Demonte Colony

Demonte Colony is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language horror thriller film[2] written and directed by R. Ajay Gnanamuthu in his directorial debut.

It features cinematography by Aravinnd Singh, songs composed by guitarist Keba Jeremiah, and an original score by S. Chinna.

One rainy night, out of bravado, they decide to visit a dilapidated mansion in Demonte Colony, rumoured to be haunted.

Sajith goes to bed, but while Srini is driving his bike, he gets a phone call from the astrologer, who wants to discuss an important matter.

Raghavan narrates the story: Years ago, the area was a colony of the Portuguese business tycoon John Demonte.

He wishes to gift his wife a special necklace, but she becomes mentally ill. Demonte, depressed, travels to Calcutta to sell his properties in India before returning to Portugal.

The locals, angered by his actions, set fire to the mansion, resulting in an explosion that kills everyone, including Demonte.

Eerie things begin to happen in their flat – the TV does not switch off, playing their own conversations instead of the DVD they had inserted.

[10] Malini Mannath of The New Indian Express wrote, "Brilliantly written and executed, gripping and refreshing, Demonte Colony is a must watch for lovers of the genre".

[13] M. Suganth of The Times of India gave the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote, "R Ajay Gnanamuthu's Demonte Colony is a refreshing change – it is a pure horror film with no frills attached...and this alone makes us want to appreciate the director....But despite the visual flair, Demonte Colony at times gets bogged down by predictability and the lack of a genuine sense of dread".

[14] S. Saraswathi of Rediff.com gave the same rating, stating, "Almost entirely shot in a single room with no gruesome ghosts or unnecessary build up, the director has skilfully created the eerie atmosphere, with incessant rain, a subtle aura of menace, unsophisticated characters and underlying hint of truth.

[15] Sudhir Srinivasan of The Hindu wrote, "you could make a case for Demonte Colony being a brave debut for R Ajay Gnanamuthu...He wants to shake you up and leave you walking out nervously, petrified of the dark and the dead.

[19] A sequel titled Demonte Colony 2 was released in 2024, with Ajay Gnanamuthu returning as the director and Arulnithi reprising his role.