Fantastic Fest 2026 Review: HALF is a Bloodthirsty Road Rage Ass-Kicker

As India's horror output grows in popularity, films like Samjad's South Indian Half will pave the way. Underrepresented regions with unique voices all have their stories to tell. In this case, Samjad and co-writer Praveen Viswanath pen a contemporary supernatural western featuring action choreography from Very Tri Yulisman (The Raid 2, The Night Comes for Us). It kicks enough ass—albeit a bit thin of an experience that doesn't match the greatness of Yulisman's other works—in a lonesome scum-hunting quest for vengeance, with plenty of blood to be spilled along the way.

Half-vampire, half-human siblings Ethan (Ranjith Sajeev) and Ivy (Aiswarya Raj) share a special bond. Mama raised them right; Ethan and Ivy always have each other's back. That becomes evident when Ethan rolls up on his spiffy Toyota, and the duo embarks on a road trip. Along the way, scavenger thugs ambush Ethan and Ivy, leaving them for dead—but vampires can't die. Brother and sister are resurrected by the moon, with only one mission: kill every last one of their attackers.

Samjad isn't here to rewrite formulas. Half is a violent journey down a deserted stretch of roadway littered with bodies. Kingpin Selli (Abbas) picked the wrong half-vamps to rob, and now everyone in his organization will pay the price. Ethan and Ivy redecorate a pit stop bar with gore, interrupt an underground power-slapping competition, fry a cook's pretty lil’ face during dinnertime—there's a nice bit of variation to fight sequences. But those looking for a deeper lore surrounding the film's vampirism shouldn't expect a richly told story. This is a thrill ride; buckle up and embrace the adrenaline.

Yulisman's choreography keeps things fresh, incorporating the environments mentioned above. It's not just about Ethan throwing quick punches and bodyslamming towering MMA-types. It's the spots where Ivy makes an emcee eat his microphone, or Ethan doing his best Chris Jericho impression, putting his foe into a Lion Tamer in shallow water. It's no surprise that Ethan grabs a WWE T-shirt with Undertaker and Kane on the front, because Yulisman's combat sequences are heavily influenced by professional wrestling. Ethan and Ivy are a regenerating tag-team who make villains pay for their actions with the utmost brutality (especially Ivy's assaulter), which will keep audiences happily entertained throughout. Any limb-snapping gore is a tasty cherry on top.

The unsung MVP of Half is music director Midhun Mukundan, given how a mute Ivy bashes baddies to a soundtrack of energizing Indian club hits. Samjad's direction has a rad attitude and furious tempo as Ethan and Ivy inflict merciless punishments to thumping bass rhythms in a too-cool-for-school way. Sajeev's shirtless muscle-bulges and Raj's headphones-on dances of death ooze badassery in their performances, meeting slick, stylized action atop pulse-pumping soundtracks, hiding steely gazes behind sunglasses, and nailing a no-bullshit intensity that could stop a freight train. It's all so tongue-in-cheek, as henchmen fumble with their weapons or embarrassingly misfire while Ethan and Ivy mean-mug through fights like they're superheroes (because they kinda are). That's the selling point.

But Half isn't Kill, or The Night Comes for Us, or The Raid. Pappinu's cinematography gets a little shaky during large-scale rumbles, and the movesets are limited. It's also desperately streamlined, relying heavily on standout action bits to carry us through the filler in between. Choosing vampirism feels like a last-minute plot device so Ethan and Ivy can't die, rather than building rich mythology around their conditions. That's not a terrible thing—I'll never complain about a beat-em-up flick that beats-em-up good—but it does hinder storytelling potential. Selli's goons resemble a random assortment of dudes waiting to die because that's exactly what they are. Nothing more, nothing less.

Half is a road trippin' buffet of action-horror goodness that doesn't care to be anything more than enjoyably to the point. Samjad wastes no time and knows we're here for the fight scenes, so that's what's given the most attention. In this bubble, the exercise works. Everyone in front and behind the camera is there to deliver the brand of excitement genre fans crave. It might not be as meaty and fleshed-out as its competition, but it still earns a seat at the table by brawling, smashing, and slaughtering its way into your hearts.

Movie Score: 3.5/5