'Manjummel Boys' Movie Review

'Manjummel Boys' Movie Review

Cast: Shoubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese, Ganapathy and others.

Music: Sushin Shyam

Cinematography: Shyju Khalidh

Producer: Babu Shahir, Soubin Shahir and Shawn Antony

Writer - Director: Chidambaram

'Manjummel Boys' is one film that became an industry hit in Kerala. It grossed over 200 crores and stunned everyone. Based on a true incident, this survival thriller is getting released in Telugu now. Mythri Movie Makers have bought the rights and the trailer is quite absorbing. Let us dive into the review to know more about it.

Story:

The movie is set in 2006 and revolves around a group of friends from Manjummel. With all the other gangs going on trips, they decide to take a trip of their own and reach Kodaikanal. They visit Guna Cave and while everything is going well, one of the friends falls into a pit that is quite deep. It is named Devil's Kitchen as everyone who fell in it was found dead later. How the friends do everything they possibly can to bring out their friend alive forms the rest of the story.

Analysis:

We have seen a good market building up for Malayalam films lately in Telugu states. 'The Goat Life' is widely appreciated and 'Premalu' did exceptionally well. Now, 'Manjummel Boys' which is Mollywood's biggest hit has arrived in Telugu and people expect a lot from this movie. It is safe to say that 'Manjummel Boys' delivered big time. Getting the audience involved and invested is a major task for any filmmaker. When you are making a survival thriller, it is very important to do proper world-building and establish characters in a very convincing manner. Also, if it is based on a true incident, the makers need to present it as realistic as possible. Amidst all such complications, director Chidambaram made 'Manjummel Boys' which is highly engaging and keeps you at the edge of your seats.

Malayalam movies are known for taking their sweet own time when it comes to establishing the backdrop and characters. 'Manjummel Boys' is no different. The director spends a lot of time in showing the friendship between the group and even the audience needed that time to get used to the new faces. Also, the movie doesn't pick up pace till the boys step in Guna caves. Till then, you feel that the movie is quite passive and not engaging enough. After the first 40 minutes, things start to gather momentum but the director engages from then till the end. It is quite important to root for the characters in such a survival drama. Also, they should scare you a bit so that the victory at the end becomes sweet. This is where 'Manjummel Boys' succeed heavily. The backstory of Devil's Kitchen makes you more invested in the proceedings and builds more curiosity. The back and forth narration used by the director to establish the emotions and connections between the friends worked big time.

Though there are some cliches in the movie and it gets predictable at times, you get completely invested. The camera work during the scene where the friend enters the deep pit to rescue his friend is remarkable. Even the audience get a bit claustrophobic during those scenes. The bond between the two friends and the dialogues which establish the strong bond between the ten friends too makes the viewers cheer for them. The bromance is what drives the film and holds the film together. Everyone did their bit and despite the slow pace in the first half and a few flaws, it is the gripping narration and performances that overshadow everything. You feel the emotions of 'Manjummel Boys' and it shouldn't be viewed in theatres to experience every nuance. Don't miss it this weekend!

Performances:

The casting for the film is on point. Shoubin Shahir and Sreenath Basi are familiar with people who watch Malayalam movies in OTT. The rest of them are unknown faces. Every one of them looked very natural and did their best. We wish for such friends in real life. Sreenath did a wonderful job as a person with claustrophobia. The emotions portrayed by the actors will touch your heart. You root for them and 'Manjummel Boys' proves that you don't need noticeable faces to relate to the characters on the screen.

Technicians:

The sound design of the film is fantastic. Shikin Hutton and Abhishek Nair deserve a lot of praise as you get a feeling of being in the caves with the characters. The background score too enhanced every scene in the movie. It is one of the main pillars of 'Manjummel Boys'. Shyju Khalid's cinematography is equally good. The lighting is phenomenal. Everything looks realistic and gets you involved into the proceedings. The production values are decent and the Telugu dubbing too works. While Malayalam films do take a bit of time in establishing the characters and story, the first half may appear a bit slow to Telugu viewers.

Chidambaram delivers big time. The emotional scenes were carved out wonderfully and the way he used childhood episodes to establish the characters and their bond is fantastic. He presented a survival thriller in the most convincing manner. The screenplay is very tight even though he takes a bit of time in getting into the actual story. He delivers a wonderful movie with minor flaws that can be ignored.

Verdict: 'Manjummel Boys' - A Survival Thriller That Shouldn't Be Missed!

Rating: 3/5