34. KANNUR SQUAD (2023)
Language: Malayalam Genre: Crime/ Investigation Whether to approach a police procedural realistically or in a more cinematic manner is a constant quandary for any filmmaker making a film about the subject. With his first feature film "Kannur Squad," director Roby Varghese Raj appears to have solved this conundrum by devising a formula that blends the mass-appealing mainstream style with the rustic quality of realistic drama. The filmmaker dedicates nearly half of the first act to establishing the world of ASI George and his team, the Kannur Squad. The film takes its time introducing the characters by showcasing their attempts to solve a crime that has no bearing on the main plot. The majority of the time, the overall flow of the film is impacted when a substantial portion of it is not connected to the rest of the main plot. In contrast, it was a wise decision in the Kannur Squad case, as the director introduced each character and their internal conflict in the first case, a...
