appusnikhil Reviews

Thalavan (2024)

A good thriller movie

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

Finally, Asif Ali made a great decision to act in a movie which has a solid story. I wouldn't say the same about the screenplay but the movie is superb and you won't notice the drawbacks due to the craft of the director- Jis Joy.

Biju Menon was great as usual and it's been a long time since we watched him in an 'housefull' theatre. The chemistry between Asid and Menon was great throughout and the production design was also aptly selected by the creators, making this movie unique in its own way.

The supporting actors were also superb. Kottayam Naseer has come a long way and I'm happy for him. Finally, he is getting some good and serious roles.

Vazhakku (2022)

Bro, don't test the patience of the audience

[2/10 · 31 May 2024]

How can someone enjoy a movie like this? What's the point of this movie? Award/Art films have a quality but you won't be able to see that in this below-average movie. Tovino should at least give priority to the story or screenplay when selecting a movie next time.

There were lots of unnecessary long shots in this movie and I guess the director wanted to extend the length and that's why he decided to extend the shot length. The lead characters have performed well in their respective roles but the story and screenplay are below average. Sudev Nair was classy in his role.

Try watching if you have lots of spare time. Thanks!

Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil (2024)

First disaster of 2024 - Not at all worth the hype

[2/10 · 23 May 2024]

I successfully wasted my valuable time watching this stupid movie. Vipin Das, you have made a disaster this time. I never expected a talented director is gonna pull something like this on the big screen.

A few comedies were alright but apart from that, there is nothing much in the movie. Prithviraj has improved a lot and that was reflected through his humorous dialogues. Basil is the same as usual. Anaswara was superb throughout.

The final scenes which lead to the climax are some of the worst movie portions I have ever watched and there was no need for many portions in the second half.

Please watch with no expectations and then there is a possibility of getting a Biriyani.

O.Baby (2023)

Severely underrated movie of 2023

[8/10 · 12 May 2024]

I don't understand why no one was praising this movie when it was released in theaters. Many mediocre movies are getting a lot of attention these days but sadly movies with a solid screenplay like 'O. Baby' is getting sidelined. I think it's because the movie lacked a glamourous cast and the promotions were not at all strong, this is very common when it comes to small budget movies like this but it's high time to change that. The creators should at least put a small effort into marketing the movie.

Dileesh Pothan was exuberant as usual. The youngsters were also good in their respective roles.

The cinematography desereves a big appluase. The cameraman has captured the unique beauty of western ghats in this movie and I did feel refreshed while watching the movie. The visuals are a treat for the eyes.

Don't miss this class film from 2023. Nice execution from Ranjan Pramod.

Premalu (2024)

The director knows how to easily connect to the audience

[7/10 · 28 April 2024]

I have been following Girish A. D, the director of this movie for a long time. His former movies were superb and the storyline of all those movies made a really good connection with the youngsters. Premalu also follows a similar route with a normal story which we have seen in many other movies.

The lead characters were great in their respective roles. The creators have also captured the beauty of Hyderabad nicely.

Now coming to the story, I found a few scenes to be quite hilarious but I don't think everyone is gonna find that hilarious.

Naslen and Mamitha have come a long way and they have cracked their respective roles. I can't wait for the second part.

Laapataa Ladies (2023)

Movie with a good message

[8/10 · 28 April 2024]

Nice movie with a good message. The storyline was quite engaging and it won't allow you to fast forward it quickly moreover the creators have beautifully captured the rural beauty of Madhya Pradesh.

The lead cast of the movie was perfectly apt for the movie and that was one of the highlights of this movie. The actor's face tells his story and we can understand his feelings from his face.

The production design was great, I didn't feel any artificiality throughout.

The movie conveys a very good message to the audience and that's the highlight of this movie. Kudos to Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan for creating one of the most beautiful movies of 2023.

The Goat Life (2024)

Prithviraj was amazing and hats off to his commitment, but the movie was not that great

[6/10 · 7 April 2024]

This movie is very slow and the creators have done a lot. Prithviraj has done a great job and kudos to Blessy's commitment. It's very hard to find someone who commits 10-15 years for a movie and I don't think anyone can do Prithviraj's role. I felt like it was written for him only.

Coming to the movie, I felt they missed something. The music was pathetic and there was no need for that song with Amala Paul. I did enjoy the first half but the second half was a sleeping pill for me. Just focusing on one aspect of the story was not working for me.

Although major portions were desert, the production design was not up to the mark moreover the use of CGI was also not great.

One-time watch that's it.

Merry Christmas (2024)

Could have wrapped this up early

[4/10 · 28 March 2024]

I expected more from Sriram Raghavan, but this was nowhere near his other movies. The movie was slow-paced and not at all engaging. The creators forgot to add some ingredients which are a must for thriller movies. Most of the scenes were unnecessary. They could have at least reduced the duration of the movie.

The leading artists were okay. I liked the production design too but story-wise the movie was disappointing. Katrina is gorgeous throughout the movie.

When it comes to thrillers, people always like some surprises but if it takes time, people lose their patience. The director's earlier movies were very engaging but this one was a disappointment for me.

Abraham Ozler (2024)

Bro why make it this complex

[4/10 · 23 March 2024]

Why make a movie this complex to understand? I also expected a lot from Midhun Manuel Thomas but this was a disaster. I don't understand why he went for this kind of treatment. I also felt lots of artificiality throughout the movie. The screenplay was not at all solid.

Jayaram was fine and I think he has performed fine in his respective role. Other than that there is nothing much in this movie. There was a lot of hype before the release of this movie but the creators couldn't fulfil the hype. I liked the concept of the story but it was not at all straightforward and it was very hard to understand.

Better fast-forward the movie.

Bramayugam (2024)

What a movie! eeriness gonna haunt you!

[8/10 · 16 March 2024]

No words to describe the cinematic experience I had. Mammokka what an acting! He was flexible throughout. All the credits go to the creators for creating a movie like this.

To be honest, I thought I was gonna fast forward most of the scenes but the gripping scenes didn't allow me to fast forward this film. All the scenes set up in that setting are more than enough to surprise us. The crew who created that eerie setting deserves huge applause. All the chaos in the film leads us to a brilliant climax. You can take away lots of things from that climax.

All the actors were amazing. Arjun Ashokan, and Siddharth Bharathan both were way too classy for their respective role. I admire Mammootty for his exemplary acting which ages like fine wine.

Anweshippin Kandethum (2024)

One-time watch

[7/10 · 15 March 2024]

This movie had a solid start and the way the creators decided to take this film deserves applause. I don't understand why this film didn't get much good repsonse from the public. I don't understand why this film didn't receive much positive feedback from the public.

The actors were fine but the director didn't put that emphasis on the supporting actors and the lead character is the one who leads the investigation. This is easily noticeable in the movie. The director could have atleast made the screenplay more solid by giving equal importance to the supporting actors.

The production design is the highlight of this movie. What an effort in recreating the 80s and 90s. Kudos to the creators.

Thundu (2024)

C'mon you can take a better film

[4/10 · 15 March 2024]

The movie started off with a bang but became directionless after a few minutes. It would have been great if the director had focused on just one perspective rather than mixing many things in the movie. This is one of worst movies of 2024.

Biju Menon performed his role very well. The supporting actors were also fine in their respective roles but nothing could save this sinking ship. Many things like- no strong screenplay, lacking a good storyline etc resulted in one of the worst movies of 2024.

The movie also conveys a bad message to the public. What's the point in hyping a common malpractice?

Do watch this movie if you have plenty of time to waste.

12th Fail (2023)

Best motivation pill out there for UPSC aspirants

[8/10 · 12 March 2024]

This movie was an amazing experience for me. I even went through a few UPSC prelims question papers after watching the movie. A nicely crafted movie from a master director.

All the leading characters were great in their own respective roles. The production design was also great. I still couldn't believe many things in the movie and those things happened in the real life of Manoj.

The director could have extended a bit on the side which shows the prepration for UPSC exams and I think that was missing (not completely) in the movie. Many things were very hard to comprehend and as you know we don't know which scenes really happened and which scenes were work of fiction, I faced this dilemma while watching this movie.

All of Us Strangers (2023)

Good experiment

[5/10 · 12 March 2024]

The movie is fine but I didn't get the connection and for me it was an average experience. There are strong explanation for many things in the movie and the real meaning of each scenes changes from person to person. One might take away something from a scene but that scene might convey another meaning to the other person watching the movie. The movie's message can also be different for different people and I think this is one of the reasons why this movie is unique in its own way.

I'm not going into spoilers but I strongly believe this movie can be a sleeping pill for many. Luckily, I had an option to fast forward this one and I skipped little bit here and there. Again, as I mentioned above persepctives can change and this is my own opinion. Both the leading actors were outsatnding in their own roles.

Aattam (2023)

Well-crafted - Getting '12 Angry Men' vibes

[10/10 · 12 March 2024]

What a movie and what an experience! I can write thousand things about this movie, it was very engaging for me. The climax gave me goosebumps and I admire the courage of the creators for taking the movie in a new and unique route rather ending it plainly.

There were lots of tension going on throughout the movie and the creators take us through a long journey which never ceases to amaze us. I was constantly focussing on the dialogues of each and every characters to find something but the last few minutes take the movie to a different level which we could never expect and that was pretty surprising for me. This is because we are used to movies ending in a plain manner.

All the characters were fine tuned for the movie. Expecting more movies like this from Mollywood in the future.

Ambulance (2022)

Watch this if you are into action movies

[6/10 · 25 February 2024]

Most of Michael Bay's movies are just complete action, there is no point in finding logic anywhere. I knew this before watching but the movie didn't disappoint me. The action sequences were top-notch and all the lead characters were good in their respective roles.

Michael Bay could have concluded this movie earlier. The story material doesn't seem long enough to extend it to two hours. Moreover, the screenplay was filled with holes and a few scenes were completely pointless, the creators could have avoided that.

Do watch the watch the movie if you are into action, adrenaline-filled moments. Don't look into the screenplay.

Pulimada (2023)

Great start but...

[4/10 · 11 February 2024]

The film had a great start and the production design of this movie is set in Wayanad, where not many movies are shot. The story was engaging and started with a bang, but sadly, it lost its aura in the second half. The supporting actors were cracking in the first half and I admire the humour-rich conversation of Jaffer Idukki, who had an important role in the movie.

Joju was so good throughout but the movie collapses as it proceeds due to its weak screenplay. I expected more in the second half, and it would have been great if the creators could have put more effort into the second half. Below average experience overall.

The Beekeeper (2024)

Satisfying

[8/10 · 4 February 2024]

As usual, it was a weekend and I needed something satisfying to boost my day. There comes Beekeeper. As usual, It's a complete Jason Statham show and David Ayer has gone a bit far in the story by creating a list of exuberant antagonists who will never match the 'Beekeeper's' charisma.

The movie was 100 percent satisfying. Well, you shouldn't question the story. Someone new to Jason's movie will be surprised by the massive stuff one man does against an entire army.

This is a complete Jason show and he has nailed the role he got. The production design was also great. I do enjoy movies like this where we are completely submerged in the action bit and give no notice to the story or screenplay.

Kurangu Bommai (2017)

What a movie!

[9/10 · 4 February 2024]

I think 2017 was one of the best years for Tamil cinema, with lots of intriguing movies, including '8 Thottkal,' 'Mannagaram,' etc. Kurangu Bommai is a great watch and did enjoy the twists and turns which were an important part of the movie. Bharathiraja's acting was superb and all the supporting actors were great in their respective roles.

I got the same satisfaction I had when I watched 8 Thottakal. No one spoke of this movie back in 2017 but still, it was a big hit. I came to know about this movie from a Facebook group.

Try to watch it without knowing anything and you are gonna get an amazing experience. The climax is top-notch. One of the best Tamil films of 2017.

Neru (2023)

Classic Jeethu Joseph film

[8/10 · 25 January 2024]

This is a classic Jeethu Joseph film. What a comeback for Mohanlal. The creators have also put a lot of effort into researching the content of the movie and that's clearly visible in the movie.

The screenplay has an important role in this movie and the screenwriters deserve applause. In this movie we see one of the screenwriters, Santhi, playing a pivotal role as a character in the movie and acting-wise, she was super boring. I know Jeethu likes to experiment a lot but recently I noticed his selection of supporting actors- this side is not perfect at all. Even in Drishyam 2, lots of characters were misscasted.

Anashwarya is the start of this movie and she stole the show. Lalettan as usual have nicely portrayed his role as a Lawyer.

Society of the Snow (2023)

Should have concluded this early

[4/10 · 20 January 2024]

This movie is based on a true event and the director tries his best to give a good tribute to the original event but sadly he couldn't execute it in a proper manner. The movie starts with a bang but becomes a sleeping pill after one hour. What's the point of going and going on a repeating mode? This has a huge effect on the audience and they just fast forward the movie rather than giving it a complete watch.

The actors were fine in their respective roles and I never knew about this event which happened in the 70s. The cinematography is top-notch.

The director had the option to conclude this film much sooner than its scheduled running time, but instead, chose to extend it, perhaps as an experiment to attract a larger audience and enhance its appeal. Unfortunately, this experiment ultimately proved to be a failure.

.

Philip's (2023)

Simple and positive

[7/10 · 20 January 2024]

I did enjoy this movie. The lead characters were great and the way they portrayed the message was superb. Innocent had an important role to play in the movie and he executed it perfectly. Mollywood is gonna severely miss him.

The film is set in Bangalore. The production design was nice. I enjoyed the good combination of the artists, there was no artificiality anywhere in the movie. It's good to see Noble get a good role. He can be a good actor if he gets some good roles. Even Roshann Mathew had a start like this and he kept on improving after each movie.

The veteran Mukesh also presented his role effortlessly.

The tribute in the end for Innocent was nice. We are gonna miss him for sure.

Kaathal - The Core (2023)

Revolution

[9/10 · 8 January 2024]

What a movie! All credits goes to Mammootty for choosing to play a good role like this. Of course movies like Kaathal speak a lot and there are people who dislike that 'political' side of the story but again it's high time for a movie like this. It's 2023.

The movie is not that legthy and the production design was way too beautiful. All the supporting actors were superb. I believe most of them are appearing on a big screen for the first time, yet they have maintained their exuberance. The actor who played the role of Thankan deserves a speical mention.

Mammootty- what an actor ! We saw him in different roles last year and all those different characters have put an indelible mark on our mind. Kudos!

Three of Us (2022)

"Hey, your eyes are wet"

[9/10 · 4 January 2024]

I don't have words to describe this 100 minute movie. It's a beautiful story crafted with love. The characters in the movie were not acting; they were living inside the screen.

I ask everyone to watch this movie without knowing anything. I read many positve reviews of this movie and lots of spoilers were present in those reviews. I'm sure that this movie is going to be one of the most talked-about movies in town this year.

Shefali Shah was superb in her role and the supporting actors were also great in their respective roles. The screenplay deserves some applause and all the characters, even the names mentioned in the movie is going to stay with you for a very long time. That's the power of the screenplay.

Once again, a big thanks to Netflix for bringing great movies to the audience.

Do give it a watch.

A Ranjith Cinema (2023)

Another dissappointment from Asif Ali

[4/10 · 1 January 2024]

This movie had a good story-line but the execution was super poor and the screenplay was filled with gaps that the director forgot to address or complete. The story is inspired from other movies and you will surely get the other movies(I'm not going into any spoilers here, do give the movie a watch).

It's sad to see Asif Ali going from one box-office bomb to another. He already had lots of disappointments this year but still he goes on to act in subpar movies like this. He is still one of my favourite actors and I hope he will get some good movies in the coming months.

The director could have concluded the movie quite early from the actual running time but he chose to extend it. I did like some parts which were executed well but overall this didn't work well for me. Hard to watch without fast-forwarding.