Anjaam Pathira Review: One of the Finest Malayalam Crime Thrillers!

Midhun Manuel Thomas’ Anjaam Pathira is a Crime Thriller revolving around a serial killer who targets policemen in the city. Psychologist Anwar Hussain (Kunchako Boban) gets involved in the mystery with the help of his cop friend Anil (Jinu Joseph). The movie takes eventful turns to finally hunt down the motive and the life of the serial killer.

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After directing a few typical comedy films, Midhun Manual Thomas displayed that he can direct thriller movies with ease. The script had minimal flaws, the story kept me guessing, through and through. And most importantly, the narrative took unexpected turns that keep the tone intriguing.

Kunchacko Boban carried his role as a psychologist very well, and his character seemed to have a subtle approach. Yet another remarkable performance comes from Unnimaya, who portrayed a diverse role as a restless cop compared to her previous movies. Sreenath Bhasi’s role as a hacker was the most interesting one in the movie. And the rest of the investigation team played by Harikrishnan, Abhiram, and Divya Gopinath supported the narrative well with their performances. Also, Mathew Thomas and Indrans performances are worth mentioning despite the minimal screentime.

Moving on to the technical aspects of the film, after Kumbalangi Nights, the cinematography by Shyju Khalid was even more beautiful, and he managed to capture the exotic colors of Kochi city with great vibrancy. Saiju Sreedharan’s editing work made the audience more captivated with the movie on-screen. The background music by Sushin Shyam matched well with the film’s pace, and the production design by Gokul Das complemented the film’s vibe as the scenes shot on the pig farm were remarkable.

Midhun Manuel Thomas managed to highlight a simple-yet-gripping narrative, and at times, Anjaam Pathira reminded me of Jeethu Joseph’s Memories and Ram Kumar’s Ratsasan. Once the big revelations are made, the last few minutes of the movie become a formality and ends on an underwhelming note. However, the serial killer played by one of the prominent actors shocked the audience, and it is best to keep him a secret. Overall, Anjaam Pathira is one of the finest crime thrillers that the Malayalam Film Industry has produced in recent years.

Rating – 3.75/5 | Grade – B+

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