Identity Movie Review: Identity, Malayalam cinema’s first release of 2025, is directed by Akhil Paul and Anas Khan, the duo behind Forensic - a decent investigative thriller also starring Tovino Thomas. In Identity, the first half offers an engaging investigative setup, but once the film transitions into a more generic thriller, it overloads itself with twists and turns, leaving the audience trapped in a chaotic maze they'd rather escape from. ‘Identity’ Trailer: Tovino Thomas and Trisha Krishnan’s Mystery Thriller Offers High-Octane Action.

Haran Shankar (Tovino Thomas) suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) since childhood. Of course, if your protagonist in a thriller has a fancy-sounding mental condition, it conveniently explains their convenient 'superhuman' abilities. For Haran, this translates into rigid body language (which magically loosens up during action scenes) and obsessive attention to detail that enables him to sketch perfect portraits of people he hasn’t met. Also, it doesn't really play much when things get really going in the second half.

Watch the Trailer of 'Identity':

Haran's unique sketching talent brings him to the attention of Allen Paul (Vinay Rai), a Bengaluru cop tasked with protecting Alisha (Trisha Krishnan), a journalist and key witness to a murder. Alisha, blessed with a photographic memory but recovering from a recent accident, describes the suspect, and Haran is brought in to sketch the person. What follows is a setup ripe for intrigue and suspense.

'Identity' Malayalam Movie Review - An Engaging First Half

The first half works well, introducing Haran’s quirks, his family dynamics, and the arrival of Allen and Alisha, whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways. The narrative keeps you hooked with its initial twists and turns, pulling the rug from under your feet just enough to leave you curious. By the interval, allies have turned into foes, and everyone has secrets lurking in the shadows (though it is hard to ignore how all these characters come under the same roof quite conveniently without even trying hard for it).

However, cracks in the storytelling begin to surface early on. The film’s over-reliance on exposition - particularly via Shammi Thilakan’s character, who exists solely to explain everything from Haran’s condition to Alisha’s ailment - becomes tiresome. Instead of showing, the film opts to spoon-feed the audience, sapping the story of its intrigue.

'Identity' Malayalam Movie Review- Over-Tangled Second Half

The non-linear narrative style, while initially intriguing, soon becomes a stumbling block. The second half, which veers into revenge-drama territory, feels overstuffed and unnecessarily convoluted. There are some arresting moments here and there, and I like some minute details, like Vishak Nair's IT expert using the DuckDuckGo browser for searching stuff. But they get bogged down by the film’s need to outdo itself with more twists, some of which feel redundant or poorly executed.

One glaring example is a sequence in which Alisha’s affliction plays its part in unravelling a murderous incident. The editing is so jarring, jumping forward and backwards in time, and the screenplay is so overexuberant that the audience pieces things together long before the film intends them to. And when the twist finally lands, it serves little purpose beyond writing a character out of the story.

The standout moment of the movie is undoubtedly the plane sequence, where Haran and his team scramble to decipher the villain’s plans mid-flight. It’s an engaging set piece, albeit riddled with glaring writing loopholes. The hero seems to pull plans out of thin air with little effect, and the team neglects basic procedural checks. Nadikar Movie Review: Tovino Thomas' Deconstruction of Film Stardom is Hindered by a Weak Screenplay.

The movie also attempts to build up the protagonist’s secret identity, seemingly hoping to deliver a crowd-pleasing twist. At one point, a character even dramatically reveals his real profession. However, the payoff feels underwhelming. Without giving too much away, I’m not entirely convinced that his job warrants the level of fear and excitement it elicits from the villains.

'Identity' Malayalam Movie Review - Action and Performances

Some reviews I’ve read praised the two high-octane action sequences, but for me, even those were let down by the film’s overly choppy execution. Take the highway car chase, for instance—it’s so over-edited that it feels disjointed. The climactic action scene, another fight set aboard a plane, is ambitious and well-choreographed but lacks genuine stakes. By the time it rolls around, the audience is likely more invested in the thought of heading for the exit than in the outcome of the battle.

One glaring example is a sequence in which Alisha’s affliction plays its part in unravelling a murderous incident. The editing is so jarring, jumping forward and backwards in time, and the screenplay is so overexuberant that the audience pieces things together long before the film intends them to. And when the twist finally lands, it serves little purpose beyond writing a character out of the story.

The standout moment of the movie is undoubtedly the plane sequence, where Haran and his team scramble to decipher the villain’s plans mid-flight. It’s an engaging set piece, albeit riddled with glaring writing loopholes. The hero seems to pull plans out of thin air with little effect, and the team neglects basic procedural checks. Nadikar Movie Review: Tovino Thomas' Deconstruction of Film Stardom is Hindered by a Weak Screenplay.

The movie also attempts to build up the protagonist’s secret identity, seemingly hoping to deliver a crowd-pleasing twist. At one point, a character even dramatically reveals his real profession. However, the payoff feels underwhelming. Without giving too much away, I’m not entirely convinced that his job warrants the level of fear and excitement it elicits from the villains.

'Identity' Malayalam Movie Review - Action and Performances

Some reviews I’ve read praised the two high-octane action sequences, but for me, even those were let down by the film’s overly choppy execution. Take the highway car chase, for instance—it’s so over-edited that it feels disjointed. The climactic action scene, another fight set aboard a plane, is ambitious and well-choreographed but lacks genuine stakes. By the time it rolls around, the audience is likely more invested in the thought of heading for the exit than in the outcome of the battle.

Performance-wise, Tovino Thomas is adequate in a role that doesn’t really stretch his abilities, especially compared to the more substantial parts he tackled last year. Trisha Krishnan delivers a serviceable performance in a role that doesn't do much justice to her casting budget. Vinay Rai’s casting is a bit of a spoiler for his character’s arc, though he handles the role capably. Archana Kavi returns to Malayalam cinema in the role of Tovino’s elder sister, but the casting feels odd considering their similar ages. There's also Mandira Bedi here, and the mystery is why she is here.

PS: For a movie that tries to overexplain everything, let me explain you something - a stepbrother is not the same as a halfbrother!

'Identity' Malayalam Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Identity starts with promise but loses its way in an attempt to cram in every twist imaginable in its labyrinthine screenplay. While the first half hints at a gripping investigative thriller, the second half devolves into a bloated saga that sacrifices coherence for complexity. Not really a good start for Malayalam Cinema in 2025!

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 03, 2025 09:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).