Anchakkallakokkan (2024) User Reviews

A well made Action Entertainment

[joyalbrightt · 8/10 · 19 March 2024]

The Story pacing ,Character buildup and Color grading all are not in so called usual ways ; presented with a touch of Western style film making ; excellent from Debutant writer cum director ullas chemban

Three things are standout in this movie , First is ; Stunning Cinematography by armo & Second is Actions ; Very much Impressive and third is Outstanding Bgm work by Manikandan Ayyappa !!!

Well supported acting by strong performances of Chemban Vinod ; his transition scenes of different shades of character is excellent and also fine acts by lukman , Manikandan Achari and meghaakash !

We need every kind of movies ,this one is something Different and Experimental action entertainer presented in a way to enjoy it in Big screen near you.

Great use of Style over substance where the writing could have been better

[Jithindurden · 7/10 · 25 March 2024]

Anchakkallakokkan is one of those rare style-over-substance films where the style is very much blended with the rustic rawness of 80s Kerala that is not often seen. The most stylish characters here are the Gillappis who are presented with so much style and at the same time very rustic that if you think about how such characters with these specific qualities shown in the film would have been portrayed in the past, it would be either for comic relief or as pure villains unlike here which itself makes this worth a lot for me. The action set pieces are intricately designed to feel the rawness of it while being stylish. The shaappu fight in the middle was amazing, the only thing I would've wanted there was a little bit more blood because a lot of those would be way more damaging if it was real. I also loved the final showdown even if it felt like dragged just a little bit more than needed. Lukman's character is used for an introduction to the area and then we are moving through a lot of different stories contained in this village. Splicing his backstory a little bit more throughout would have worked a bit more for the viewers to invest in him more as a protagonist at the end because the gap between the focus given to him seems to have worked against having someone to really root for. Overall, there are a few issues with the writing which if they'd have done better, this movie could have been really great. Personally, Lukman's character was very relatable in a lot of ways and loved the ending so much and that end credit song slaps.

Even though it is understandable why they chose the title of the movie, it being a hard-to-pronounce word unless you have heard it before has been a major setback for the film as many have said it's too weird of a title to even try watching the film.

This movie could have been really great with better writing but even now it's a very well-made film that would benefit from a theater watch.

Prepare for another fresh artistic feast...!!!

[PANDIAN120621 · 8/10 · 7 May 2024]

The movie has a lot of suspense & tension with investigation & narration of few parallel stories... Set in a fictional village of Kerala-Karnataka border in 80's narrates the story of Thangamani incident... Malayalam speaking characters with a touch of kannada brings the freshness & elevates the movie to a new level...

The screenplay is written by Ullas who also is a director & brother of Vinod Chempan adopts the folklore art form "PORATTU" while it based on Vasudevan who is said to be of pana community representing ANCHALLAKOKKAN that used to scare children with a adaption of western style gives a making a visual grandeur...

The rhythm of "ANCHALLAKOKKAN" is safe in the hands of music director Manikandan Ayyappan who excels in making the uniqueness of folk culture & interwening western style thriller & underpinning the storytelling...

Chamban Vinod plays the role of the cool cop Nadavaramban, and in his signature style, he fits the part. The transition happening to the character looks pretty subtle in the movie's climax and Chemban keeps it row.. Lukman Avaran is playing this character who is not comfortable with violence, and there is an extensive enough backstory that explains why he is like that. The character also has two shades, and somewhere these shades looked a bit too animated when it transforms as the plot appeals...

Ullas Chemban has used this technique of showing different angles of one particular event multiple times in the movie, and that somewhere shows the fact that he knows how basic the concept is. There is no wow factor to the story, and they are trying to add that predominantly through the staging of the scenes...

The major drawback is none of these stories has that depth to connect with the audience on an emotional level, and hence, the gore fest in the finale feels more like an effort to cover up the superficial writing of the movie...

Overall the visual grandeur & the making excels to take an advantage in the audience point view keeping the flick fairly engaging and is a must watch for its passionate artists who loves this art form of making good flicks ..

Nothing great to offer, poorly told story

[arunnt-49177 · 6/10 · 22 March 2024]

Music and background score- super. Direction is good. Editing- not great. Story - not told well. Script - not okay, no depth for any character. Not for the family audience. Completely overhyped movie.

Considering the story involved and charectors portrayed, this movie could have been very exciting and engaging if a tight script was available. Even the main character handled by Lukeman was portrayed poorly which gives the audience a confused and unsatisfactory experience.

Camera work was great on long range shots but failed to impress on normal shots also lacked quality in many frames.

A bit more effort to polish the story and script along with some power for Lukeman's character would have done justice to the audience, at least.

Well made movie

[rahul-21865 · 7/10 · 3 May 2024]

My only criticism would be the fight scenes should have been way shorter. They were dragged on which made it boring. Realistically, even professional mma fighters in the ring don't last more than 5 minutes between rounds, so this made the fight scenes all the more lame. Otherwise, there was that suspense element, with different characters and how their personalities unraveled as the movie progresses. Casting was on point. No big names but an entertaining script held it together. Cinematography was amazing, capturing what happened from different angles. Kudos to the team. These days, no one cares if the movie is under 2 hours long. It should leave an impression in people's minds, with something new.

A MUST WATCH FOR OFF BEAT THRILLER FANS

[nagarjunabluemoon · 9/10 · 21 April 2024]

Great cinematography, a plot that unfolds in different levels, Wonderful BGM. A very good mystery and thriller. Director being a debutant made a wonderful effort. Created 1980 s environment very carefully. Even though mystery is revealed by end of the plot there is more to it. Wonderfully made climax fight with unpredictable moves and unexpected ending. It would be very difficult to predict who's the villian in the tale and even if villian is known after some time it would be very unpredictable on how the villian will meet his end and how the hero man up are shown in very unique way that is very whole essence of the film lies in.

A pretty solid debut for director Ullas Chemban! [+62%]

[arungeorge13 · 6/10 · 16 March 2024]

While the screenplay is loose in places (especially in the second half), Anchakkallakokkan benefits from having a fairly strong technical team to back it up. This is a period film (the year is 1986), unraveling in a fictional town on the Kerala-K'taka border. It's also a partial whodunnit, as the film begins with the midnight murder of a prominent landlord in the area. The first act doesn't emphasize this, as it's busy acquainting us with various characters in/around the hillside town's police station. While the film takes the perspective of Vasudevan (Lukman) as a means to introduce the period setting and characters, it gradually becomes clear that deeming him the protagonist is pointless. Each character is a protagonist in their individual stories (or subplots), while we arrive at the key antagonist in a slow-burn, twisty reveal.

The production design and art departments seamlessly recreate a politically wavering era, and the performances hold it all together. The guys who played the Gillappi brothers (one of them is from Angamaly Diaries, and the other reminds you of a young, dancing Vinayakan from Maanthrikam) were entertaining as hell, and whenever the film mildly showed signs of a slow-down, their entry (or re-entry) would fire things up. There's an entire set piece dedicated to them right before the interval, which was both neatly choreographed and captured. The second act is spent in connecting the murder-mystery dots while simultaneously making us understand the relevance of the film's title. Manikandan Ayyappa's score is extremely significant to the proceedings, and a major factor in raising adrenaline levels during the extended fight scenes.

I think where the film failed to hit the bullseye is in its writing. This is clearly the case with Lukman's character transformation, which is quite sudden and unconvincing. The film's title is justified, though the route taken could have been better etched. Also, when the film goes into whodunnit mode, it tries to interweave multiple subplots together, complicating things for a little while before wrapping up nicely. The visual effects are also barely okay, and that's understandable given it's a low-budget flick.

P. S. Ullas Chemban becomes another promising name to watch out for, in the future.

P. P. S. I have a feeling the film will work ONLY in theatres, if at all. OTT reviews aren't likely to be very positive.

Was far below the expectations

[minnumace · 3/10 · 22 April 2024]

The storyline fails to captivate viewers, lacking the depth needed to engage them fully. The performances by the main characters feel clichéd and fail to bring anything new to the table. The fight scenes suffer from lagging and fail to deliver the excitement expected, leaving audiences feeling bored. Additionally, the absence of suspense diminishes any potential intrigue the film could have offered. The climax was disappointingly predictable, leaving much to be desired in terms of creativity and execution. The screenplay, meticulously crafted, seamlessly weaves together intricate plot threads, while the choreography enhances the narrative with its precision and fluidity. Moreover, the judicious selection of shooting locations adds depth and authenticity to the film's backdrop, elevating the overall cinematic experience.