Ratsasan ('Demon') was my first ever Indian film (Tamil language), and what an adventure it was. A 2-part, 2 1/2 hour movie about a frustrated film director who becomes a police officer and investigates murders of young girls using research he did for one of his scripts about serial killers, and I hardly felt the time pass.

What I appreciated about the film was the simplicity and straight forwardness of the directing, which harkens back to the old school style of filmmaking. Imagine Howard Hawks or Orson Welles making a film like Seven and you have an idea of what Ratsasan is like.

Also surprising was the subplot of the #MeToo movement, where men who harassed women in various situations all received their come uppances. I'd read that India is beginning to experience a sea change as concerns the treatment of women, and while this film won't resolve all the issues, it at least is on the right side of them.

As for the downside of the movie... It felt like too much time was spent stating the obvious and connecting the dots, but then again, in a nation of 1.3 billion people with 22 major languages, I imagine they have to keep the story somewhat low context to make sure everyone can follow along.

But this is a minor inconvenience, because the movie is loads of fun and the re-watch value is rather high. Ratsasan may have been my first Indian / Tamil-language film, but I'll take pains to ensure it isn't my last.