Dark, twisted, and bloodier than a slaughterhouse, Half wastes no time going for the jugular. Director Samjad’s supernatural action flick delivers 96-minutes of pure, uncut adrenaline, wrapped in a stylish genre-bending package.

Half unfolds on the arid plains and dusty highways of the Rajasthan desert. It’s a sparse, desolate, and lethal landscape reminiscent of punishing worlds of High Plains Drifter and the original Mad Max. Ruthless bandits roam the land, robbing and murdering unsuspecting travellers. But on one fateful day, they mess with the wrong folks.

Siblings Ethan (Ranjith Sajeev) and Ivy (Aiswarya Raj) aren’t like other people. They’re human-vampire hybrids. Like Blade, they’re daywalkers. Though they have an aversion to the sun, they walk among the living, looking like anyone else. But when night falls, they’re in full command of their ungodly powers.

The highway bandits ambush Ivy and Ethan and leave them for dead. But under the shadow of darkness, they regenerate their strength and hit the road hell-bent on revenge. The siblings launch into a killing spree that would make Beatrix Kiddo blush, vowing to eviscerate every last bastard who did them dirty.

Half is a sun-baked neo-western that’s thematically darker than the midnight sky. It’s The Man With No Name and The Road Warrior, mixed with visceral The Raid and Kill-style action choreography. If that sounds like a lot to process, it is. Samjad has crafted a film that speaks directly to the soul of the Midnight Madness crowd. But its go-for-broke style and thrill-a-minute pacing may prove sensory overload for the less “hardcore-inclined.”

Samjad’s main priority is electrifying viewers and maintaining that charge for 96 minutes. Plot, character development, and world-building be damned. Cinematographer Pappinu creates a stunning and atmospheric world, but the flashy staging leaves one with the sense this is all a flamboyant show and that a fully lived in world doesn’t exist beyond the frame.

Half is a kinda-sorta vampire flick, where the leads are technically vampires, but the film largely waves off its mythology and the rules in this world. The characters’ actions speak louder than words, especially because they rarely speak, or in Ivy’s case, communicate through sign language. 

The story doesn’t offer much to chew on: one-dimensional heroes, broad villains, and repetitive pacing. But the audacious spectacle on display remains the star of the show. Very Tri Yulisman contributed to some of the most mind-blowing fight choreography of the last 20 years, and their work here is worth the price of admission. The film delivers a parade of gonzo action sequences. You’re here to see bad people get butchered in increasingly brutal fashion — rinse and repeat.

Half isn’t deep, but that’s a feature and not a bug. It’s the Roman Colosseum put to the silver screen. You’re watching aggrieved heroes face off against cartoonish heels. It’s purchasing a ticket to watch WrestleMania on celluloid. This isn’t Goddard expanding the boundaries of the cinematic medium. This is 96 minutes of pure catharsis. Root for the good guys, and watch bad people get punished, cheering them as you unburden your soul.

Half is by no means a flawless movie, but it offers a first-class Midnight Madness experience. Stylish and thrilling, it delivers pure primal pleasures from start to finish, deserving a spot on any genre lover’s watch-list. 

Half had its world premiere at TIFF 2026 on September 18.

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