Whenever we think of the thriller genre, one word comes to mind: edge-of-the-seat. And Malayalam cinema has continuously applied this to their films, especially in 2024. Thrillers today are more than just stories of crime or mystery, they are explorations of human psychology, social structures and the very nature of reality itself. From the early days of suspense-laden narratives to the modern-day psychological thrillers that challenge our perception of reality, Malayalam cinema has consistently raised the bar for thrill. And, we are so seated.
If we trace the genre's development through a landmark film it would be none other than K.G. George's Yavanika. This 1982 mystery-thriller paved the way for the genre and now it has evolved remarkably over the years. The golden era started in the 1990s. Mohanlal, one of the biggest stars in Malayalam cinema, took the thriller genre to new heights, with Manichitrathazhu (1993). Directed by Fazil, it is a prime example of how Malayalam cinema combined psychological thrillers with elements of horror. This iconic film even got countless remakes worldwide.
Other directors came, tried and succeeded. Recent years saw the thriller genre beginning to take a darker, more intense direction. Malayalam industry is known for its rich tradition of storytelling and there is no dearth of ideas which features powerful characters and gripping climaxes. From Drishyam to Memories and Joseph to Nayattu, the filmmakers gave this genre an interesting transformation. They made films which are grounded in reality, portraying crime and mystery in a very gritty way.
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Then, came the pandemic—and with it, the rapid rise of OTT platforms. During the lockdown, when we were all stuck in our homes, filmmakers continued to unleash their creativity. They pushed the boundaries and took the thriller genre even further. Take Fahadh Faasil, Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran's C U Soon, which was directed by Mahesh Narayanan. It was an experimental film, shot entirely on smartphones, and employed real-time interaction with the audience.
Post pandemic, a fresh new wave turned the tide again and released Ela Veezha Poonchira in 2022. This mystery-thriller was the first ever Malayalam film to be released in Dolby Vision 4K HDR. The list goes on, but this year, the Malayalam industry revived the neo-noir and experimental thrillers.
The thriller genre in Malayalam cinema reached new heights in 2024. Mammootty's black-and-white film Bramayugam, which not only took over the box office but was also one of the best horror-thriller films is a prime example. We are still afraid of Mammootty’s teeth! Then, in the middle of the year, Kishkindha Kandam hit the theatres and it ticked all the boxes of a perfect thriller—intense suspense, gripping performances, and unpredictable plot twists—but it also went beyond that. How can we even forget Roshan Mathew and Darshana’s Paradise?
Just when we thought we had seen it all in 2024, the Malayalam film industry once again surprised us with Sookshmadarshini (2024), directed by MC Jithin. Released on November 21, the film stars Basil Joseph and Nazriya Nazim in lead roles. A well-written suspense thriller, it draws heavy influences from Hitchcockian filmmaking, bringing an old-school flair to the modern genre. It was also one of the rare times we saw a female detective in a film. Sookshmadarshini has been widely appreciated for its suspenseful narrative, sharp dialogue, and unpredictable storyline that keeps the audience guessing until the very end.
The evolution of the thriller genre in Malayalam cinema shows how filmmakers have become more skilled and how the audience's tastes have changed. As the director-actor Sidharth Bharathan said, today's audience is more discerning. He acted in two of the game-changer films of 2024 – Bramayugam and Sookshmadarshini.
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In an exclusive interaction with Zoom, he revealed, “See the content and the audience has gone to the next step of appreciation. They have seen the best thrillers and the best mysterious films through these OTT platforms. And, when things happen in their own language, they expect the benchmark. So that evolution has really clicked, in both the audience as well as the technical side. Even our technicians are being exposed to these and they know that our audience seems to lap up all these new-age ideas and new-age stuff. So even they rectified their track of telling stories also. So I would like to say that all these films are like an updated version of the next level of films that is coming.”
Today’s audiences demand fresh narratives and Sidharth added, "The knowledge of the audience becoming bigger is the main thing of Malayalam industry doing good. They are really looking forward to real stories and grounded narratives right now. They don't want the old age-old stories anymore. They're looking at new menus, new storylines and all that. But they want a bit of the old story landscape. Not like that forward or that different. But in a new way."
The Malayalam industry is pushing the genre boundaries and embracing new technologies. We can only expect more thrilling stories to unfold in the coming years! With with each new release, they are proving that it’s not just about the story; it’s about the experience of being completely, irrevocably on the edge of your seat.