by Sam Trailerman
by Sam Trailerman
I have been a regular movie reviewer for The Weekly Echo for the past two years, especially Indian productions. But after having seen this latest movie, I need to tread a little more carefully lest I end up unexpectedly on the side of the Kulim-Alor Setar railway tracks!
Devil’s Double Next Level (2025) is a riotous rollercoaster of horror, hilarity, and Tamil cinema mayhem. Directed and written by S. Prem Anand, and produced by The Show People and Niharika Entertainment, this fourth instalment in the beloved Dhilluku Dhuddu series takes Tamil horror-comedy to a whole new dimension.
Starring Santhanam, Selvaraghavan, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and Geethika Tiwary, the film delivers a genre-bending experience that’s as self-aware as it is side-splitting.
It’s also a movie within a movie. The screenplay is a labyrinth of layers: a film within a film, a flashback nested inside, and even that contains three distinct chapters.
It’s a clever satire on cinema itself—poking fun at movie reviewers, film critique culture, and the absurdity of storytelling conventions.
Despite the complexity, the film never loses its comedic edge.
There’s slapstick humour and exaggerated body language. High-energy performances from the entire cast.
The movie centres around Kissa, the reviewer who gets reviewed by fate. Santhanam plays Krishnamoorthy aka “Kissa,” a brutally honest social media film critic with a sharp tongue and zero filter.
One day, he receives a mysterious invitation from Hitchcock Iruthyaraj—a failed filmmaker turned vengeful recluse—to attend a private screening of his latest horror-comedy, DD Next Level.
Thinking it’s just another PR gimmick, Kissa drags his family and girlfriend Aasai Harshini (Geethika Tiwary) along. But once inside the theatre, things go haywire: they’re sucked into the cursed film itself.
Now trapped in a surreal cinematic universe, Kissa has to battle ghosts and masked killers, solve cryptic puzzles, rescue his family—who no longer recognise him, and worst of all, confront his girlfriend, now a terrifying vengeful spirit!
Every time the killer appears, the background score hits just right—enough to make the audience whisper, “He’s coming…”
Gautham Vasudev Menon (GVM—not to be confused with “Green Vegetable Matter,” aka weed) delivers a hilarious parody of his own iconic roles, including a cheeky nod to Kaakha Kaakha. His self-deprecating humour is a highlight.
Just when you think you’ve settled into a goofy horror-comedy, the film pulls the rug out from under you—diving into darker, more twisted territory.
The climax? A mind-bending sequence where Kissa must literally rewrite the film’s ending to escape. Will he succeed, or become just another forgotten character in Hitchcock’s cursed reel?
Final Verdict? Santhanam equals laughter!
Santhanam proves once again why he’s the king of Tamil comedy. Sure, logic takes a backseat—but who needs it when you’re laughing this hard?
Devil’s Double Next Level isn’t your average comedy track. It’s a genre-defying, laugh-out-loud, creatively chaotic ride that appeals to all age groups. If you didn’t laugh during the scene where Kissa’s girlfriend turns ghostly, you might want to check for a condition called Pseudobulbar Affect, because that was comedy gold.
A Word to Critics: Watch What You Write (me especially!)
After watching this film, I might just think twice before penning a harsh review. I’d rather not get “trapped” in a cursed movie or be haunted by the ghost of a disgruntled director—on screen or in my dreams!
WE