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Tamil cinema has no dearth of riveting thrillers that have managed to keep viewers on the edge of their seat. And these thrillers come in many shapes and forms – whether it is adrenaline-heavy drama, a smart heist romp or modern horror. Here is a list of 12 such intriguing Tamil thrillers that you can stream on Disney Plus Hotstar.
An underappreciated and overlooked gem, A.G Amid’s Rajathandiram is one of the finest heist thrillers made in Tamil cinema. The film follows the story of three small-time conmen, Arjun (Veera), Austin (Darbuka Siva), and Deva (Ajai Prashanth), who take up the offer to rob one of the largest jewellery stores in the city. However, the police and jewellery shop owner Kanchi Azghappan (Pattiyal K. Shekhar) become aware of the trio’s plan, threatening to thwart it.
Most heist films leave the viewers contemplating ‘how’ the conmen will execute their Machiavellian plans. Rajathandiram is one of the rare films in the heist genre that flips this expectation on its head. It is this unique premise and tone that lends tension and a gripping sense of urgency to the proceedings in the film. Despite being made on a small budget, Rajathandiram is technically brilliant in its filmmaking: the cinematography by Kathir, the sound design, and the music by Sandeep Chowda make the film a realistic yet captivating addition to the list.
While H. Vinoth's heist thriller Thunivu did rake in enormous money at the box office, emerging as one of the biggest hits of the year, nothing can quite top the director's debut Sathuranga Vettai as the gold standard for theft dramas in Tamil cinema. Inspired by true events, Sathuranga Vettai follows the exploits of Gandhi Babu (Natarajan Subramaniam), who pulls off high-profile scams. What happens after he gets arrested by the police and ambushed by his victims forms the rest of the plot. It is hard to find a Tamil film that explores such topics in an immersive and extensive fashion with a mix of humour and drama.
The joy of watching Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s films, particularly his directorial debut Aaranya Kandam stems from witnessing how a deceptively simple premise of wild, chaotic events occurring to amoral people soon unfolds into a philosophical commentary on human nature, shaking the foundations of the belief systems that we take for granted.
The film follows the story of Singaperumal (Jackie Shroff), an ageing don who is fading into insignificance as he tries to outwit his arch nemesis Gajendran with an ingenious plan. Complicating matters, his mistress Subbu (Yasmin Ponappa), tired of the abuse dealt by Singuperamal, decides to run away with his right-hand man Sappai (Ravi Krishna). Much like the director's subsequent film Super Deluxe (set over a day and a half), the film's biggest feat is how it explores a wide array of profound issues through a tight 24-hour narrative framework.
Some thriller films unravel like a domino effect, with deliberate plot construction and patient setup leading to an exhilarating payoff. Tamizhuku En Ondrai Azhuthavam is the perfect example of a film that fits this category. While the film may not be the best ticking time clock thriller out there, it still boasts of a novel premise and interconnected storylines that make it an exciting watch. The film follows the tale of Vasanth, a science geek who is faced with a conundrum of whether to restore the mobile networks of the city that are down due to a solar flare. If he does succeed, a terrorist will activate a bomb planted in a taxi.
While the execution of Lift does not quite match up to its lofty ambitions, the film deserves a spot on the list solely due to its unique premise and genuine attempt at being a true-blue survival thriller in Tamil cinema. The setup of the film may feel ordinary, as we are introduced to the soul-sucking corporate culture at an office in Chennai. An ambitious Guru (Kavin) can do no wrong, as he works round the clock to ensure targets are met. Its when the film enters the zone of horror that it becomes truly engaging. Both Guru and Harini (Amritha Iyer), a HR manager are trapped in the building, with the office lift being their only option to escape.
Set over the course of one fateful night, Onaayum Aatukuttiyum follows the life of Chandru (Sri), a medical student who saves an injured man stranded on a deserted road. All hell breaks loose when the man escapes and is revealed to be the ‘Wolf’ (Mysskin), a fugitive on the run from the police. The film is a standout in Mysskin’s filmography: arguably his most self-indulgent yet wholly inventive and original work.
The most hard-hitting and raw film on the list, Balaji Sakthivel’s Vazhakku En 18/9, is a work of gut-wrenching power that straddles the genres of an investigative thriller and a social drama effortlessly. The film follows the tale of two adolescent boys and girls from different strata of society and how chaos ensues in their lives when one of the boys decides to leak a private video of his girlfriend. Despite being made over a decade ago, the film is undeniably relevant and brilliant in conveying the dangers of technology and the impudence of youth.
Some films featured on the list transcend their genres as thrillers, evolving into broader explorations of philosophical and moral concerns. Unlike them, Netrikann is a routine genre piece, but to its credit, the film is very well executed and boasts convincing performances that make it enjoyable. Lady Superstar Nayantara is brilliant as a blind woman on the trail of a dangerous serial killer while also being one of his potential victims. A remake of the Korean film Blind, Netrikann may not retain the original's dark and unhinged tonality, but it succeeds primarily due to a well-fleshed-out female protagonist.
Yutham Sei is a film that encapsulates Mysskin’s duality as a filmmaker: ambitious and utterly unique while still paying a hat tip to some of the greatest pioneers in film history (Kurosawa and Bresson). Yutham Sei is not among his strongest work, with a brilliantly plotted first half giving way to an inconsistent and rushed second half. The film follows the story of J Krishnamurthy (Cheran), a cop who wants to search for his missing sister but is forced to take up a case against his wishes. Despite its shortcomings, Yutham Sei still works as a great entry-level film for those wanting to be introduced to the maverick filmmaker's world.
The content of 8 Thotakkal is inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog, but its style is a lot closer to Mysskin’s filmography. Sri Ganesh, who earlier assisted Mysskin on Yutham Sei, crafts an engaging thriller that follows the beats of a templated crime procedural that soon turns into a contemplation on life.
Of all the crime thrillers featured in the list, Thegidi is the only one that evokes the look and feel of a conspiracy movie. Vettri (Ashok Selvan), a young detective finds himself embroiled in a large scheme after the suspects whom he is assigned to spy on, die in quick succession. Very much like Vazhakku En 18/9, Thegidi is an incredibly realistic film that does not shy away or sugar-coat its content just to cater to an expansive audience.
On the surface, the film is a gritty, realistic thriller, yet it almost serves as an allegory for the wish-fulfillment, escapist fantasy-like quality that cinema possesses. The conceptualization of the film is brilliant: an insomniac working as an usher in a movie theatre encounters a drug named Lucia, something he perceives to be the solution to all his problems. In his dreams, the depressed, burdened Vicky is transformed into a larger-than-life superstar Vignesh. Siddharth captures the duality of both characters brilliantly. As the lines between dreams and reality blur, things take a turn for the chaotic, making this film an incredibly riveting watch.