Boomika review: This Aishwarya Rajesh-starrer is a visually pleasing thriller with convoluted messaging

Aishwarya Rajesh continues to pick and headline unusual projects. Her latest, Boomika, is an interesting addition to her filmography. Promoted as an eco-horror thriller, Rathindran Prasad’s Boomika has all the tropes you would associate with the genre, and some are quite predictable. But what sets it apart is the way it chooses to redefine the clichés with a slightly different back story. It would have been a taut thriller if the messaging hadn't been so in-your-face and convoluted.

The story centres on a young couple, Samyuktha (Aishwarya) and Gautham (Vidhu), who move into an abandoned school building with their son with the intention of turning it into a residential complex and making a profit from the deal. They are joined by their friend Gayatri, a popular architect, Gautham’s sister Aditi and a helper. The first night after they move in, they experience some paranormal activity. As they try to uncover the mystery, the reason why the place is haunted is revealed.

Unlike regular horror movies, Boomika doesn’t rely on thrills. It has some fairly fear-inducing moments but nothing that would make you sit up in terror. It works as a logical horror film that asks who is more evil when it comes to the destruction of planet earth. Instead of presenting a regular tale of horror and revenge, Boomika unfolds as a story about nature protecting itself. But it gets a tad preachy in the process and the message doesn’t create the desired impact. The messaging gets so in-your-face that it becomes too much to embrace.

Aishwarya is impressive as a psychologist trying to make sense of the situation. After playing a cop in her previous film Thittam Irandu (2021), it is refreshing to see her take up different characters and shine in each of them. The rest of the cast is flat, but the film makes up with some pleasing visuals. Shot entirely in Ooty, the scenic locales play a pivotal role in enhancing the overall mood.

Boomika is deserving of praise for turning the usual horror template on its head. However, the lack of a solid back story is what stops it being one of the better films in the genre.

Boomika is now available on Netflix.