2023 - Best Malayalam Films (Critics' Choice)
by nairtejas | created - 06 Feb 2023 | updated - 4 months ago | PublicThese are the top Malayalam movies of 2023. Because a lot of times we need the perspective of multiple people to come to a meaningful conclusion, I have started this new approach to list the best films in Mollywood that came out in 2023. You can also browse my other lists here: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur34967775/lists.
The best Malayalam films of 2023 as selected by eminent critics. This list takes into consideration the reviews and ratings by Nowrunning.com (multiple reviewers), Lensmen Reviews (Aswin Bharadwaj S), Film Companion (multiple critics), The Firstpost (Anna Vetticad), The Hindu (S R Praveen), and New Indian Express.
These top 2023 Malayalam films are updated every other week and are ranked on the basis of their aggregate score, which is a mean value of all the ratings given by the critics. Because not all films are reviewed by every critic, a title is added into this list only if it has been reviewed by five or more people/publications (including me). So, in essence, all Malayalam films releasing between January 2023 and December 2023 (in theatres or OTT) will be considered by these seven critics + me.
Appreciate your constructive thoughts in the comments section below. Thank you and enjoy! For more such analyses, visit my blog - https://www.nairtejas.com/.
Last updated: 20 December 2023.
Exits (outgoing rank): Ntikkakkakkoru Premondarnn (2023) (#11), B 32 Muthal 44 Vare (2023) (#12), Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham (2023) (#13), RDX: Robert Dony Xavier (2023) (#14), Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum (2023) (#15), Pranaya Vilasam (2023) (#11), Pookkaalam (2023) (#13), Madanolsavam (2023) (#14), Ayisha (2023) (#14), Rekha (2023) (#15), Neelavelicham (2023) (#15)
Re-entrants (incoming rank): NA
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1. Kaathal - The Core (2023)
114 min | Crime, Drama
Mathew, a retired bank secretary, reluctantly enters politics for a by-election. The movie delves into their marriage dynamics, justice, and personal fulfillment amidst a tight-knit village community.
Director: Jeo Baby | Stars: Mammootty, Jyotika, Anagha Akku, Alex Alister
Votes: 3,707
2. 1001 Nunakal (2022)
104 min | Drama
Close friends get together and have some good time over food and talks until one of them proposes a game: each of them has to reveal a lie that they have hidden from their partners.
Director: Thamar K.V. | Stars: Remya Suresh, Vidhya Vijaykumar, Zhinz Shan, Vishnu Agasthya
Votes: 372
I rated it a fat 8/10.
3. Falimy (2023)
125 min | Drama
A family of self-centered individuals sets out on a journey to fulfill their grandfather's pilgrimage wish, partly to prevent his frequent escapes and partly to find a distraction from their personal problems.
Director: Nithish Sahadev | Stars: Basil Joseph, Jagadish, Manju Pillai, Abhiram Radhakrishnan
Votes: 2,181
4. Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2022)
105 min | Comedy, Drama
James wakes up irritable on a bus, believing he is Sundaram, a man who vanished from a quiet village years prior.
Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery | Stars: Mammootty, Ramya Pandian, Ashokan, Ashwanth Ashokkumar
Votes: 4,861
I rated it a good 6/10 on rewatch. Earlier rating was 4/10.
5. 2018 (2023)
Not Rated | 150 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A disaster film set during the 2018 Kerala Floods where people from all walks of life faced catastrophic consequences and put in collective efforts to survive the calamity.
Director: Jude Anthany Joseph | Stars: Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan
Votes: 12,097
I rated it an excellent 9/10.
6. Iratta (2023)
112 min | Drama, Thriller
After a cop is found dead, a policeman's investigation starts a chilling search for the truth connected to his estranged twin and their fraught past.
Director: Rohit M.G. Krishnan | Stars: Joju George, Anjali, Srindaa, Srikant Murali
Votes: 5,029
I rated it a good 7/10.
7. Romancham (2023)
130 min | Comedy, Horror
A game of Ouija board goes hilariously wrong when seven bachelors unexpectedly invite a spirit and try to make the best out of the situation.
Director: Jithu Madhavan | Stars: Soubin Shahir, Arjun Ashokan, Chemban Vinod Jose, Sajin Gopu
Votes: 7,056
I rated it an average 4/10.
8. Thuramukham (2023)
175 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
The famous protests against the 'chappa' system that was practiced in the Cochin harbor during the 1950s.
Director: Rajeev Ravi | Stars: Nivin Pauly, Poornima Indrajith, Indrajith Sukumaran, Sudev Nair
Votes: 762
9. Kannur Squad (2023)
161 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The gripping saga of a police officer and his team, their challenging journey to nab a criminal gang across the country. Further, it shows how he leads his team towards triumph, amidst professional uncertainties in this gripping drama.
Director: Roby Varghese Raj | Stars: Mammootty, Kishore Kumar G., Vijayaraghavan, Rony David
Votes: 8,187
I rated it a good 6/10.
10. Adrishya Jalakangal (2023)
128 min | Drama
A young man gets released from a mental asylum and heads back to the place where he used to live and gets back to his part-time job as a night watchman in a morgue but soon he starts experiencing some strange things.
Director: Bijukumar Damodaran | Stars: Govardhan B.K, Krishnan Balakrishnan, Indrans, Vettukili Prakash
Votes: 605
11. Thankam (2023)
145 min | Crime, Drama
Muthu (Biju Menon) and Kannan (Vineeth Sreenivasan) are Gold Agents from Thrissur, the Gold Capital of India. The movie portrays their travel to Mumbai to distribute gold and the following mishaps they face at their journey.
Directors: Saheed Arafath, Prinish Prabhakaran | Stars: Biju Menon, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Girish Kulkarni, Aparna Balamurali
Votes: 3,725
I rated it a good 7/10.
12. Nila (2023)
95 min | Drama, Family
Nila is a soulful narration of Dr Malathy's journey after she meets with an accident.She discovers a new camaraderie leading to some unexpected situations. Nila is a tale of connections and convictions.
Director: Indu Lakshmi | Stars: Shanthi Krishna, Ananya, Vineeth, Mammukoya
Votes: 347
13. Purusha Pretham (2023)
153 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Purusha Pretham, Krishand's third feature, is a police procedural story that has never been seen before in Malayalam cinema; an investigative thriller with interesting twists and turns.
Director: Krishand | Stars: Alexander Prasanth, Darshana Rajendran, Jagadish, Ajayaghosh
Votes: 1,292
I rated it an average 5/10.
14. Garudan (2023)
138 min | Crime, Thriller
Harish Madhav, a straightforward cop, and Nishanth, a college professor, get entangled in a crime and one has to fight for his integrity and other has to fight for justice.
Director: Arun Varma | Stars: Suresh Gopi, Biju Menon, Siddique, Jagadish
Votes: 2,251
I rated it a good 6/10.
15. O.Baby (2023)
Action, Drama, Thriller
A caretaker's bond that was formed from his forefathers time with a family comes under strain when the caretaker's son doesn't respect age-old traditions, wants to challenge the generational bond, and is influenced by woke culture.
Director: Ranjan Pramod | Stars: Dileesh Pothan, Athulya Chandra, Vishnu Agasthya, Haniya Nafisa
Votes: 4,786
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