There is no major drama in Saudi Vellakka, a moving film about the judicial system that takes its sweet time to arrive at a conclusion over a lawsuit. Director Tharun Moorthy shows how this long-drawn-out procedure and the passage of time affect the parties concerned.
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Gold is a piece of fluff full of Alphonse Puthren's indulgences. Many of these filmmaking quirks worked for his previous movies, but they are mere gimmicks here. There are many elements unrelated to the main story that make the film, deserving of being a short, at least one hour longer.
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Bhediya plays out as a werewolf film, but the real deal here is the material with an overarching message about deforestation. The film makes us wonder what the bigger sin is: the trial of blood that the werewolf leaves behind or the forest land that the contract workers pluck away?
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Anjali Menon's Wonder Women is more of an extended short film about some pregnant women who appear for a group therapy session on pregnancy and labor. These women are from different social classes with different life experiences, and the film is about how pregnancy unifies them.
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With Monica, O My Darling, director Vasan Bala Indianizes Keigo Higashino's novel 'Burutasu No Shinzou' with a plethora of pop culture references. Here, Bala acknowledges many exponents of film noir from Indian cinema, including Sriram Raghavan.
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You cannot look away from what the makers say in Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey. It is admirable how they narrate this toxic marriage story. It is not often that you burst out laughing while watching a film like this.
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Kooman makes a strong case for Jeethu Joseph's craft as a filmmaker. Good, solid acting, a terrific plot, and Jeethu Joseph's signature twists all add up to a compelling thriller.
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Kumari has a splendid production design, creating a sense of despair and impending doom. The attempt here is to make a Tumbbad-like world with monsters and greedy, power-hungry people. The attempt is noble and the film is watchable, but the overemphasis on production design often weighs it down.
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The point that Kotthu makes is like the Gandhian ideology, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Thankfully, the makers do not rub our noses in the messaging here. In other words, there is an engaging story of friendship and family in Kotthu.
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Appan is a compelling exploration of toxic masculinity. It is not an easy film to watch, though. The film is often a bit solemn and somber, but it is engaging throughout thanks to the performances.
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Writer-Director Liju Krishna's Padavettu uses a wild boar metaphor to tell a powerful tale of political call-to-arms. This is a delightful film to watch in a theater, with great cinematography, wonderful music, and terrific performances across the board.
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Not every film can be inclusive, but with its cringe-worthy dialogues and plot, Vysakh's Monster does a disservice to the LGBTQ+ community. It is among the many unforgivable sins this Monster commits.
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