As a pure procedural drama, the film is pretty bang-for-the-buck. It follows an episodic structure, putting the "halving" style of Indian cinema to good use. This allows writer Jinu V Abraham to present not one, but two murder cases in a 2h 25m flick. Knowing that he wrote this in the early stages of the pandemic, the film even gave me the impression that it was originally envisioned as a procedural web series, along the lines of Kerala Crime Files. I still think that's a solid possibility in the future if they decide not to go the cinematic sequel route.
Director Darwin Kuriakose (in his debut effort) showcases sufficient control over a fairly big cast featuring both veterans and relatively new names. And since the film is set in the early 90s / late 80s Kottayam, the art and production design departments play a big role in perfecting the aesthetics of that era. Santhosh Narayanan's music also worked for me; it's not the kind that underlines every emotion that the protagonist goes through. However, as a procedural drama with occasional thriller elements, this was exactly the kind of score needed. The only song (sung by Dhee, ofRO) that sets the ball rolling at the start, is also great to hear in Dolby Atmos.
Tovino does a solid, believable job as the (protagonist) cop investigating the cases, with the support of a 3-member team, each of whom has more to do in the film's second half ..and yet, still feeling underwritten. None of these guys are your typical supercops, and the team is constantly shunned by superiors even when they put in commendable efforts. In terms of pace, I think the proceedings of the case in the first half are slightly faster, and it also benefits from having an intriguing communal angle (which is rooted in the region). While the second half case is more fleshed out overall, certain developments felt co-incidental and driven by luck, as opposed to the first where the protagonist's intuition and intelligence play a larger role.
Of course, zeroing in on the culprit without the help of CDRs, CCTVs, DNA Technology in Forensic Science, and other contemporary methods was always going to evoke memories of drama-thrillers from the early 90s, I think what also helped keep the material fresh was the rural Kottayam setting. The constant chirp of crickets, the vast expanses of rubber estates, the presence of unexplored ponds and creeks - it all reminded me of my childhood visits to my native place in Kottayam. Can I watch this team of cops investigate another case? Absolutely. Maybe the third time's the charm? Let's wait and see!