Turning Vengeance up to Eleven

Read Time:9 Minute, 27 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Half
–

Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller
Year Released: 2026
Runtime: 1h 36m
Director(s): Samjad P. S.
Writer(s): Samjad P. S., Praveen Viswanath
Cast: Ranjith Sajeev, Aiswarya Raj, Amala Paul, Abbas, Srikant Murali
Where to Watch: shown at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, Beyond Fest, Sitges, and more

RAVING REVIEW: Revenge movies have a shocking power to make us root for things that would otherwise be horrifying. Give us a few criminals, give them someone to torment, and suddenly we're enthusiastically rooting for the most creative retribution imaginable. Samjad P. S.'s HALF understands that formula, then decides it isn't enough. Making the people seeking revenge half-vampires is already a terrific idea, but the film also delivers some outstanding fight choreography. And then there's the soundtrack. My god, the soundtrack! The result is the revenge movie I never knew I needed, taking some of the genre's most enjoyable clichés and cranking everything up to eleven.

The music deserves attention right away because it's a huge part of what makes HALF so much fun. Composer Midhun Mukundan doesn't just provide background accompaniment. His music becomes a driving force, turning intense confrontations into sequences as entertaining to listen to as they are to watch. Rock music gives much of the score its energy, while the Western-inspired cues add an unexpected flavor. Sometimes the violence is already ridiculous, and then the music kicks in and somehow makes it even better. It's a nearly perfect combination of score and soundtrack, and easily one of my favorite things about the movie.

The story follows Ethan (Ranjith Sajeev) and Ivy (Aiswarya Raj), siblings traveling through the Rajasthan desert. Their trip takes them into a region controlled by a group of highway bandits who prey on travelers unfortunate enough to cross their path. These aren't particularly complicated criminals with sympathetic motivations or misunderstood circumstances. They're violent, cruel, and comfortable inflicting suffering on innocent people. When the siblings become targets, everything turns brutal, setting the stage for retaliation that makes traditional violence almost look tame.

The fun part is that Ethan and Ivy have something their attackers don't know. They're half-human, half-vampire, which means the assumptions about what a human body can survive don't always apply. It's a terrific addition to an otherwise familiar premise because the supernatural elements let Samjad chase revenge without the restrictions normally placed on his protagonists. These aren't ordinary people forced to overcome physically superior enemies through determination. They're far more dangerous, and anyone who attacks them will soon discover how badly they miscalculated.

HALF takes a refreshing approach to vampire mythology, especially in how little it cares about the rules. Ethan and Ivy don't spend their time hiding in shadows or worrying about the usual supernatural restrictions. Their unusual relationship with sunlight allows the film to use the Rajasthan desert as more than an unconventional backdrop. There's something wonderfully strange about seeing vampire characters operating so comfortably beneath an unforgiving sun, especially when most films featuring these creatures would treat that environment as an immediate death sentence. Samjad doesn't need to explain every supernatural detail for the idea to work.

A dark sense of humor runs through HALF, making its most vile moments surprisingly entertaining. Samjad knows when to let a confrontation turn violent, and the film never seems interested in making the audience feel guilty for enjoying it. That gives the violence an edge without making the consequences harmless. It's a difficult combination to pull off, but HALF manages to be genuinely vicious and ridiculously entertaining at the same time.

The enormous stretches of exposed highway create a sense of isolation that makes the criminal operation seem all too plausible. Travelers passing through have few options when the locals control it. That vulnerability builds tension before the film embraces its more outrageous ideas. The world around these characters feels almost post-apocalyptic. The bandits feel confident, as if they're used to getting away with whatever they want, and the lack of meaningful protection adds to the atmosphere of lawlessness. HALF doesn't need an elaborate explanation of how this operation developed to establish the danger it represents.

The action choreography comes courtesy of Very Tri Yulisman, whose credits include THE RAID 2 and THE NIGHT COMES FOR US. His involvement makes perfect sense once HALF shows what it can really do. The confrontations are fast, physical, and built around moving through increasingly dangerous situations. Rather than depending on quick editing to make speed feel real and impactful, the choreography gives performers combinations that demonstrate their physical abilities. The result is violence that feels deliberate, even when the circumstances become ridiculous. The filmmakers clearly understand that impressive choreography and gruesome effects work even better when they support each other. A beautifully executed move becomes far more memorable when the consequences match the action.

HALF embraces a variety of weapons and situations that keep its confrontations from feeling interchangeable. The action shifts between hand-to-hand combat, vehicle-related chaos, and increasingly inventive ways to off another enemy. That matters in a story whose central objective remains relatively uncomplicated. Once the audience understands what Ethan and Ivy are doing, the entertainment comes from discovering how the next experience will unfold.

Ranjith Sajeev brings a physical presence to Ethan, a character whose role requires much more than looking intimidating. The choreography demands speed, coordination, and the ability to maintain power while moving through action sequences. Sajeev's performance benefits from the role's physicality, letting Ethan's anger and determination show through movement as much as dialogue. His relationship with his sister also keeps him from becoming a solitary instrument of revenge.

Aiswarya Raj is equally important as Ivy, whose nonverbal communication gives the sibling relationship its own personality. The film relies on physical interactions and sign language to establish how closely Ethan and Ivy understand each other. Their familiarity comes through without the screenplay constantly reminding audiences they're twins. Ivy also has a memorable visual identity, with her sunglasses and composure adding to the character's confidence. Raj doesn't need lengthy conversations to establish Ivy as someone who can hold her own alongside her brother.

Ivy's relationship with music adds a personal dimension to the film's soundtrack. Her headphones and playlists connect the audience to her personality. Music becomes another form of expression, and the choice fits a movie where sound plays such an important role in establishing the vibes. It's a fun detail that also makes the character more than simply being Ethan's equally dangerous sibling.

Vishnu Govind's sound design helps ensure that HALF's physical confrontations don't lose their impact beneath Mukundan's energetic score. That might make the violence exciting, but the accompanying effects remind us just how much punishment these characters are inflicting. That contrast works particularly well in a movie where the soundtrack can make even the nastiest encounter feel entertaining. The music and effects aren't competing for attention; they work together to give the action its force.

The makeup and practical gore effects are another major attraction. HALF isn't shy about showing the physical consequences of its confrontations, and the creativity behind the set pieces is impressive. The bloodshed and sheer destruction have a wonderfully exaggerated quality that fits the film's personality. The darker moments have enough detail to make the effects worth appreciating, especially when the choreography gives them such prominent placement. The movie is completely comfortable going over the top, and the effects team makes that enthusiasm clear.

Samjad and co-writer Praveen Viswanath understand that the film's strongest elements don't always need dialogue to make an impression. The performers' actions, expressions, and surroundings do enough to keep the storytelling engaging without constantly explaining what's going on. The screenplay also leaves room for quieter exchanges, which are welcome between the more physically demanding sequences. I appreciate that the writers don't mistake a straightforward story for one that has to move at full speed all the time.

That simplicity doesn't mean the film ignores character relationships. Ethan and Ivy share a history, and their upbringing gives context to their unusually close connection. Their mother, Sofia (Amala Paul), is part of that, giving the twins a connection to a life beyond the revenge story. The family aspect establishes that these aren't simply supernatural killing machines who exist solely to destroy.

HALF also knows how to make its most excessive moments memorable without relying entirely on how much blood is spilled. There's pleasure in the timing of a confrontation, the expressions of the people involved, and the anticipation that builds before everything erupts. Those details matter because an audience can become accustomed to even the most outrageous violence when a movie keeps escalating without changing its approach. Samjad gives the confrontations enough personality that their entertainment value isn't measured exclusively by how gruesome the next injury becomes.

HALF knows exactly how to deliver the kind of entertainment I love finding in genre cinema. Samjad and his collaborators have created something with a personality all its own, even while embracing ideas that have been around for decades. It doesn't need to reinvent the genre to leave an impression, and the sheer enthusiasm behind the filmmaking is part of what makes it so enjoyable. Sometimes all it takes is a pair of vampires and a talented action team willing to push everything further than you'd expect. Add a composer who knows exactly when to turn up the volume, and the whole experience becomes even harder to resist. The criminals certainly deserve everything headed their way, and the audience gets one hell of a soundtrack to enjoy while they receive it.

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