Best Malayalam Movies of 2019

Best Malayalam Movies of 2019: Glorified and celebrated on a national level, Malayalam Movies are well-known for their realistic film making, unique storylines and remarkable performances. The year 2019 is no different, and we’ve seen super-hit movies directed by debutant filmmakers. In the list, the Best Malayalam Movies of 2019 are listed along with an honorable mention. So, here you go!

More ‘Best of 2019’ Lists
Best Bollywood [Hindi] Movies of 2019
Best Tollywood [Telugu] Movies of 2019
Best Kollywood [Tamil] Movies of 2019
Best Hollywood [English] Movies of 2019

---

Honorable Mention: Lucifer

15. Manoharam

Director – Anwar Sadiq
Starring – Vineeth Sreenivasan, Aparna Das, Basil Joseph

Preview Only: Anvar Sadik’s Manoharam explores the story of struggling poster artist trying to find respect through his mundane profession. Later, he tries to advance and move it up a notch by learning software skills. The struggle and the uncertainty of trying to find success forms the rest of the plot.

---

14. Finals

Director – P.R. Arun
Starring – Rajisha Vijayan, Niranjan Raju

[‘Finals’ is also featured in our ‘Best Underrated Malayalam Movies’ article]

Arun P R’s Finals portrays the story of Alice (Rajisha Vijayan) and Varghese (Suraj Venjaranoodu), their eventful sports drama. Alice is all set to perform cycling representing India in Olympics 2020. But, destiny has some other plans, forcing Alice’s father Varghese to take another route. The film has criticisms on the internal politics in sports authorities, and a few elements of the story are inspired by the true events that happened to Malayali Cyclist. The film travels through unpredictable paths, which make the film more interesting.

---

13. Thanneer Mathan Dinangal

Director – Girish A.D.
Starring – Vineeth Sreenivasan, Mathew Thomas

[This movie is also featured in our ‘Feel Good Malayalam Movies’ article]

The film revolves around the lives of students studying in higher secondary school, their friendship, romance and adventures. Jaison likes his classmate, Keerthy, his efforts to win her heart makes the rest of the film. The one who axes the works of Jaison is Ravi Sir, and Jaison hates him the most. Mathew Thomas has done a splendid job in portraying Jaison, and the performance of Vineeth as Ravi Sir was remarkable to watch. The film will take you on a trip down memory lane and make you relive your school childhood memories. Thanneer Mathan Dinangal is a fun watch with quite a few feel-good elements.

---

12. Driving License

Director – Lal Jr
Starring – Prithviraj & Suraj Venjaramoodu

[This excerpt comes from Ashif’s ‘Driving License’ Review]

Lal Jr’s Driving License is different from his previous movies, with added fresh new elements to the old superstar-fan based films. The humor of the film was fresh is, and Saiju Kurupp utilized his acting skills to elevate the comedic sequences. However, the clichéd dialogue might not please the audience after a certain point. Nonetheless, Driving License is entertaining and blends the elements of fun, thrill, and drama flawlessly. A complete fun ride and a delightful family film that fits the Christmas Holiday vibe.

---

11. Vijay Superum Pournamiyum

Director – Jis Joy
Starring – Asif Ali & Aishwarya Lekshmi

[‘VSP’ is also featured in our ‘Best Romantic Malayalam Movies’ article]

Jis Joy’s Vijay Superum Pournamiyum is a one of the best romantic Malayalam movies and a feel-good movie with a perfect touch of both romance and comedy. The storyline of this 145-minute entertainer follows Vijay (Asif Ali) and Pournami (Aishwarya Lekshmi) who meet in an extraordinary situation, where they get to know about each other, connect themselves despite their differences. Eventually, life changes around them when the lazy lad joins the inspiring girl as they start a business together. Despite that they tend to travel in two different directions, but, something holds their relationship together which is the selling point and the most appealing aspect of the movie.

---

10. Porinju Mariam Jose

Director – Joshiy
Starring – Joju, Nyla Usha, Chemban Vinod

[This movie is also featured in our ‘Malayalam Movies about Friendship’ article]

Joshiy’s Porinju Mariam Jose is an exquisite tale of three people Porinju (Joju), Mariam (Nyla Usha) and Jose (Chemban Vinod), their friendship from the school days. The original story is set in the 1980s with colors and flavors of rural Thrissur. Though the movie is filled with different emotions – friendship, love and revenge, the friendship stands tall among these. The movie gives an average experience with a predictable storyline, still, it’s worth a watch.

---

9. Vikruthi

Director – Emcy Joseph
Starring – Suraj Venjarammoodu & Soubin Shahir

Preview Only: Highlighting the various disadvantages and misuses of social media, Vikruthi explores an adverse event in Eldho’s (a person with both hearing and speech disabilities) life. In the film, he accidentally falls asleep on a train only to be photographed by Sameer; who believes that he faded out due to alcohol.

---

8. Uyare

Director – Manu Ashokan
Starring – Parvathy, Tovino Thomas
Streaming Platform – Netflix

The movie is an inspirational roller coaster ride through the life of Pallavi, who aspires to become a pilot. Parvathy plays the character of Pallavi as this film is one of the very few female-oriented movies in the Malayalam film industry. Pallavi who has zero interest towards her boyfriend Govind joins the aviation academy to achieve her dream. In the turmoil of events, she becomes a victim of an acid attack, and her survival forms the rest of the film. One of the most thought provoking and Best Malayalam Movies of 2019.

---

7. Unda

Director – Khalid Rahman
Starring – Mammootty
Streaming Platform – Amazon Prime

Displaying the true colours of policemen, Unda is one of a kind, the best realistic police story that visualizes the story of a group of cops posted in Chattisgarh for election duty. Despite the fact they’re posted in a dangerous Maoist affected area, the lack of workforce, ammunition and the survival make the rest of the story. Unda is one of the well-written movies of this year, which is inspiring, entertaining and worth a watch.

---

6. Ambili

Director – Johnpaul George
Starring – Soubin Shahir
Streaming Platform – Amazon Prime

[‘Ambili’ is also featured in our ‘Feel Good Malayalam Movies’ article]

Best Malayalam Movies of 2019: A heartwarming movie, which has life and honesty melted into it. It portrays the life of Ambili who is a bit different by character, and is a misfit in society. The first half of the movie depicts the life of the lead characters in his beautiful village of Kattappana, and the second half turns into a road trip movie in Kashmir, where he used to live in his childhood. Soubin Shahir lived through his character as Ambili and Johnpaul George delivered a movie with a plethora of positive elements just like his first movie Guppy.

---

5. Thamaasha

Director – Ashraf Hamza
Starring – Vinay Fortt

Thamaasha is a movie which makes ourselves introspect about socially differentiate people based on outward appearance and beauty norms. The film focuses on the life of Prof. Sreenivasan, a thirty-year-old college professor who suffers from inferiority complex due to his bald head. Eventually, he brings together some hope in life when he comes across his colleague Babitha teacher and later with Safiya.

Later, he meets Chinnu through a proposal by a broker and lands into a dilemma about marriage. The film has also portrayed the moral destructive power of social media and Vinay Fortt handled his role of Sreenivasan with perfection. Director, Ashraf Hamza had done a decent job in the attempt to redefine the social outlook regarding the concept of physical beauty.

---

4. Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha

Director – Nissam Basheer
Starring – Asif Ali, Veena Nandhakumar

Preview Only: Kettiyollaanu Ente Maalakha tells the story of a farmer Sleevachan, who is the only man who provides support to his family comprising of his mother and four sisters. After getting all his beloved sisters married, he arranges himself for his marriage, but as the wedding date approaches, he fears how to continue his married life due to a ton of insecurities.

---

3. Kumbalangi Nights

Director – Madhu C. Narayanan
Starring – Fahadh Faasil, Shane Nigam
Streaming Platform – Amazon Prime

Kumbalangi Nights is one of Malayalam cinema’s biggest hits of this year and one of the most beloved and Best Malayalam Movies of 2019. Starring Fahadh Faasil in the lead role (also the producer of the film), the storyline of the film revolves around four brothers and their love-hate relationship in a 135-minute family-drama. Leading the cast with a magnificent performance Fahadh’s ability to transform into this wicked character was worth mentioning alongside the supporting cast who help and complement the narrative remarkably. The striking cinematography and the euphonious music also make Kumbalangi Nights more distinguished and stand apart from all the other movies released this year. A must watch!

---

2. Virus

Director – Aashiq Abu
Starring – Parvathy, Kunchacko Boban
Streaming Platform – Amazon Prime

Virus directed by Aashiq Abu and starring Parvathy in the lead role explores the terrible 2018 Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala in the most realistic way possible. The edge-of-the-seat storyline and the gripping screenplay serve as the primary positive attributes of the movie alongside the remarkable performances from the complete cast. Virus beautiful showcases the measures and the precautions the government took to overcome these horrific incidents. One of the Best Malayalam Movies of 2019 in recent times.

---

1. Helen

Director – Mathukutty Xavier
Starring – Anna Ben, Aju Varghese

Mathukutty Xavier’s Helen is a survival thriller filled with feel-good elements. Helen (Anna Ben) is a young, energetic and ambitious girl, who dreams of going abroad, working in a food outlet part-time to meet her financial needs. The film depicts a charming father-daughter relationship and her love life in the first half. It then takes a turn in to a survival drama where the survival strategies by Helen’s dad and her boyfriend in search of her makes the nail-biting plot. Helen showed that one smile can mark the difference in life, and the movie is the first one-of-a-kind thriller in Malayalam. Deserves the top spot on the Best Malayalam Movies of 2019 list. Don’t miss it!

Co-Written by Surya Komal

---

What are your favorite Best Malayalam Movies of 2019? Comment now!