toby_philips

Soubin will always be deemed fit for a revenge thriller, regardless the fact Soubin simply slips into the character with ease in his own traits which is much anticipated but really quietens the audient at a significant point. Needless to comment on Sudhi who really joins Soubin in the league, alongside the rest of the cast is commendable just But what strikes is the script, and setting the makers chose to tell the story; the cinematography is just superb and not even a single shot is overdone. The sound and backing scores is just right for the story telling. A well knit crime thriller just to say.

Jithin Thomas penned a terrific screenplay again after Freedom Fight and with a whole new plot that mollywoood has never tested. At many junctures I could feel Darren Arnofosky touch but in a totally good way. The storyline is lit. It underscores a lot of social issues. Well I have never been convinced and never wanted to watch Gishnu Govindhan because of his uncinematic looks and acting, but he just storms the audience with the exact same traits. Excellent script, story telling, scene development, no over the top scores or unnecessary camera show offs, perfect casting are the take aways.......

Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval has done it again. It was with great expectations he set in Android Kunjappan and kanakam Kamini Kalaham, I started to watch this courtroom dramedy. Well I have to say that Sue me is a potpourri of drama, satirism, slapstick comedy with a dash of dark humour. It is hilarious in plot but brutally true to be contemporaneous. Alongside it thrills plenteous the audience indeed. Kunchacko was intriguing to watch with his image breaking act up, Gayathrie was a delight, Rajesh, Sibi and Mridul gave some good laughs. Excellent script, setting, story telling, scores, casting, direction are the key factors of this legal thriller. The blues scores during initial title cards were ear soothing. On the whole it is a must watch.

Shaji Kailas is one of those directors who still lives in the 90s and has never updated his cinematic sense. He is an odd pod in the pea but since Jinu Abraham came up with a pretty decent script and Prithvi's stellate performance Shaji was able to earn undeserving reputation. The first has at pace and in the second the movie loses its momentum and then catalyses. Acting was just mass appealing but spot on, good can work and fight choreo and elevating edit work, Jake's score gives a facelift indeed. Although watching Oberoi was really tedious and a total misfit, however, Vineeth repeated a commendable dub work. On the whole it's worth watching once.

I would say this is gonna be a monument in the survival horror genre. The plot is familiar but the acting and craft drives the audience through a maze of struggle and harrowing torment and would never even give a hard pass mercilessly. Fahadh takes the cake at its full throttle with all the sophisticated complexes and in the second half he pulls you down even further and wedges you into a no-go zone. ARR at first doesn't create any ripple but then in the second the Maestro elevates the thrill, melancholy with heavy string ensemble and percussive tones. What grips the audience is the director's conviction and the production designers finesse in the art and making department. I wonder had it been a bolly/Tolly/holly flick it would have been a flashy underwater musical with excessive CGI extravaganza. But the makers decided to tell a story in its raw reality. Jaffar, indrans, Jaya, Nilja and Rajisha are intriguing. On the whole a must watch.

Textbook/mockumentary movies are not new-fashioned, but the theme is a whole new experience in Indian cinematic terrain 3 sub plots bound in 3 chapters. A mermaid in a human form, influencing a bevy people living in dire circumstances touching their lives is indeed an intriguing plot. The movie is mirror reflecting some discussable socio- environmental issues with frequent faunal narratives build ups the amplitude of the centre character. However, there are certain lose ends owing to some directorial slip such as the dialect characters speak, amateurish acting of supportive characters that can bypass. What I loved the most about the storytelling is the makers instead making it a Hollywood/Bollywood cosy surrealistic Disney movie they made it real raw in its form with no CGI. Overall, it's indeed worth a watch.

Mediocre plot but the story develops every minute with engaging police investigation procedures, thrillls, behavioural acting, minimalistic cinematography, avoidance of unwanted drama and cliches, the script was not any character centric but plot centric and we'll executed. It sounded like a real cops canned in action. But one may keep asking themself a question that was it that easy to apprehend the culprits because the raid scene was just a cakewalk and would contemplate the real life experiences of those who really took the actual culprits then. Asif Ali seemed a wrong pod in the pea but then gradually wins the confidence just because his character did not any over the top significance unlike so called Bolly/Tolly/Kollywood compeers. That's the beauty and I personally contented that this was in my vernecular. Rajiv Ravi and Siby Thomas, Suresh Rajan and Dawn Vincent takes the cake.

Ah well i knew this is gonna be another comic compeer substandard whodunit like any other CBI franchise. If you grew up throughout the 80s watching crime thrillers, guessing the perp is a piece of cake. And well if you know how SN Swamy plots his playwright, your guess is even spot on because he has not updated his scheming skills yet and stilll lives in the 80s,90s. Well to me it was a crummy easily predictable flick, but of course one cannot easily speculate the story prosecution but will be able to guess the perpetrator from the beginning itself. Because it is just another mishmash of good'ol hits viz, Jagratha, August 1, The truth and so on. Nothing excites an avid thriller fan who has widespread knowledge and coherence. If your standards are high, then you can easily avoid this flick. You won't ever regret.

What a premise! If you really wanna watch you need to buckle to brace the impact, as this is a helluva rollercoaster ride. Once you skim the first 15 mins, your ticker starts kicking in and pumps up. It takes you for a ride with lot of adrenalin rush and lax moments. Jason and Laura takes the biscuit and are encompassed by unparalleled performances from Julia, Lisa Emery, Felix, Janet, Tom, Adam, Kevin, Alfonso, Damian and more to mention. This plot has everything, Drama, thrill, melancholy, dark comedy, sarcasm, feud, Narcissism, dirty politics and its unholy deeds and deals, individualism you name it and each charater represents each personal trait with utmost details. The byrdes carries every minute detail of a more complex and utter sophisticated duo and literally engages us, the langmores and Snells are annoyingly intriguing and so those who protrays the Navarros, and people and law enforcement and politicians. Excellent script and direction, intriguing cinematography and editing, casting, engaging plot and twist placements altogether gives you a treat indeed. A must watch this is. Hell yeah!

What a premise! This movie is a whistleblower and wake up call. It is true depiction of todays india and the damages made by the so called psuedo nationalists. Each charactor is a metamlphor; Prof Saba, represents the voices that were vocal for human rights and justice that are being muffed and yet missated by power thirsty unscrupulous politicians, Suraj ACP Sajjan takes the place of todays indian citizen/bureaucracy who has fallen prey to doctored political ideology and orchestrates fowlplay, Media, who makes the worst of everything with their altered, half cooked news and naratives so as to hide or inflict hate, theroies that mobilize the public adversely much to the favour to whom they are sold out to, Vidya the suppressed and unheared, Adv. Raghuram Iyer takes the place of those stakeholders who plots doctored ideology so as to marginalise, spread hate, and loot profits of power and wealth by manipulating sects with appeasement and separatism to harvest creepy vested interested with much deceit and camouflage, and Adv. Aravind Swaminathan is not yet emerged but much to be desired persona who is yet to emerge in todays political scenario to crusade against the evil odds happening around. Except some rebellion sudent characters who either under/overplayed, still does not bring any harm to its wholeness. This is indeed a pan indian rather pan international discipline. It underscores the worst harms that doctored narratives can do in todays world. This is antidote to propoganda flicks that has done enough damage already. As a malayali and persistetly proud the my vernacular is making the most sensible movies with unaldulterated and daring content than any others. I stand by it. Again.

The script manages to keep its audience glued to their personal screens. What irritates it's that all the characters including lal are annoyingly dramatic and articulative with their dialogues. At a certain point, you will start to guess the what is coming ahead you will often get it right but still manages to create some excitement, although ruins everything at end. Here the script/direction does the same old mistake by giving more screen time to almost all the characters under suspicion and leaves some charactors unnoticed and giving the audience a hint by narrowing down the whodunit. If you are the kinda movie vmbuff who likes to guess and solve slueths, you will hidden clues from some scenes, such as characters placing their mobile phones over the table, screen time, shallow focuses etc. What annoys me is that Jithu has been trying to copy or even take over Oriole Paulo by deliberately wanting to create unwanted and irrational twists in plots. Regardless it's worth a one time binge-watch. No amusements.

The movie starts with a bang and then takes a slow pace but still the premise manges to keep you glued with a well knit script. Vicky has graced his character. There are several agonizing moments and reminiscence of those past days of struggle. The movie takes a turn after 150 minutes and then drenches ones eyes. The massacre is the piece de resistance. Good casting, excellent script and direction with a lot of research are the key pointers of this historic monument.

Not sure if you watched this late seventies classic. Worth watching once, just for the making skills and some good performances from Pepe, vinkayakan, and chemaban.

Horror franchise in Malayalam vernacular always questions ones' conscience, and we blindly devour western horror flicks. Regardless this blame, u would bhoothakalam did a better job without much reasoning. To pacify and repress critical rationale, the script cleverly outfits the relationship of a helpless widow and her bleary laid off but troubled son. The second half of the movie really brings the grip and keeps us nailed. Good casting, well knit script, directorial craft, scoring, camera and setting is the hallmark.

I would undoubtedly say that this is one the most refined politically corrected movie I have ever seen in the last 2 decades. The movie regardless the five shorters unleash a string of social issues that people don't even care. This one is indeed a breakthrough. 5 Carefully knit plots, sewed artfully with subtle acting, candid shots and seamless transition from one to another captivates you.

Excellent storyline, great setting, good script, no unnecessary over the top shots or unwanted effects. Great blend of drama with paranormalism/occultism with lots of intriguing thrilling moments. The viewer once sets his/her foot on premise with utmost patience till you reach the second episode you travel with characters, and start feel for the protagonists and rage on the antagonists. There has been tremendous directorial prowess ostensibly. Kudos to the cam work, editing, artwork and VFX. Music was spot on and different from usuality. Casting was superb and their performances were praiseworthy.

The flick creates its intensity afters 10 mins and it prolongs the momentum until Soubin appear. Well trimming the rest, the movie is riveting to the core, Chemban and Vinay are annoyingly intriguing, Jaffar is exceptionally a subtle hard nut to crack. Lijos urge to showcase himself as daring and ultra liberal is ostensibly evident by juxtaposing profanity in every dialogue. However, the story, screenplay, setting, casting and score totally creates the ambience to keep one's eyes glued till the end. On the whole the movie is an eccentric, magical but yet leaves one numb.

This indie really proves the thematic script and making finesse. After Coherence I have been longing for such a flick. Regardless the logic behind haunted themes, this one definitely gives the chills, and pushes you to turn aback to see if everything is alright behind your backs. The theme, script, setting (screen film), casting, realiatic acting rather behavior and the story tellers used every subtly possible event to create havoc were just spot on, film-making/acting enthusiasts will a lot to pick references from this. Everything from the start till the end credits is a 40 minute horrific zoom meeting that goes awry...

The makers stubbornness to tell this story is ostensibly evident and it comments on religion, extremism, religiously proscribed matters that are forbidden to women of particular religion, disregarded wife issues, their desires, anarchism towards vulnerability, and communal marginalization. The script is brutally contempo, Kani, Shailaja, Anil, Surjith and Shyam brings the intensity, excellent script, Cinematography are the takeaways.

After Monkeypen, Rojin has done it again but rather touching this time. Indrans, Manju, Kainakery, and KPAC just gouges our hearts with their weary though benignant looks and subtle behavioral act and drenches our eyes, Bhasi, Naslen and Deepa were annoyingly true to their characters and yet likable, Johnny, Vijay and Anoop were a true delight to watch and they indeed offered tranquil moments. The storyline, it's well-knit script, setting, casting, acting, scene sequence, and score are the takeaways. The plot deals a lot about everyday life issues such as SAD, selective mutism, nomophobia, atychiphobia, immature bloggers, narcissistic live streamers who let's others into their own menial matters for cheapo fame and do on. On the whole, a must watch homey flick. Cheers!

Anish pallyal, quite newbie in the biz of playwriting but wowed but brutally weaved such a Contempo topic that's so true and mirrors the hue and cry that's happening around the world. One could easily relate the very socio-political uproar that's in vogue in your vicinity. Abhinandhan was just superb canning the thrill and intensity. Murali was tenasious and determined, Roshan was beyond one's expectation, mamokkoya was a chained lion unleashed, Prithvi was raging than ever, Srinda was disturbingly bold and stubborn, Shine and Mani were utterly subtle behaving, wheras Navas and Naslen was annoyingly intriguing. Jakes' bgm especially the mid-west heavy ensemble dramatic scores were just elevating.

A must watch! The director once again proved his prowess with this flick based on a true incident that took place some time ago, if I am not wrong. The opening scene with a 12 min long shot establishes the intensity of what is to come. The commotion scenes are raw and sturdy with a couple of jumpscare arson attacks underscores the fury of the mob and the repercussions. Fahadh and Dileesh were just as expected to be themselves fitting into their respective molds. Nimisha, Jalaja, Indrans, Salimkumar, Vinay, Joju, Rajesh, Dinesh, Sanal, Devika, Divya and Parvathy were astonishingly unpredictable with their behavioral acting, necessity of long shots with intense coloring and edits especially during thrilling moments elevates the moment and gives one chills. Script, story thread, its development, the setting used to tell the story, cast, music and scoring are all the takeaways. And Sushin's BGM hoists the scene to it's optimum, and the track Aararum Kaanathe is indeed a delight to listen to.

Hmm. A skull is spotted and a prithviraj led investigation team on one hand and a media program executive parallely investigating the roots of this cold case; as if all the these leads to the killer were waiting for them to come in to picture just to fall in place, and a schooling on unheard forensic jargon and techniques in profiling victims, above all a tint of supernatural elements. Looks like the makers had a premise/genre identity crisis whether to cite it as a creepy horror or a whodunit. Over the top, the movie shows exorcism as an anecdote which does note make sense at all. Regardless an ambiguous script, to a great extent the movie is riveting and keeps us glued to one's seat but as times pass and reaches the climax , it ruins the wait and dips us to a grave disappointment. All the actors were as expected with their performances nothing to praise as there are a lot clichés. But worth a binge watch.

With An Off-Day Game in my mind, I watched this flmovie and although the plot seems very familiar and Contempo, but as the movie rolls things get even darker and raw with a nightmarish climax layered in a wild rather barbarous manner. Joju effortlessly portrays a less spoken but dangerous barbarian, who heedlessly unmasks his predatory plunder and goes berserk at its pinnacle, Nimisha scores as the naive townee who then confronts her impending fate and turns absurdly preposterous due to the shock of what she went through and is deranged and helpless, Akhil is annoyingly original as a unsophasticated weirdo love interest skillfully behaves in each frame as it gains. The plot regardless a roadie, cans the high ranges of eastern kerala with the heavy set rains in each frame keeps the intensity of what is to come, each frames are commendable, especially the usage of source lights, 360 degree pan shots to elevate gravity of some pivot moments, ariel and long cut shots were placed at the right juncture. Laudable screenplay, cinematography, minimalist but elevating scores, spontaneous acting rather behavioral or unscripted acting, casting, setting, its rustic and raw treatment, altogether makes this unsung flick mollywood's disaster movie monument.

Well the plot seems very familiar but portrayed skillfully by placing Tovino as antagonist in this metaphor. The plot thread seems splendid except the unwanted dramatic quick insert and cutaway shots which doesn't add up anything all. Instead, had this been treated rather rustic and raw it would have been a revenge thriller monument but the entire feat seems ruined by juxtaposing shots and cutaways in the first half, heavily inspired from French/German psycho thrillers. Yet the movie is satisfactory, considering it keeps evey audient on the edge while Tovino and Sumesh, the protagonist run us through a raging outrageous rather deadly combat. A special mention to Tovino who decided to break his mold of a usual heroic portrayals and chose to play the contender and Sumesh Moor who is the piece de resistance, of the movie, brings his furious rage to its zenith and leaves us swearing and cussing. The background score at some were annoying and amateurish due to outpouring of scores at undesirable moments where utter silence would have elevated the thrilling sequences. Nevertheless, the setting, backdrop, stunt choreo, and casting were all the takeaways.