Hello, hello!
2021 was the year when I re-discovered my love for Malayalam cinema! When I was a kid, growing up in Bombay, in the late 80s, I used to love watching Malayalam movies with my best friend and also on Doordarshan on Sunday afternoons.
The presence of so many good Malayalam movies on almost all steaming platforms with subtitles has made it so easy for non-Malayalam speakers (such as our family) to watch some amazing Malayalam movies! So, we looked up some highly rated Malayalam movies- starting with thrillers- and watched a boatload of them this year.
Without any further ado, let's look at some of the Malayalam thriller movies that our family enjoyed in 2021!
1. Drishyam 2: The much-anticipated sequel to the highly successful Drishyam, Drishyam 2 is a masterclass in how a thriller's sequel ought to be made. The movie follows Georgekutty and his family a few years after the events of the first movie and presents a new threat to them. The movie focuses on how Georgekutty, played with perfection by the sublime Mohanlal, attempts to save his family yet again. Drishyam 2 is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
2. The Priest: This one is a supernatural thriller starring Mammootty and tells the story of a Priest, who attempts to unravel a cold case to help a young girl possessed by a vengeful spirit. Really nicely done and if you enjoy both horror and thriller then this is the movie for you! The Priest is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
3. Memories: A cop who has lost everything and is now spending his days getting drunk. A serial killer, who is killing men, who seem unconnected to each other. A police department that is struggling to catch this vile killer. So, our disinterested cop must set aside his own pain and join in the search to stop this killer from getting to his next victim. A gripping and nicely done thriller! Memories is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
4. Forensic: When a serial killer is targeting and killing little girls, the whole police department comes together to stop these heinous crimes. The Forensic department of the Kerala police is fighting against time to find any clues, any trace evidence to help narrow down the search for this elusive killer. A very taut and interesting thriller. Forensic is streaming on Netflix.
5. Cold Case: Another thriller with a twist- this one a supernatural one. A taut police procedural with a few good scares to boot. Cold Case is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
6. Anjaam Pathiraa: A fantastic serial killer movie that is taut, thrilling and interesting. A team of killers is targeting members of the Kerala Police. With three cops brutally murdered and the killer leaving no clues behind, it is up to psychologist- Anwar Hussain- to deliver a profile and help stop this killer. Anjaam Pathiraa is streaming on MX Player and on Sun NXT.
7. Nizhal: When a young boy starts telling detailed stories about unsolved murders and those bodies are found exactly where he describes it, a judge, recovering from short-term memory loss, has to get to the bottom of this mystery. A different kind of thriller that is very interesting! Nizhal is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
8. Grandmaster: A serial killer is taunting top IPS officer, Chandrashekhar, by sending him letters warning him about his next kill. It is a race against time to find and stop this clever killer. Grandmaster is streaming on Netflix.
9. Mumbai Police: ACP Anthony Moses has almost identified the killer of his best friend when he meets with an accident and loses his short-term memory. He struggles to piece together the last few days of his life pre-accident to bring his friend's killer to justice. A very different kind of murder mystery! Mumbai Police is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
10. Oru CBI Diary Kurippu: This 1988 Malayalam murder mystery is the first in series of four murder mystery movies starring the magnificent Mammootty! All of these are streaming on Disney+ Hotstar and only the second in the series does not have subtitles. All of these are very nicely done!
Honourable Mentions: Joesph, Chuzhal and 7th Day. All slightly different type of thrillers. The first two are on Amazon Prime Video and the last one on Disney+ Hotstar.
Are you a fan of Malayalam movies? Do you have any recommendations for us? Let us know here or on Instagram!
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