Manjummel Boys

Wow!! Malayalam cinema delivers again. "Manjummel Boys" is a total emotional rollercoaster, especially if you're the kind of person who really feels with characters. Personally, I went through it all: happy, scared, mad, totally despairing, and even felt like I was choking right along with these guys, rooting for them to find some kind of redemption.

As to those who are familiar, this is based on a true story from 2006. It's about a crew of eleven friends who hit the road for Kodaikanal. The good times are rolling, laughter's echoing through the hills, until one wrong step leads to a chilling reality, the infamous Devil's Kitchen, a place known for swallowing anyone who falls. Fear takes over, despair creeps in, but their bond-that strong, unbreakable friendship-becomes this incredible beacon in the darkness, igniting a desperate rescue mission.

Funny thing, the poster initially made me think this was some kind of horror flick - I was picturing a zombie apocalypse or intense internal conflicts. The trailer cleared that up, but after watching it today, I realized it was so much more. I truly saw fear, despair, a real-life drama packed with injustice, and an incredible tale of friendship shining through absolute hopelessness.

On the acting front, almost everyone absolutely shines, with some moments hitting pure brilliance. Soubin Shahir delivers like always, but Sreenath Bhasi completely steals the show as the young atheist. Seriously, he deserves praises for perfectly conveying every single emotion of someone helpless but desperately clinging to the tiniest shred of hope.

Another huge win for this film is the cinematography by Shyju Khalid. It's stunning to watch how every shot takes on this macabre, chilling tone as things get intense, with every detail just popping on screen. And big props to the makeup team for transforming Bhasi so powerfully in the second half. The editing by Vivek Harshan deserves a massive shoutout for those incredible cuts, especially how he weaves Bhasi's cave scene with his childhood memories. He pulls off a similar magic trick with Soubin Shahir, creating one of the film's most powerful moments.

The soundtrack is just as amazing. Sushin Shyam's score plays with light and dark, hope and despair, perfectly mirroring the film's emotional ups and downs. That pre-interval scene with Soubin Shahir's reaction, accompanied by that stripped-down score, is pure genius. And then the climax hits you with Ilayaraaja's iconic "Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhal"-a total gut punch of emotion. This brilliant homage to the evergreen classic from Kamal Haasan's "Gunaa" truly leaves a lasting impact.

Final thoughts: Malayalam cinema just keeps on winning! After recent hits like "Attam," "Abraham Ozler," "Premalu," "Anweshippin Kandethum," and "Bramayugam ((and yes, you should check out my review for that one!)," "Manjummel Boys" absolutely joins that must-watch list. This is an honest, smart film packed with excellent performances and technical wizardry. While it's not absolutely flawless, after all the emotional turbulence you experience with these "Manjummel Boys," any minor missteps are easily forgiven. This film is a testament to Director Chidambaram's masterful execution; he truly crafted a rollercoaster of emotions and an unforgettable tale of friendship.

If a film can be evaluated even on one criteria, Manjummel Boys is one; and that criteria for me is the superb cinematography.

Based on a true story of a disaster that befalls a group of friends. They are mentioned as boys of the village named Manjummel though they look grown up men but act as immaturely as boys in their getting high at a marriage.

They decide to take a holiday trip to Goa but end up in Kodaikanal where they go to explore what is called Guna Cave the name having derived from the title of Kamal Hassan movie.

Here they meet a disaster.

From a boisterous rather loud childish- for-the age bunch, they grow up to the seriousness of the situation. One of the "boys" falls in a crevice and here the drama of survival and rescue and comradery begins. Really superb photography takes over and that is what makes the film immensely watchable.

Director Chidambaram deserves full praise for Manjummel Boys.

From Janeman itself Chidambaram's grasp in direction was evident but here he proves it again. The tone shift from an easy-going feel to a gripping emotional ride is so natural and effective. I never thought I would be this invested in it since I already knew almost what to expect from it. The script itself might have been pretty simple and on the point, not minimizing the craft there, but the direction is what really makes this stand out. Every single choice of what shot is used, the music used and what is to be shown at what time all made it so much more effective than what I would have expected from such a story. All the actors did great even though there's not too much space for any one person to shine more with such a big cast. But from the initial moments, the one I really noticed was Lal Jr, who was perfect as that loud obnoxious ahole in the friend group that most people hate. Soubin, Bhasi, Deepak and even Khalid Rahman did great in their roles.

Watching this right after watching Gunaa felt like the right choice right from the opening credits. But I wanted to make sure, I see that song in Gunaa first and not this. It was the right choice because this would've been the definitive point of that song if I had seen this first. Beautiful use and homage to Gunaa even though both are very different films.

The rescue scenes, the emotional weight they carried and the following events that allow the viewers to fully let their emotions out all worked brilliantly, For now, my favourite movie of the year. Ironic since among the theatre watches this year, this was one that I was least interested in.

I don't know where to start. The movie is engaging right from the start to the end. Every actor has performed like there is no tomorrow. I don't want to give anything away but please DO NOT wait for this to come out on OTT. It is a definite theater experience and if you are a malayalee, you will come out walking full of pride because of the quality and depth of this movie's overall production. These are the movies that should be showcased in Cannes and what not.

Entire Manjummel Team - you guys have delivered a masterpiece and thank you giving us the perfect survival thriller. Hollywood - take note!

I have to say, I didn't expect "Manjummel Boys" to unfold the way it did! As my first film of 2025, it completely caught me off guard. At first, I thought it would be a straightforward buddy film, but it took some surprising turns that really kept me engaged. The story beautifully explores friendship in a way that feels both heartfelt and real.

The cinematic framing is absolutely stunning! Every shot is thoughtfully composed, and the locations are just gorgeous. They really add to the overall vibe of the film and make you feel like you're right there with the characters. It's a visual treat that complements the powerful storytelling.

If you're looking for a film that celebrates friendship while also delivering an impressive cinematic experience, Manjummel Boys is definitely one to watch!