Nalla Nilavulla Rathri () is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language slasher film directed by Murphy Devasy in his directorial debut. The film stars Baburaj, Chemban Vinod Jose, Jinu Joseph, and Binu Pappu in lead roles, alongside Rony David, Sajin Cherukayil, Ganapathi S. Poduval, and Nithin George in prominent roles. The plot centres around a group of former college mates who plan a trip to Shimoga as part of their business expansion and the unexpected events that occur.
The film's script is written by Murphy Devasy, while the screenplay and dialogue are co-written by Murphy Devasy and Praful Suresh. It is jointly produced by Sandra Thomas and her spouse, Wilson Thomas, under the banner of Sandra Thomas Productions. This is the first slasher film in Malayalam cinema. It was released in theatres on to mixed responses.
Cast
Production
Development
Sandra Thomas, who was previously a partner of the Friday Film House, started her own production company, Sandra Thomas Productions, in 2020. Nalla Nilavulla Rathri is the first film from Sandra Thomas Productions. The film was announced in September 2022.
Filming
On , the principal photography commenced with a pooja ceremony at Vrindavan Gardens in Kanthalloor. The title poster of the film was released on . The first schedule was completed in Kuttikkanam on .
Marketing
The film's first-look poster and motion poster were released in April 2023. The official trailer was launched on YouTube on . The second-look poster was released on , featuring Chemban Vinod Jose, Baburaj, Jinu Joseph, Binu Pappu, and Ganapathi.
Soundtrack
Kailas Menon composed the film's soundtrack. Murphy Devasy and Praful Suresh wrote the lyrics for the film's only song "Thaanaro Thannaro". It was released on YouTube on .
Release
Theatrical
Nalla Nilavulla Rathri was released in theatres on .
Home media
Amazon Prime Video acquired the film's digital rights and began streaming it on .
Reception
Critical reception
Nalla Nilavulla Rathri received mixed responses from critics. S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote "The character building and context setting by Murphy Devassy in the first half is wasted as the movie pivots to become a slasher-home invasion thriller." Gopika ls of The Times of India gave the film a rating of 3 stars out of 5 and stated "Murphy Devasy's debut Nalla Nilavulla Rathri is a watchable movie with some moments of brilliance sprinkled all over. After an interesting build up in first half, the second half was a rollercoaster, which fizzled down towards the end."
Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave the film 0.5/5 stars and said "Nalla Nilavulla Rathri can be seen as a slasher film; however, the only thing it truly slashes is the viewers' bank balances, particularly when the month-end is here." Princy Alexander of Onmanorama wrote "Had makers toned down the violence and focused more on creating a convincing narrative, 'Nala Nilavulla Rathri' would have been a better watch." Arjun Ramachandran of The South First gave the film 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Nalla Nilavulla Raathri is a thriller that loses its pace at a point but manages to entertain the audience with its technical aspects." Raymond John Kuriachan of OTTPlay gave the film 3/5 stars and wrote "Nalla Nilavulla Rathri has a promising start, but the script lacks the necessary depth in the second half to maintain the character development from the first half. While there are some gripping moments in the second half, it fails to entertain most of the time."