Balloon movie review: Jai-Anjali starrer is predictable, but fun in parts

Balloon
Director: Sinish S
Cast: Jai, Anjali, Janani Iyer, Chandini Tamilarasan, Yogi Babu and Raj Tarun
Rating: 2.5/5

Balloon, like most horror-comedies, follows the done-to-death path of its genre. It has a haunted house, a flashback, possessed kid, exorcism, a couple and throws in some genuinely funny moments. Unlike the recent Aval, which worked big time on the horror front, Balloon isn’t spine-chillingly frightening but still succeeds in leaving viewers in shock on a few occasions, especially when Jai makes an entry as a clown.

Jai plays two roles: a balloon seller in the flashback part, and an assistant director in the present. He does his best in both the roles; especially as the clown, he’s terrific in bringing out rage.

 The film is powered by strong technical team, especially the glossy frames by cinematographer R Saravanan. Sound designers Sachin and Sudhakar elevate the horror experience, never going overboard. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s work is not at his best here and his score is eerily unsettling while the songs merely increase the length of the film. Balloon lacks elements that make us sit up. It works to an extent, but even that doesn’t leave us in awe.

There’s a sad but chilling back-story to the balloon seller which also features Janani, who turns in a good performance. Anjali plays Jai’s love interest in the present and they share a great chemistry.

Balloon, as a story feels outdated, but it works due to its overall presentation. Sinish shows promise as a filmmaker who probably needs a better writer. Thanks to Yogi Babu, the comedy stretches work and how. Some of the comic scenes are outright funny and work as a breather in an otherwise routine horror-thriller. The film borrows its inspiration from several popular Hollywood flicks and it’s really nice of Sinish to openly credit the sources, allowing the viewer to oversee any similarities, though they’re presented in a new light.