Kadaseela Biriyani

Nishanth Kalidindi's 2021 Tamil film follows brothers plotting revenge after their father's killing. The youngest wants a quiet life; his older brothers talk him into the plan. The film tells its revenge through incompetence. The brothers' plan is full of errors from beginning to end; the narrative keeps the violence in a place both comic and frightening and lets no one become expert at it. The budget is low and the cast largely unknown. The editing is fragmentary, the dialogue in local speech and the tone dry; the film stands outside the usual narrative pattern of Tamil cinema. Who it's for: those who like independent Tamil films and black comedy. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a driven crime narrative; the film moves slowly and offers no resolution.