Top Malayalam Movies of 2022 | nowrunning (2024)

Hridayam is further evidence that there is more to Vineeth Sreenivasan than just a one-trick pony. The directorial voice shines through Hridayam, a musical about loving and learning to let the past go. Read Review

You cannot look away from what the makers say in Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey. It is admirable how they narrate this toxic marriage story. It is not often that you burst out laughing while watching a film like this. Read Review

Like most satires, Nna Thaan Case Kodu ridicules the machinery of government. The movie takes a few cinematic liberties but packs a punch in terms of the satirical elements. It also has some terrific performances. Read Review

Lijo Jose Pellissery's Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam is a film so brilliant and bizarre that it is best enjoyed if you submit to it. In this film about dual identities, the characters and even the audience make a detour to a world that is mysterious. Read Review

Some fight to avenge somebody, and others fight for money. The characters in Khalid Rahman's Thallumaala fight mainly to let out their feelings. It is a bizarre, experimental movie that works mostly for the treatment. Read Review

Salute is not a standard whodunit as there is more emphasis on truth and justice than the identity of the killer. The killer may be any person, but the focus here is on the moral predicament of the cop. Read Review

Bro Daddy on Disney+ Hotstar is not the same showreel for director Prithviraj Sukumaran as his previous movie - Lucifer. It is a situational comedy with some laughs for the audience. While the movie has numerous cliches, Prithviraj's direction keeps it engaging. Read Review

Kooman makes a strong case for Jeethu Joseph's craft as a filmmaker. Good, solid acting, a terrific plot, and Jeethu Joseph's signature twists all add up to a compelling thriller. Read Review

Appan is a compelling exploration of toxic masculinity. It is not an easy film to watch, though. The film is often a bit solemn and somber, but it is engaging throughout thanks to the performances. Read Review

Rorschach is an unusual Malayalam thriller. This oddity applies to everything from the title to the visual grammar of the film. Some may call it genre-bending for its subversive twists and turns. Read Review

There is no major drama in Saudi Vellakka, a moving film about the judicial system that takes its sweet time to arrive at a conclusion over a lawsuit. Director Tharun Moorthy shows how this long-drawn-out procedure and the passage of time affect the parties concerned. Read Review

Jo and Jo has a great sense of how teenagers talk. It is a simple, small film about petty fights between a brother and sister that escalate into a bigger problem. It does not have much conflict but has relatable and engaging content. Read Review

The movie is more of a confrontation between misinformation, half-truth and truth. It also works as a deep dive into our collective consciousness. Read Review

Writer-Director Kamal KM's Pada works as a potent call to action on the marginalization of tribals in Kerala. Pada may be a procedural, but it sometimes has the look and feel of a thriller like Nayattu. It is a provocative and entertaining film. Read Review

This film is a dark comedy and the celebration of a psychopath. Vineeth Sreenivasan uses his voice to express his thoughts with a scary sense of callousness. His spiteful little jokes about humanity are equal parts funny and scary. Read Review

Vichithram has themes with hidden implications, like caged rabbits and a butterfly in a glass. Writers Vineeth Jose and Nikhil Raveendran cleverly work these themes into the script, while the background music and visual film-making add to the eerie atmospherics of the film. Read Review

Pathonpatham Noottandu is engaging and entertaining, which tells you a lot about its quality, especially when period dramas fall short. Starring Siju Wilson in a breakthrough role, the movie tells the story of the oppressed class in ancient Travancore. Read Review

Kuttavum Shikshayum is a realistic police procedural drama about a group of cops who go to North India to catch some jewelry store thieves. Rajeev Ravi, his cinematographer Suresh Rajan as well as writers Sibi Thomas and Sreejith Divakaran make the audience walk the same path as these officers. Read Review