LOKAH - CHAPTER 1 - CHANDRA (MALAYALAM) (2025)

 

This is an ambitious amalgam of local myths, legends with superhero world building that works to a large extent. 

Kalyani is convincing in the titular role of Chandra and Naslen, with his buddies, presents an apt foil for her more serious part. The surprise cameos spike up the narrative flow and kindle our interest in future movies from this universe.

Director Dominic Arun is able to mix familiar elements from popular cinema with a narrative which one usually associates with Hollywood fare. 

The production design, cinematography and VFX complement each other to belie the limited budget and succeed in creating rich visuals. There is no comparison to MCU or DC movies in terms of the budget and spectacle value. But, the success of the movie is finding a happy balance between remaining rooted while daring to tread a road less traveled which is enough to overlook its faults.

In true MCU style, there is a mid-credit and post-credit scene too hinting at future movies. 

Malayalam cinema, which has hitherto found its forte in deeply affective, albeit, simple human dramas, makes a formidable mark in its initial foray into superhero-verse. 

AN IMPRESSIVE FIRST STEP INTO AN EXCITING NEW WORLD !

RATING - 3.5/5

COOLIE (TAMIL) (20225

Coolie is a POWERHOUSE which, when it hits its peak output - in patches, packs a punch with loads of nostalgia, an ensemble starcast and above all, vintage Rajni vibes. 

It is also a powerhouse that struggles and sputters to keep the spark on consistently.

Nag & Soubin make a mark. But, Loki fails to soar.

Overall, an above average outing, at best, that doesn't actually have an "Arangam Adhirattume" outcome.

SUPER (on & off) !

RATING - 3/5

3BHK (TAMIL) (2025)

This is the story of a middle class family's quest to rise up the economic ladder and realise their long cherished dream of buying a home that they can call their own.

An affective drama that unfolds at an unhurried pace radiating lived-in feelings and warmth. It is elevated by the pitch-perfect performances of the entire main cast lead by Sarath Kumar and Siddarth. They are ably supported by Devayani, Meetha Ragunath and Chaitra Achar.

Director Sri Ganesh who had made an impressive debut with 8 Thottaakkal is in fine form. 

Overall, this is a simple drama done neatly without exaggerated melodrama and nowadays, that is indeed rare.

WORTH A WATCH !

RATING - 3/5

PS - Streaming on Amazon Prime.

SU FROM SO (KANNADA) (2025)

Horror comedies are a done-to-death genre by now, and can barely squeeze a laugh for the life of the makers. But, Su From So, which is more a comedy with just a hint of horror, comes as a refreshing new entry to this league and succeeds spectacularly. 

Set in Marlur in rural Karnataka, populated with a plethora of characters with their own eccentricities, the story follows the sequence of unfolding events when a love-struck young man's risqué behaviour goes sideways.

Debutante director JP Thuminad keeps his narrative simple and firmly rooted in the rural milieu with its own peculiar social dynamics as well as belief systems. He has filled his canvas with a rich palette of colourful characters played by an excellent cast of non-stars, including himself, who render full justice to their respective parts.

Thuminad mines the quirks of this setting and the characters for a near non-stop laugh riot. It has been a long time that I had laughed so hard in any movie. He also sneaks in an affective story arc that resonates without overpowering the lighter note that movie intends to strike and that underlines his calibre as a creator to look forward to.

A MUST WATCH !

RATING - 4/5

F1 - THE MOVIE (ENGLISH) (2025)

F1 - The Movie follows the classic movie template of maverick washed out "star that never was" coming back to the arena for a last hurrah and juxtaposes him with a young, cocky rookie who is yet to prove his mettle, as they are forced to work together for  a team that is scrapping at the bottom of the charts. 

Yet, despite the dead-beat predictability of the premise, director Joseph Kosinski, who delighted us with his last feature - (another retelling of a classic - Top Gun : Maverick) - creates movie magic by brilliantly harnessing the charm quotient of Brad Pitt along with a stellar supporting cast that includes Javier Bardem & Kerry Condon. 

The racing sequences come alive on the big screen and even someone like me, who has never had any interest in the sport, could feel the rush of adrenaline as the mean machines whizz past on the tracks.

RATING - 3.5/5

A HELL OF A RIDE ! (Best enjoyed on an IMAX)

GOOD BAD UGLY (TAMIL) (2025)

Self referencing to past glory days is a tested trope for fan service in big star movies, especially in recent times. But, when a trope is given a too long a rope to span an entire movie, to feel like self reference Pro Max level, the end product is this (இது🤦🏽‍♂️). 

It is, at best, GOOD, if you are a Thala fan(atic) Pro Max, which director Adhik Ravichandran clearly appears to be. 

If you are not, as is the case of unlucky majority, this LOUD movie veers wildly between a BAD & UGLY mishmash of a messy drive down memory lane of Thala filmography. 

Remix of past hit numbers, presence of not one, but two of evergreen divas of Tamil cinema, Thala seeming to have a ball of a time with a steady stream of super solo-mo shots - nothing seems to come to the aid here as the movie sinks beyond any scope for salvage.

BAD / UGLY - Depends on your tolerance !

(Grrrrr)RATING - 2/5 

PS - Streaming on Netflix 

KOHRRA (PUNJABI) (2023)

Set in a small town in Punjab, Kohrra (Mist), a six part web series,  is, at its surface level, a slow burn investigation into the mysterious murder of a young NRI man shortly before his marriage.

What makes it exceptional is the way it constructs its universe of characters - all flawed in some measure - and succeeds in taking a deep dive into their lives scarred with deep-seated traumatic episodes and struggles set against the wider landscape of today's Punjab with its issues like addiction, feudal and patriarchal society, and much more.

The emotions are affective even as the mystery builds on the viewers - engrossing us like a winter's mist that shrouds an entire city, gradually in the beginning and building steadily to engulf it entirely.

Excellent casting who deliver in aces and fine writing which builds in several layers make this one of the best series in recent times.

A MUST WATCH !

RATING - 4/5

PS - Streaming on Netflix

DAHAAD (HINDI) - Season 1

A police investigative thriller, set in a small town of Rajasthan, follows the journey of a bunch of cops on the trail of a serial killer who preys on desperate women.

Gripping for the most part, this 8-part series has sincere performances from a stellar cast headlined by a feisty Sonakshi Sinha and chilling Vijay Verma who are supported ably by Gulshan Devaiah, Sohum Shah and others.

Series creators Reema Kagti and Zoya Akthar who had earlier collaborated on Talaash have delivered a solid thriller that is firmly grounded in the small-town landscape. They have layered the narrative with seamlessly woven strands of a searing commentary on the oppressions based on caste and gender into the narrative. My major grouse was on their failure to amp up the final act.

WORTH A WATCH !

RATING - 3.5/5

Streaming on Amazon Prime

SINNERS (ENGLISH) (2025)

Michael Jordan plays twins (Smoke & Stack) returning to their rural Mississippi home after making a minor fortune in Chicago. They purchase an abandoned factory and convert it into a juke club for their fellow coloured folks. What begins as night of revelry with mind-blowing music and more soon descends into madness as few bloodthirsty vampires come calling to the party as uninsured guests. 

Director Ryan Coogler (Creed & Black Panther movies) creates a layered narrative blending visual splendour, delicious groovy blues music, stellar cast, themes of blacks-ploitation, crime and vampire action in this blockbuster entertainer.

AN ENGROSSING ENTERTAINER !

RATING - 3.5/5

TOURIST FAMILY (TAMIL) (2025)

A Sri Lankan Tamil family of four flee the financial crisis of the island nation's failing economy looking for greener pastures across the Palk Strait. They manage to slip through the border patrols and reach a Chennai colony to make a living while covering their tracks of being identified as illegal immigrants. 

Can they find a safe abode and survive in a colony filled with families who appear strangers to one another despite living in close quarters for several years..? 

Movies about refugees generally fall into a tired and often torturous template of heightened melodrama that magnifies the suffering of the lot - both in the homeland that they escape and the new-found homes in the alien shores where they try to fit into.

Debutant director Abhishan Jeevinth steers clear of this traditional narrative structure and presents the plight of this family with a rare and refreshing light touch that radiates a feel-good vibe in almost every frame. 

He strikes a brilliant balance between effusive comedy that keeps the flow light and sharply written drama that avoids the pitfalls of being preachy or pandering to popular notions on this emotional issue. 

Sasikumar and Simran along with the two debutant actors playing their sons as well as an ensemble cast of noted character artists provide a lived-in feel while composer Sean Roldan peppers the narrative with some warm heartfelt numbers that sound just apt.

A WHOLESOME ENTERTAINER !

RATING - 4/5

KA (TELUGU) (2024)

Set in the 70s in a quaint and remote village, the story kicks off with Vasudev, the village postman getting abducted by masked men to an unknown location. He is interrogated about his past using a machine that has hypnotizing powers. Apparently, Vasudev has been secretly reading letters addressed to others which has unexpected consequences.

Who are these masked men who seem to have no connection to the village ..? What is their interest in Vasudev..?

Debutant director duo - brothers Sujith and Sandeep - have crafted a unique thriller that builds gradually on its simple setting to culminate in an ending that is unexpected and exceptional.

Not saying much else, lest I might tread into spoiler territory.

AN ENGROSSING WATCH !

RATING - 3/5

PS - Streaming on Amazon Prime

L2 - EMPURAAN (MALYALAM) (2025)

As a sequel to a blockbuster, this is definitely grander - perhaps, twice as larger in scale - spanning several locations across multiple continents much like a Bond or Bourne movie, even as it builds on the basic narrative arc set in the politics of God's own country.

One can decipher multiple influences from home and abroad, as in the action set pieces - inspired from the universe of Prashant Neel or Telugu / Tamil flicks with generous dose of blood as well as Hollywood-esque heavy duty armaments with mighty explosions. All these elements are assembled to serve a reasonably coherent narrative arc with occasional goosebumps moments for the fans.

Mohanlal shines through as the titular dark angel as he looms over the entire film casting an oversized shadow on every frame. The rest of the ensemble cast including Manju Warrier, Tovino and others put in their best despite their limited character arcs.

Prithviraj continues to make his mark as a director as he handles the scale hitherto unseen in Malayalam movies. He delivers a pretty good masala flick which does not bore you despite its three hour long runtime.

Alas, bigger is not synonymous to better and the grander scale does not deliver the emotional beats of the first installment. Nevertheless, this is a commendable sequel that sets the tone for a fitting finale to cap the trilogy.

A SPECTACLE MOVIE (best enjoyed on a BIG screen) !

RATING - 3/5

NARAYANEENTE MOONNAANMAKKAL (MALAYALAM) (2025)

Three estranged brothers reunite with their families after decades in their ancestral home as their mother is drawing her final breaths. Beneath the courteous efforts to forge forgotten connections, unforgotten and unforgiven tensions from the past simmer. Could the siblings succeed in overcoming their differences..? How does the gen-next of the family, in their impressionable years and meeting for the first time connect..?

This is a movie that manages to achieve a difficult balancing act of being subtle and sensitive to the subjects being depicted without being judgmental on any of the characters who are all flawed at some level, as humans tend to be.

Director Sharan Venugopal displays remarkable restraint throughout as he skillfully steers his narrative away from the usual desi pitfalls of getting lewd (exploitative or exposing to titillate) or loud (melodramatic or emotionally manipulative). This is no small achievement in itself and to achieve all this within a crisp running time of less than two hours is a mark of his brilliance.

While the two young leads playing next generation of the family (especially, Garggi Ananthan, playing Athira) are perfectly cast for their respective roles, the seniors - Joju, Suraj & Lopez - are excellent too, carrying all their shades without hitting a wrong note.

The music by Rahul Raj - songs as well as the score - is another highlight.

Overall, it is yet another lovely addition to the ever-growing pantheon of Malayalam cinema that continues to excel in exploring the oft-overlooked dimensions of our collective human coexistence.

A SUBTLE & SENSITIVE MASTERPIECE !

RATING - 4/5

GAME CHANGER (TELUGU) (2025)

A sort of return to form for Director Shankar who stumbled badly and delivered a disaster in Indian sequel which was his previous outing. The story from director Karthik Subbaraj pits an upright and dynamic bureaucrat against a power hungry politician buttressed by a corrupt system.

The writing and execution follows Shankar's familiar template with some contemporary updates. Yet, it largely works and delivers the wares for a commercial potboiler, thanks largely to Ram Charan firing on all cylinders and powering it through a double role. He gets able support from an ensemble cast including SJ Suryah as a menacing antagonist, a goofy Jayaram, Srikanth, Samuthirakani, Anjali, and Kiara Advani besides several others who appear in a blink-n-miss minor roles like Achyuth Kumar, Vennela Kishore, and Brahmanandam.

Shankar has continued to splurge on the making including songs mounted on grandiose scale with eye popping colours that saturate the large screen from edge to edge. Ditto for his mandatory emotional flashback stretch which is at best average and is utterly predictable despite dramatic gravitas of Ram Charan and Anjali trying their best. Nevertheless, the cat and mouse game between the leads has enough drama and punchy twists to sustain momentum and interest.

While Shankar has upped his game from his previous debacle, this is still a far cry from his yesteryear blockbusters which find several echoes through the movie. If you keep your expectations limited, this is a fairly engaging game.

WORTH A ONE TIME WATCH !

RATING - 3/5

AMARAN (TAMIL) (2024)

Biopics, especially of army veterans, are an unexplored genre in Tamil cinema. Director Rajkumar Periasamy takes this road less traveled as he narrates the story of Major Mukund Varadarajan who was martyred in Kashmir shortly after celebrating his 31st birthday. 

The unusual casting of leads - Siva Karthikeyan (SK) and Sai Pallavi - has worked exceptionally well as both provide stellar performances. SK undergoes a spectacular transformation in his muscular physicality as well as a controlled performance that is as distant from his usual casual self as snowy Kashmir is from sunny shores of Kanyakumari. Sai Pallavi is once again phenomenal as the emotional anchor to this film. 

Amaran is a fine attempt as it blends the personal life comprising of an affecting love story along with a valorous life of a professional army man with exemplary leadership skills. The director deserves credit for steering clear of the usual pitfalls of loud jingoism and teary melodrama that mire most movies of this genre. 

RATING - 3.5/5

A VERY GOOD WATCH !

PS - Streaming on Netflix

RIFLE CLUB (MALAYALAM) (2024)

Two love birds on the run from predatory gangsters seek refuge in a rifle club nestled in the verdant Western ghats. The club traces its lineage to Tipu and colonials with its proud members transcending age or gender stereotypes. When the gangsters in pursuit land at the gates of the club, all hell breaks loose.

Director Ashiq Abu orchestrates a mayhem manufactured in malevolent Malyali gunslinger heaven set to a thumping score from Rex Vijayan.

The stellar cast including Dileesh Pothan, Anurag Kashyap, Varni Vishwanath, Vijaya Raghavan, Surabhi Lakshmi, Dharshana Rajendran and many more hit the bulls-eye delivering their roles with comic panache.

Overall, this is a stylish thriller mounted on a wafer thin premise where the count of bullets matter much more than the body count.

A DOUBLE-BARRELLED DELIGHT !

RATING - 3.5/5

OFFSIDE (PERSIAN) (2006)

In Iran, women are not allowed as audience in sporting events which is preserved as exclusive domain of men. A group of soccer loving girls, dressed as boys,  try to sneak into a football stadium to witness a match of their national team. The movie captures the events that unfold when they are caught by the police.

A sports comedy centered on women in Iran is something that could well be in the realm of the impossible. Yet, noted director Jafar Panahi presents a sharp and layered snapshot of the contemporary Iranian society, condition of their women wallowing under the strict controls placed on them by the theocracy and the multiple - often ridiculous - ironies of such edicts, laced with oodles of humour. 

This movie benefits immensely from the fact that it was shot in real settings of the stadium with Iran playing Bahrain in a World Cup qualifier. Consequently, the entire movie has a festive and electric spirit which is matched by the sheer spunk of some of the girls who are diehard fans of the game. 

Just like a tense football match between two evenly matched sides, the movie grabs attention from the first minute and does not let go till its very last as Panahi mines comic gold at almost every turn of events and crafts a narrative with a natural, yet unpredictable flow. 

It won a silver bear in Berlinale besides many other laurels.

RATING - 4/5

AN EL CLASSICO INDEED !

PS - Streaming on Prime Video

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING - PART I (ENGLISH) (2023)

In the seventh installment of the MI series, Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie have crafted a superlative action flick. The movie barrels down its 243 minutes runtime very much like its age-defying superstar who continues to sprint immaculately.

It hits a relentless pace from the word go till its exciting cliff hanger of an ending looking into an exciting abyss and what is waiting to unfold in the sequel to be released next year as we await it with bated breath.

It does everything one could ask for - familiar set of characters from IMF along with some new ones, machiavellian villains seeking world dominance, a foe that is contemporary, globe-trotting narrative propelled by brilliant action sequences including a crazy chase, a healthy sprinkling of humour and a few strands of emotional beats between the key characters, and at the heart of it all, Tom Cruise who is still hitting it out of the park, even after crossing sixty - a perfect recipe for a summer blockbuster.

RATING - 4/5

A MUST WATCH (definitely on the BIG  screen) !

VIKRAM (TAMIL) (2022)

A) Well made Action movies

B) Noirish thrillers

C) Vijay Sethupathi

D) Fahad Faasil

E) Aniruddh

F) Lokesh Kanagaraj

G) Ulaga Naayagan Kamal

If you are a fan of any / all of the above, you are getting more than the BANG for your buck in VIKRAM !

Lokesh has outdone himself in almost every aspect and delivers a delectable fare.

If that is not good enough ...

He whets your appetite with vignettes of something MUCH MUCH MORE (delicious biriyani) that is still cooking …

MUST WATCH !!

PS - Do watch / rewatch / remember Kaithi before watching this

DOCTOR (TAMIL) (2021)

The sophomore venture from Director Nelson pulls Sivakarthikeyan (SK) out of his usual comfort zone of simple rom-coms and happy-go-lucky comical hero.

SK is an army doctor who is driven purely by practical considerations which border on the extreme and is also apparently bereft of any emotions. 

Even as the narrative begins we see his fiancee ditching him for his lack of emotional support. However, when her family is pushed into dire straits when a young kid is kidnapped, SK steps in to help retrieve the kid.

Nelson handles the serious issue of human trafficking within a broader canvas of a black comedy which is original in its flavour and highly effective in execution with lots of laugh out loud moments, even in the most unusual and unexpected places. 

It takes a special conviction and talent to have SK as a hero and not allowing him to even crack a smile for almost the entire length of the movie even as the audience are having a laugh riot. 

Director Nelson surprises us constantly as he steers clear of conventional genre tropes and delivers a unique flick with his own distinct imprint. He is definitely a talent to look forward to.

AN EXCELLENT ENTERTAINER !

PS - Streaming on Netflix