Praavinkoodu Shappu

Movie had all the marking to be a cult. The suspense was really good, the bus chase sequence was of international quality, the babuetan today shop fight ( one vs 8)scene was insanely shot, and that brilliant climax when it all unravels.

The only point where the movie falters is the scene involving basil joseph in police station where it could have been written better with some witty dialogues. All the actors have played their part well. Overall it ends as a Good descent watch. But a big shout out to this movie's director who is technically very gifted. Will be keen to watch what he does next.

While it may not stand out as one of the mentionable entries among Malayalam thrillers, it does have a few clever tricks up its sleeves, particularly the detailing went into the execution of the "murder," which will surely deliver some delightful surprises for the susceptible audience.

However, the primary issue in the script lies in its blunt predictability.

For those well accustomed to Malayalam cinema and its conventions specifically within the space of thrillers, the identity of the culprit becomes apparent long before the final reveal.

Not to mention, Integrating a renowned figure among the suspects tends to give away the outcome more often than not, making it an easy, calculated deduction, especially when other personalities on board lack adequate materials in terms of their narratives and backstories.

I had a hard time figuring out how much I liked this film. This is one of those films that if I was watching with someone else, their opinion would have been pivotal to my final opinion of it. There's so much to like in this film, from the general quirkiness, the performances, the technical side with great cinematography and editing, etc. But at the same time, there's also a lot that doesn't work. It does feel like a try-hard most of the time. The plot itself is simple and lackluster but they have tried to make it interesting by making it a stylistic non linear comedy. The comedy was hit or miss. It's refreshing when it hits but a lot of times it misses and the misses are cringe at best and frustratingly annoying at worst. But towards the end, it kind of becomes a total tonal mess, and adding extensive exposition also didn't help. Overall it's kind of fun and the way it unfolds is certainly interesting but even with such a dream technical execution for a debutant director, the script lacks substance and shows the inexperience there. This really feels like people may love it if they get the vibe or they may just think it's another boring investigation movie.

Good story wasted by too many red herrings and a bad ending. Basil Joseph did try to carry it through. Chopping last 20 minutes could have improved it, but that may be the case when Bollywood remakes it.

I did like some long takes with stylized action and performance by all the actors. All OK barring some unrelated police station scenes and needless ending drama. A simple mystery with "who dunnit" could have been enough.

Although a predictable murder mystery with creative narration is always welcome. This is still far better than the junk cinema being churned out elsewhere. Too much confusion, not in story but in directing.

Watched this on OTT due to a Basil Joseph hangover whose brilliance in recent times has been overwhelming..Basil can still wear half pants and pass off as a school boy character or a frustrated young man who vents it out in his trademark comic fashion. But he has a long way to go before essaying a cop's role, funny or otherwise. In a nutshell, the movie shone in parts but simply failed to engage after 1 hour..Basil, pls make up for this in your next one, I'll continue to swear by Malayalam movies with the likes of you around..5 stars for you and some of the funny characters in the toddy shop and the cinematography.