# Trending (film)
**Trending** (டிரெண்டிங்) is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller written and directed by Sivaraj N in his directorial debut, starring [Kalaiyarasan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kalaiyarasan) and Priyalaya as a married couple of YouTube influencers whose income collapses and who accept a dangerous game offered by a mysterious stranger.[1](https://www.ottplay.com/news/trending-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-kalaiyarasans-new-gen-techno-thriller/63d869648531) It was released in theaters on 18 July 2025 and began streaming on SunNXT on 8 August 2025.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Jul/09/trending-trailer-kalaiyarasan-crosses-a-line-while-trying-to-remain-relevant) • [1](https://www.ottplay.com/news/trending-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-kalaiyarasans-new-gen-techno-thriller/63d869648531)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | Theatrical release on 18 July 2025; Tamil language; UA16+ censor rating[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Jul/09/trending-trailer-kalaiyarasan-crosses-a-line-while-trying-to-remain-relevant) • [3](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/sthy/trending/ET00452504) |
| Director | Sivaraj N, in his directorial debut[1](https://www.ottplay.com/news/trending-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-kalaiyarasans-new-gen-techno-thriller/63d869648531) |
| Cast | Kalaiyarasan, Priyalaya, Prem Kumar, Besant Ravi, Vidhya Borgia, Shivanya[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Jul/09/trending-trailer-kalaiyarasan-crosses-a-line-while-trying-to-remain-relevant) |
| Runtime | 2 hours 27 minutes (147 minutes)[3](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/sthy/trending/ET00452504) • [4](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2025/Jul/18/trending-movie-review-this-social-media-tale-needs-better-algorithm) |
| Production | Ram Film Factory, produced by Meenakshi Anand and Anand G, with Barefoot Production[5](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/data/announcements/bse/11072025/7a5065e0-7aca-4653-8791-787777e3311b.pdf) • [6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2025/Jun/25/kalaiyarasans-trending-gets-a-release-date) |
| Music and crew | Sam CS (music), Praveen Balu (cinematography), Nagooran Ramachandran (editing)[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Jul/09/trending-trailer-kalaiyarasan-crosses-a-line-while-trying-to-remain-relevant) |
| Streaming | SunNXT via OTTplay Premium from 8 August 2025[1](https://www.ottplay.com/news/trending-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-kalaiyarasans-new-gen-techno-thriller/63d869648531) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Arjun (Kalaiyarasan) and Meera (Priyalaya) are a married influencer couple in Chennai who run a YouTube channel and live on the income it generates, in a large house with a high-end car.[4](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2025/Jul/18/trending-movie-review-this-social-media-tale-needs-better-algorithm) One day their channel is deactivated, the income stops, and debts built up during their affluent lifestyle press on them.[7](https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/cinema-news/2025/Jul/18/trending-movie-review) A stranger calling himself "Mask" contacts them by phone and offers a reality game show with a large cash prize, to be played inside their own home over seven days.[7](https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/cinema-news/2025/Jul/18/trending-movie-review) They accept, and each round of the game digs into their fears and secrets, putting their money, their relationship, and their lives at stake.[8](https://www.district.in/movies/trending-movie-tickets-MV201570)
## Production
The film was announced as a project of Ram Film Factory, produced by Meenakshi Anand, with Anand G also credited as producer, and backed by Barefoot Production.[5](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/data/announcements/bse/11072025/7a5065e0-7aca-4653-8791-787777e3311b.pdf) • [6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2025/Jun/25/kalaiyarasans-trending-gets-a-release-date) At a press meet held before the release, director Sivaraj said he had begun wanting to make a minimalist film, and that the project grew once Kalaiyarasan and composer Sam CS joined.[5](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/data/announcements/bse/11072025/7a5065e0-7aca-4653-8791-787777e3311b.pdf) Kalaiyarasan described the film as holding the audience's attention for two hours with only a few actors, and credited actor Alex for playing a character without showing his face.[5](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/data/announcements/bse/11072025/7a5065e0-7aca-4653-8791-787777e3311b.pdf)
The technical crew includes Praveen Balu as director of photography, Nagooran Ramachandran as editor, Arun Kumar as art director, and Monster Mukesh handling stunts, with Madura and Vijayakumar as co-directors.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Jul/09/trending-trailer-kalaiyarasan-crosses-a-line-while-trying-to-remain-relevant) For Kalaiyarasan, who had worked with director Pa Ranjith on films including *Attakathi*, *[Madras](https://www.edgepedia.org/madras-film)*, *Kabali*, *Sarpatta Parambarai*, and *Natchathiram Nagargiradhu*, this was his first headlining role since 2023's *Burqa*.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Jul/09/trending-trailer-kalaiyarasan-crosses-a-line-while-trying-to-remain-relevant) Cinema Express noted that the theme resembles the segment "Fame Game" in Vignesh Karthick's 2024 anthology film *[Hot Spot](https://www.edgepedia.org/hot-spot-2024-film)*, in which Kalaiyarasan also appeared.[6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2025/Jun/25/kalaiyarasans-trending-gets-a-release-date)
## Reception
**Critical response.** Reviewers gave the film low ratings while crediting its premise and the two lead performances. Cinema Express rated it 2 out of 5, writing that the film has a solid premise but falters on logic and an overstretched runtime of 147 minutes, and ends with sequel bait and a brief cameo.[4](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2025/Jul/18/trending-movie-review-this-social-media-tale-needs-better-algorithm) The Times of India also rated it 2.0, noting that Kalaiyarasan and Priyalaya do a good job with the material but that the script needed experimentation and trimming.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/trending/amp_movie_review/122757469.cms) The Tamil-language daily Dinamani gave 2.5 out of 5, praising the dialogue and the editing that keeps the single-house setting from dragging, while finding the climax artificial.[7](https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/cinema-news/2025/Jul/18/trending-movie-review) Dinamalar rated it 2 out of 5, and Chennai City News gave 3 out of 5, crediting the technical work for keeping the two-character, one-house story moving without boring the viewer.[10](https://cinema.dinamalar.com/movie-review/3623/Trending/) • [11](https://www.chennaicitynews.net/cinema/reviews/%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BE-%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A/) On BookMyShow, user ratings averaged 8.3 out of 10 from more than 150 votes, a contrast with the critics' scores.[3](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/sthy/trending/ET00452504)
**Streaming.** After the theatrical run, the film's post-theatrical streaming rights went to SunNXT, and it became available on that platform via OTTplay Premium from 8 August 2025, alongside other Tamil releases of that week such as *Paranthu Po* and *Maaman*.[1](https://www.ottplay.com/news/trending-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-kalaiyarasans-new-gen-techno-thriller/63d869648531) One streaming guide separately lists a reported Prime Video release for the film with the date unconfirmed.[12](https://tamil.jagccontent.com/articles/trending-ott-release-date)
## References
1. [Trending OTT release date: When and where to watch Kalaiyarasan's new-gen techno thriller, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/news/trending-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-kalaiyarasans-new-gen-techno-thriller/63d869648531)
2. [Trending Trailer: Kalaiyarasan crosses a line while trying to remain relevant, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2025/Jul/09/trending-trailer-kalaiyarasan-crosses-a-line-while-trying-to-remain-relevant)
3. [Trending (2025), BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/sthy/trending/ET00452504)
4. [Trending Movie Review: This social media tale needs better algorithm, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/review/2025/Jul/18/trending-movie-review-this-social-media-tale-needs-better-algorithm)
5. ['Trending' set to release on July 18, press release via Business Standard](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/data/announcements/bse/11072025/7a5065e0-7aca-4653-8791-787777e3311b.pdf)
6. [Kalaiyarasan's Trending gets a release date, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/tamil/news/2025/Jun/25/kalaiyarasans-trending-gets-a-release-date)
7. [லைக், ஷேர், சஸ்பென்ஸ்... டிரெண்டிங் - திரை விமர்சனம், Dinamani](https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/cinema-news/2025/Jul/18/trending-movie-review)
8. [Trending (2025), District](https://www.district.in/movies/trending-movie-tickets-MV201570)
9. [Trending Movie Review: When viral content goes viral wrong, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/trending/amp_movie_review/122757469.cms)
10. [டிரெண்டிங், Dinamalar](https://cinema.dinamalar.com/movie-review/3623/Trending/)
11. [டிரெண்டிங் சினிமா விமர்சனம், Chennai City News](https://www.chennaicitynews.net/cinema/reviews/%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BE-%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A/)
12. [Trending OTT Release Date: Prime Video, Tamil OTT Guide](https://tamil.jagccontent.com/articles/trending-ott-release-date)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Tamil films of the 2020s › Tamil films of 2025 › Titles M to Y*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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