2022 was quite an eventful year for Malayalam cinema. While many filmmakers were worried about the commercial viability of their films amidst the COVID pandemic, others took the risk of getting their films to the theatres and OTT. All in all, 2022 had some brilliant Malayalam films that stood out for their content, making, and uniqueness. Here’s my compiled list of the 11 best Malayalam films from 2022 and their streaming platforms.
PS: These are personal choices. There is a high possibility of many of you not agreeing with the list, it is completely fine.
Hridayam
This breezy romantic musical, written and directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan, was enjoyable. College life and romances brought in a lot of nostalgia. From a critic’s point of view, this film was filled with cliches which were rather enjoyable and refreshing to watch. I fell in love with how Vineeth narrated such a brilliantly woven story by integrating 15 songs into the screenplay. Hesham’s music and background score is the film’s heart and soul. Hridayam, just like its title, is a film which was felt by many, because of which it became the year’s first blockbuster and earned 50 crores at the box office.
Streaming on: Disney+Hotstar
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Bheeshma Parvam
If the year 2022 belongs to an actor, Mammootty would be someone who would top that list. Bheeshma Parvam, the Amal Neerad directorial, began a phenomenal year for Mammootty. This film was a complete mass entertainer. It borrows references and similarities to the Mahabharata and Bheeshma’s stories. Rather than relying on slow-motion sequences and massy dialogues, it presented a solid storyline with equal space for every cast member. It remains the highest-grossing film of 2022.
Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar
Pada
Talk about fearless filmmaking, at least from its content standpoint; the first film that comes to everyone’s mind is the Kamal KM directorial venture, Pada. An adaptation of the real-life hostage situation of a district collector as a mark of protest by the tribals for a law that takes away their land from them, this film has a superb screenplay that hooks the viewers. Stellar performances by the cast with some fascinating making made Pada one of the best Malayalam films in 2022. Kunchacko Boban’s dream year 2022 found a beginning with this powerful film.
Streaming on: Amazon Prime
Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana, the Dijo Jose Anthony directorial venture, is a classic example of how to deliver to the viewers when they need it the most. This film dramatically visualizes many real-life incidents that panned the nation. It is very rare to find a script that was literally on fire in its second half that makes such bold statements and stances. The highlight and the biggest selling point of this film on a national and international scale were its epic courtroom scenes. Making a film like this takes a lot of guts and will. This Suraj Venjaramoodu-Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer film had everything it needed for a perfect film.
Streaming on: Netflix
Vaashi
Vaashi is a very smoothly written courtroom drama that showcases the lives of advocates and law professionals with utmost sincerity and realism. The brilliant development of the story and the heartful portrayal of the relationship between the primary characters and their commitment to their jobs is fascinating to watch. While there were moments where many viewers thought the film would slip into cliches, the film conveniently steered away from them and stood out. A superb Tovino Thomas and Keerthy Suresh is the icing on the cake.
Streaming on: Netflix
Check Out: Courtroom Scenes In Malayalam Movies That Were Hard-hitting
Mahaveeryar
A film that many viewers couldn’t understand and make full sense of in 2022 is Mahaveeryar. A satirical take on how the mentality of the public is conditioned to think of their comforts at the cost of some othinnocent’st’s life is what is depicted in the film. A great short story by M Mukundan that was expanded into a great screenplay by Abrid Shine is surely something to watch out for in the film. Great performances by Asif Ali, Nivin Pauly, and especially Lal make the film a great one to watch.
Streaming on: No official announcements yet
Thallumaala
When you combine Muhsin Parari’s superb writing with Khalid Rahman’s vision, you know you are in for a treat. That is exactly what Thallumaala was. It is a film that would resonate with the viewers if you catch on to the film’s vibe. It also showcased the Malabar side of Kerala with utmost sincerity and was highly rooted in its presentation. Rich visuals, outstanding camera work, slick editing, and a highly enjoyable music album, with some superb acting performances by Tovino Thomas and Lukman, makes Thallumaala a film that enters the list of the best Malayalam films from 2022.
Streaming on: Netflix
Rorschach
Mammootty redefined the actor in him by balancing out mass and character-oriented films in 2022. Him teaming up with Nissam Basheer, following his excellent debut with Kettyolaanu Ente Malakha, was something every cinephile was hyped up for. The film turned out to be a unique type of thriller with revenge elements. The superbly written screenplay and a brilliant Mammootty at the helm of things made Rorschach one of the finest thrillers from Mollywood. We also witnessed strong and commendable performances from Bindu Panicker, Jagadeesh, Kottayam Nazeer, and Sanju Sivaram.
Streaming on: Disney+Hotstar
Kooman
Jeethu Joseph, who gave us Drishyam, Memories, and Drishyam 2, found himself in a dismal state when a few of his projects didn’t work as expected, the latest dismal venture being 12th Man. However, he marked a solid comeback with Kooman, scripted by the same writer of 12th Man, KR Krishnakumar. Kooman was a brilliantly crafted thriller that shifted gears in its second half and gave the viewers a climax twist many would not have predicted. A highly believable and outstanding Asif Ali in the titular role made the film an absolute winner. Definitely one of his career-best performances! He also got his first prominent box office blockbuster in his career through this film.
Streaming on: Amazon Prime
Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey
If there is any film that made me go ROFL in 2022, it has to be Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey. A hilarious film, with absolutely comical situations and dialogues and a relevant message at its core, is what Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey is. It isn’t easy to convey a highly sensitive and relevant message through a film. It’s even harder to create comedy that resonates with viewers of all age groups. Integrating these aspects in a single screenplay seems far from reality, but Vipin Das and Nishad Famy did the impossible. Ankit Menon, who handled the film’s music, deserves much praise for composing background scores. It isn’t complete without the outstanding performances by Darshana Rajendran and Basil Joseph. The Great Indian Kitchen started with a highly serious film, which was taken forward by Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey hilariously and comically, without losing its core messaging.
Streaming on: Disney+Hotstar
Saudi Vellakka CC 225/2009
Tharun Moorthy impressed us with his filmmaking skills in his debut venture Operation Java in 2020. When he announced a second directorial, we eagerly awaited the release of Saudi Vellakka CC 225/2009. It tells us how to become human when you know that you have done something wrong and the repentance and guilt of your actions are killing you. The film also showcases laymen’s difficulties due to the delay in court proceedings. In Saudi Vellakka, Tharun makes sure the viewers are invested in the film by skillfully carving out characters in a way that invokes pain in the slightest direction of discomfort. Aisha Rowther played by a phenomenal Devi Varma made that possible. The film manages to thoroughly invest viewers’ attention and emotions in Aisha’s character, thanks to DeVarma’sa’s phenomenal performance aided by superb dubbing by Pauly Valsan.
Streaming on: Sony LIV
Here are my picks of the best films from Mollywood in 2022. The list I have made is highly subjective because cinema is a subjective art. Do let us know in the comments if any of these films fall on your list of best films from 2022. Do not forget to mention your list of best Malayalam films in 2022.
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