Anomie

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Tennyson

“Anomie” with Bhavana and Rahman in the lead, is the latest serial killer crime thriller movie with science fiction additions, not common in this part of the world. It marks a fine beginning to the new year, with such innovations leading the way.

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What is the movie about? :: Zaara Philip (Bhavana) is forensic expert who helps the police in their investigations, but has a personal trauma that has kept haunting her, and even made her brother Ziaan Philip (Shebin Benson) psychologically disturbed and feeling suicidal. The death of their parents, which was caused during a celebration while traveling in a car, has been one incident for which Ziaan never really forgave himself. Zaara tries her best to cheer Zian, and provides him psychiatric support through a doctor that she knows. Zian looks better, with his life with a pet cat and the small group of friends who help him. His apartment is also set for his comfort. But things change when he goes missing all of a sudden, that too after a comfortable sitting with his psychologist. He was going to meet up with his sister, and then he was not to be found. Zaara quickly calls his best friend and romantic interest Alby Thomas (Arjun Lal), who finds out that Ziaan was last seen in his friend’s pet shop.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Soon, Ziaan’s corpse is found at the same area where his parents died, and people attach this death to grief and resulting suicide. This sends Zaara into further grief, much to the dismay of Alby. The case is handled by Muhammed Jibran (Rahman), Assistant Commissioner of Police, who goes on a hurry to close to case a suicide, just like a recent case, as attempts at suicide have already been made by these victims. But Zaara decides to seek answers independently, as she is sure that her brother would not commit suicide at this point, as he is a lot past that – the same was revealed by his psychiatrist too. Her independent investigation with the support of Alby leads to the understanding that this is no normal case, and much more is behind all of these. There are too many similarities in the previous suicide and this one, despite having no connection between them. Soon, another suicide occurs, and the same procedure seems to be followed. This time, it is a lady teacher who is found dead in a car inside a garage, and she also had a history of mental illness and used to show suicidal tendencies.

And what more is to follow in this world of chaos and deaths that follow? :: Zaara files a complaint and soon, the police are asked to act as soon as possible by the court. Jibran understands the seriousness of the situation, and decides to rise above his past troubles to solve this case. He had kept himself away from such situations before, but not anymore. This particular situation seems more of an emergency than ever, as more victims might have been there, and many more could follow if the serial killer is not stopped in time. Soon, another boy who had posted about death in social media is kidnapped, and Jibran has a lead in the form of Prasad Eashwar (Vishnu Agasthya), who had collected details of psychiatric patients, and is a drug dealer himself. But Zaara takes another path which leads her to a former medical student, Jinsy Paul (Drishya Raghunath) who had died in mysterious circumstances. Now, they question remains how all of these are going to converge as each lead seems relevant.

The defence of Anomie: The Equation of Death :: Here is one crime thriller that has the suspense and twists – with interval punch that changes the mood, as we have the possible suicide to a serial killer leading to unexpected ending. The addition of science fiction elements all of a sudden also changes the mood further. This is surely one of those movies which I would categorize as Ranam-esque – quality written all over it with the feeling of that Prithviraj starrer which was above the usual level, no matter how people accepted it – there is the feeling of emptiness, damaged characters, slow and inevitable violence even though not always shown on screen, with the realization that something bad always going to happen – isolation, numbness, suppressed anger, moral greyness, all getting a role to play. The final shootout has the looks which seems to elevate the budget of the movie itself. Then when more revelations come, there is also the support of some grand visuals which makes a spectacle out of a movie which seemed to start with such low ambitions. It is also a reminder that science can be infinitely evil in its core.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does leave some of its emotions back in the first half, as the mystery takes more of a hold. The emotional depth losses the hold and by the end, we are more wondering about morally grey science fiction elements. The main characters talk too less to each other as the deviations seem to take them apart. As the serial killers are a different kind of psychopaths, the dark side never really gets to be that scary in end. The movie seems to lack the hype that it had deserved, and for the same, do not have that many screens to help its run. The slow beginnings of the movie might not please everyone and the movie seems a little too long for this content. Without that much focus on the same thing again and again, the overall length could have been reduced. The philosophical elements could have also been further explored. In between, there are moments which seemed to be created to make things more convenient and some consistency is lost in the process. The ending could have also meant more.

The performers of the soul :: Bhavana leads the way and excels in the emotional sequences. A lot of this movie had to depend on her and the feelings of the sister character more than the forensic expert and investigator in her. The same has been achieved with ease. This return from her feels like something which that suits her, and to the same, she has done justice. Rahman manages to do the same from another angle, and he also goes through the emotional side well, even though getting some mass in there felt irrelevant, as a flawed cop like that of Memories was better for the situation and the overall mood of the movie. Then we see how he pulls this one off effortlessly, and that requires further mention. Arjun Lal has changed quite a lot from how we had seen him before, and blends in really well. Shebin Benson is really good with the brother elements. Vishnu Agasthya, after that fiery villain of RDX, makes a different appearance with negative shades. Drishya Raghunath’s avatar comes as a big surprise, and in a role in which we would not recognize her, manages to make a long impact in short time. Binu Pappu does his job with ease.

How it finishes :: Anomie does not feel like being present in that many theatres, but the innovation and the science fiction twist make it something beyond the usual investigative thrillers with serial killers all around. There is also the strong aesthetics, and even though slow at times with possibility of a shorter movie with this content, there is that effective narrative, which moves well to the multiple-twisted ending. We had seen superheroes doing well coming out of nowhere with Minnal Murali and that cinematic universe of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, but science fiction is a tricky thing to add in Malayalam cinema, but this one has made the scope big and added the same well. It surely has more than what meets the eye, and so is an interesting watch, and I would suggest that you give it a try, as divergence and attempt to create something out of the box requires all the attention. It might still not be a movie for everyone, but we know that there is more than one kind of audience to which this particular flick can cater. A deviation from the usual and a different treatment in the beginning of the year itself – 2026 is surely going to bring a lot more for us, as this is unlike Anjaam Pathiraa and Paappan which lost its way into random revenge and stays focused.

Release date: 6th February 2026
Running time: 135 minutes
Directed by: Riyas Marath
Starring: Rahman, Bhavana, Binu Pappu, Arjun Lal, Shebin Benson, Vishnu Agasthya, Drishya Raghunath

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@ Cemetery Watch
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Memories

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Tennyson

Memories enter this week of Malayalam movie overdose fighting for a place with four movies, all of them creating bigger hype than this one. This movie had more of a release of silence compared to what Kadal Kadannu Oru Mathukutty, Neelaakasam Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi and Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum have been coming up with. All three of them were much awaited, but this movie was not that much of a subject during those talks. But it is that type of silence that grows on you, and makes an impact. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tse had said, “Silence is a source of great strength”. Remember the quote by Aldous Huxley, “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music” – now there comes the continuity of the movie connecting with the silence, for there is that background score as well as the music with which the movie begins, before going deep into the silence and breaking it again, powering itself from its slowness to the incredible strength and agility that it possesses within. The movie is a little silent dynamite which shows its signs of efficiency in the beginning itself, and explodes to bring out its best in the second half.

Jeethu Joseph had given us Detective – one of the best investigative thrillers in Malayalam, Mummy & Me – the movie which could change lives in a good way, and the big laugh riot which was My Boss. The same director has given us another treat in the form of Memories, and in the process, he might have provided us with the best of Eid. The movie goes through life of a police officer (as they say, an episode in the life of a cop), and brings that world to the audience. Sam Alex (Prithviraj Sukumaran) gets through the credit scenes supported by great background music, and stylish action before we come to the scene three years later when he is addicted to alcohol and walking around aimlessly, stretching from the bars to the beginning of the long beverages queues. He has memories of his wife and daughter who were murdered by a terrorist as a revenge for him killing his gangster brother in an encounter. He keeps himself to perpetual damnation on Earth, feeling that he and his police department are responsible for their death. He resorts to alcohol and moments of lazy depression to keep himself away from the world of the common man, drinking so much that he can hardly walk until he falls. The memories wake him up, and to keep them away, he drinks again, a procedure which would seem to last for eternity.

Meanwhile, his brother leaves the house and his mother is left worried due to his drinking habits. Meanwhile, a senior officer comes home and invites the former efficient cop to investigate the case of a possible serial killer on the loose. Even as Sam disagrees first, his mother convinces him to go through it. In doing so, he is assisted by a journalist Varsha Mathews (Mia George) and Inspector Antony (Sreejith Ravi). He investigates about the two murders, and at the same time, a third murder takes place. He has to deal with his own alcoholism along with the memories of the death of his beloved ones, which keep flashing into his mind. He fails to keep them away, as they continues to haunt them along with his love for alcohol, but the man makes great turning points in the case right from the beginning itself. As the murderer captures his victims who look very much as if they are not connected to each other, and tortures them to death, the time is running out for the police force. There is brilliance on both sides, and there remains the question if the hand of the law or the unknown force of evil wins the clash of the titans. As this is an investigative thriller leaning on the suspense factor, anything more might deal a spoiler blow. Meanwhile, look out for Christian imagery and symbolism, that’s all I can say for now.

Prithviraj Sukumaran has had a great time since Ayalum Njanum Thammil. This year he came up with a great performance in what was undoubtedly the best movie of the year – Celluloid. While his Mumbai Police had much critical acclaim, his Bollywood movie Aurangzeb was a movie with a difference and reflected that effort which he has been putting into his job. If the questions are asked if this character is like Mumbai Police‘s Antony Moses, the answer would be a clear no. Sam Alex is clearly superior to Antony Moses, who was an empty shell which was filled only to the disappointment of the viewers. But Sam Alex is a near-perfect dynamic character, more like that Solomon whom Prithviraj portrayed in Vargam. There are not many characters who would seem to exhibit such pain as this one, even as there could be doubts if there is so much of it that the dosage could be decreased. Our protagonist never goes the wrong way, even as he doesn’t go the right path. It has been the right path for our leading actor who had not that effective police roles in The Thriller, Police, Sathyam and Khakhee. Aurangzeb, Mumbai Police and now Memories have brought to us the one man who makes an excellent police officer on screen.

Prithviraj is brilliant right from the beginning. He undergoes that transformation in a grand style, and here is that character which sheds all the power and is left with just intelligence and vulnerability. This is that type of role which brings instant likable element to the character. He is not that police officer who comes out and beats fourty or fifty people up in slow motion, and even makes them falls kilometres apart. The age of such a superhero policeman is over for sure, and what we have here is a more genuine version, and hundred percent better than the one we saw in Mumbai Police. Here, we have a protagonist who can’t shoot down one man, nor can he chase him down. In another parallel world created by the much earlier movies, the hero would have been so untouchable that one gets to be sure about how the world inside the movie is supposed to go on. In such a perfect world, there is no real scope for suspense, even as a few drops can be added according to the availability of some rather less important characters to be murdered. This is not your perfect world of superhero, as the perfection here belongs to Prithviraj, and as a whole, it belongs to our director. Nobody defies gravity and takes the form of flying mutant humans or throws the normality away.

There are the others who add to this normality in the right and the most appropriate manner. The villain is the best of the other guys for sure. Even as the shadow of doubt falls on many people from doctors to policemen, the real killer, the psychopath who is placed against the cop in a game of cat and mouse happens to be a man totally unexpected. Revealing the man would be a cruel thing right now, and I shall control myself from doing the same. But this villain is an excellent choice, as he becomes that psychopath murder who makes a striking impact on the viewers. There was the need for such a villain in Malayalam movies, coming out nowhere to strike with the element of fear and uncertainty. Meghana Raj has a striking effect in the memories, even as she doesn’t really exist during the current timeline displayed in the movie. Mia George’s character has an influential existence throughout the movie, but not that much of a presence on the screen. The veterans Vijayaraghavan and Nedumudi Venu adds to the value of the movie with their usual creative performances as the concerned superior police officer and the caring parish priest. Suresh Krishna is also there with his usual best.

The movie’s surely has a slow first half, but it still remains faster than many other appreciated bad movies like Annayum Rasoolum on any day. The ambience it creates, rules this little world of memories. When Prithviraj walks away right here with his head held high, there is a lot of claps from the audience and Memories is a beautiful, successful experience. It is the result of how well this canvas has been set, and how much mastery can be associated with the protagonist’s depiction. We had the cop age in movies during the time of Suresh Gopi, and this might be a resurrection in a different manner. There was the need for the memories to stay strong to make that inception into our minds, and there has been such a thing indeed. There is a certain amount of neatness maintained throughout, even though some computer imagery used was rather unnecessary. It was good to watch a houseful show in the local theatres on a weekday in the morning, something which has rarely happened. The necessity for a very good thrilling atmosphere has been realized, and one has to thank Jeethu Joseph and Prithviraj Sukumaran for this wonderful piece of art which has come this way.

Release date: 9th August 2013
Running time: 140 minutes (estimate)
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Mia George, Meghana Raj, Vijayaraghavan, Rahul Madhav, Suresh Krishna, Sreejith Ravi, Nedumudi Venu, Praveena, Madhupal, Irshad