Su from So Review: A Bold Debut

The setup is deceptively simple: a village named Sogasu-a place so idyllic it makes Shire look like a traffic jam. Children dance to folk tunes, elders argue over jackfruit recipes, and the local tea stall runs on pure joy. Life is a warm rasam of community vibes.

Enter the devil. Literally.

One morning, a charismatic but clearly sketchy stranger (JP Tuminad’s Ashoka) rolls into town. He’s got a smile like a used car salesman and a suitcase that hums ominously. Before anyone can say “exorcist,” strange things happen: crops start singing backwards, the village well begins burping purple smoke, and everyone’s favorite cow, Lakshmi, develops a sudden taste for samosa.

The village panics-but not in a horror-movie screaming way. No, they react like real people in a comedy: they try to outsmart the devil with slapstick traps, failed negotiations, and a series of escalating pranks that would make Wiley Coyote jealous. The plot unfolds as a series of vignettes: Ravi Anna (Shaneel Gautham, stealing every scene) tries to “exorcise” the devil with a kitchen ladle. Yadhu Anna (Mime Ramdas) attempts a dance-off. Nothing works, and that’s the point.

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Let’s get the elephant-er, demon-in the room out of the way: Su from So isn’t trying to be The Exorcist. It’s not trying to make you ponder existential dread. It’s trying to make you laugh at a man getting hit in the face with a flying papaya while a demon says “That’s the spirit.” And honestly? It works.

JP Tuminad pulls double duty as director and lead, which is a gamble. As a director, he keeps the pacing snappy-135 minutes never drags, thanks to constant gags and a bouncy soundtrack that blends folk beats with carnival organ. As an actor, he plays Ashoka with a gleeful smirk, clearly enjoying the chaos he unleashes. He’s no Hannibal Lecter, but he’s a great party host from hell.

The real MVP is Shaneel Gautham as Ravi Anna. Every comedy troupe needs the straight man who’s just this close to losing it, and Gautham nails it. His expressions range from “I’m fine” to “I’m about to fight a demon with a kitchen ladle” with perfect comedic timing. Sandhya Arakere as Bhanu brings heart-she’s the one who actually tries to talk to the devil, which leads to a genuinely sweet scene involving a shared chai and some surprisingly philosophical dialogue.

But the ensemble is what makes this sing. Prakash K Thuminadu as Chandranna provides deadpan old-man wisdom that’s always wrong. Deepak Rai Panaje’s Satishanna has a running bit about his missing motorcycle that pays off in the final act with a genuinely clever slapstick sequence. Mime Ramdas? The guy mimes the devil. Yes, you read that right. It’s bizarre, but it works.

Tonally, the film wobbles. One minute, it’s a Monty Python sketch about mispronounced incantations. The next, it dips into surprising creepiness-a shadow on a wall that moves wrong, a child’s song sung backward. It never commits to being scary, and that’s fine. But purists might itch for more consistency. The horror is there, but it’s giggling at its own jokes.

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Pros

• Laugh-out-loud physical comedy that rivals early Jim Carrey
• A genuinely charming ensemble cast with perfect chemistry
• Creative, low-budget visual effects that feel whimsical, not cheap
• Running gags that actually pay off (watch for the goat)
• The soundtrack is an absolute bop

Cons

• Horror elements are too toothless to satisfy genre fans
• Some jokes overstay their welcome (the third “demon mishears a word” bit drags)
• Pacing takes a dip in the middle as the “traps” sequence gets repetitive
• The ending is abrupt-feels like they ran out of budget
• A few character arcs (Yadhu Anna’s backstory) are teased but abandoned

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Su from So is the kind of film you watch with friends on a Friday night after a few drinks-you’ll laugh at the jokes, groan at the puns, and text “what the hell did I just watch?” to your movie buddy the next morning. It’s not going to redefine cinema or haunt your nightmares. But it will make you smile, and honestly? In a year stuffed with sequels and grim blockbusters, that’s worth its weight in comedy gold.

Recommendation: Stream it with a group. Don’t try to watch alone-you’ll miss half the jokes by not laughing together. And for the love of all that is holy, stay for the credits scene. Let’s just say that goat isn’t done yet.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (but with a heart emoji)