Top Critic Rated Malayalam Movies of 2021
Nayattu (MALAYALAM)
Kunchacko Boban , Joju George , Nimisha Sajayan Anil Nedumangad
Director: Martin Prakkat
Kunchacko Boban , Joju George , Nimisha Sajayan Anil Nedumangad
Director: Martin Prakkat
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Martin Prakkat's new thriller Nayattu is about a flawed law and order system where the cops are mere pawns for an authoritarian government. The film's politics may not satisfy everyone's sensibilities, whereas its lack of conventional cop film formula elements may unsettle some. But for the most part, this is a high-concept, high-octane thriller that delivers the goods. Read Review
The Great Indian Kitchen (MALAYALAM)
Suraj Venjaramoodu , Nimisha Sajayan , Sidhartha Siva T. Suresh Babu
Director: Jeo Baby
Suraj Venjaramoodu , Nimisha Sajayan , Sidhartha Siva T. Suresh Babu
Director: Jeo Baby
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With The Great Indian Kitchen, writer-director Jeo Baby has taken his artistic sensibilities to the next level. His film works as a slap on the face of misogyny and patriarchy in Kerala society. Do find time to see it. Read Review
Malik (MALAYALAM)
Fahadh Faasil , Nimisha Sajayan , Vinay Forrt Jalaja
Director: Mahesh Narayanan
Fahadh Faasil , Nimisha Sajayan , Vinay Forrt Jalaja
Director: Mahesh Narayanan
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Malik from writer-director Mahesh Narayanan is an intense cocktail of politics, romance and religion. The movie tells the story of a village and its de facto leader. Few recent films match Malik in terms of grandiosity and ensemble cast. I recommend viewing it on the biggest screen possible. Read Review
Kala (MALAYALAM)
Tovino Thomas , Divya Pillai , Lal Moor
Director: Rohith V S
Tovino Thomas , Divya Pillai , Lal Moor
Director: Rohith V S
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Rohit VS's Kala is an immersive theatrical experience. You do not merely watch this film unfold. Instead, you would feel like being in the midst of these characters who bay for each other's blood. Writer Yadhu Pushpakaran and writer-filmmaker Rohith give us insights into man's need for revenge and one-upmanship even in a film with more fights than anything else. Read Review
At the heart of this dramedy is a conflict between an adamant father, who feels his elder daughter brought disgrace on his family, and a woman fighting for her choices. It is easy to make the audience sympathize with one or two characters in this kind of film. But Senna Hedge and his co-writer Sreeraj Raveendran create a script that treats the characters in a non-judgemental manner while mining comedic gold out of this material. Read Review
Kaanekkaane (MALAYALAM)
Tovino Thomas , Aishwarya Lekshmi , Suraj Venjaramoodu Prem Prakash
Director: Manu Ashokan
Tovino Thomas , Aishwarya Lekshmi , Suraj Venjaramoodu Prem Prakash
Director: Manu Ashokan
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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. Read Review
Drishyam 2 (MALAYALAM)
Mohanlal , Meena , Ansiba Hassan Esther Anil
Director: Jeethu Joseph
Mohanlal , Meena , Ansiba Hassan Esther Anil
Director: Jeethu Joseph
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Writer-director Jeethu Joseph strikes gold with Drishyam 2, his sequel to the 2013 thriller film. Jeethu adeptly guides the viewers through its ingenious narrative before leaving the movie and us in existential dread. Replace Drishyam's sappy morality with the film's serious existentialism, and there you have it - The perfect sequel. Read Review
Minnal Murali (MALAYALAM)
Tovino Thomas , Guru Somasundaram , Aju Varghese Femina George
Director: Basil Joseph
Tovino Thomas , Guru Somasundaram , Aju Varghese Femina George
Director: Basil Joseph
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Even if you watch it without all the comic book elements, Basil Joseph's superhero movie Minnal Murali may still work for you. Basil Joseph and Tovino Thomas have a winner in Minnal Murali, a film with its heart in the right place. Read Review
Joji (MALAYALAM)
Fahadh Faasil , Baburaj , Shammi Thilakan Unnimaya Prasad
Director: Dileesh Pothan
Fahadh Faasil , Baburaj , Shammi Thilakan Unnimaya Prasad
Director: Dileesh Pothan
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What makes Joji so fascinating is Dileesh Pothan's handling of the script, plus Fahadh Faasil in the titular role. Fahadh has an amazing ability to enact contrasting emotions in a matter of moments. In many moments here, he behaves like an innocent boy who lost his favorite toy as well as a menacing and conflicting person simultaneously. Read Review
Jan E Man (MALAYALAM)
Basil Joseph , Arjun Asokan , Balu Varghese Lal
Director: Chidambaram
Basil Joseph , Arjun Asokan , Balu Varghese Lal
Director: Chidambaram
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Jan.e.Man is a hilarious dark comedy about the three certainties in life: birth, loneliness and death. It is so hard to get a situational comedy right in Malayalam. With a stellar ensemble cast, excellent characterization, and many funny moments, Jan.e.Man has everything going for it. Read Review
Kuruthi (MALAYALAM)
Prithviraj Sukumaran , Roshan Mathew , Shine Tom Chacko Murali Gopy
Director: Manu Warrier
Prithviraj Sukumaran , Roshan Mathew , Shine Tom Chacko Murali Gopy
Director: Manu Warrier
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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. Read Review
Madhuram (MALAYALAM)
Joju George , Shruti Ramachandran , Arjun Asokan Nikhila Vimal
Director: Ahammed Khabeer
Joju George , Shruti Ramachandran , Arjun Asokan Nikhila Vimal
Director: Ahammed Khabeer
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Ahammed Kabeer's Madhuram is a subtle, heartfelt and poignant love story of a middle-aged couple. It is the first film that best uses food as an element showing how it unites people after Ritesh Batra's Hindi film 'The Lunchbox'. Read Review
Aarkkariyam (MALAYALAM)
Biju Menon , Parvathy Thiruvothu , Sharafudheen Saiju Kurup
Director: Sanu John Varughese
Biju Menon , Parvathy Thiruvothu , Sharafudheen Saiju Kurup
Director: Sanu John Varughese
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The characters express deep thought for each other for a long time in the meditative and understated gem that is Aarkkariyam. This is not a plot-driven film but rather a contemplative one that shows how human beings behave in a particular way under some circumstances. Read Review
Thimiram (MALAYALAM)
Vishak Nair , Rachana Narayanankutty , K K Sudhakaran G SureshKumar
Director: Shivaram Mony
Vishak Nair , Rachana Narayanankutty , K K Sudhakaran G SureshKumar
Director: Shivaram Mony
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In Thimiram, writer-director Sivaram Mony portrays a Kerala society in which men and women contribute to a person's chauvinistic character. Mony goes for a simple resolution, and he spoon-feeds the audience through dialogue. Anyhow, by avoiding melodrama and treating the characters well, as well as through some bold stretches of storytelling, Mony makes Thimiram work. Read Review
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. Read Review
Sara's (MALAYALAM)
Anna Ben , Sunny Wayne , Siddique Dominic Arun
Director: Jude Anthany Joseph
Anna Ben , Sunny Wayne , Siddique Dominic Arun
Director: Jude Anthany Joseph
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Sara's works both as a coming-of-age-type movie and a drama on a sensitive matter. While the film is riddled with songs as well as simple to a fault, the performances and the treatment make it worth your time. Read Review
Bhramam (MALAYALAM)
Prithviraj Sukumaran , Unni Mukundan , Mamta Mohandas Raashi Khanna
Director: Ravi K. Chandran
Prithviraj Sukumaran , Unni Mukundan , Mamta Mohandas Raashi Khanna
Director: Ravi K. Chandran
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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. Read Review
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