance. Sathyaraj's innocence helps a mile in depicting the helplessness of the situation. The performance of Haniya Nafis astounds in every frame. Not to forget Anupam Kher who makes a return to Kollywood though in a bounded role.
Setting the film on the backdrop of lockdown adds a new flavour to the genre. The film begins in an usual way but takes a giant turn when eerie events suspend itself. There are two solid moments where we will taste the bitter nature of fear. Though the film is not devoid of jumpscares it is used only as a secondary tool to induce terror while the real horror lies in the script and its execution.
Emotional connection between the characters keeps fleeting which makes the film stand at a distance from the audience. Runtime of 98 minutes is utilised to the maximum to evoke the sense intended by the script. The film peaks at the pre climax portions, stuns during the climax and ends on a breezy note.
Every film from Ashwin Saravanan is technically well built in all aspects. He has that knack to construct his own world by squeezing what is necessary for the script. In Connect, we have Manikandan lighting the frames while Prithvi Chandrasekar adds much needed musical cues inducing horror and terror from time to time.
Connect is definitely a daring attempt which succeeds in almost all the aspects but falling short only in the standard set by the director from his previous films. As a whole, the Theatrical experience of connect will have an imprint on everyone who immersed themselves on to the screen.