Thalavan

Jis Joy's 2024 Malayalam thriller drops the feud between two officers at the same station into the middle of a murder investigation. Circle Inspector Jayashankar and his junior Karthik already cannot stand each other when a body is found at Jayashankar's house and he becomes the prime suspect. The officer assigned to investigate is Karthik. The film is about a system in which who gathers the evidence determines the outcome as much as how it is gathered: personal grudges, rank and reputation work their way into every step. The tension between Biju Menon and Asif Ali is the engine. It approaches the police corruption theme Malayalam cinema keeps returning to by narrowing it down to a single relationship. Who it's for: viewers who like Malayalam procedurals and investigations that build slowly. Who it's not for: anyone wanting an action-led police film or a quick resolution.