Kerala Crime Files

Kerala Crime Files (Season 1 of 6 episodes) is a well-made police procedural, with a simple cast and premise. A Kerala Police team investigates a murder by chasing a culprit who they know only by a first name and a fake address. The plot seems conveniently developed as you watch the middle episodes but I liked the production value and the garnished humour. The characterization was interesting, especially that of Lal, Aju, and other policemen. Just like the cops, you also want to find the culprit as the episodes go and more details are revealed, so it's difficult to not watch this in one setting. Go for it. 7 stars.

Considered to be the first official Malayalm series dubbed in all languages. Looking at the title, expected it to be some very intense drama but it lacks that intensity. It's a simple story of a murder investigation. The direction elevates the presentation but otherwise story is weak and lacks twists and turns. Climax is also very dull. A total of 6 episodes of 30 mins each. Available on Hotstar. My ratings 6/10!

Considered to be the first official Malayalm series dubbed in all languages. Looking at the title, expected it to be some very intense drama but it lacks that intensity. It's a simple story of a murder investigation. The direction elevates the presentation but otherwise story is weak and lacks twists and turns. Climax is also very dull. A total of 6 episodes of 30 mins each. Available on Hotstar. My ratings 6/10!

Kerala Crime Files brings a grounded crime investigation to life with decent performances and realistic pacing. While the series starts strong and keeps you mostly engaged, the storyline feels quite average, and lacks the depth or complexity that could've made it more memorable. The characters have some dimension, and the acting is solid. The pacing is one of its strengths-it doesn't drag-but the emotional impact is limited, and there are no standout moments that stick with you. It's a decent watch if you enjoy slow-burn regional crime thrillers, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.......

The casting was great and all done very well..no lag atall and all episodes can watch continuesly. The life is police guys also shown in between with out making any parelel stories which I liked a lot. The humour also there in between that comes very naturely comes and didn't felt even a bit out of the main story.

Lal , Aju Varghese and entire cast done fantastically well , the casting too was excellent, especially all the women characters and those comes in between even for one scene also done very well. BGM is ok ok , overall it's a must watch series congratulations for the makers .........

Positives:

• Just six episodes of ~30 minutes each. The length is almost the same as a regular Malayalam film.

• The presentation of the case and its procedural elements. The cops are regular people (not some superheroes), and the developments in the plot have a real-time feel to it.

• The performances are solid overall. This is definitely one of the better Aju Varghese efforts in recent times. I also liked the performances of supporting cast (Zhinz Shan, Lal, Navas Vallikunnu, and Sanju Sanichen especially). Given it's a procedural, the female characters are less impactful.

• Hesham's score is an important ingedient. Be it in bringing urgency, subtly underlining some of its lighter moments, and keeping us invested in the details.

• The visual style strikes a balance between being an out-and-out investigation thriller and a family drama.

Negatives:

• The writing, while detailed, is pretty ordinary for a crime thriller with not many surprises. It's clearly the direction that has elevated it to a better space.

• The last couple of episodes feel like they were stretched (just a bit) to accommodate additional suspense, even when we know the inevitable conclusion.

P. S - This somehow reminded me of DQ's "Salute" but with an actual ending.