Nalla Nilavulla Rathri Review | A Passable Survival Thriller With Predictable Punches

The story aspect of Nalla Nilavulla Rathri doesn’t feel like a novel idea, as we get to see familiar character equations and foul plays in the movie’s first half. But when it comes to the second half, it feels like the makers were more inclined toward having the outlook of a brutal and gruesome survival thriller. And frankly, the violence in the film that happens predominantly in the second half gives you hope. But the punches are predictable; hence, it becomes a passable thriller you will appreciate for the effort.

So the film revolves around the reunion of some collegemates. Kurien, who was in some financial trouble, met his long-lost college mates Dominic and Joshi. They were doing an organic vegetable business with Rajeev and Peter, who also studied in the same college. Things took a different turn when Kurien decided to help them get a good client, and he also proposed the idea of buying a property in Shimoga. Initially hesitant, the friends’ group finally decided to visit that place. What we see in Nalla Nilavulla Rathri are the events that happened inside that property when they visited.

The first half establishes the evident and hidden equations between the characters and is relatively engaging. And when the movie enters that violent patch in the second half, you tend to expect something that will have some connection with all those things that happened in the first half. The problem with the writing, which you will only realize when the movie ends, is precisely that; the disconnect between the two halves. The good thing is that the execution of the survival thriller phase is so good that you will be distracted from the writing flaws and will be more invested in knowing what will happen. It was kind of bizarre to see cuss words getting muted while horrific methods of killing had no censorship. The censor board and its laughable logic.

Baburaj as Kurien fits the description of the character. He is physically intimidating, making his face off with Irumban, played by Chemban Vinod Jose, look believable on screen. Chemban Vinod Jose, who makes the entry only at the halfway point, has the swagger to be this notorious individual, and that was pretty much what the movie demanded from him. Rony David Raj as Peter, the most grounded person in the gang, was convincing. Jinu Joseph, in terms of looks and body language, carries the character of Dominic neatly, who has a fragile ego. But yet again, the dialogue delivery is a bit of a problem. When the character is at the top of his lungs, I almost felt like changing the speed to 1.5x. Binu Pappu, who had a similar dialogue delivery issue in Ayalvaashi, flowed smoothly in this movie. Sajin Cherukayil was the comic relief. Luca Fame, Nithin George, and Ganapathy are the other main characters in the film.

Debutante Murphy Devassy seems excited about creating a survival thriller that will physically torture the characters in the most vicious manner. You can clearly see the movie switching its tone completely when the survival mode is activated. The cinematography by Ajay David Kachappilly uses color more predominantly in that area. The prosthetic makeup and the visual effects have a significant role in that phase, along with cinematography. If the writing by Murphy and Praful Suresh could have connected the second half with the deeds the characters did in the immediate past, the movie could have achieved a symbolic layer. The identity of the main antagonists is very blurry.

It seems they have ended the movie with the possibility of a sequel. Because what happened to one of the characters is left unknown, and there is a card that says the war will continue just before the end credits. If this possible sequel happens, it might help the story have some depth and connection with everything they established in the first half.