agmtw logo
search
Pulimada (2023)

Pulimada (2023)

Man-eating tigers are a letdown in this Indian Malayalam thriller

5.7

Movie

India
Malayalam
Drama, Thriller
2023
A K SAJAN
Abu Salim, Aishwarya Rajesh, Balachandra Menon
108 min

TLDR

Pulimada has the themes, but not the execution.

What it's about

After being left at the altar, the embittered police constable Vincent worries that his family’s history of mental illness would come to haunt him, while news of a man-eating tiger terrifies the nearby rural villages.

The take

There’s something frightening about being consistently spurned due to circumstances out of your control. This is the main concern of Pulimada’s Vincent, since he’s not marriage material due to his family’s history of mental illness. The twisty plot is reminiscent of old gothic mysteries, complete with a tiger metaphor, but the execution is off, especially since it takes more than two thirds of the film before there’s anything to fear. It’s clear that Pulimada has an engaging, though dated concept, and Joju George’s transformation for Vincent could have definitely gotten there. But entering this tiger’s den feels like a letdown when there’s no risk, no style, no intrigue in the film’s approach.

What stands out

While noted for its unique twisty-turny plot, Pulimada draws upon classic thriller narratives with the use of metaphor. Like the demonic Hound of Baskervilles, there’s no coincidence that a man-eating tiger happens to strike in Vincent’s state of Kerala, not while Vincent is concerned about mental illness. He’s even styled with a magnificent set of whiskers. The comparison stirs some mystery as it naturally increases the number of possible reasons behind the murder, but it also instills Vincent’s personal fear into the viewers as the townsfolk are afraid of the creature. That being said, this thematic thread doesn’t feel supported by the way the plot is executed. The night time murder is heard about in brightly colored rooms in broad daylight, with a score that seems pulled from other genres. While Joju George is able to descend eerily into his grief with bloodshot eyes, the direction doesn’t deliver the terrifying thrill of becoming exactly the worst of what you were expected to be.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2023)

Director Lijo Jose Pellissary invites us to Tamil Nadu in this dreamlike slice-of-life film

7.2

Adrishya Jalakangal (2023)

A long and meandering anti-war Malayalam film that doesn’t know what to do with its supernatural power

6.5

Once Were Warriors (1994)

A Maori family survives in an alienating Auckland in this raw, tragic drama

8.0

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.0

Silenced (2011)

A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea

9.0

The Substance (2024)

Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror

8.3

Laapataa Ladies (2024)

Two brides are accidentally swapped in this refreshing comedy of errors

8.9

Look Back (2024)

Art connects people through time and space in this short and sweet drama

9.0

Memoir of a Snail (2024)

A crack of hope shines through in this heartbreaking animated film about preservation and perseverance

8.6

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.