10 Entertaining Tamil Films to Watch During this Pandemic!

These are some of my favorite Tamil films from the past decade that I’d think would be great to enjoy and kill some down time during this pandemic! All these films can be found on Amazon Prime Video or Einthusan!

1. Vikram Vedha:

• Symbolic cinematography and crisp editing throughout the course of the film; pay close attention to the utilization of color as the film progresses 

• A masterclass performance essayed by Vijay Sethupathi as Vedha; dialogue delivery, swagger, and genuineness expressed is simply astounding. While not as organic, Madhavan does equal justice to his role as the hot-headed, black and white-thinking cop

• Background score provided by Sam CS; absolutely riveting throughout the film’s most tense moments and eerily poignant during the more sentimental scenes 

2. VIP 

• Out and out clean masala entertainer; perfect doses of action, drama, and entertainment set in the backdrop of the struggles that unemployed engineering graduates face. First half of the film focused on setting up the exposition for Dhanush; second half of the film devoted to exhibiting Dhanush’s charismatic flair as the mass hero

  • Performance by Dhanush, Samuthirakani and Amala Paul are natural and relatable; minimal overacting present

  • Relatively crisp editing with a healthy dose of plot-progressing songs; direction is handled well and pacing of the film is adequate

3. Merku Thodarchi Malai

• Beautiful cinematography of the Western Ghats; the camera angles/shots will simply leave you in awe as you relish in the natural, rustic beauty of the mountains and fields depicted

  • Raw and gritty depiction of the struggles that landless labourers must endure on a daily basis; your heart will go out for those having to endure the daily trek while carrying loaded bags of cardamom from one set of foothills to another

  • Moving screenplay; while slow, the characterization present will allow you put yourself in the actors’ shoes and truly understand the dichotomy they must experience concerning their aspirations and desires versus their plights and struggles

4. Ratsasan

• Thrilling and suspenseful; the fast pace of the film combined with the crisp editing and ominous background score will keep you glued to the screen

  • Unlike many other Tamil films, the antagonist poses a very legitimate threat to the protagonist and is seemingly always a step ahead

  • Realistic screenplay; the process by which the protagonist must deduce the identity of the antagonist is depicted realistically with the occasional deux ex machina

5. Vishwaroopam

• One of Kamal Hassan’s finest films as of recent; exposition is developed beautifully, after which a compelling narrative is presented that predominates the rest of the film

  • Crisp action set-pieces in conjunction with hard-hitting music; definitely a nice change from the typical flying scenes/corny sound effects you’d find in more massy/masala-type films

  • Excellent acting from everyone; special shout out to Rahul Bose for his more restrained yet emotionally evocative performance

6. Pariyerum Perumal

• Restrained, emotionally evocative performance essayed by Kathir; your heart will go out for him as he endures obstacle after obstacle to earn the respect he rightfully deserves

  • Excellent depiction of how prevalent the caste system and its influences are within more rural, less developed communities

  • Beautiful cinematography and crisp editing that highlight the daily hassles of the less fortunate with the arrogance and privilege exhibited by those that are higher on the totem pole

7. 96 

• One of the finer romantic-drama films of recent; moves at a pleasant place and the characters in the film are extremely well developed; the film feels authentic and realistic, and it’s easy to relate and empathize with the main characters

  • Beautiful soundtrack and background score that captures the emotions depicted at various stages throughout the film

  • Masterclass performances by Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha; I wasn’t sure whether their chemistry would work on-screen, but they were splendid to watch together.

8. Asuran

• Gripping, suspenseful direction and editing; my eyes were glued to the screen as each scene unfolded and presented new challenges for Dhanush and company to endure

  • Solid performances from Dhanush, Manju Warrier in her Tamil debut, and everyone else; hardly any overacting and you’re made to witness the pain and torture that they experience in a society dominated by those with more wealth and land

  • Action set-pieces are realistic and engaging to watch; no feats of superhuman strength present, as Dhanush does indeed endure significant amounts of pain before he is able to do anything substantial against his perpetrators

9. Oh My Kadavule 

• Fresh and interesting screenplay; keeps you engaged throughout the course of the film as the events develop logically and realistically

  • Excellent performances from everyone involved in the film (Ashok Selvan, Ritika Singh, etc); depicts with realism the everyday conflicts that arise between modern-day couples and explores the fine line between infatuation and harboring genuine feelings for someone

  • Diverse background score and music; mixture of “peppery” and “soulful” songs that genuinely accelerate the progression of the film rather than being incorporated solely for the purpose of satisfying the “song quota”

10.  Kaithi

• Powerful, hard-hitting background score crafted by Sam C.S. Bolsters the tension in a variety of different scenes throughout the film and lends credibility to the intense rage and aggression that Dilli possesses

  • Absolutely stunning cinematography and editing that help progress the film at a thrilling pace and shape the overall atmosphere and mood present in each and every still of the film

  • Emotionally-inducing performance from Karthi in one of his best films yet; makes you wonder what his ceiling could be if he continues choosing scripts that will really allow him to maximize his potential

These are some of my favorite Tamil films from the past decade that I’d think would be great to enjoy and kill some down time during this pandemic! All these films can be found on Amazon Prime Video or Einthusan!