True crime tales: The surge of real-life inspired thrillers in Mollywood

“Based on a true story” — this is surely one of the most chilling aspects we see, especially in a horror or thriller movie, which makes us feel that “Oh my gosh!” moment. Such true crime stories create an emotional impact on audiences that can never be achieved through a fictional or fabricated narrative.“I believe it is a topic that needs to be spoken” - Tovino Thomas about ‘Narivetta’Tovino Thomas’ recent film ‘Narivetta’ re-tells the story of the 2003 Muthanga incident. The film is inspired by real-life events, though it is not a direct retelling of a single true story. In an earlier post, Tovino Thomas penned, “I believe it is a topic that needs to be spoken about boldly and discussed. I hope it will be a film that will make you enjoy it with all your heart in the theatre ‍ and make you think ‍ after leaving the theatre‍.” The movie is receiving decent reviews from the audience.‘Kooman’ and ‘Human Sacrifice’ issueJeethu Joseph and Asif Ali’s thriller film ‘Kooman’ arrived at a time when Kerala was shocked by the Elanthoor human sacrifice case. Although the Asif Ali starrer is in no way related to the incident, the exact timing made the audience feel connected to the story and created a chilling effect.The same goes for the horror thriller film ‘Romancham’. The overall setting, humor, and scary atmosphere worked in a fictional kind of way among the audiences, until the last title ‘Based on a true story’ popped up on the screen, showing the real-life photographs and characters.‘We tried to understand the mental conflicts involved in honor killings” - Tharun MoorthyMohanlal and Tharun Moorthy’s recently released thriller ‘Thudarum’ may not be directly linked with the 2018 Kevin murder case in Kerala, but the audiences reminisce such honor killing incidents that happened, once the end credits roll.Talking to OTT Play, Tharun Moorthy said, “It is not based on anyone’s personal life. We tried to understand the emotional arcs and mental conflicts involved in honor killings.” Tharun Moorthy said that ‘Thudarum’ is entirely fictional and they took only reference from such incidents to ensure authenticity.The impact of true crime talesA crime thriller delivers a much stronger impact when it is based on real events or executed with reference to them. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that a story will lose its impact if it isn’t drawn from actual incidents. Movies are literally a vast ocean, and the audience are like new, inexperienced swimmers — your only task is to convince them to dive in and ensure they find joy and pleasure in the experience.