2024 was a banner year for Malayalam cinema, with standout films like Manjummel Boys, Bramayugam, and Aavesham stealing the spotlight. And out of nowhere an odd film, Marco, crashed into the scene on December 20, delivering an unexpected spectacle. Directed by Haneef Adeni and starring Unni Mukundan, the hyperviolent film, despite criticism of its perverse violence, is said to have joined the elite Rs 100 crore club.
As film analysts point out, this was Malayalam cinema’s biggest exploration of blood and violence to date, and the film’s reception in languages including Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada propelled Unni Mukundan’s stardom overnight. Despite not having big names, Marco, which was aggressively promoted as the ‘most violent’ film–challenging the audience by provoking them to watch it– satisfied a certain section of the audience who enjoyed similar movies for their hypermasculinity and violence, and were looking for a Malayalam version.
The film, which flouted the norms of what is considered taboo, revelled in the perverse violence of inventively killing characters– ripping their jaw apart, or brutally smashing a gas cylinder against their head, among other methods. (And these are just some mild examples). In effect, Marco was a buffet of brutality with its “violence porn” aesthetic, making it both disturbing and oddly fascinating to some viewers. While the film takes inspiration from Keanu Reeves’ 2014 American cult classic thriller John Wick, Marco is far behind in terms of craft. The action sequences are mediocre, and so are the visual effects. Marco uses slow-motion shots as a clutch, unlike the genre it seems to draw inspiration from, which features inventive action blocks that elevate the visual narrative.
However, Marco, despite being given an ‘A’ certificate for its on-screen violence, performed well in many languages and earned Rs 100 crore at the box office. Devoid of a ‘family audience’, which producers consider is where theatrical money comes from, what explains the massive collections of such a film, which sometimes becomes too violently ridiculous to watch?
Marco can be called the spiritual successor of Animal, Jailer, KGF, Vikram etc in terms of portraying violence. Representatives of Cube Entertainment, which produced Marco, said that they made a conscious decision to highlight it as a film with “intense violence” because it’s an important part of the story. “The violence in the film is not heroic violence, but connected and emerges from certain emotions,” they said.
Journalist and film critic Neelima Menon observed that a shift in perspective from heroism being valourous to dark and brutal may be the reason for such films gaining popularity. “The cinematic landscape of South India has long been fascinated by male ego-centric narratives. However, the recent success of films like Vikram, Jailer, and RDX suggests a shift– a universe where archetypal heroism has given way to a darker, more ruthless brand of masculinity,” Neelima said.
Lokesh Kanagaraj's Kamal Haasan starrer Vikram, for instance, features graphic violence, beheadings, and gore, with both heroes and villains engaging in slaughter. “This blurring of lines between good and evil has become a hallmark of contemporary South Indian cinema,” Neelima added.
Marco’s team told TNM that this is the right time to make such films, because audiences are receptive. “Films like Animal and Kill have shown that audiences are open to stories that explore emotions and intensity. We felt this was the right time to tell a story like Marco.”
Founder and editor of Lensmen Reviews, Aswin Bharadwaj, explained that the success of this brand of films rests largely on the viewership of the young audience. “The film [Marco] targeted the young audience, and made sure that youngsters found it appealing and watched it despite being cautioned about the violence. The promotional material was catered specifically to them. If Animal worked, the success of Marco should not be a surprise” Aswin said.
Despite a lack of logic, the craft, including music and cinematography, make for a fairly decent theatrical experience. Actor Unni Mukundan himself admits that the film will probably be criticised once it comes on an OTT platform.
Unni Mukundan, who plays the titular Marco D Peter in the movie, is presented as an invincible character, until the arrival of Cyrus (played by Kabir Duhan Singh). The set-up looks like Marco allowed brutal violence against his family, which provides ultimate gratification when he retaliates with extreme aggression.
“The success of these films cannot be attributed solely to their big-screen experience. Young audiences are increasingly exposed to diverse content, including violent video games and online media, which may have desensitised them to extreme violence. The shock value is no longer a deterrent, and it is disturbing to consider that these scenes might provide a vicarious thrill, allowing viewers to live their unfulfilled fantasies,” Neelima said.
Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh said that the film’s Hindi dubbed has version collected Rs 11 crore so far. He predicted that this film could be a stepping stone for Unni Mukundan into the Hindi film industry. In his view, the film outdid the performance of Varun Dhawan’s action thriller Baby John, the Hindi remake of director Atlee’s Tamil film Theri. “Strong word of mouth contributed to Marco’s success in Hindi. On day one, it earned only Rs 1 lakh, but the word of mouth was so strong that business multiplied over some time and by the end of the fourth weekend, the film collected Rs 11 crore,” Taran explained.
Aswin noted that films in all languages including Hindi now aim to cater to a set of audiences who love such spectacle films. “Films like KGF, KGF 2, Pushpa 2, are not plot heavy. They have some sequences which are always over the top. It looks like the Hindi heartland has taken an interest in raw action, drama, and songs since most mainstream Bollywood films focus on telling more urban stories in the recent past,” Aswin said.
He further explained that Prashanth Neel, director of the KGF franchise, had himself admitted that his films were modelled on the template of old Amitabh Bachchan movies.
“The consumption of Reels, among other things, has brought non-South audiences closer to content from languages other than Hindi. Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 emerged as the biggest Hindi film of 2024 drawing huge collections,” Aswin said.
Film critics observe that this trend of violent heroism is perhaps here to stay. It seems so strong that even top actors like Shah Rukh Khan are not experimenting out of this genre. Shah Rukh Khan’s last two blockbusters were action-entertainers Pathaan and Jawan, while his last film Dunki, a drama laced with comedy, failed at the box office.