Top Malayalam Movies of 2023 | nowrunning (2024)

'Kirkkan' is an oddly-narrated investigative thriller about the death of a girl unraveling a social issue. Amid the familiarity of the premise, the bizarre treatment enables the film to sustain its engaging status. Read Review

Jude Anthany Joseph and his team of technicians transcend the genre with a disaster film told with great finesse. Read Review

'Kannur Squad' stands out as one of the well-crafted investigative thrillers, impressing with its tight screenplay and compelling performances, although cinematic heroics occasionally intervene to drive the plot forward. Read Review

Jeo Baby-directed film turns over a new leaf by depicting sexuality and its aftermath in one's family life. With its simplicity in narration and elegance in treatment, the film needles an astounding and effective emotional revelation while unfolding the mental trauma of a couple. Read Review

In the face of a menacing group of thugs, two brothers and their friend unite to defend their family, resulting in the adrenaline-fueled spectacle of 'RDX.' This film is a thrilling blend of action-packed sequences and heartfelt emotions. Read Review

A subtle tale about fissures in family relationships, 'Falimy' is a thematically-relevant and delightful comedy drama. Natural performances and engaging narration save the latter part when shades of hiccups crop up. Read Review

Director Thamar strikes narrative gold in his first full-length feature film, about how married couples keep skeletons in their closet. Read Review

In a surrealistic premise with relatable events, this film explores ordinary lives snuffed out by the vicious hands of injustice and fascism. The grave plot has been aesthetically spread out to depict the mayhem in modern social life. Read Review

"Romancham" (goosebumps) is a film so funny that it will have you rolling on the floor, laughing. It is an incomplete film, or a prequel, that works mainly based on moments of sheer improvisation. Perhaps Romancham II will give us the goosebumps that the title promises. Read Review

Inspired by the real life story of Sr. Rani Maria, the film depicts the tale of a feisty nun who sacrificed her life for the empowerment of the downtrodden folk especially for women in North India. Though a tad melodramatic in its narration, this tale of a selfless nun is poignant and impressive. Read Review

In Thankam, director Saheed Arafath and writer Syam Pushkaran offer an engaging police procedural that plays out as an investigation film. The movie is about the ins and outs of gold dealing in Thrissur. What works best here is the authenticity in the treatment of its characters. Read Review

'Neru' relates the legal battle of a blind rape victim and her family for justice. Despite the limitations in the plot, the intriguing moments of the trial are intact, which makes this courtroom drama engaging. Read Review

The writing in Iratta is a mixed bag, but the acting and plot are so good that the film is consistently fascinating. There is a big twist in the plot and an even better piece of narration that give a new dimension to the twin characters and the title of the film. Read Review

'Garudan' excels in creating a gripping and engaging environment, with plenty of thrilling moments. Read Review

The makers of Jackson Bazaar Youth take a refreshingly novel approach to telling a familiar story. They recognize that law enforcement is all too powerful for a gang of oppressed men. At some point, we expect all hell to break loose, but things do not always pan out as we expect. Read Review

Purusha Pretham makes fun of the notion that cops are brave and masculine. It often works as a tight slap on male ego, while reminding us that cops can be emotional fools. The writers recognize this and use humor to deliver the film's big ideas. Read Review

'Madanolsavam' is not as sure-footed as a political satire as it is as a piece of situational comedy. But the comedy is so good that it alone makes up for the minor flaws of the film. The laughs come at breakneck speed, and the actors have incredible comic timing. Read Review

For a Priyadarshan film, Corona Papers is very intense. Despite some plot holes and contrivances, the movie works as Priyadarshan never allows the pace to dip a lot and draws some strong performances, especially from the likes of Siddique. Read Review

'Thaal' is a campus love story of two psychology students and their efforts to make the relationship afloat. Starting off as a run-of-the-mill campus tale, the film subtly rises to a delightfully touching terrain owing to a deftly written script. Read Review

It is refreshing to see a film where people are OK about their loved ones meeting their exes. Some movies may use this scenario to create some sort of domestic tension, but Pranaya Vilasam veers more towards the feel-good category. Read Review