Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/helen-shows-how-even-a-pure-genre-film-can-be-elevated-baradwaj-Rangan-anna-ben-lal/
Anna Ben and Lal are wonderful. But when the writing gives you so much to chew on, the performances become so much better.
Spoilers ahead…
I have stopped watching trailers as far as humanly possible, and all I knew about Mathukutty Xavier’s Helen — through word of mouth — was that it was a survival drama. So watching the movie, I was unaware about what exactly Helen’s predicament would be (though a scene in the first half gave me a hint) — but catching the trailer afterwards was even more interesting. I thought, like most trailers, it would give away that plot point — but this is a very cleverly cut trailer. All we see of Helen’s predicament is that she is… in a predicament. Maybe a psycho has her locked up. Or maybe she’s trapped somewhere. In other words, this is one of the rare trailers I wouldn’t have minded watching before the film. It’s just one of the many impressive things about Helen.
I have been talking to some editors about trailers, and when asked why they reveal so much, they simply shrug and say that’s how the audience wants it. The logic, apparently, is that today’s viewers don’t want to be “surprised” during a movie. They need to be “prepared”. If they think this is one type of movie and, fifteen minutes in, if they discover this is another type of movie, then they switch off. Instead of recalibrating their minds to this other type of movie, they feel the filmmaker has made a mistake by not making the movie they walked in to see. As someone who welcomes surprises in movies, I find this sad, but since so many editors think this way, I suppose there must be some “commercial” logic in this.
Continued at the link above.
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Baradwaj Rangan 
Anu Warrier
November 27, 2019
Wow! I haven’t even heard of any of these people other than Lal. Now, where am I going to watch this?!
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krishikari
November 27, 2019
Oh yes, what a great trailer! That’s really unusual these days, as you say. Looking forward to seeing this.
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krishikari
November 27, 2019
@anuwarrier Anna Ben is that sweet girl from Kumbalangi nights.
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Anu Warrier
November 28, 2019
@Krishikari – I haven’t watched Kumbalangi Nights either. 😦 I’ve a huge backlog of Malayalam films to watch.
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Karthik
January 10, 2020
What a beautiful movie! Establishing characters initially, then adding up the proper amount of tension.
And reading this review just made me like the movie even more. A complete movie with negligible loopholes!
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Vishakha
January 11, 2020
this ones out on prime now..just added to my watchlist
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Daisy
January 17, 2020
Just watched it on Prime today and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was on the edge of my seat even though I knew she will make it eventually. Even my 9 year old who doesn’t like watching Indian movies, was totally engrossed. Had to watch this movie to get Durbar out of my system. Now, why doesn’t Rajini choose or the movie makers create such Dad roles for Rajini?
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tonks
January 17, 2020
I have stopped watching trailers as far as humanly possible
Liking surprises in movies is exactly why I do not read reviews if I intend to watch the movie. I was browsing through Amazon prime, saw this movie, then saw a 7.8 IMDb score, then checked this blog space and read ‘Helen’ shows how even a pure ‘genre film’ can be elevated through superb writing and it was absolutely clear that this was to be watched. And I come back and read the full review after watching.
She was perfectly comfortable inside her igloo with that lighter. Her coming out and then staying out, when she saw the dead rat was out of character. If at all, the contrast between the dead rat and her comfortable state should have kept her right inside the igloo. However that end would have not created cinematic tension in the climax.
Another natural detailing was that the football club Arsenal was Azhar’s phone’s wall paper.
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tonks
January 17, 2020
Anna Ben has acted her heart out. She’s incredible in this movie.
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Tina
January 21, 2020
What a movie and a great review!
So many interesting things to read your interpretation after watching the movie.
“We don’t really need the scene where Helen is late and her father gets impatient and honks his scooter, so he can drop her to her workplace in a fast-food joint in a mall. But later, when Helen goes missing, this impatience makes us feel the father’s plight more acutely (even if subconsciously).”
This is interesting. You see, initially when the 2 or on good terms, the father calls out her name ‘He-lee-nnnu’. And then later after the incident, he just honks. I just saw it as another scene to show distance, but your reading is also such an interesting PoV…
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