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The Priest is a horror whodunit thriller, written and directed by Jofin T Chacko, starring Mammootty in the lead. The film is produced by Anto Joseph and B Unnikrishnan under the banners, Anto Joseph Film Company and RD Illuminations. The film also has Manju Warrier, Nikhila Vimal and Baby Monica in crucial supporting roles.

The Priest starts off as an investigative thriller, where Father Carmen Benedict (Mammootty) helps the police solve a mystery, only to find out that this mystery is just the tip of an iceberg. Or to put it in Carmen Benedict's words, "It's only the beginning." In addition to being a detective, Benedict also deals with paranormal spirits, and converses with them frequently. How he uses this quality to solve the bigger mystery forms the rest of the plot.

As said before, for the majority of the first half, the film operates in the zone of a whodunit thriller, where Mammootty's screen presence doesn't let you blink an eye or look elsewhere. But once you start scratching the surface, you feel that the way the portion has been written could have been better. On one side, you feel like celebrating the star, and on the flip side, you feel how great the film could have been if the writing had complemented the star's performance.

However, there is a twist in the interval that no one could have seen coming... even Father Benedict (if he was a part of the audience). And that's where the film's biggest strengths lie. The shaky foundation laid for the twists doesn't seem to affect it as much as it should have. Credits to the director for placing such smart twists.

Once the second half begins, the horror element comes into the picture, and here's where things start going a bit downhill. Apart from being slightly predictable, the pace of the film becomes slow and that affects the engagement. Manju Warrier appears for the first time in the second half, and despite her limited screen time, she matches Mammootty's performance effortlessly. Her performance is highly matured, and deserves accolades.

Among the other actors, Baby Monica's understanding of her eccentric character is superb and she handles it delicately, without going over-the-top at any point. She plays the role of Ameya, a 10-year-old girl who seems to be attention-deficit. Her performance definitely sends chills down your spine. Her chemistry with Nikhila Vimal is fantastic and their combination scenes are a delight to watch, with Nikhila scoring at every chance she gets.

On the technical side, Rahul Raj's songs have a touch of Christian hymns in them, at least in terms of sounding, which creates a soothing effect. This is in complete contrast to what's happening on the screen, thereby having a unique effect on us. The cinematography supports the vision of the director. One department that scores well here is the sound design. Especially, during the climactic portions of the film; the sharp sound design enhances the narrative, so well.

Overall, The Priest has engagement issues here and there. While the transition between the horror and thriller portions isn't great, it's not bad either. Had the quality of writing been equal to the quality of the twists, the film would have been on another level. Nevertheless, the film is shouldered by the twists and the Megastar's swagger-filled performance.

THE PRIEST VIDEO REVIEW