Bougainvillea movie review: “The eyes are the window to the soul,” goes the saying. In a pivotal moment in director Amal Neerad’s mystery psychological thriller Bougainvillea, Reethu (Jyothirmayi) — who suffers from both retrograde and anterograde amnesia following a car accident eight years ago — sits across from criminal psychologist Meera (Veena Nandakumar) for an eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) session. As Meera initially guides Reethu to her ‘happy place,’ a sparkle lights up her eyes. However, when the names of the young women who have gone missing in the area are mentioned — cases in which the police suspect Reethu may be involved, yet cannot conclusively link her due to her memory issues — her eyes brim with tears, shining in a whole different way. Fear, confusion and helplessness flash across them, revealing the essence of Reethu’s turmoil and her character. Throughout the film, Jyothirmayi’s eyes indeed serve as the window to Bougainvillea’s soul, reflecting what the film aspires to convey and what it ultimately achieves.

Following the devastating car accident, which left both of them severely injured with Reethu facing more complications, she and her husband Dr Royce Thomas (Kunchacko Boban) relocate to the hills of Idukki and settle into a rented home. While Royce works as a doctor at the local clinic, Reethu spends most of her time painting bougainvilleas in her studio at their home. Although she frequently experiences episodes of memory loss that leave her bewildered, she still shares a close bond with Royce and ‘their kids’. However, their life takes a sudden turn when Theni Assistant Commissioner of Police David Koshy (Fahadh Faasil) arrives at their door to investigate the disappearance of a young woman named Chaya (Athira Patel). Despite CCTV footage showing that Reethu was the last person to see Chaya, her inability to remember the encounter causes the investigation to hit a roadblock. As the police expand their inquiry, they discover that Reethu might be connected to two other recent cases of missing young women in the same age group as Chaya. With help from Meera, David attempts to delve into Reethu’s mind, which causes the latter to unravel startling truths about her connections with the missing women — revelations that only linger briefly in her memory before fading away once more.

Based on Lajo Jose’s novel Ruthinte Lokam, Bougainvillea stands apart from anything Amal Neerad has done thus far and he succeeds admirably, proving that he is capable of much more than stylised heroics and fight sequences. From the outset, Amal manages to create an atmosphere that is eerie and fragmented, mirroring the disjointed memories in Reethu’s mind. While some real things on screen appear unreal, the opposite also holds true, keeping the audiences in a constant state of curiosity. However, Lajo and Amal, who co-wrote the script, don’t leave viewers entirely in the dark or at the point where Reethu is. Instead, they reveal just as much as the other characters know about her, ensuring people don’t feel as if they’re missing essential ‘truths’. The only pieces withheld relate to Reethu’s connections to the missing women — facts she alone knows but can’t recall — placing viewers in her position and thus doing justice to the genre.

Rather than infusing his signature style or following the usual aesthetics of mystery psychological thrillers, Amal takes a unique approach with Bougainvillea, pacing it in a way that delivers unexpected jolts and prevents viewers from drawing conclusions too quickly. Notably, the film also contains far fewer slow-motion shots than other Amal movies and it includes only one action scene, and that too at the very end — a departure from his unique style, which he did only once prior to this, in the segment Kullante Bharya in the anthology 5 Sundarikal (2013). Even with David’s arrival, the film doesn’t abruptly shift gears into an investigation thriller but maintains its tone, as Amal advances the story gradually, step by step.

However, one crucial area where Lajo and Amal’s script falls short is its inability to maintain suspense for an extended period. The overt dropping of clues, particularly through moments and dialogues that raise suspicion about certain characters, makes the central plot twist apparent much too early. This issue also applies to the smaller suspense elements throughout the film.

(Spoilers ahead) Not long into the movie, it becomes evident that although the mention of their kids is frequent, they only appear on screen with Reethu and never with anyone else, not even Royce. Although she seems very close to the kids, there isn’t a single framed picture of them in the house, even though we frequently see framed photos of Reethu and Royce in various places in the house. These blatant hints reveal far too much too soon, well before the movie explicitly states it, that the children are merely figments of Reethu’s imagination.

Certain actions by Royce and his confident declarations about his wife’s condition also lead to early suspicions about him, which intensify dramatically when he slaps her during a psychotic episode triggered by the sight of strangers in the house, causing her to hit her head on the floor and lose consciousness. He then claims this is normal in their household, which quickly raises doubts about his true character, especially for those familiar with movies like Before I Go to Sleep (2014) and The Girl on the Train (2016). Hence, when he is ultimately revealed as the true villain in the story, it doesn’t come as a complete shock. Although Royce’s backstory which played a key role in transforming him into what he is now is both chilling and intriguing, the suspense doesn’t resonate as deeply as it should have. Nevertheless, the crafting of the scenes and the film’s overall technical excellence — especially Sushin Shyam’s outstanding music — ensure that viewers won’t be disappointed upon realising that their predictions about the main twist were correct.

However, the movie excels in exploring the concept of gaslighting, with Royce manipulating not only Reethu but also those around them, including the police, thus creating a false perception of his wife in their minds, cleverly concealing his true self and the crimes he has committed. His approach to maintaining Reethu’s amnesia is equally striking, emphasising how someone in a position of power can easily distort another person’s memories and experiences, leading them to question their grasp on reality.

From the outset, Jyothirmayi commands the film. Despite returning to acting after an 11-year hiatus, her performance is so compelling that it feels as though she never left the screen. Her ability to easily transition from a controlled demeanour to moments of intense confusion showcases her acting talent. The chemistry she shares with Kunchacko Boban and Srinda, who plays her maid, is also remarkable, and her portrayal of the character is pitch-perfect. Kunchacko Boban continues his upward trajectory, with Bougainvillea adding another feather to his cap. Back in 2011, he played a grey-shaded role in the comedy thriller Seniors, which was one of the worst performances in his career. Not only did he fail to convince as a villain, but it seemed he himself was unconvinced by the role and his abilities to pull it off. Fast forward 13 years, and he has delivered a standout performance as a serial killer in Bougainvillea, with his appearance and expressions in the film’s ending reminiscent of the notorious American serial killer and sex offender Jeffrey Dahmer.

Although Fahadh Faasil doesn’t have much to do in the movie due to the underdeveloped nature of his character, he demonstrates his ability to rise above such limitations in scripts, shining through with his commanding presence. While both Srinda and Sharaf U Dheen excel in their roles, Veena also deliver a good performance, although her dialogue delivery can come off as artificial at times.

Sushin Shyam’s exceptional music underscores Bougainvillea’s impressive technical aspects. The placement of the song “Sthuthi” and the connection of its lyrics, penned by Vinayak Sasikumar, to the narrative, also deserve special commendation. Anend C Chandran’s cinematography works wonders, especially given the film’s extensive use of close-ups and mid-shots to evoke a sense of claustrophobia, allowing viewers to feel Reethu’s suffocation. Anend skillfully employs the limited space within each frame to produce stunning visuals. Meanwhile, Vivek Harshan once again showcases his editing prowess, while Joseph Nellickal’s production design merits commendation as well. Sameera Saneesh, Ronex Xavier and Tapas Nayak excel in their respective areas of costume design, makeup and sound design, respectively.

Bougainvillea movie cast: Kunchacko Boban, Fahadh Faasil, Jyothirmayi, Sharaf U Dheen, Veena Nandakumar, Srinda Bougainvillea movie director: Amal Neerad Bougainvillea movie rating: 3.5 stars