2017 Round-Up: 10 Best Films Of The Year

 

2017 has thrown a lot of surprises in Tamil cinema in terms of the young debutant filmmakers who have made some remarkable movies with exceptional content. We at Only Kollywood have picked our best ten films of 2017 after some thoughtful discussions and careful consideration. 

PS: Baahubali 2 has been excluded since it was not a straight Tamil film.

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10. 8 Thottakkal

Debutant director Sri Ganesh surprised one and all with his fantastic storytelling fashion in 8 Thottakal, which can also be noted down as one of the best plots to hit the marquee this year. Though the presence of a lazy hero was a downer, the film woke up and stood tall thanks to MS Bhaskar’s memorable act.

 

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9. Maragadha Naanayam

Maragadha Naanayam was an originally written, authentic comedy thriller with an ingenious fantasy spin to the core plot. It’s part ghost caper, part fantasy comedy, and part heist thriller, with all genres entertaining the audiences in an equally good measure. Debutant filmmaker ARK Saravanan came with up an out-of-the-box idea to intersperse humor in the screenplay organically.

 

 

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8. Taramani

Director Ram’s Taramani was a daring, compelling film on man-woman relationships, which hit us hard like a ton of bricks. Ram made an in-your-face social commentary by exposing the celebrated cliches of privilege-seeking, entitled men that are usually represented on Tamil screen since time immemorial.

 

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7. Thupparivaalan

Mysskin’s dark and detailed crime drama which had a mentally unstable detective going in search of a gory criminal easily pulls itself into the best films list. More than being a good film, it is an important film that reminds us of how a meticulously prepared screenplay can hold your attention, however long it goes. The popping 30-minute climax sequence is one of the best scenes staged this year.

 

 

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6. Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru

Karthi’s Theeran broke new barriers in commercial cinema, giving us a highly enjoyable film with good doses of major commercial elements. It may not have had its romantic track at full efficiency, but boy did it mask its negatives with some hugely thrilling action. Notably, one of the few films which unflinchingly revealed the tough side of a cop, and helped us respect them a little more.

 

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5. Kurangu Bommai

Kurangu Bommai was a strangely affecting crime mystery, bolstered by a meticulously constructed screenplay of debutant filmmaker Nithilan and plausible performances of the cast. Nithilan is surely one of the emerging original writers in the industry to look forward to.

 

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4. Aramm

Nayanthara brought her best to the fore in a measured, regal performance as Madhivadhani in Gopi Nainar’s Aramm. It’s a solid example of how a women centric film should be made, simultaneously visible as a topical drama which was released at the right time. Watertight writing, strict execution, great film.

 

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3. Aruvi

Aruvi was a sweetly unconventional, poignant and hard-hitting roller-coaster ride which tugged at our heartstrings in effortless bounds. The magic of Aruvi lay in the immersive writing of debutant director Arun Prabu, who crafted the most in-your-face social drama of the year, with mind-boggling realism.

 

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2. Maanagaram

At a time when Tamil filmmakers had been ruthlessly stereotyping urban dwellers as self-centered monsters, Maanagaram arrived as a breath of fresh air, which went deep into the minds of a motley of characters, their struggles and the harsh realities of life in a metropolitan city. Maanagaram was a completely captivating movie-watching experience in a serious genre like ‘hyperlink cinema’. Debutant Lokesh Kanagaraj announced his arrival as a promising filmmaking force loud and clear.

 

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1. Vikram Vedha

Only once in a blue moon do you get to see a film which has all its boxes checked. Vikram Vedha turned out to be the best film of 2017, not only because of its all-round performance, but also the lasting wow effect that it left in our heads. Unforgettable is the word.

 

SPECIAL MENTIONS: 

Kuttram 23, Meyaadha Maan, Pandigai, Lens, Pa. Paandi.

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