Devil's Double Next Level (previously known as DD Next Level) is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language action horror comedy film written and directed by S. Prem Anand. Produced by The Show People and Niharika Entertainment, the film stars Santhanam, Selvaraghavan, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Geethika Tiwary in the lead roles.[3] It is the fourth instalment in the Dhilluku Dhuddu film series.
Devil's Double Next Level was released on 16 May 2025 in theaters to mixed to positive reviews from critics.
Krishnamoorty "Kissa" (Santhanam) is a sharp-tongued YouTube film reviewer known for his brutally honest critiques. One day, he receives an invitation from Hitchcock Iruthyaraj (Selvaraghavan), a mysterious filmmaker, to attend a private screening of his latest horror-comedy film, DD Next Level. Kissa, thinking it’s just another publicity stunt, agrees to go—bringing along his family and girlfriend, Aasai Harshini (Geethika Tiwary).
However, as soon as the screening begins, Kissa and his family find themselves sucked into the movie itself. They wake up inside a haunted cruise ship, where the passengers—including Kissa’s own family—no longer recognize him. Hitchcock appears as a ghostly figure and reveals the terrifying truth: they can only escape if they survive until the end credits roll.
As Kissa navigates the eerie ship, he realizes that the film is a twisted revenge story—Hitchcock was once a failed filmmaker who was ridiculed by critics, and now he seeks vengeance by trapping them inside his cursed film. Kissa must outsmart the supernatural forces, solve cryptic puzzles, and battle terrifying ghosts, including his own girlfriend, who has transformed into a vengeful spirit.
The film takes a meta approach, poking fun at Tamil cinema tropes, film criticism, and the horror genre itself. As Kissa fights to escape, he begins to question the ethics of film reviewing—is criticism justifiable, or does it destroy the dreams of creators?
The climax unfolds in a mind-bending sequence, where Kissa must rewrite the film’s ending to ensure his survival. But will he succeed, or will he become just another forgotten character in Hitchcock’s cursed movie?
In 2024, Arya and Santhanam announced the sequel of DD Returns (2023) on 7 July 2024, written and directed by S. Prem Anand.[4] The film is produced by Venkat Boyanapalli under his Niharika Entertainment and presented by Arya under his The Show People banner.[5] The film was officially announced on 20 January 2025, titled as DD Next Level.[6] The film also stars Gautham Vasudev Menon, Selvaraghavan,[7] Geethika Tiwary, Yashika Aannand, Kasthuri Shankar,[8] Nizhalgal Ravi,[9] Maaran and Rajendran in key roles.[10] The technical team consists of music composed by OfRo, cinematography by Dipak Kumar Padhy, editing by Bharath Vikraman[11] and art direction by AR Mohan.[12] In 28 April 2025, during the trailer announcement, the film's title was revealed to be Devil's Double Next Level.[13][14]
Principal photography began in early-July 2024 and was wrapped on January 2025.[15][16] On 13 February 2025, it was officially announced that the dubbing process had begun.[17]
The soundtrack and background is composed by OfRo[18] in his second collaboration with Santhanam and S. Prem Anand after DD Returns (2023). The first single "Kissa 47" was released on 26 February 2025.[19] The second single "Cinemakaran" was released on 4 May 2025.
The film's trailer was released on 30 April 2025.[20]
Devil's Double Next Level was released theatrically on 16 May 2025.[21]
Akshay Kumar of Cinema Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Self-awareness is the biggest strength of DD Next Level and it is also a risk taken by the director.[...] The screenplay is largely breezing through one humour trope after the other. There are well-written, enjoyable and elaborate sequences that effectively overshadow the wafer-thin plotline of the story."[22] Abhinav Subramanian of The Times of India rated with 2/5 stars and wrote "When the most memorable parts of your comedy are the awkward silences where the jokes were supposed to be, it’s a clear sign that the script might have needed a few more levels of refinement."[23] Janani K of India Today rated with 2/5 stars and wrote "Barring a few fun gags, the film is replete with outdated fart jokes."[24] Latha Srinivasan of Hindustan Times rated with 1/5 stars and wrote "Fails to capitalise on its unique premise of film reviewers, devolving into a confusing mix of horror and comedy."[25]
The makers took down the "Srinivasa Govinda" and "Govind Govinda" chants from the "Kissa 47" song after receiving criticism and condemnations for their inclusion in the song. Earlier, Santhanam and Niharika Entertainments received a defamation notice from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams member Bhanuprakash Reddy, who demanded that the song be taken down or that they pay ₹100 crore (US$12 million) in damages.[26] Furthermore, Kiran Royal, the in-charge of the Janasena Party, filed a complaint against the filmmakers with the Tirupati One Town Police Station, claiming that they had offended Hindu feelings and harmed the deity's reputation. In order to emphasize the broad opposition, the party also asked Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the leader of the Tamil Nadu opposition, for support.[27]