COLD CASE (2021)
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Director: Tanu Balak
Written by: Sreenath V. Nath
Produced by: Anto Joseph Film Company, Plan J Studios, AP International
Casts: Prithviraj, Aditi Balan, Alencier Ley Lopez, Anil Nedumangad, Athmiya Rajan
Language: Malayalam
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Music: Prakash Alex
SYNOPSIS:
A police commissioner, Sathyajith (Prithviraj) and journalist Medha (Aditi Balan) are on the trail of a murder victim to unearth the identity of the culprit and to quell a disturbed spirit
REVIEW:
Cold Case directed by debut filmmaker Tanu Balak, has lots of ingredients to rave about in terms of concept. It's an investigative police drama and a supernatural thriller at the same time, with two characters independently arriving at the same questions and answers that lead to solving a puzzle. The mystery kicks in when a skull wrapped in a trash bag emerges in a fisherman's net. Forensic analysis finds out that the murder was committed a year ago with the police seeking for more clues to find out who is the murdered and the murderer. It's game on for ACP Sathyajith who is called to investigate the case. In parallel, Medha faces a few supernatural encounters in her house and decides to crack the mystery as well.
On paper, the film sounds great and in terms of mood, it reminded me of Arivazhagan’s Eeram (2009) that connected emotions and supernatural elements with an intense investigation backdrop as well. Though the narrative shifts seamlessly between the two tracks, they really do not come together. I really liked the contrast of how Medha’s track is packed with supernatural elements whereas Sathyajith’s track focuses more on the facts. Sathyajith’s investigation throws up some intriguing bits in the initial parts built around the forensic clues which looked detailed and thorough. The mystery is very well sustained and keeps us at the edge of our seats. Even though the paranormal track was decently staged, the scares were below par with usual creepy looking dolls and jump scares. I was rooting to see more of Prithviraj’s investigation which was certainly more engaging of the 2 episodes.
Yes, the main problem of the film lies in this inconsistent tone which resulted in the second half to become diluted. Circumstantial evidence and convenient writing are thrown to our face rather than intelligent deduction on the part of the investigator. The careful set up in the first half comes down to a weak climax reveal that looks really unconvincing. Therefore, the emotional track that the director tries to infuse in the end doesn’t hit us as intended.
Prithivraj makes a perfect police commissioner with his fit body and subtle performance. Aditi Bala shines as well with her matured performance. Cinematographers Gireesh Gangadharan and Jomon T John, ensure that the film has a classy look with the right tones to depict the underlying mystery. Music composer Prakash Alex’s supports the mood of the film accordingly, given the multiple genre the film travels in.
That said, I liked how the ending hinted at a sequel as I felt that ‘Cold Case’ had lots of potential to be a remarkable mystery film if the director had managed to carefully engineer the knots into a convincing resolution. With a promising knack of writing investigative scenes, I will definitely want to see Tanu Balak striking back with a more intense thriller the next time.
VERDICT:
Though the film enters a convenient writing zone towards the end, director Tanu Balak manages to sustain the mystery well in this engaging procedural thriller.
CELLULOID METER- 3.25/5:
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