Valathu Vashathe Kallan Movie Review: A Crime Thriller That Misses the Mark
Director Jeethu Joseph's latest cinematic offering, Valathu Vashathe Kallan, arrives with considerable anticipation but ultimately delivers a disappointing experience. Starring Biju Menon and Joju George in pivotal roles, this crime thriller attempts to explore complex themes while maintaining suspense, but falls short on multiple fronts.
Plot Overview: A Race Against Time
The narrative centers around CI Antony Xavier, portrayed by Biju Menon, a corrupt police officer with a strained relationship with his son Philip. When human rights activist Irene, played by Vyshnavi Raj, goes missing while investigating Antony's crimes, her parents Samuel Joseph (Joju George) and Theresa (Lena) take matters into their own hands. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game that questions parental responsibility while attempting to maintain thriller elements.
Problematic Narrative Choices
One of the film's most significant issues is its casual handling of crimes against women. From the very beginning, the screenplay uses violence against female characters as mere plot devices rather than exploring their perspectives meaningfully. The introductory scene establishes Antony's ruthlessness through his victim-blaming of a college student who later dies by suicide, setting a troubling tone that persists throughout the film.
Despite attempts to justify these elements through psychological reasoning about the villain's "sadistic male chauvinism," the execution feels more like convenient writing than genuine exploration. The women in the story remain peripheral figures, their trauma serving primarily to advance male character arcs.
Screenplay and Execution Flaws
Writer Dinu Thomas Eelan's screenplay suffers from several critical weaknesses:
- Superficial character development that never delves deep enough into relationships
- Flimsy dialogues that become particularly evident with weaker performances
- Unconvincing plot progression where everything aligns too conveniently for the protagonists
- Questionable police behavior that strains credibility throughout the second half
Unlike Jeethu Joseph's previous film Mirage (2025), which relied heavily on twists, Valathu Vashathe Kallan attempts to build suspense through puzzle-like storytelling. However, the writing fails to create genuine tension, with the narrative feeling more focused on outsmarting the audience than delivering emotional impact.
Performance and Technical Aspects
The acting ensemble delivers mixed results. While Biju Menon and Joju George provide serviceable performances, they barely scratch the surface of their potential. Supporting actors, including Shyamaprasad and KR Gokul, disappoint with unconvincing portrayals that detract from the overall experience.
Technical aspects further compound the film's problems:
- Satheesh Kurup's cinematography lacks naturalness and fails to enhance the narrative
- Vishnu Shyam's musical score feels uninspired and adds little to the emotional weight
- The overall production design contributes to an artificial atmosphere that undermines realism
Comparative Context and Final Verdict
It's fortunate that Valathu Vashathe Kallan arrives after Mirage, as audience expectations for Jeethu Joseph's work have already been tempered. Had this film been released earlier, it might have faced even harsher criticism. As it stands, the movie barely qualifies as a one-time watch, with its 1.5-star rating reflecting numerous shortcomings in storytelling, execution, and thematic handling.
The film raises important questions about parental responsibility and systemic corruption but fails to explore them with the depth they deserve. Instead, it settles for surface-level thrills that never truly engage or satisfy. For audiences seeking meaningful crime thrillers from Malayalam cinema, Valathu Vashathe Kallan represents a missed opportunity that highlights the need for more thoughtful storytelling in the genre.
