Malayalam films from the first half of 2025 that deserve more attention
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Popular actor Tovino Thomas rang in the New Year for Malayalam cinema with Identity, the first major release of 2025. A sketch artist, a cop and an eyewitness of a crime form the crux of the story as they try to trace the identity of the killer. But the narrative holds many surprises and twists along with the way that looked a tad too much by the end. But the director duo of Akhil Paul and Anas Khan should be appreciated for the technically sound film, which is powered by some slick action sequences, a thrilling car chase and sharp performances. Trisha Krishnan and Vinay Rai, who are both predominantly Tamil actors, play key roles in the film. Pravinkoodu Shappu
Malayalam actor-filmmaker Basil Joseph turned a cop for Pravinkoodu Shappu. A grim toddy shop is at the centre of this film. Its owner is found dead in the middle of the shop one night, with all those present at the toddy shop becoming suspects. Watch out for how Basil Joseph's CI Santhosh cracks cases, purely based on wit and deductions without resorting to violent ways. Soubin Shahir, Chemban Vinod Jose, and Chandini Sreedharan play other key roles in the film. Daveed
Malayalam actor Antony Varghese, popularly known as Pepe to his fans, stars as Aashiq Abu in Daveed. When one of his gigs as a bouncer goes wrong, Aashiq Abu finds that he has to take on an international boxing champ in the ring. The action-packed movie also gives space for Abu's family, and his lovely interactions with his daughter. Lijomol Jose and Vijayaraghavan play other key roles in Daveed, which is helmed by filmmaker Govind Vishnu. Maranamass
Another Basil Joseph-starrer but the one that sees him on the other side of the law. He plays Luke PP, the Gen Z brat, who is causing quite a lot of trouble to his townspeople. So, when a serial killer is feared to be among them, they suspect Luke to be the criminal. And as fate would have it, Luke boards a bus with a serial killer, a corpse, and his former girlfriend, setting the stage for an intriguing ride. The situational comedy and the quirky characters drive this film, which deserves to be watched at least once.
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