Half Director & Stars Talk Their Gory Martial-Arts Vampire “Curry Western” (TIFF 2026)

Samjad’s ‘Half’ reimagines horror, action, gore and vampire mythology genres

Director Samjad and producer Ann Sariga Antony join Meenakshi Shedde at the Toronto International Film Festival 2026 to discuss Half, the Malayalam-language vampire action thriller that premiered in TIFF’s Midnight Madness section.

Half Director & Stars Talk Their Gory Martial-Arts Vampire “Curry Western” (TIFF 2026)

Vampire stories have been reinvented countless times, but Half sinks its teeth into an especially wild blend of genres beyond just horror. The gory martial-arts “curry Western” follows twin half-blooded vampires, Ethan and Ivy, played by Ranjith Sajeev and Aiswarya Raj, as they wage war on a group of ruthless desert-highway hijackers. At TIFF 2026, […]

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 greatnes…