21. Kuru (J. Jeeva Praveen, 2019)
For the most part, this was a fine short that had some entertaining elements. The story by writer/director J. Jeeva Praveen is the most intriguing, not only offering a rather interesting start but unraveling rather well. With the initial interaction providing the spark to begin investigating what caused Mithun's outburst and stumbling upon the outbreak that caused it all, ‘Kuru' generates a fair bit of tension as to the source of Mithun's discomfort as well as offering up an interesting hook for the effort. Seeing how the friend carries on the search investigating the case and cracks the code for what's wrong with him causes the guy to put his plan to catch Mithun in the act. That leads to some particularly suspenseful moments as we see it start to take place in the apartment, which is enjoyable overall. (Don Anelli)
22. B. Selvi & Daughters (Drishya, 2020)
Wonderfully directed, scripted and performed, “B. Selvi” delivers an impactful message. Part of the ‘Her and Now' program which aims to foster entrepreneurs, the film beautifully captures both the creative and industrious spirit of femininity. (Adam Symchuk)
23. Ghost (S.S. Jishnu Dev, 2020)
On the whole, “Ghost” is a pretty decent quarantine-shot effort. From the loaded backstory that tells of the local myth about the location's haunted history to the on-camera introduction of the hosts about their research into the house, there's a nice creepy vibe established. This is also a big part of their run-through where the decrepit state of the house helps to create a genuinely dark atmosphere. The finale gets a bit more exciting where it pays off its premise in fine fashion with some creepy moments aided by the brevity of the encounter with the shortness of the running time making for a fun experience. (Don Anelli)
24. Nasir (Arun Karthick, 2020)
The muted thrum of Nasir's (and in turn, Karthick's) poetry still stuns, however, and Nasir's tender romantic odes to his distant lover still resonate. Even with all of Nasir's character perfections, the film's atmosphere (and abrupt cut thereof) makes up for him. “Nasir” does not tell a story, but more of a parable. The message is clear; hatred offs even the most loving. In a time when Muslim populations face political precarity on the South Asian subcontinent, “Nasir” is as an important a watch as much as it is an enjoyable one. The film after all, seeks to serve as not just a voice for Nasir, but as a wounded cry for marginalized Muslims in a politically-charged India. (Grace Han)
25. Karnan (Mari Selvaraj, 2021)
The movie begins with a rather impressive, music video style intro, which functions as a tribute to Karnan, but also sets the tone for a significant part of the movie, which is filled with these types of sequences. The overwhelming majority of them are quite memorable visually, highlighting the excellent job done by DP Theni Eswar and editor Selva Rk, with both being among the best aspects of the movie. At the same time, there are also rather many and lengthy, not to mention overindulging in slow motion, and occasionally harm the flow of the movie, while extending its duration to 158 minutes, something that could definitely have been avoided. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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26. Master (Lokesh Kanagaraj, 2021)
Evidently, Lokesh Kanagaraj follows most of the rules of the masala film. J.D. is definitely a larger than life character, being intelligent and educated enough to be a university professor, but also quite good looking not to mention ridiculously strong, to the point that he can beat scores of enemies by himself. Add to all that being a champion of the weak and an advocate of democracy, women's rights, and justice, and you have a full masala-protagonist package. The same applies to the technical aspects of the movie, with Philomin Raj's editing inducing it with a frantic pace, filled with swooshing cuts and music video aesthetics, which also extend to the fittingly polished cinematography of Sathyan Sooryan, and the overall work done in the SFX. Furthermore, the inevitable dancing and singing moments are here once more, although this time, the music is much more contemporary and universally appealing than is the norm in Tamil films, as is the case with the exuberant duration, that touches the three hour limit once more. Lastly, Vijay as J.D performs as another ‘Tamil idol', fighting, dancing, singing, protecting and being liked by beautiful women, fitting the profile of the larger than life protagonist to the T. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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27. Jai Bhim (T. J. Gnanavel, 2021)
Overall, “Jai Bhim” is a bold and engaging movie with a strong message which touches on sensitive social subjects. The cinematography of S. R. Kathir is also excellent, especially the shots of open fields and hillside tea plantation locations which are all beautifully captured on the wide screen. Although the torture sequences are testing to take at times, the performances from all involved are natural, engrossing and heartfelt. But don't expect some twenty minutes of song and dance extravagance to grace the screen here. (David Chew)
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28. Paramapatham – The Snake and Ladder Gameboard (Thanesh and Viknes Perrabu, 2021)
Thanesh and Viknes Perrabu seem to have significant cinematic talent, in a variety of movie aspects. However, the need to realize what they want to do with their movies is more than palpable, because “Paramapatham” ends up being a collection of ideas held together by a very thin central story than a compact movie, which, in the end, makes the movie very difficult to watch. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
29. The Tremor (Balaji Vembu Chelli, 2021)
Despite getting a couple of impressive aspects here and there, “The Tremor” eventually becomes settled in the watchable realm as the flaws present to bring it down into that kind of film. Give this a look if you're intrigued by the positives or a fan of this kind of simplistic indie genre/mystery effort, while most others should be a bit more cautious before going into it. (Don Anelli)
30. Amanuda (S.S. Jishnu Dev, 2021)
There's quite a lot to like with “Amanuda.” Among its most impressive qualities is Harikrishnan .R.G.'s screenplay that provides plenty of engaging work to tie in the necessary found-footage requirements. The usual setup with the genre is given here with the team setting out into the forest to investigate the location legend of a ghostly-spirit wandering through the nearby forest. Recalling the stories from their elders about who he was, how he died and the influence he has on the locals with all the disappearances is a great framework. This backstory creates both a logical setup for the group to investigate and enough to keep the viewer in suspense during their trek through the forest. As the group goes deeper into the wilderness and they start to experience several dark and strange occurrences around them, this early build-up work helps to create quite an imposing vibe on the rest of the film. (Don Anelli)
