Love Malayalam movies? 25 films to watch from the last 25 years

Kaazcha (2004):

Director Blessy’s masterpiece. Marked by a superlative performance by Mammootty, the movie had an unusual plot. Blessy, who was an assistant director for nearly two decades before making Kaazcha, poured his soul into the film. The story centred around a boy named Pavan who ended up in Kerala after the Gujarat earthquake. Mammootty’s character (Madhavan) meets him on a street. Pavan becomes a part of Madhavan’s family and they forge a close bond. Eventually, the boy has to get back to Gujarat due to the changed circumstances. This one breaks your heart.

Thanmatra (2005):

Director Blessy’s second movie, released just a year after Kaazcha, was an equally brilliant film. Mohanlal gave one of his finest performances in the movie, in which he portrays the character of an Alzheimer patient. It details the emotional trauma such an ailment can bring into a family. Top notch in all departments.

Classmates (2006):

Director Lal Jose’s Classmates was a murder mystery but that wasn’t the reason why it was popular. It was about a bunch of college mates who meet for a reunion after many years. Prithviraj, Indrajith, Naren and Kavya Madhavan were in the cast. After the movie got released, hundreds of reunions happened across Kerala. It was a true trend setter in that regard.

Big B (2007):

Amal Neerad’s directorial debut. A stylised action flick, it rewrote the grammar of Malayalam cinema. Mammootty and all other actors were presented in a manner reminiscent of some of the Hollywood movies, with a lilting background score. It became a reference point for all Malayalam action movies in the subsequent years and Amal Neerad became a household name for bringing the swagger back in Malayalam movies.

Pranchiyettan and the Saint (2010):

Director Ranjith came up with this gem, with Mammootty providing the required acting substance. Pranchi (Mammootty) plays the character of a businessman who has conversations with the St Francis of Assisi. It’s left to the audience to decide whether it’s imaginary or not. Pranchi later became synonymous in Kerala with any rich person trying to ‘buy’ the respect of the society.

Traffic (2011):

Many cinephiles regard Traffic as the start of new age cinema in Malayalam. The Rajesh Pillai directorial rewrote story-telling in Malayalam cinema. A girl is in urgent need of a heart transplant with the only donor many miles away. How a large team combines to beat the traffic to help the heart transplant is the central theme. The story was unique and the presentation even better.

Salt n Pepper (2011):

Director Aashiq Abu shows the world how a small film can make waves, with the right content and expression. Food plays a central theme in the flick. How relationships bond over food forms the core of the movie, with actors like Lal, Shweta Menon and Asif Ali putting up an endearing show.

Ustad Hotel (2012):

Director Anwar Rashid took a seat in the front row of Malayalam movie makers with this movie. Ustad Hotel won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film. Ustad Hotel is marked by legendary actor Thilakan’s brilliant performance as the grandfather who runs a beach side restaurant in Kozhikode. Dulquer fits in neatly as the grandson who harbours ambitions of working abroad as a chef but ends up assisting his grand dad. Great music, crafty story-telling and some ‘Sulaimani’.

Ayalum Njanum Thammil (2012):

A vastly under-rated Lal Jose special. Probably one of Prithviraj’s finest portrayals. The story talks about how an amateur doctor finds his purpose. See it for the superiority of the content and performances. It is deep, touching and memorable.

Amen (2013):

Enter Lijo Jose Pellissery. No amount of explaining can do full justice to the plot, setting and performances in this movie. Amen tells the story of a group of people around an ancient Nasrani Church in Kerala, set in a village called Kumarankary, where everyone is dressed in white. The movie falls into the ambit of magical realism, playing hide and seek between fantasy and spirituality. The movie has an array of interestingly framed characters and they have no resemblance to anything that you may have seen in the past. A visual treat with some great music.

Annayum Rasoolum (2013):

A text book for directors. Mastery by director Rajeev Ravi. The romantic plot absorbs everything that falls around it including the Fort Kochi flavour, social themes, local culture and the tension between various communities. When I met Fahad Faazil in Bangalore during the shoot of 22 Female Kottayam, he said he wanted Rajeev Ravi (who had made a big name for himself as a cinematographer in Bollywood) to enter Malayalam movies as a director. Rajeev stepped in to make this movie and Fahad’s measured performance as a taxi driver leaves an everlasting impression in this romantic drama.

Drishyam (2013):

Director Jeethu Joseph broke into the top league with Drishyam. The first half flows like a usual family drama but takes a sudden turn half way through. The murder mystery is billed as one of the best ever in Malayalam cinema and got remade in multiple languages. Mohanlal excels in his role as the man who hides a family secret right to the very end despite investigative pressure from the police machinery.

Premam (2015):

Alphonse Puthran appears with his spellbinding craft. The OG of modern romantic movies in Malayalam, Premam will always be remembered for how Alphonse wove magic around the character of George David played by Nivin Pauly, bringing together subtle nuances of romance, witty dialogue exchanges, crisp editing and a memorable music score. A total package.

Bangalore Days (2014):

Director Anjali Menon rises to paint the Bangalore dream of Malayalis. A fun ride, the movie is about three cousins who come to Bangalore to discover themselves. Dulquer Salman lived his character as Aju, with Fahad Faazil, Nivin Pauly, Parvathy Thiruvothu and Nazriya Nazim forming an ensemble cast. The movie took Malayalam cinema viewership to other southern Indian states in a big way.

Maheshinte Prathikaram (2016):

‘Pothettan brilliance’ makes its debut. Director Dileesh Pothan lifts Malayalam cinema to a whole new level with a movie which could be placed among the finest ever. Fahad Faazil breathes fire as Mahesh in the movie, bringing to life a unique character. A photographer (Mahesh) finds his life turning for the worse after a group of strangers beats him up in public view. Humiliated, he vows never to wear footwear until he gets his revenge. The detailing in the movie is astonishing and the scenes wholesome and entertaining, culminating in a national award win for Best Feature Film in Malayalam. Syam Pushkaran’s writing abilities seemed to elevate not just this movie, but an entire industry, winning national and state awards for his scintillating screenplay.

Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (2017):

Dileesh Pothan made 2011-20 his decade by coming up with another local subject with universal appeal, just a year after Maheshinte Prathikaram, firmly establishing him as one of the finest directors in the country. Syam Pushkaran supports him here too with this flaming screenplay again, creating a movie with so many layers socially and psychologically. A small-time thief snatches the gold chain of a woman in a bus journey and the incident changes the life of the woman, her husband and the thief played by who else but the supremely gifted Fahad Faazil.

Sudani from Nigeria (2018):

A unique story line about the bond between an African football player who comes to play sevens football in Kerala and a local football club manager in Malappuram. A good example of a hyperlocal theme garnering global appeal, Sudani from Nigeria is a heart-warming rendition of human relationships cutting across geographies. Director Zakariya and lead actor Soubin Shahir can be proud of this one.

Kumbalangi Nights (2019):

A Malayalam movie that was watched pan-India. For people who never watched a Malayalam film before, Kumbalangi Nights was the ticket to a new cinematic world. Director Madhu C Narayanan is yet to make another movie six years after Kumbalangi released and the market is eagerly awaiting his next effort. Fahadh Faazil (as Shammi the complete man!) made his role legendary. The movie turns on its head the concept of what constitutes a good or broken home.

The Great Indian Kitchen (2021):

A movie of high social relevance, the movie directed by Jeo Baby is about a woman who’s chained by her kitchen duties post-marriage. The film created a deep impact and Jeo Baby received rave reviews for his directorial craft. Both Nimisha Sajayan and Suraj Venjaramoodu delivered career defining performances.

Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2022):

Lijo Jose Pellissery teams up with Mammootty. James (Mammootty) wakes up on a bus, believing he is Sundaram, a man who disappeared from his village years ago. The movie isn’t run of the mill and challenges you to watch the details. Pellissery is in his elements and Mammootty produces another memorable performance.

Aattam (2023):

Anand Ekarshi’s film is a classic in its own right. Mounted on a shoe string budget, this lesser-known movie is about how human behaviour varies conveniently depending on the circumstances. The movie, with sexual harassment as the central theme, exposes how people change in a private setting as opposed to a group environment. Aattam deservingly won the prize for Best Feature Film at the National Film Awards.

Manjummel Boys (2024):

Written and directed by Chidambaram, the film is based on a real-life incident that happened in Guna Caves in 2006. The director is in top form in this thriller and so is Sushin Shyam, the music director. It emerged as the first film in Malayalam cinema to earn more than ₹200 crore in the box office.

Kishkinda Kandam (2024):

Director Dinjith Ayyathan and screen writer Bahul Ramesh light up the silver screen. The plot is about a series of strange events that unfold in a monkey-inhabited village. A newly wedded couple and a team of forest officers set out to unravel the mystery. The climax is one of the best ever sequences in Malayalam cinema.

Ponman (2025):

A stellar performance by Basil Joseph is the highlight of this directorial debut by Jyothish Shankar. Dowry is the central theme of the movie, shot extensively around the scenic spots in Kollam. Ajesh (Basil Joseph), is a jewellery lender and a cut throat character, but as the movie moves forward his role becomes endearing to the audience. The movie doesn’t seem to judge any of the characters, all of whom have shades of grey.

Eko (2025):

Dinjith and Bahul combine again to create some more cinematic magic. The search is on for an enigmatic dog breeder, revealing a dark spell of secrets. Written and brilliantly cinematographed by Bahul, the movie has the mettle to win hearts globally. Dinjith extracts outstanding performances from almost all the actors. The movie is mysterious, wonderfully intelligent and the director-writer duo makes no attempt to spoon feed the audience at any stage. The Sandeep Pradeep starrer is out on Netflix starting December 31.