Drones Movie Review: 'One Crazy Squad. One Surreal World. Endless Entertainment!'
Drones (2026), the Tamil fantasy-horror-comedy written and directed by R. Raghav Mirdath, is an ambitious and eccentric debut feature that blends college antics, supernatural elements, romance, and social messaging. Released on October 16, 2026, the film stars Dravid Selvam, Anjali Nair, RJ Deepak, Siddhi Idnani, Devadarshini, Kuraishi, and Cinemawala Sathish. It follows three suspended astrophysics students who stumble into a mad scientist’s hideout and become entangled with a miniature artist and a witch, using a drone as a key plot device. The movie aims to deliver light entertainment alongside commentary on colour discrimination, the dangers of judging by appearance, and the value of inner character. While its quirky premise and family-friendly tone set it apart from typical commercial fare, the execution is uneven, resulting in a film that feels both inventive and occasionally tedious.
Plot Overview
The story centres on Kish (Dravid Selvam), an astrophysics student, and his friends Rush (Anjali Nair) and Dush (RJ Deepak). After getting into trouble that leads to their suspension from college, the trio seeks refuge in the locked-down house of eccentric scientist Padmanaban (Kuraishi), nicknamed the “Black Hole.” Padmanaban is busy constructing a robot companion to fulfil his ideal of a perfect girlfriend. Kish hijacks the house’s drone, Sampangi, and through it discovers Prakruthi (Siddhi Idnani), a charming miniature artist living in a nearby mansion who appears almost angelic. Smitten by her beauty, Kish pursues her, only for complications to arise involving her grandmother, a witch-like figure played by Devadarshini who harbours dark secrets, including trapping men’s souls in dolls within a dollhouse. Additional threads involve a love-cursed police inspector (Cinemawala Sathish) warned by a palmist that any woman he sincerely tells “I love you” to will die, sleepwalking elements, wormhole-like concepts tied to the scientist’s experiments, and repeated romantic patterns where men fall for Prakruthi at first sight using nearly identical scripts of poems, gifts, and promises. Rush, nicknamed “Karupatti” by Kish, carries unrequited feelings and later confronts issues of being judged for her darker complexion. The narrative mixes comedy, mild scares, and fantasy as the group navigates traps, revelations, and escapes, culminating in emotional confrontations and a message-driven resolution that ties the disparate elements together. The film largely avoids gore or explicit content, positioning itself as a family entertainer with a moral core.
Performance
The ensemble cast is one of the film’s stronger suits. Anjali Nair stands out as Rush, bringing conviction to both the comic moments and the more serious emotional beats, particularly those addressing colour discrimination and personal validation. She carries the film’s thematic weight effectively. Dravid Selvam and RJ Deepak form a likeable trio with her; Deepak often lands the punchier comic reactions, while Dravid handles the central romantic and adventurous arc with natural charm suited to his background. Siddhi Idnani looks ethereal and angelic as Prakruthi, fulfilling the visual brief of a figure who captivates through appearance alone—fitting for the story’s commentary—though the role offers limited dramatic range beyond presence and expression. Devadarshini delivers an enjoyable mix of menace and humour as the witch grandmother, attempting a departure from her usual roles with solid results. Kuraishi’s mad scientist provides intermittent oddball energy, and Cinemawala Sathish shines in a supporting comic role that plays to his strengths as the cursed or desperate bachelor inspector. The supporting players contribute to the lively, eccentric atmosphere without overpowering the leads.
Technical Aspects
Drones shows ambition within what appears to be a modest production scale. Cinematographer Jayanth Sethu Mathavan captures the dual worlds—the scientific “Black Hole” lab and the mysterious old mansion—with competent framing that supports the surreal tone, though lighting and visual consistency vary. Music by Hari S R complements the tonal shifts between comedy, mild horror, and emotional moments without becoming particularly memorable. Editing by Sathish Suriya struggles at times with the 152-minute runtime, contributing to a sluggish first half. Production design by R Kishore helps establish the quirky settings, while VFX (credited to Falcon P. Gowtham) and stunts handle the fantastical elements adequately but without standout polish. The film wisely avoids excessive gore or explicit content, keeping it family-friendly, which suits its intended tone. Strength and Weakness
Strengths and Weaknesses
Drones’ primary strength lies in its unconventional premise and willingness to mix genres—college comedy, supernatural horror-lite, romance, and mild sci-fi—while delivering a clear, timely message about not judging people by appearance or skin tone and valuing character over looks. The film plays fair with its own absurd rules, allowing throwaway gags to pay off later, and it builds to an emotional climax that gives the story purpose. Performances, particularly from Anjali Nair, Devadarshini, and Cinemawala Sathish, help sell the eccentricity, and the family-friendly approach avoids excesses common to the horror-comedy space. The modest production values and focus on practical storytelling contribute to a certain charm. Weaknesses are more pronounced in the first half, which many observers note is sluggish and padded with repetitive gags and setup that delay the central conflict. The screenplay struggles at times to balance its crowded elements (mad scientist, angel/witch duality, cursed cop, trapped souls), leading to a sense that the film digs itself into a hole before climbing out. Humour lands inconsistently, scares feel mild and unconvincing, and the sci-fi/fantasy concepts (including wormholes) receive somewhat half-baked treatment. The runtime, around two and a half hours, feels excessive for the material; tighter editing and earlier introduction of stronger second-half ideas would have improved engagement. The messaging, while well-intentioned and effectively delivered in key speeches, can come across as somewhat didactic.
Final Verdict
Drones is an appreciable and novel attempt by a new team to craft something different in Tamil cinema—a madcap fantasy-comedy with heart and a social point. It succeeds in creating a self-contained quirky universe and ends on a satisfying enough note that rewards patience. However, uneven pacing, repetitive stretches, and imperfect execution prevent it from fully realising its interesting ideas. Viewers open to offbeat, light-hearted fare with a message may find it enjoyable; those seeking sharper thrills, consistent comedy, or tighter storytelling may grow restless. It is best approached as a modest family entertainer rather than a polished genre standout.
Rating:3/5
A quirky fantasy-comedy with a solid message on looks and self-worth, but slowed down by a sluggish first half and uneven pacing.
