Kingston

<p>The coast of Thoovathur in has been banned from fishing, despite a hamlet living by the coast, whose main source of income is from fishing. Rumour has it that the sea is cursed and the fishermen who venture out into the waters never return. Kingston “King”, one of the fisherfolks in the hamlet, is the handyman of Thomas, the kingpin of the smuggling trade of the region. Things get complicated when Kingston gets to know that he is being used to smuggling drugs instead of sea cucumbers, and decides to venture out into the haunted sea by himself, only to unearth dark secrets of the past. In early October 2023, it was reported that music composer-turned-actor would turn as producer for his 25th film in the lead role. He would produce it with an estimate budget of (US$2.4 million) in association with . On 9 October, the project was officially announced by the new production banner Parallel Universe Pictures, . It is directed by Kamal Prakash, who previously had worked with Prakash in (2016). , who also previously acted alongside Prakash in (2021), was cast to play the lead actress role. Two days later, the official title, , and the film’s crew was revealed. A puja was held the same day in . The crew includes cinematographer Gokul Benoy, editor San Lokesh, art director S. S. Moorthy, stunt choreographer , costume designer , dialogue writer Divek S Sekar and publicity designer Gopi Prassana. Antony and were announced being a part of cast. began with the first schedule on 5 October 2023 at a film studio in . Reportedly, the makers began filming by erecting a ship set. On 19 January 2025, G. V. Prakash Kumar announced that he has completed his portions, and on 8 February 2025, he announced that the dubbing process had begun. The music and background score is composed by . The audio rights were acquired by . The first single “Raasa Raasa” released on 31 January 2025. The second single “Manda Bathram” released on 15 February 2025. The third single “Kingston Title Track” having lyrics written by and and sung by them along with Smith Asher was released on 1 March 2025. released in theatres on 7 March 2025. Apart from its original language, it was also released in the and languages. The film was certified U/A 16+ by the . The premiered simultaneously on both and on 13 April 2025. Kausalya Rachavelpula of gave 3/5 stars and wrote, “While Kingston is not without its flaws, it remains an intriguing attempt at blending folklore, suspense, and adventure. Its striking cinematography, atmospheric storytelling, and committed lead performance make it an engaging watch for those who appreciate mood-driven horror over outright scares”. Abhinav Subramanian of gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote “Nothing deflates a seafaring horror faster than skeletons that can’t seem to skeletonize anyone—leaving Kingston adrift in unnecessarily stormy narrative waters.[…] The muddled screenplay struggles to clearly communicate its complex mythology through dialogue that shifts between contemporary and regional dialect.” Sanjay Ponnappa of gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote “Overall, ‘Kingston and the Cursed Sea’ is an ambitious attempt at a genre rarely explored in Indian cinema. For its visual effects and the horror elements in the second half, the film could be deemed watchable.” Avinash Ramachandran of gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote “Kingston is trapped under its own weight of having to cramp up multiple storylines to set the stage for the showdown.[…] Kingston makes you feel like reading one of those fascinating pulp fiction stories that are not just radical and intriguing, but also knew never to overstay its welcome.” Anusha Sundar of gave 2/5 stars and wrote “With its convoluted screenplay and no breathing space for character development, Kingston is a half-baked attempt to make a first-of-its-kind genre film. You will be in for a disappointment if you had thought Kingston would be genre loyal for its entirety.” Prashanth Vallavan of gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote ” seems to exhibit technical competency, and you could see how it could have offered an entertaining genre film.[…] However, when the pay-off is just them telling you it was never a magic show but a stand-up comedy routine all along, perhaps the joke is on you. ” Bhuvanesh Chandar of wrote “The problem is that the narrative cuts back and forth in such a ragged rhythm that it hardly allows you to breathe in the world of Kingston. There’s no space for silences, punctuations or any scope for good drama.[…]The characters we follow are no cleverer than the stereotypical horror movie chumps with no survival instincts.” Viewer reactions were mixed. Some praised GV Prakash Kumar’s performance and the adventurous sea setting. BookMyShow user ratings averaged around 7.3/10 from over 1,800 users. On social media, fans noted the “raw and realistic portrayal of sea smuggling” and expressed suspense about the “Sea Ghost” reveal in the second half.</p>