In the first half of 2024, a conversation emerged around the limited presence of women in several celebrated movies of the time. While there were voices critical and defensive of the films, they were largely accepted as well-made or unique, going on to perform well in the state and elsewhere. Into this conversation, like an answer to the question of where the women were, came Ullozhukku and the Cannes winner All We Imagine As Light. While picking our best of 2024, we have included some from both ‘clubs’—if clubs are what you call them—in the spirit of good cinema.
Aattam: Interestingly, this one could be counted as a curious mix of both ‘clubs’, considering the large gang of men surrounding the single woman among them, as she becomes the fulcrum around which their stories revolve. Zarin Shihab, in her best role, plays the lone woman in a theatre group dominated by men of varying ages. On a night of frenzy, they get drunk by the pool at a resort, and in the darkness of the late hours, the woman is molested. The round-table conversation that follows becomes a perfect setting, capturing the gist of reactions a survivor would face, from the critics judging her choices to the so-called supporters turning hostile. The movie beautifully tears human hypocrisies to shreds.
Bramayugam: Mammootty is wickedly malevolent in this slowburn, hypnotic horror thriller—a groundbreaking movie that reimagines the Malayalam horror genre by intertwining elements of folklore, history, film noir, and spatial metaphors. The film follows an oppressed caste singer who flees from enslavement and inadvertently enters a crumbling mansion, where he receives an unexpected offer of hospitality from its unsettlingly enigmatic ‘master’ (Mammootty), only to soon realise that the house harbours sinister secrets. The film, at its heart, is a simple tale about the horrors of unchecked power, elevated by terrific performances, writer-director Rahul Sadasivan’s evocative narrative techniques, and the stark monochrome visuals.
Family: Like all Don Palathara films, this one too has a meditative interiority that draws viewers to adapt to the pace it sets. Someone not inclined to such films could easily dismiss it as arthouse, but it reveals itself to be a crime thriller—and an unusual one at that. Unsettling and dense, the film’s central character, Sony (played by Vinay Forrt), is presented as altruistic to the core. The criminal, who flourishes like the proverbial biblical palm, is never brought to book. But the film cuts like an autopsy blade, eviscerating the true nature of the idealistic system called family, the structure of violence that perpetuates it, and its enabling apostles.
Manjummel Boys: With a title like that, the film seemed destined to be one of the main contenders in the “boys’ club” category, but it manages to dodge the bullets, thanks to its basis in a real life incident and its brilliant execution. The film rides on male camaraderie, presented without filters, the camera (in the expert hands of Shyju khalid) hovering over their disorderly ways and raw exchanges, until it shifts focus to the picturesque Kodaikanal, where danger awaits. Soubin Shahir and Sreenath Bhasi, leading the show, deliver some of the best performances of their careers.
Ullozhukku: Directed by Christo Tomy, the film plays around the changing dynamics of the relationship between a woman and her daughter-in-law, far removed from the stereotype of them being sworn enemies—a favourite trope of television serials. Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu play the respective parts but the bringing together of these reputed actors alone would not have been remarkable if it weren’t for the depth provided by Christo Tomy’s writing.
Paradise: This Sri Lankan film would easily fit into this list, owing to the spatter of Malayalam spoken by its two main actors, Darshana Rajendran and Roshan Mathew. Director Prasanna Vithanage’s script is as crafty as it is gripping, weaving a thriller around a couple far removed from home and in the strange and beautiful Sri Lanka. The tranquility of the earlier scenes is predictably disrupted as a problem arises, and the inner sides of the characters are revealed in the crisis, beautifully executed by the actors.
Kishkindha Kaandam: The entire setting of this film—a house nestled in the thick of the woods, its quietude disturbed only by chattering monkeys, and a strange old man holed up in his room—promises a mystery, and the film delivers one with a flowing script and smooth performances. Vijayaraghavan, playing the old man, Asif Ali as his son, and Aparna Balamurali as the new daughter-in-law, are wonderfully subtle in their roles.
All We Imagine As Light: Like Paradise, this Indian film set in Mumbai can rightfully be included in a list of Malayalam films of the year, and its maker, Payal Kapadia, would be the first to agree. With two Malayali nurses in Mumbai leading the unhurried, warm story that delves into human relationships and the dilemmas of women, Payal’s movie fits perfectly into the picture. Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha have been winning love and acclaim worldwide for bringing alive these commonplace yet endearing characters with so much warmth. Chhaya Kadam, the third woman in the film, completes the picture.
Sookshmadarshini: Nazriya and Basil Joseph’s thriller is built like a whodunnit, only the mystery begins before the murder. An overly inquisitive woman takes it upon herself to spy on the mother-son duo who have moved in next door, sensing something amiss. As much as the film is thrilling, the script also leaves room for humour, and appreciates the camaraderie of small town neighbourhoods. Siddharth Bharathan’s unexpected role on the lines of a mad scientist is also hilarious.
Quite a few other films were immensely popular, receiving nationwide attention along with box office success. These include Prithviraj and Blessy’s dream project Aadujeevitham, Fahadh Faasil’s fantastic show Aavesham, the romantic comedy Premalu, and most recently, Aashiq Abu’s action thriller Rifle Club.
