Diés Iraé (2025) Movie ft. Gibin, Pranav, and Swathi
Rahul Sadasivan’s Diés Iraé hits theaters with Pranav Mohanlal leading a horror thriller that connects back to the director’s earlier work. Released during Halloween 2025, the film brings together Gibin Gopinath, Jaya Kurup, Sushmitha Bhat, and Arun Ajikumar in a story that explores psychological terror.
The title references an old Latin hymn about the Day of Wrath, fitting for a director who’s built his reputation on films like Bhoothakaalam and Bramayugam. This new entry expands his connected film universe, though it takes a different path from his period pieces by setting the action in modern-day Kerala.
When Grief Turns Into Terror
Rohan Shankar lives the kind of life most people dream about – money, freedom, a stunning home in Kerala. But things go wrong after Kani, someone from his college days, takes her own life. He’d reconnected with her briefly at a reunion, and her death shakes him enough to visit her grieving family.
Performances That Convince
Pranav steps into horror for the first time and handles it well. His approach works because he doesn’t overdo the fear – instead, he lets small reactions show what’s happening inside Rohan’s mind. Watching him shift from confident architect to someone questioning his own sanity felt natural.
Gibin Gopinath brings balance as Madhu, mixing moments of lightness with genuine concern. Their dynamic works because neither actor tries to steal scenes. But Jaya Kurup caught me off guard – her performance adds weight to moments that could have fallen flat. The small cast keeps things focused, which suits a story about isolation.
How It Measures Up
Rahul’s trying something different here – building connections between his films without making it obvious. I appreciated the subtle links to Bhoothakaalam and Bramayugam, though this one doesn’t hit the same emotional depth. It’s more straightforward in its approach, which works and doesn’t work.
The film explores loneliness and guilt in ways that feel real, not preachy. When Rohan realizes what’s actually haunting him, the revelation carries weight because the groundwork’s been laid. But getting to that point requires patience that not everyone will have.
Worth Your Time?
If you want jump scares every five minutes, skip this one. Diés Iraé works differently – it crawls into your head and stays there. The sound design alone makes it worth watching on a good theater system, where every creak and whisper can be felt.
I’d recommend it for viewers who appreciate mood over spectacle. The film doesn’t hold your hand through explanations, and some questions stay unanswered. That ambiguity might frustrate some people, but it fits what Rahul’s trying to do with his connected films.
The pacing issues hurt it, no question. But when the film works – when the sound, visuals, and performances align – it creates genuine discomfort that lingers after you leave the theater. That’s harder to achieve than cheap scares.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
