Hello Mummy

Hello Mummy is one of those films that struggle to find a clear tone or voice, leaving it in a constant loop of uncertainty without ever settling into something cohesive or fully engaging. From the start, Sanjo Joseph’s script and Vaishakh’s direction fail to deliver the comedy, only evoking weak smiles from audiences. By relying too much on familiar, clichéd moments that come with portraying characters like Bony, the film is unable to keep the viewers engaged and both the humour and situations come across as half-baked or forced. After Stephy’s introduction, Hello Mummy’s woes intensify, particularly owing to its inability to decide whether to focus more on the growing romance between the two or the comedy. The result is a lacklustre blend of both.

One of the film’s strengths lies in how it utilises Sharafudheen’s comedic talent. His portrayal of Boney, a quirky, fun-loving character, adds charm and humour to the narrative. Watching Sharaf bring this role to life makes for an entertaining experience. His combination scenes with Aishwarya Lekshmi are delightful to watch. Writer Sanjo Joseph has infused the story with several humorous moments, though it does feel somewhat incomplete in parts. Aishwarya shines as Steffy, bringing a playful energy to her character. Supporting actors like Jagadish and Johny Antony also contribute to the lively banter, adding to the overall entertainment. As for the horror aspect, the film successfully introduces a mystical and fantastical vibe. Vaishakh leans heavily on slapstick comedy for most of the film, and it works for the most part.

Horror comedies are a genre that requires a fine balance between thrills and laughs, but debutant Vaishakh Elans’ Hello Mummy mostly stumbles in its attempt to juggle these elements. While the film delivers a handful of genuinely funny moments and a promising premise, its overlong narrative, shallow emotional core, and lacklustre horror sequences make for an exhausting watch. The story follows Stephy (Aishwarya Lekshmi) and her peculiar life, overshadowed by the spirit of her dead mother, who controls every aspect of her existence. When Boney (Sharaf U Dheen), a man-child running a pet shop, enters Stephy’s life, it sets off a chain of comedic events laced with a supernatural twist. The concept of a mother’s spirit being both a guardian and a tyrant within the family dynamic is intriguing on paper, but the execution leaves much to be desired.

In the last act of the film, with the darkness and black magic, which demands a lot of set work and visual effects, the movie looks like a fantasy tale, but the drama isn’t that gripping. Vaishakh and Sanjo are trying to reduce the tiresomeness of the narrative in that part with some Bindu Panicker humor in between. But since the beats of that whole portion are very familiar, the duration feels a lot longer, and the movie starts to feel tedious. Vyshakh Elans, who has done ad films before filmmaking, is trying to give a vibrant visual texture to the movie. Since the horror comedy fantasy aspect is there, the vibrancy coupled with wide lenses gives that peculiar look to this movie. The song placements weren’t that great. Even though the visual effects looked good considering the fantasy space of the movie, the production design, especially for the final episode of the movie, wasn’t that great.