13. KOOMAN (2022)

 

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Crime/ Investigation Thriller

"Kooman," directed by Jeethu Joseph, adheres to the tried-and-true formula for thriller movies and is consistent with previous work by the director.  In Kooman, we can observe the main character, CPO Giri, a brilliant police officer, meddling with his personal issues. His egotistical attempts to confront those who have taunted him and the difficulties he encounters in doing so forms the main plot of the film. We can see how his desire for vengeance transforms him in the first half of the film into a shady cop who fights to hide the crimes he has committed, reminding us of Georgekutty from Drishyam. But after a significant incident in the second half, Ravi changes, much like Sam Alex did in Memories. Kooman, in my opinion, is a crime/investigation thriller that marries the best elements of Jeethu Joseph's earlier works.

Kooman is without a doubt very entertaining for the majority of the time, but the thrill and excitement it offers is a little uneven. It has all the issues that we have come to expect from Jeethu Joseph films, including almost staged scenes, slack dialogues, and careless use of background performers. And to get things going, Jeethu employs his own version of the tired "tea-shop" cinematic cliché. The big reveal was not very convincing, at least for me, as it points the finger at a group that is already subject to enough stigma. As a result, the movie kind of fizzles in the final act.

Despite these flaws, Kooman is still a respectable thriller; thanks to Jaffar Idukki and Asif Ali's outstanding performances, a screenplay that keeps us entertained and gives us high at regular intervals. Asif once again proves with Kooman what a gem of an actor he is. Additionally, the film deserves praise for proactively addressing a recent social issue that was out of sight during the actual filming (Coincidentally though).

Overall, Kooman is a compelling watch that comes close to hitting the mark and ends up being only a watchable affair.

My opinion-  Watchable