Malayalam movies on Amazon Prime

 Amazon Prime Video is the internet video streaming service from Amazon. Amazon Prime is the paid subscription program from Amazon that gives users access to its premium additional services for Amazon customers. The services included in the Amazon Prime package are the same or one or two-day delivery of products, streaming music and video. Amazon Video service was first launched on September 7, 2006, in the United States as Amazon Unbox. Later on, the service was renamed Amazon Video on Demand on September 4, 2008. Currently, Amazon Prime has a worldwide subscribership of more than 150 million customers. Some of the Malayalam movies on Amazon Prime are the following.

1. C U Soon (2020)

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Under Mahesh Narayanan’s direction and writing came out one of India’s finest Malayalam-language computer screen film C U Soon. This movie is the first of its kind in the Malayalam language which was fully shot on iPhones. Set in completely on a computer screen, C U Soon stars Roshan Mathews,  Fahadh Faasil, and Darshana Rajendran in the main leads with Saiju Kurup, Maala Parvathi, and Amanda Liz in the supporting roles. Fahadh Faasil and Nazriya Nazim, are the producers of the movie and the movie was released  WorldWide on 2020, 1 September  and it was an Amazon Prime Video release

The movie received positive reviews from the critics upon its OTT release as it is also India's First Computer screen film. This movie also belongs to the genre of screen-based films, like Unfriended and Searching where the story unfolds fully through digital screens. C U Soon has a sweet love story as its background and the bitter truth of human trafficking happening around the world. It could be also called a really happening story.  C U Soon is a fine example of innovative content where filmmakers think out-of-the-box and also the utilization of technology and fine storytelling, with physical restrictions and budgetary constraints. Mahesh Narayanan succeeds in keeping us thrilled throughout the movie.

 2. Trance (2020)

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Directed and produced by Anwar Rasheed under the banner Anwar Rasheed Entertainments and written by Vincent Vadakkan comes the 2020 Indian Malayalam-language psychological drama film Trance  Fahadh Faasil features in the lead role of Trance, while Gautham Menon, Chemban Vinod Jose, Dileesh Pothan,and Nazriya Nazim,Vinayakan and  Soubin Shahir, play the supporting roles. This movie is based on themes of religion, the commercialization of spirituality, and substance dependence.   

The film depicts a series of events in the life of Viju Prasad (Fahad Faasil) a Kanyakumari-based despondent motivational speaker, an atheist, who in his greed to make money is hired to work as a Christian pastor by a corporate body for fame and money..

Anwar Rasheed succeeds in getting the first half of the movie absolutely right in its story flow and content. But the writer Vincent Vadakkan, loses the flow with the plot in the second half of the script, focusing on the substance taking. Amal Neerad's cinematography is another major highlight of Trance, especially in the scenes in Kanyakumari and Mumbai. Trance makes a perfect example of an art + commercial movie.

3. Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020)

Image Courtesy: National Herald Director Sachy’s last movie is Ayyappanum Koshiyum a 2020 Malayalam-language action thriller film. This movie was written and directed by Sachy himself. Director/ actor Ranjith and P. M. Sasidharan were the producers of Ayyappanum Koshiyum under the company Gold Coin Motion Picture Company. The film stars Biju Menon and Prithviraj Sukumaran and Gowri Nanda in the lead roles. The movie shows the ego clash and conflict between Koshy Kurien (Prithviraj), an influential and wealthy ex-Havildar, and Ayyappan Nair (Biju Menon), a Sub-inspector in Attappadi. Jakes Bejoy has provided the background score. Biju Menon and Prithviraj come up with some splendid performances as well the punching dialogues makes Ayyappanum Koshiyum stand out from the rest. Gowri Nanda also gives the audience a neat performance as the Adivasi wife as well as the rest of the supporting cast too leave an impression in our minds. The movie was a box-office commercial success.

4. Sufiyum Sujatayum (2020)

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The 2020 Indian Malayalam-language movie Sufiyum Sujatayum is a  romantic-drama film produced by Vijay Babu under his banner Friday Film House and is written and directed by Naranipuzha Shanavas. The film stars debutant Dev Mohan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Jayasurya, and Siddique in the lead roles. The film was released on  2020, 3rd of July on Amazon Prime Video. Sufiyum Sujatayum depicts a heart rending love story between  a mute girl ( Aditi Rao Hydari) and a Sufi played by Dev Mohan.

The lead characters are extremely well-written that make us fall in love with them. The plot devoid of conflicts is simple. When we watch Sujata and Sufi, we can feel the sense of loss and helplessness that the actors tried to convey and we can relate it to our lives. Credit there goes to both the director and the lead actors - Aditi Rao Hydari and Dev Mohan who graciously portray their given roles. Anu Moothedath's breathtaking visuals is one of the major highlights of the film and Jayachandran's soulful music which takes us into another world of Sufi and Sujata makes the movie memorable.

5. Helen (2019)

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Produced by Vineeth Sreenivasan under the companies Habit of Life and Big Bang Entertainment, Mathukutty Xavier’s direction film Helen is a 2019  Malayalam-language survival thriller film. Anna Ben and Lal, stars in the lead roles of Helen while Aju Varghese, Rony David, Noble Babu Thomas, and Binu Pappu appear in supporting roles. It was written by Mathukutty Xavier Alfred Kurian Joseph and Noble Thomas  Helen tells us the story of a woman named Helen (Anna Ben) who gets accidently trapped in a freezer and her attempts for survival there.

Helen is a real life story and is an intense nail biting thriller. The movie shows the special bonding of a father and daughter relation as well as delicate and poignant moments  like the empathy for the rodent trapped with Helen in the freezer. Mathukutty succeeds in bringing out our sympathy for Helen as well as the rodent.

6. Kumbalangi Nights (2019)

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Madhu C. Narayanan’s directorial debut, a 2019  Malayalam-language drama film is Kumbalangi Nights. Under their own production house Fahadh Faasil and FriendsFahadh Faasil and Nazriya Nazim, in association with Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran under Working Class Hero, are the producers of Kumbalangi Nights. The movie is written by Shyam Pushkaran. Kumbalangi Nights star Soubin Shahir, Shane Nigam, Fahadh Faasil, and Sreenath Bhasi, along with newcomers Mathew Thomas and Anna Ben. Kumbalangi Nights tell us the story of three brothers and their struggles with life.

Syam Pushkaran turns masculinity into something that is laughable, into something which is out of sync with the mores of the changing times. Fahad Faasil is here the villain as well as the hero. Kumbalangi Nights proves to be the movie that challenges the status quo, open minds and erases restrictions

7. Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25 (2019)

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Copied from the English movie Robot & Franc comes the 2019 Indian Malayalam-language sci-fi comedy-drama film Android Kunjappan Version 5.25  written and directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval (in his directorial debut),and produced by Santhosh T. Kuruvilla. The film stars  Suraj Venjaaramood,Soubin Shahir, Saiju Kurup and Kendy Zirdo. Bijibal handles the music of the film. The movie revolves around the lives of an old-age father Bhaskara Poduval (Suraj) and his aid Android robot (Kunjappan) who takes care of him while his son Subrahmannyan (Soubin) has to go to Russia for work.

There is an ethical dilemma in this movie too, like most sci-fi films. On the other hand it also shows technology is too much. they become touching stories of progress when human emotions also get involved in the process.  Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 gives the taste of an experiment, with emotions and technology.

8. Jallikattu (2019)

Image Courtesy: Social Ketchup Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu is a 2019 Malayalam-language independent action film directed by S. Hareesh and R. Jayakumar. Jallikattu is based on the short story Maoist by Hareesh. The film stars Chemban Vinod Jose, Sabumon Abdusamad, Antony Varghese and Santhy Balachandran. The story tells of a bull that escapes from a slaughterhouse in a hilly remote village and the entire village men turn barbaric and gather to hunt down the animal. Jallikattu was first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2019 and received widespread critical acclaim. Under the section 'A Window on Asian Cinema', the film was also showcased at the 24th Busan International Film Festival. It was released in e Kerala on 2019 4th October. Lijo Jose Pellissery also received the award for the Best Director at the 50th International Film Festival of India. At the 7th Aurangabad International Film Festival held on 9 February 2020, the film won the Best Sound and Best Editing awards. Jallikattu is truly a visual treat with the stupendous cinematography from Giresh Gangadharan. Lijo Jose Pellissery is known for mob mayhem. But Jallikattu goes further steps higher. It proves that Lijo Jose Pellissery is truly the ‘King of Chaos’. Jallikattu shows beast vs animal (humans here) and if given a chance humans can degrade up to the level of an animal. Lijo leaves it up to the audience to decide who is the actual beast or animal here.

9. Virus (2019)

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Aashiq Abu’s direction saw yet another successful Malayalam-language medical thriller film Virus which was released in 2019. Virus was also co-produced by  Aashiq Abu. This movie is set against the backdrop of the 2018 Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala. The film was written by  Sharfu, Muhsin Parari, and Suhas. Virus has a wide range of cast starting from  Revathi, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Kunchacko Boban, Soubin Shahir,  Indrans, Tovino Thomas, Rahman, Dileesh Pothan, Indrajith Sukumaran, Sreenath Bhasi, Asif Ali, Rima Kallingal, Madonna Sebastian, Joju George, and Ramya Nambeeshan. The film was released worldwide on 2019 7th June and received critical acclaim and was a major box office success.

 

Virus succeeds in taking us through those tension-ridden days in the summer of 2018 when the deadly Nipah surfaced in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts and how the government took the measures to surpass the virus. Virus is also a salute to the victims and the medical staff and others who helped in the tough time of the pandemic.

10. Lucifer (2019)

Image Courtesy: Medium Prithviraj Sukumaran's directorial debut started with the box office hit Lucifer, a 2019 Malayalam-language political action film. Lucifer was written by Murali Gopy and produced by Antony Perumbavoor through Aashirvad Cinemas. Mohanlal stars in the lead role alongside a supporting cast that consisted of Manju Warrier, Vivek Oberoi, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Kalabhavan Shajon, Saniya Iyappan, Indrajith Sukumaran, Nyla Usha and Saikumar. The background score was by Deepak Dev andSujith Vaassudev handled the cinematography. The film depicts the political encounters in the life of Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal). The film was a big box office hit and the fastest gross collection one because, in just four days, the film crossed the ₹50 crores and 100 crore mark in eight days. In just 21 days the film also reached the ₹150 crore mark-making Lucifer the fastest Malayalam film to reach all three milestones. in overseas box office also it is the first Malayalam film to gross over ₹50 crores. Lucifer is currently the highest-collecting Malayalam film ever, crossing a total ₹200 crore collection worldwide. Lucifer is the first segment of the Mohanlal starring trilogy and will be followed by L2: Empuraan and an untitled sequel too. Lucifer is purely for Mohanlal fans. Deepak Dev's background score adds up the thrill element at places. However, overuse of the background score becomes annoying and noisy halting the viewing experience.