Drishyam (2013)

Score: 7 / 10
Category: Movie
Platform: Streaming

One-line verdict

A slow, disciplined thriller built on character misdirection and patience, effective but more predictable than its reputation suggests.

First impressions

This is my first Malayalam movie, recommended both by a friend and by GPT as a good entry point into the industry.

I’ll be honest: it was not an easy adjustment.

Visually, Drishyam doesn’t feel like the conventional movie experience I’m used to. Compared to Japanese, American, British, or even Cantonese films, it almost feels like a TV drama shot on very clean digital footage. Too clean, to the point where the cinematic grain is missing. That took some getting used to.

Putting that aside, the intent of the film became clear fairly quickly.

What the movie does well

The buildup is slow, but purposeful. The film spends a lot of time establishing George as a low-profile, kind, hardworking, and thrifty man. His education level is repeatedly highlighted, subtly planting the idea that he might not be particularly intelligent.

That setup matters.

When the central conflict begins, the movie flips expectations by showing George consistently staying one step ahead of the investigators. This contrast is what keeps the story engaging and compensates for the slow opening.

In some moments, it almost feels like George outsmarts the police too many times, but I see this as the film deliberately rewarding patience built earlier.

Where it faltered for me

• The use of playback and repeated sequences felt unnecessary. The same impact could have been achieved with a more linear flow.
• The depiction of police brutality felt excessive. As a non-Indian viewer, seeing officers lay hands on women and children was disturbing. I’m not sure how realistic this portrayal is, but it stood out in a negative way.
• Having seen many thrillers, I found the story progression fairly easy to anticipate. While the plot twists may feel clever to some, they were largely expected for me.

The section below discusses character and cultural observations.

Performances and tone

I wasn’t familiar with any of the cast prior to this. Seeing Mohanlal as the lead made something clear: in Indian cinema, aura and presence matter more than conventional looks, and he carries that weight naturally.

Among the supporting cast, Ansiba Hassan stood out. Her transition from fear to confidence, especially during interrogation scenes, felt believable and grounded.

The film is also filled with life lessons and local proverbs — something I know many Malayalee friends appreciate deeply. It gives the movie a strong “everyday wisdom” quality, likely more relatable to Asian audiences than Western ones.

Final thoughts

Story-wise, this is a solid 7 for me. It could have reached an 8 if the plot twists were harder to anticipate and the structure tighter.

That said, I enjoyed the experience and understand why Drishyam is so well regarded. It’s disciplined, character-driven, and patient — just not as surprising as its reputation suggests.

I’ll be giving the second installment a shot on Prime.