Paappan Malayalam Movie

Feature Film | 2022 | UA | Drama, Thriller
Critics:
Audience:
For the most part, Joshiy's Paappan is like every other whodunit thriller. It becomes more engaging as it approaches the climax. It has an interesting plot and a villain with a strong reason for the killings. It has no red herrings or fake suspense elements.
Jul 30, 2022 By Sreejith Mullappilly

Where To Watch:
Streaming:
   Zee5

For the most part, Joshiy's Paappan is like every other whodunit thriller. It is an investigation into a group of murders with a similar pattern and connections to the past. The perpetrator leaves something behind at each crime scene to tease the cops while allowing police to connect the dots. It is the oldest way of telling a whodunit story. At the start of the movie, cops suspect that the murders are the work of a serial killer. But the more they look into the whole thing, the farther they get from the killer.


A large part of Paappan is information heavy. It is a good idea to keep a notebook and a pen handy when watching the film because every other scene here is loaded with an infodump. It does not help that Joshiy's storytelling style only makes things clear a little while after the movie provides us with a piece of information or two. It becomes a tad confusing when the investigators mention new names of people connected to the murders all of a sudden.


You have to be a fan of the genre to tolerate the slight lag in the screenplay and the truckloads of information hurled at the audience. I am a big fan of the genre, so I have tons of patience for films like these. There is always the possibility of a plot twist around the corner, so I watch a whodunit with an open mind and very closely even as the pacing dips or the movie becomes less engaging.


A good thing with Paappan is that the movie becomes more engaging as it approaches the climax. It has a villain with a strong reason for the killings. I am not promoting violence here but rather saying that in a cinematic sense, the killer has a strong motive to do what the person does here. There are no red herrings or fake suspense elements here. Each twist comes organically out of the screenplay. It is a clean suspense thriller, with an interesting plot element that discusses some issues with modern society.


The movie has a slow pace but comes to life towards the end where Joshiy gets his act together. Joshiy still has an incredible ability to tell a really complex story with an ensemble cast. Almost every actor here has a role with substance that is blended well into the story.


Neeta Pillai has expressive eyes and a body language that befits a high-ranking officer. She is also good in the action sequences here. The mansplaining that her character undergoes is a bit cringe-worthy, though. It may not undermine the character and only shows the relative lack of professional experience of her character, but the makers should have been a bit more subtle about it. Suresh Gopi's effort to break away from conventional action hero roles is commendable. Paappan is another recent film where Suresh Gopi's character fails at least the same number of times as he succeeds. That approach with the failures of the hero works here, unlike in a film like Kaaval, because those play a key part in the plot. Much of the father-daughter sentiment also works here.


Gokul Suresh is a likeable presence, but he does not have a character with any sort of substance. Ajmal Ameer is quite good in a small role. It is amazing that Ajmal still looks a lot similar to his character from 14 years ago in Madambi. But the best performance in the movie comes from Sajitha Madathil in the role of a controlling woman. Sajitha Madathil's character reminds me of Shweta Menon's role in Ozhimuri.


The film is also well produced. The filmography is exemplary, although it seems like some of the scenes are merely shot for the posters. Jakes Bejoy's music is a bummer and a bit too loud in places. Joshiy is still a confident filmmaker, though. It is just that his plot-heavy narration requires some patience.

Sreejith Mullappilly

   

USER REVIEWS
Subash

What a pathetic casting this movie had? What happened to Mr. Joshiy? Or is it the producer who decided on the cast? Well... Show more
What a pathetic casting this movie had? What happened to Mr. Joshiy? Or is it the producer who decided on the cast? Well, few actors who did a decent job are Suresh Gopi, Asha Sarath, Gokul, Shammi Thilakan and Ms. Sajitha. Neeta Pillai was a real disaster as a police officer in the movie. I still remember her chosing a buddy and giving a gun and the search for Chacko (Shammi), they all were holding the gun as it like a whistle in hand. lol. In one of the first scenes, The police officer tells SI Simon that "You are a police officer" and keep the decorum but was surprised to see such a bold policer officer addressing a colleague as Raghav - ettan which really don't sync. We felt that there's a lot of gap in between and there's no proper transition between the scenes and the story is more like a comic or tried to attempt a hollywood movie. Overall, the movie is horrible and utter waste of 3 hours.
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