Ravi K. Chandran's Bhramam is faithful to Sriram Raghavan's Andhadhun. Despite some missteps, the film successfully blends thriller elements and comedy to create an odd world full of deception. The performances of the main characters and the casting make Bhramam eminently watchable.
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Ranjith Sankar's Sunny on Amazon Prime is about a man who gradually self-heals and gets back to the rails of a life he has long deviated from. Shankar uses a one-character/one-actor situation to tell a fairly complex story skillfully.
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Director Manu Ashokan's Kaanekkaane is a film that has an emotional wallop of an impact. In Tovino and Suraj, it has two actors playing conflicting characters with poise and exquisiteness.
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Tughlaq Durbar has a thoroughly entertaining first hour, a stellar idea, and a Vijay Sethupathi in fine form. It never quite comes together in the latter portions, but Vijay Sethupathi's self-conscious performance lends some credibility to the proceedings. I enjoyed the film on Netflix, despite its shortcomings.
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Rojin Thomas's #Home is a straightforward drama about the emotional distance between a father and his son. For the most part, #Home seems all too familiar, and it sometimes feels contrived. Nevertheless, the performances and the seldom-boring nature of the film make it a passable watch.
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Netrikann on Disney+ Hotstar is about a blind CBI officer who 'witnesses' a serial killer's actions and must help solve a case. Adapted from the Korean film entitled 'Blind', it has a credible lead turn from Nayanthara, many generic elements, believability, and even some novelty.
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Vishnuvardhan's Shershaah is about Kargil War hero and Indian Army Captain Vikram Batra. While seldom spectacular and mostly generic, Shershaah is a respectable entry in the Indian war film genre nevertheless. Sidharth Malhotra plays the titular character with qualities that befit an Army man, whereas the makers avoid oft-repeated mistakes in movies like this.
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Manu Warrier's Amazon Prime film Kuruthi uses a home invasion thriller as a template to explore deeper themes. It is well made as well as works as an entertaining thriller film and one that treats deeper issues carefully and delicately.
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Writer-director Vignesh Karthick propels the plot of Thittam Irandu with a series of false clues and preposterous suspense elements. He also uses many ideas, including a killer one at the end that you may not anticipate. Nevertheless, Karthick does not narrate the story with enough assuredness to make us invested in the proceedings throughout.
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Mimi is a well-intentioned yet saccharine film about surrogacy and motherhood. A lot of it may be enjoyable, but little seems authentic and perceptive enough here. It is also a message movie for those who want their films to be too sweet and sentimental with easy conflicts and easy resolutions.
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Devanshu Singh's 14 Phere is a ridiculous movie that treats a sensitive subject as how an over-the-top comedy film director would. The movie seems to be confused about whether to treat itself as a satire, or a big fat Indian wedding film with happy-go-lucky characters.
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Most boxing movies are generic, but Pa. Ranjith's Sarpatta Parambarai seldom seems like one. It is as much a film about cast and rivalries between boxing clans in old Madras as it is about the game of boxing.
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