Irul: Ghost Hotel

"Irul: Ghost Hotel" is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language found-footage horror film that revolves around a ghostly hotel, its eerie atmosphere, and a group of adventurers who dare to confront the paranormal forces within its walls. The story begins with a documentary crew, consisting of three seasoned filmmakers, led by the director and producer, Sudeep Anantharaman (played by Kunchacko Boban). Alongside them, there is a group of amateur ghost hunters who claim to possess paranormal investigation skills. They arrive at the infamous Irul Hotel, a dilapidated and long-abandoned building rumored to be haunted by malevolent spirits. The reasons behind the hotel's eerie reputation are many and dark. Years ago, Irul Hotel served as a refuge for the outcasts of society, including prostitutes, thieves, and murderers. These shady characters often used the hotel as a hideout, engaging in various illicit activities. Tragically, one stormy night, a fire ravaged the hotel, leaving behind the charred remains of its patrons. Since then, the hotel has stood vacant, with the townsfolk terrified of it. Upon arrival, the team begins their investigation, setting up cameras, audio recorders, and equipment to capture any paranormal activity. They conduct interviews with locals and even the hotel's former staff members, which reveal more about the hotel's history. The initial few hours of investigation are uneventful, with nothing more than minor occurrences that can be easily explained. However, things start to take a turn as night begins to fall. As the group spends more time exploring the hotel's dark corridors and musty rooms, they begin to capture strange, inexplicable occurrences on camera – disembodied whispers, moving shadows, and unsettling noises that seem to come from nowhere. Fear and skepticism begin to creep into the team's ranks. Parimal Prasad (played by Sreenivasan), a seasoned ghost hunter with a passion for the paranormal, tries to instill confidence in the team, encouraging them to investigate further. He believes that there's more to the hotel's haunting than a simple myth. Primal, also known as Primal Prabhu, uses various paranormal investigation techniques to detect and interact with the spirits. As the team delves deeper into the hotel, events escalate. The once minor disturbances now manifest into more ominous occurrences. In the dead of night, members of the team report waking up to find their rooms filled with eerie whispers, the whispers are sometimes a series of numbers which seems to be connected to the hotel's history. They even capture evidence of disembodied footsteps and inexplicable movements. The hotel's layout and labyrinthine structure begin to create an atmosphere of claustrophobia, causing the team to question whether they should leave or continue investigating the paranormal forces. Amidst the chaos, alliances are formed and broken as the team struggles to comprehend what they're witnessing. In one fateful night, disaster strikes when the team realizes they are trapped within the hotel's confines. An intense series of paranormal events unfolds as they frantically attempt to escape the ever-encroaching darkness. Amidst this chaos, the group discovers that their ghost hunting equipment is being manipulated by malevolent forces – their very existence being threatened. A climactic confrontation unfolds, where the team faces its toughest test in a desperate bid to survive. Primal's leadership is questioned when it's revealed that even he is unsure what to do. As night descends, more members of the group go missing, and the remaining few begin to wonder whether it's the hotel that's haunted or it's their own fear and doubts. As the last remnants of the team fight to escape the clutches of the spirits, one thing becomes apparent: the Irul Hotel is indeed a portal to something sinister. Their fate hangs in the balance, leaving the audience to ponder – how many will be left alive? The film ends with a haunting conclusion: will anyone be left to tell the story of their terrifying encounter with the hotel's ghostly past?