Team FC
For a film that moves at breakneck speed, Kaithi is a case study in careful, deliberate plot construction. The film patiently unfurls one detail after another in its setup, gradually raising the stakes before exploding into a full-blown action bonanza. Set throughout one night, the thriller follows the story of Dilli (Karthi), an ex-convict who plans to meet his daughter for the first time after leaving prison.
A largely faithful remake of A Wednesday (2008), Unnaipol Oruvan deserves to be watched for the powerhouse performances of Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal. There is a vice-like grip felt while watching the two thespians engage in a game of one-upmanship, and its only helped by the fact that the source material that they are working with is rock-solid.
Yet another Kamal Haasan flick, Thoongavanam is an adaptation of the French film Sleepless Night (2011). The film follows the story of NCB officer CK Diwakar (Kamal Haasan) whose son Vasu is held to ransom by drug lord Vittal Rao (Prakash Raj).
Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s directorial debut has acquired a status of mythic proportions and a badge of honour among cinephiles as the ‘first ever neo- noir film’ in Tamil cinema.
Some films are a snapshot in time that deserve to be watched for being a reminder of an era long gone by. 24 Mani Neram is one such film. The plot is simple: Raj (Mohan) vows to avenge the murder of his wife by killing billionaire Ramarathinam (Sathyaraj), who raped her, within the time frame of 24 hours.
Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum is a standout in director Mysskin’s filmography, the best representation of the auteur’s idiosyncrasies command over the craft of filmmaking. The movie is an exploration of the inherent dichotomy of human nature and delves deeply into how our own perception of morality can be distorted by the society we inhabit.
Alphonse Putheren’s directorial debut Neram uses the limited timeframe to ooze out tension while balancing it with quirky humour. The film never takes itself seriously, which is perhaps why one has so much fun while watching it.
Inspired by London to Brighton (2006), Vidiyum Munn follows the story of a sex worker Pooja (Rekha) who protects a 12 year old Nandini (Malavika) from falling into the life of prostitution. However, both of them are on the run as they are chased by four different men who wish to hunt them down for different reasons.
Vizhithiru deserves a place on this list purely for being an earnest attempt at being a hyperlink thriller that unravels in one night. Strangers from different walks of life with various motives cross paths in an unexpected situation in this film.
What does it take for the paths of completely unrelated strangers to converge, altering each of their lives completely? Chennayil Oru Naal is the kind of film that makes one marvel at the various coincidences and chance encounters that we experience on a day-to-day basis in our lives, and how each of these moments inadvertently leave a lasting impression on us, shaping who we are.