'Kalamkaval' Movie Review: Mammootty’s Chilling Transformation Powers This Dark, Real-Life Inspired Thriller (LatestLY Exclusive)

Kalamkaval Movie Review: If you’re living under some para (a rock, for you non-Mallus), like a few of my (older) fellow theatre-goers evidently were, you should know that Kalamkaval is inspired by the real-life serial killer Mohan Kumar aka 'Cyanide' Mohan. And just like those same viewers - who walked in expecting a standard Mammootty film and were stunned to see him embrace such a dark, detestable character - you might come for a familiar story but stay for Mammootty proving once again why he is the GOAT. Superstars don’t experiment, eh? Look towards Kerala, saar! Mammootty in ‘Kalamkaval’: 5 Times Malayalam Megastar Terrified Us With His Darkest On-Screen Villainy in the Past!

I call Kalamkaval, written and directed by Jithin K Jose (with Jishnu Sreekumar co-writing the screenplay), a 'familiar story' not because I’ve studied the Mohan Kumar case or watched the Netflix documentary on him. Cyanide Mohan’s crimes have inspired films and series in other languages too - like the Prime Video series Dahaad and the Zee5 film Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas, both of which fictionalised the story and shifted it to North India.

'Kalamkaval' Movie Review - The Plot

I haven’t read Mohan Kumar’s case in great detail, so I was surprised to find that both Bhagwat and Kalamkaval begin in a strikingly similar manner: the protagonist cop arrives in town to investigate a riot-like situation, only to stumble upon something far larger, darker and far more dangerous.

In Kalamkaval, set in the early 2000s, Jayakrishna (Vinayakan), a special crime branch officer, reaches a village on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border to look into unrest sparked by the disappearance of a girl. Her family believes she has eloped.

Watch the Trailer of 'Kalamkaval':

Jayakrishna’s investigation, however, uncovers something far more sinister: she is one among many missing women from border towns - women who have vanished under eerily similar circumstances, all linked to a man who seduced insecure women past the 'marriageable age', or divorcees, or widows, only to brutally kill them after the act.

'Kalamkaval' Movie Review - Mammootty in One of His Darkest Roles

Because I watched Bhagwat recently, the first half - especially Jayakrishnan’s phone-based investigation into the missing women - felt like déjà vu. But what elevates Kalamkaval is Mammootty’s chilling portrayal of the psychopath.

The nuance of his character emerges right in the opening prologue, where we watch him lead a victim to her doom. As he drives, she places her hand on his; he instinctively withdraws, only to take hold of her hand and place it on his chest - on his terms. In that one gesture, the film establishes his need for control, his desire to dictate the emotional dynamic. And as the prologue progresses, that trait turns terrifying. It’s a bold, dark opening that makes it clear: this is not a Mammootty character you root for.

The Malayalam legend, however, clearly relishes the challenge of playing such a perverse character who hides behind the mask of a family man. The variations and micro-nuances he brings to each scene keep you glued to him. Watch his calculating expression when he discovers cyanide as an 'efficient' tool to satisfy his bloodlust.

Observe the transformation in his face when he shifts from lover to predator the moment his prey looks away. Or just how he plays with his cigarette in his mouth as he trains his sight on the next target. This is a master performer at work.

The killer is always a step ahead of the officer trying to trap him, and Mammootty infuses that with a quiet, unnerving bravado - until one key moment forces him to reveal an emotionally fragile side. Even if it was just for a moment.

His scenes seducing victims into lodges are naturally creepy, but you can still see how these women fall for the persona he projects, how he modulates himself to their vulnerabilities. I also appreciated the film’s effort to explore his psychological roots - not through a clichéd flashback, but via a sequence where the camera pans across his childhood photos while a police officer explains addiction using his own life as an analogy. As Biju Pappan’s character later notes, every human is wired differently; some are born with sociopathic tendencies that turn their compulsions into catastrophes.

'Kalamkaval' Movie Review - The Investigative Track Oscilalatting Between Ordinary and Thrilling

Kalamkaval is at its strongest when diving into the killer’s psyche, amplified by Mammootty’s towering performance. The film isn’t weak outside that, but his performance does overshadow the investigative track, unlike Bramayugam, where his presence complemented the narrative instead of consuming it.

Here, whether it’s the déjà vu or the linear nature of the investigation - especially since we’ve already seen the killer’s methods - the police procedural doesn’t rise beyond 'decent'.

But things pick up with an intriguing pre-interval twist (which announces itself with a clever visual tic before showing the reveal) that veers the story away from its real-life origins and raises curiosity about where it will take the killer next. It also conveniently explains, within the film’s logic, how he remains a step ahead of law enforcement.

At the same time, the character alters his modus operandi, even borrowing a tactic reminiscent of Drishyam 2 (more than a decade before Jeethu Joseph imagined it), creating a new system to continue his crimes. Though interesting, this stretch slightly saps the film’s energy as it bends over backwards to keep the villain out of custody.

Fortunately, the re-introduction of a minor earlier character pulls the narrative back on track, and the story becomes significantly more riveting when hunter and prey unknowingly close in on each other. The finale’s twist might surprise some, but since the film repeatedly underscores Jayakrishnan’s sharpness, I found it easy to predict - less a mark of my cleverness and more a testament to Malayalam cinema training us for high-quality procedurals.

'Kalamkaval' Movie Review - The Performances

While Mammootty steals the show, Vinayakan holds his ground with a restrained, deliberately stiff, deceptively unreadable performance that suits his character’s guarded nature. I appreciate the film doesn't compromise on his character or role because a superstar is playing high on the other end; Kalamkaval is very much a Vinakayan film as much as it is Mammmootty's. And when these two are together, you can just see the electricity buzzing, particularly in the finale. Bramayugam Movie Review: Mammootty Terrifies With Sinister Brilliance in Rahul Sadasivan's Spellbinding Horror-Fantasy.

Biju Pappan and Gibin Gopinath are decent in their roles, though it’s puzzling why an actor of Azeez Nedumangad’s calibre appears in just a single inconsequential scene.

The actresses playing the victims do well with the limited space they have, with Shruti Ramachandran, Gayatri Arun and Rajisha Vijayan getting slightly more scope than the rest.

'Kalamkaval' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Kalamkaval may not break new ground in its investigative beats, but it thrives on the unnerving power of Mammootty’s performance, which elevates even the familiar. When the film enters the mindspace of its killer, it becomes its most compelling and rewarding. For all its flaws, this is yet another reminder that when Mammootty chooses to experiment, he does so at a level few actors of his star-level can touch. Bring it on, Mr GOAT!

(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 Dec 06, 2025 04:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).