Kuttram 23

Arivazhagan Venkatachalam's 2017 Tamil film begins with the disappearance of a pregnant woman. The officer assigned to the case finds it has a personal dimension, and the investigation opens onto a network of medical crime. At the centre is the idea of abuse within fertility clinics. That subject is rarely handled in Tamil thrillers and the script constructs it in detail, though some of the medical explanation is simplified to keep the story moving. Arun Vijay leads, and the physical action supplies the film's commercial side. The narrative holds the pace of the investigation well in the first half; in the second, as personal revenge comes forward, the tension drops. Who it's for: those who enjoy Tamil detective thrillers. Who it's not for: viewers who care about accuracy in the medical detail; the film keeps its scientific ground loose and moves fast.