Pothanur Thabal Nilayam Movie Review

Once in a while, we come across a quality small film that keeps us engaged from the word go and delivers a high at the end. Right in that alley, debut director Praveen’s Pothanur Thabal Nilayam is an engrossing suspense drama that buys our attention with its world building and manages to throw in a good load of surprises.

The film is based on the Pothanur post office and a mishap that happens there, and how a protagonist (played by Praveen himself) comes together with a plan to set things straight and get it done for himself. The film opens up like a novel, and has its characters in place in the first half and then follows up the proceedings with some good investigation scenes and engaging narratives.

Credit must go to the team who have managed to grab our attention even though there is a lack of known faces in the cast. The film has a lot going for it in terms of its set design, which has been craftily executed and has no complaints about it whatsoever. The 90s period setting brings in a big load of nostalgia as Praveen intercepts his core plot with a good load of throwbacks that keep popping in from time to time.

The first half of the film steadily builds the backdrop of the film, but it is the well-written second half and the ultimate climax that adds to the energy of the film. Despite a film with a fully new cast, the aesthetics help a lot in holding us to the seat and keeps us pinned.

Technically, Pothanur Thabal Nilayam is well executed with neat cinematography, but the music is something that could have been better. The film trots along with decent BGM but the songs are speedbreakers for sure.

On the whole, Pothanur Thabal Nilayam is an engaging drama that is worth a watch this weekend. The team promises to pull in more parts to the franchise and this could be something worth it.  Pothanur Thabal Nilayam Movie Review by Siddarth Srinivas

Pothanur Thabal Nilayam Movie Review Rating: 3/5