Sruthi Ganapathy Raman
In one of most adorable depictions of courtships I’ve seen all this year, a no-filter Mohan (played by the phenomenal Manikandan), between mouthfuls of chicken puff, buys his crush a bun butter jam.
Vinayak’s screenplay makes sure to linger on every single character in the film — from Anu’s adorable landlords (Balaji Sakthivel plays one half of a dreamy older couple) to the repulsive IT bossman (Bucks), pausing to show us all their quirks and daily routines that lends itself to being a truly fresh addition to the genre.
Good Night is also a superb rumination on the law of attractions. Mohan, as earlier established, has zero filters, and wears his heart on his sleeves – this means that the tears flow as easily as silly anger. Anu, on the other hand, is asocial, and is happy living in her isolated world for a reason.
The film goes down a predictable path in the second half, milking Mohan’s snores for tears, leaving the laughs behind. Manikandan, as usual, excels as the vulnerable nice-guy husband, who goes beyond his limits to tackle his “bedroom” problems.
He might be a big ol’ crier, but the scene which has him explain the gnawing awkwardness of living with an embarrassing inconvenience, is heartrendingly performed. Even in places where the snores are stretched a little too thin for dramatic effect, Manikandan pulls us back in with the kind of warmth that closely resembles the steaming pot of biryani that brings the household together with a gushing smile.