This story is from July 06, 2022
We have come halfway through 2022. The year has worked in favour of the movie industry, and as a result, hundreds of films from M-Town have seen the big screens and streaming platforms. As we have passed halfway through the year, it's time to look back at the best movies delivered from Malayalam cinema, and also it's time for you to tune into them, if not done already. Here’s a list of the best Malayalam films, so far, in the order of their release dates.
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Featuring Anaswara Rajan as the ‘Super’ Sharanya, the film is directed by Girish AD, who had previously delivered the blockbuster ‘Thanneermathan Dinangal’. The coming-of-age story is set against the backdrop of a college, and tracks the life of Sharanya, and her friends. Our critic has rated the movie 3 out of 5, adding, “Super Sharanya isn’t a very meaningful film that will move or stir you, but if you are in the mood for light entertainment, this can be fun to watch particularly with friends.” Agreeing with the critic, ‘Super Sharanya’ is a movie you can watch if you are looking for some entertainment, and nothing else.
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Directed by debutant Vishnu Mohan, ‘Meppadiyan’ featured Unni Mukundan as the protagonist. ‘Meppadiyan’ was a first in many aspects for Unni Mukundan, including backing the project, and tells the story of Jayakrishnan, a mechanic-cum-garage owner, who gets into a big land deal, however, ends up in a difficult situation. Since it has been a while, the movie buffs binging on Malayalam films have seen a storyline involving a common man it is refreshing to watch the film. ‘Meppadiyan secured 3.5/5 and as per our critic, “This movie offers not just a glimpse at society, but also good character studies. It is a good film for the family to enjoy and discuss together.”
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Directed by Rahul Sadasivan, featuring Shane Nigam and Revathy is undoubtedly a sleeper hit. The horror thriller made headlines for its intriguing content. A single mother, with clinical depression, moving into a rented house with her son, who is unemployed, and facing some ‘unnatural’ incidents in their lives, forms the crux of the film. ‘Bhoothakalam’ is a refreshing take on horror thrillers, especially given that it is not spooky like many from the genre, but extremely haunting. The film secured 3/5 and in our critic’s words, “Those who like to embrace the spookiness of tales that offer chills through unexplained sounds, and enjoy the claustrophobic effect thus created, can give this movie a try.” It is worth mentioning that Revathy bagged the Kerala State Film Awards for Best Actress for her performance as Asha in ‘Bhoothakaalam’.
Understanding ‘Bhoothakaalam’: The art of creating fear - EXCLUSIVE!
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‘Hridayam’ directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan, featuring Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan, and Darshana Rajendran, can be undoubtedly referred to as ‘a young movie made by a young bunch, for the audience who are young at heart’. The coming-of-age film tracks the life of Arun Neelakandan, a youngster from Kerala who enrolls for engineering in a college in Chennai, and his life after that. The film that won two Kerala State film awards - Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value and Best Music Director (songs), was rated 3.5/5 and our critic said, “This is the sort of movie one would take home with a smile on the face, silly campus memories and maybe, a song on the lips if you don’t care much about character evolutions.”
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Directed by Amal Neerad, ‘Bheeshma Parvam’ is an action entertainer starring Mammootty. The film features Mammootty as Micheal, who is the head of an influential family in Kochi. The film travels through the life of Micheal, who reigns the family, by infusing fear and respect through his unnerving past. ‘Bheeshma Parvam’ is ideal for movie buffs who thrive on action entertainers and also admire Mammootty. “The film would be an entertaining outing for Mammootty fans and others looking for some déjà vu-worthy action-drama story,” our critic said, rating the film a 3.5/5.
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Helmed by the ‘How Old Are You?’ director Rosshan Andrrews, ‘Salute’ is an investigative thriller featuring Dulquer Salmaan as SI Aravind Karunakaran. The investigative thriller scripted by Bobby-Sanjay is gripping and definitely worth watching. The Dulquer Salmaan starrer secured a rating of 3.5/5 and as per our critic, “Salute is worth a watch and will be particularly appreciated by Dulquer fans.”
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Helmed by VK Prakash, ‘Oruthee’ marks the comeback movie of Navya Nair, who ruled the M-Town in the 2000s. ‘Oruthee’ tells the story of an ordinary woman, who is pushed into some extraordinary circumstances. Radhamani, played by Navya Nair is a boat conductor, and the film tracks her empowering tale and fight for justice. Rated 3.5/5, “Oruthee is definitely worth a watch for Navya’s performance and to applaud the bravery of the woman whose life the film is based on,” according to our critic.
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Starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, ‘Jana Gana Mana’ is directed by Dijo Jose Antony of ‘Queen’ fame. The film speaks about how fake encounters act as a disservice to society and how politicians manipulate the citizens, through such acts. ‘Jana Gana Mana’, which received rave reviews in the cinemas, has also attracted the attention of movie buffs across the globe while it began streaming on OTT. “Those who love a good political crime thriller inspired from real-life incidents can feast on Jana Gana Mana, that teaches you to think, question, challenge and more as a common man who consumes news at its face value,” our critic said, giving the film a 3.5/5 rating.
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Helmed by veteran filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad, ‘Makal’ is a family entertainer featuring Jayaram, Meera Jasmine, and Devika Sanjay in lead roles. Being a Sathyan Anthikad movie, itself is the USP of ‘Makal’. The film tells the story of Juliet and her daughter Appu, who lives in Kerala, and how their lives change, once Appu’s father Nandan returns from the Gulf. The film received a 3/5 rating and our critic marked, “Those who feel they might enjoy the story of a father and daughter paddling through a strained relationship to fix things can give Makal a try. And the emotional ones among you can keep a tissue or two handy too, for certain scenes that might squeeze a tear out of your eyes.”
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