“Trip” (2021) is a Tamil supernatural horror science fiction thriller film written and directed by Dennis Manjunath. Starring Yogi Babu, Karunakaran, and Sunaina in leading roles, the movie features a unique blend of humour, suspense, and horror set in the backdrop of a haunted forest.
A couple of friends, Vikram (Praveen Kumar) and Lidi (Sunaina), embark on a camping trip deep into a remote forest. While on their way, they encounter two unknown men, Azhagan (Yogi Babu) and Amuthan (Karunakaran), who are professional painters and carpenters in the area. Misinformatively attributing the duo's paint smudges for blood, the group panics, believing they are homicidal killers, and runs into the forest. There follows a nail-biting pursuit that increases paranoia among the campers.
Later, Lidi enters the woods alone, involuntarily coming face to face with Azhagan and Amuthan again. In her attempt to escape, she falls and faints. The two men, noticing how she is, take her to safety. But her friends, who notice this from afar, suppose that she has been abducted. There is chaos when the group attempts to rescue her, with breakdowns in communication resulting in a sequence of suspenseful and comedic scenes, which conclude in a burning house they take cover in that happens to be a dilapidated building.
As the confusion peaks, the true menace is revealed: a masked psychopath is revealed as the true threat. The entire gang is kidnapped by him and is ready to kill them. In the third act, Azhagan and Amuthan come to the rescue bravely and fight the true killer and rescue everyone. The actuality of their innocence is unveiled at last, and the friends understand their serious fault.
Trip succeeds in balancing the comedy and thriller genres effectively, although some parts appear to be over-the-top. Karunakaran and Yogi Babu's performances make the otherwise dark story seem warm and humorous, thereby making the film a light-hearted watch despite its jerkiness.