Malayalam cinema has entered new genre territory at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where Samjad’s Half has become the first Malayalam film to screen in the prestigious Midnight Madness section. The vampire action thriller, starring Ranjith Sajeev, Aiswarya Raj, Amala Paul and Abbas, brings an international scale to a story involving half-blooded vampires, desert roads and revenge. Directed by Samjad, who previously made the mystery thriller Golam, the film’s TIFF milestone places a Malayalam genre film directly within one of the festival’s best-known showcases for genre cinema.
Midnight Madness has long been associated with horror, action, thriller and other bold genre films that seek an audience beyond conventional festival programming. For Half, entering the section is therefore significant not simply because of its language, but because of the space it occupies within global genre cinema. Its selection gives Malayalam filmmaking a new international platform while presenting a regional production to audiences accustomed to discovering unusual genre stories from around the world.
Half takes a striking route into vampire mythology. Ranjith Sajeev and Aiswarya Raj play half-blooded vampire twins, Ethan and Ivy, whose journey becomes a violent fight for survival and revenge. The film moves through the harsh landscape of Rajasthan, using the desert as a major part of its visual identity. That setting gives the supernatural story a distinctly Indian environment while moving away from familiar Malayalam locations.
The twins are attacked during a road journey, forcing them to reveal the dangerous side of their nature. The combination of vampire lore, high-speed pursuits, desert landscapes and revenge gives Half a clear genre identity while keeping its Indian setting central to the experience.
The film’s action is another important part of its global identity. Very Tri Yulisman, the Indonesian action choreographer known for The Raid 2, has handled the fight choreography for Half. His involvement connects the production with an international action tradition recognised by genre audiences worldwide. The action was also discussed during the TIFF team’s post-screening interaction, alongside its music and sound design.
The film brings together a cast with different connections to Indian cinema. Ranjith Sajeev and Aiswarya Raj lead the story as the central vampire twins, while Amala Paul appears in a pivotal role. Abbas, the popular actor associated with South Indian cinema in the 1990s and 2000s, is also part of the ensemble, marking his return to the screen. Their presence gives the supernatural thriller a broader cast profile without taking attention away from its genre-driven premise.
Half also reunites Samjad with Ranjith Sajeev after Golam. Samjad co-wrote the film with Praveen Viswanath, continuing their creative collaboration while moving into a very different cinematic world. The filmmaking team has built Half around atmosphere, action and vampire mythology, giving the project a clear identity within contemporary Malayalam genre cinema.
The TIFF milestone is only the beginning of Half’s international festival journey. The film is also part of Fantastic Fest in Austin, where it has its international premiere, and Beyond Fest in Los Angeles, extending its reach among genre audiences. Sitges has also selected Half, placing the film within the 2026 edition of the renowned Spanish festival devoted to fantastic cinema.
Together, these festival appearances give Half a path from a landmark TIFF screening into major international genre showcases. For Malayalam cinema, the journey highlights how regional-language filmmaking can travel through distinctive stories, ambitious worlds and genre filmmaking without leaving its cultural identity behind. Half’s vampire twins may be fictional, but their festival journey marks a very real new chapter for Malayalam cinema on the world stage.