With the recent surge in popularity of Malayalam movies in the Telugu states, evidenced by the successful box office performance of recent releases like Premalu, the trend continued with Manjummel Boys. This highest-grossing Malayalam movie to date follows a group of boys from Manjummel embarking on a road trip to the chilly regions of Kodaikanal. However, their adventurous and reckless stunts soon take a dangerous turn, plunging them into a nightmarish ordeal.
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As a passionate fan who loves watching movies in a big dark room, I’ve chosen to forgo watching film trailers, a decision that has improved my movie-going experiences lately. Consequently, after not watching any sort of promo material nor reading the premise of Manjummel Boys, I was primarily pleasantly surprised at the revelation that it’s a survival thriller before walking into the auditorium.
So, justifying my decision to avoid watching trailers, I found myself consistently surprised throughout Manjummel Boys. The film adeptly shifted gears and seamlessly transitioned between genres, starting as a light-hearted comedy with a bromantic tone before swiftly transforming into an absolute horror, then a nerve-racking suspense thriller, and finally culminating in a heart-wrenching drama. The rollercoaster of emotions it elicited was akin to experiencing an “abnormal ECG graph,” something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
In addition to its well-crafted screenplay, this movie truly shines in its sound design, a testament to the outstanding efforts of the sound department. Sushin Shyam’s music and background score emerges as a delightful surprise (at least for me), featuring foot-tapping tunes that enrich the storytelling. The cinematography by Shyju Khalid and the production design by Ajayan Chalissery deserve applause for effectively capturing the majestic yet eerie ambiance of the towering mountains and their mysterious depths.
Overall, Manjummel Boys stands out as a rare gem that successfully checks all the boxes. From evoking a wide range of emotions to seamlessly transitioning between genres, from its outstanding sound design to the incredibly natural acting performances, the film delivers a tightly-knit and masterfully directed thriller that is a must-watch in theaters. While there may be a few minor issues, they are easily overlooked given the overwhelming positives that the film offers.
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