Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar
2026 · The Hindu
Shahad, who debuted with the forgettable coming-of-age drama Prakashan Parakkatte (2022), ups his game here by several notches, aided by a taut screenplay he co-wrote with P.S.Subramaniam and Vijesh Thottingal and top-notch work from cinematographer Roby Varghese Raj and music composer Mujeed Majeed. Just when a number of police procedurals in Malayalam seemed to be following the same narrative beats, Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar injects the genre with some novelty.
Unmadham
2026 · The Hindu
Kabir, who is usually on a sure footing, struggles to maintain balance between different genres in Unmadham. The mixing of crime with psychological and supernatural elements works wonders in certain portions. But it also comes across as convenient for the writer in some difficult phases.
Thudakkam
2026 · The Hindu
If not for the thoughtful weaving in of Vismaya's martial arts skills, Thudakkam would have ended up as just another generic revenge thriller. She manages to kick it up into average territory.
Vaazha 2
2026 · The Hindu
Vaazha 2 improves upon the flawed original, managing to pack in a lot that a young crowd can identify with. The way it tackles the current trend of migrating for higher studies to the United Kingdom or other countries and the gap between dreams and harsh realities, will resonate with quite a large number of youngsters.
Pluto
2026 · The Hindu
Other than the attempts at humour, the makers of Pluto stick to the usual alien storyline we have seen so many times across languages. The light humour, which works only occasionally, might have just carried the film all through if it had better writing to go with it.
I, Nobody
2026 · The Hindu
Things are quite taut till the halfway point, with the movie taking us to all the unimaginable directions that Rajeevan's mind can travel to. However, the film becomes quite a different, messed up beast post-interval, and in its final act, I, Nobody fumbles a bit with a contrived redemption arc and closing scenes that leave one wondering what the film really wanted to convey.
Uyir
2026 · The Hindu
The treatment of the film is such that at no point in the story does any of the revelations hit you hard, even when some of them are shocking enough. With its unimaginative and dated approach, Uyir does not break any ground and ends up as a run-of-the-mill police procedural.
Patriot
2026 · The Hindu
Despite its predictable narrative, Patriot is an engaging and even brave film on a pertinent issue. It is not often that a questioning 'dissident' gets the central role in an Indian film these days.
Baby Girl
2026 · The Hindu
What ultimately brings it down is the treatment, which has 'dated' written all over it, be it in the visual style or the editing patterns or the background score. With the thriller track losing steam by the halfway mark, the rest of the film plods along with the aid of the emotional drama and a few convenient contrivances. But the dated approach ensures that much of this does not create the intended impact.
Identity
2025 · The Hindu
If someone were to narrate the story of Identity, directed by Akhil Paul and Anas Khan, chances are that halfway through, the person will get lost in a maze of complicated side stories. Several of these plotlines are convoluted. It would require immense amounts of patience to untangle all the motives of the multiple villains in the narrative.
Officer on Duty
2025 · The Hindu
With Officer On Duty, Shahi Kabir conjures up yet another gripping police tale which works despite faltering at some points.
Ponman
2025 · The Hindu
Ponman could have easily turned into another film with a progressive message against dowry and the unhealthy obsession with gold. But what we get instead is an engrossing, non-judgemental study of characters, most of whom are victims of social malaise. Ponman is worth its weight in gold.
Sarvam Maya
2025 · The Hindu
Akhil has the support of a set of actors who are able to lift this thin, and sometimes shallow material, to heights it could not have touched without them. Even considering the flaws, Sarvam Maya will be remembered for giving Nivin the space to rediscover his mojo after so long.
Aavesham
2024 · The Hindu
The all-pervading presence of this character and Sushin Shyam's pulsating score somewhat papers over the film's many weaknesses, especially in plotting and character development. Aavesham could have done with some much-needed trimming, although it is still a wonder that they managed to sustain the runtime with so thin a plot.
Kishkindha Kaandam
2024 · The Hindu
Here, screenwriter Bahul Ramesh achieves a near flawless pay off, worthy of the painfully created set up. The true sign of any timeless work of art is that hard-to-achieve space of uncertainty, which KishKindha Kaandam masterfully occupies. It would easily find a place among one of the best mystery-dramas Malayalam cinema has ever produced.
Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil
2024 · The Hindu
Although all the over-the-top portrayals gives one the feeling of something cooked up just for the purpose of the rich humour that such a pair can produce, it somehow works in the context of this movie. Yet, when this bromance loses steam halfway through the proceedings, the film also loses its way a bit. Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil, which initially rides high on the novelty of the bromance and their humorous exchanges, finally ends up as quite average fare.
Varshangalkku Shesham
2024 · The Hindu
Vineeth Sreenivasan, from the wealth of his experience, appears to be acutely aware of the barbs that would be coming his way after a film's release. In Varshangalkku Shesham, his sixth directorial, he launches a preemptive strike at such barbs by indulging in some uncharacteristic self-mockery. But then, let that not fuel expectations of Vineeth charting a fresh path.
Journey of Love 18+
2023 · The Hindu
Arun. D. Jose manages to come up with only some average fare from the thin plot of Journey of Love 18+, despite all the progressive sprinkling. The sheer lack of material to sustain the narrative is painfully evident at some points, while at others, the exuberance of the predominantly young cast carries the day for the movie.
Neru
2023 · The Hindu
After the forgettable 12th Man and the passable Drishyam 2, Jeethu has found his mojo in Neru. The entire act of chipping away at the lies and obfuscations of a powerful defendant and navigating the sometimes torturous process of seeking justice, which forms the better part of the film, almost delivers a cathartic high.
Kannur Squad
2023 · The Hindu
Despite a few familiar, generic elements, Kannur Squad manages to become an effective procedural drama. He does pull it off well. Thankfully, the film does not go overboard with the latter and sticks to the police procedural sans any glamour for the most part.
Minnal Murali
2021 · The Hindu
Despite banking on familiar superhero tropes at times, the film has a character of its own. The best of the superhero sequences are these initial ones and the one where he lets go at some policemen, successfully imbibing the spirit and appearance of the good old Malayalam comics.
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit
2026 · The Hindu · Aug 2026
Girish AD does something similar with the audience. He places us firmly amid this bunch of closely-knit characters, all with relatable qualities, quirks and failings, making us feel as if we are among a group of our own friends. It is a joy to watch a filmmaker, writers, and a set of actors so in sync with each other that they play off each other's strengths.
Khalifa: The Ruler
2026 · The Hindu · Aug 2026
The narrative lacks the intended emotional pull or the expected thrills. Apart from its novel depiction of the ways smugglers operate and a few reasonably executed fight sequences, little else seems to work in Khalifa. If only a few late cameos could save every shoddily-written movie.
Drishyam 3
2026 · The Hindu · May 2026
Drishyam 3, the least effective of the three films, does not feel like a page from a thriller series, but rather a peek into the personal diary of someone who has not had a peaceful day in years. What could have turned into a complete disaster is saved by a few intriguing flourishes in the writing and by Mohanlal's interpretation of Georgekutty's mindscape.
Kalamkaval
2025 · The Hindu · Dec 2025
Kalamkaval could have become just another slow-burn serial killer despite some of its original takes, but Mammootty and Vinayakan elevate it to the next level through the force of their performances.
Eko
2025 · The Hindu · Nov 2025
With Eko, Dinjith Ayyathan and Bahul Ramesh craft a solid mystery thriller, in which the animals have almost as much role to play as the humans. Eko's beating heart is the shapeshifter of a screenplay, in which the cards are revealed one by one at what appears to be cleverly timed intervals.
The Pet Detective
2025 · The Hindu · Oct 2025
The Pet Detective is only moderately successful in its ambitious endeavour to immerse us in a comic book universe. For a film of this nature, the jokes that land well are just about a handful.
Mirage
2025 · The Hindu · Sep 2025
The absence of a coherent, believable screenplay and the compulsion to deliver one shocking twist after another drains Mirage of any impact. Jeethu Joseph's Mirage attempts something similar, only that one is left wondering how the titular warning was not fully understood.
Hridayapoorvam
2025 · The Hindu · Aug 2025
With Hridayapoorvam, Sathyan Anthikad crafts a light-hearted entertainer by stretching a thin plotline and extracting all the possible laughs out of it.
Ronth
2025 · The Hindu · Jun 2025
Shahi Kabir's Ronth almost achieves the impossible of giving us a peek into the deepest recesses of the hearts and minds of not one, but two people over the course of a single night. The writer-director pulls this off not through grand scenarios, but the crucial little details, which are sprinkled throughout the film.
Alappuzha Gymkhana
2025 · The Hindu · Apr 2025
Alappuzha Gymkhana does not deliver much of the latter but makes up with a relatable tale that spares a thought for those not cut out to win. The film is written in such a way as to make us think that we wouldn't want it any other way. Alappuzha Gymkhana will be remembered more for the artful dodges it made than the punches it landed.
L2: Empuraan
2025 · The Hindu · Mar 2025
Empuraan has hardly anything going for it, except for the richness of its production design. The film, just as Lucifer did, wishes for a flawed, all-powerful, invincible saviour. Some of the pre-release fan theories posted online had more interesting plot lines and character development than in this mediocre screenplay, which has an emotionally vacant core.
Dominic and the Ladies' Purse
2025 · The Hindu · Jan 2025
Weighing down the film is quite a lot of flab, from pointless song sequences, hints of a needless romance and clumsily staged fight sequences. The final revelation, despite being a bit problematic, salvages the film to an extent, but even this late push gets it only into the average territory.
Pani
2024 · The Hindu · Oct 2024
In his directorial debut, Joju delivers a gory, well-executed drama which works despite the run-of-the-mill revenge story at its core.
Bougainvillea
2024 · The Hindu · Oct 2024
Bougainvillea ends up as an unsatisfying psychological thriller, carrying much of the imperfections of the original story. One can sense the same issue in Bougainvillea, as he almost squanders the neatly crafted buildup in an ineffective climax sequence.
Thalavan
2024 · The Hindu · May 2024
Despite having quite an intriguing plot, Thalavan is weighed down by all these situations and characters meant to distract us. The mystery, when it is revealed, makes some of this wait worthwhile with its ingenuity. Yet, at the same time, one cannot but think of what could have been achieved with this material, had it been shorn of all the flab and edited less jarringly.
Malayalee from India
2024 · The Hindu · May 2024
For, other than the strength of the politics that they attempt to convey and Nivin Pauly's screen presence, there is not much that can hold this film together convincingly.
Manjummel Boys
2024 · The Hindu · Feb 2024
With Manjummel Boys, Chidambaram pulls off an immaculately-crafted survival thriller. Clearly, he is here to stay.
Premalu
2024 · The Hindu · Feb 2024
He has upped the game in his third outing, as Premalu is a winner with its fresh, humorous treatment of a run-of-the-mill story.
Abraham Ozler
2024 · The Hindu · Jan 2024
This generic template is one of the many boxes Abraham Ozler, written by Randheer Krishnan, ticks. For one, there is the brooding police investigator Abraham Ozler (Jayaram), who is yet to recover from the disappearance of his wife and daughter some years ago. Hallucinatory visions appear before the insomniac Ozler early on in the movie, before the scriptwriter forgets this particular facet of the character and lets him run free with the investigation.
Pinneyum
2016 · The Hindu · Apr 2017
Pinneyum is almost an anachronism in 2016 and lacks everything that makes his old classics an engaging watch even today.