The first few months of this year were peculiar for Tamil cinema enthusiasts seeking engaging storytelling. We were served films with intriguing premises — some ambitious in content, others daring in form — but few truly delivered an overall satisfying cinematic experience. Take Captain Miller, for instance.
Despite its sporadic brilliance, it was hard to escape the sense that the film fell short of its potential, even as it slipped into a dependence on cameos and hero moments in the second half. Ayalaan was another bold idea, with its sci-fi premise and commendable VFX, but it faltered where it mattered most — the narrative joys.
Then came Blue Star, a film with so much going for it: endearing underdog characters, a vividly authentic Arakkonam backdrop, and earnest performances from Shanthnu and Ashok Selvan.
And yet, its conclusion felt off-kilter, leaving us with a bittersweet sense of what could have been. Singapore Saloon, from Gokul, gave us glimpses of his signature humour, carried ably by Sathyaraj’s impeccable comedic timing. However, the jarring pivot to saccharine sentimentality seemed an unwise detour, dampening what could have been a breezy entertainer. And this was just the fare January offered — a collection of films that danced around excellence but never quite stepped into its embrace.
By February, as Tamil cinema stalled, we turned our gaze toward other languages for solace. Malayalam cinema, true to its reputation, delivered a buffet of delights.
Premalu captured the tender, universal ache of young love, Brahmayugam mastered the art of authentic horror, and Manjummel Boys — with its beautifully nostalgic use of Ilaiyaraaja’s Kanmani Anbodu — created one of the most memorable theatre moments of the year. In fact, Manjummel Boys felt so warmly received in Tamil Nadu that it feels wrong not to include it in our achievements of the year.
Meanwhile, back home, we began warming up too, albeit tentatively. The first truly remarkable Tamil film of the year was Lover.
Just as we thought momentum was building, the pace slackened. Urvashi shone as always in J Baby, effortlessly balancing humour and pathos, while Gautham Menon delivered the restrained action-thriller Joshua: Imai Pol Kaakha, which met its modest aspirations.
But March and April rolled by without a significant crescendo. Meanwhile, Malayalam cinema continued its winning streak, delivering Aavesham before audiences had even caught their breath from Premalu and Manjummel Boys.
Perhaps it speaks to our collective creative starvation that the release of Aranmanai 4 felt like an event. Social media buzzed with excitement over the film, but let’s be honest — it was no reinvention of the wheel. The awkward mix of cheap scares and inconsistent comedy carried over from its predecessors, with nothing new to elevate the franchise. If anything, it may be remembered for the unintentionally comic moment of Tamannaah smiling through pain, a scene that mirrors my own bemused response to the film.
Amid this uneven start to the year, one of Tamil cinema’s most heartening stories emerged: the rise of actor Soori. Known primarily for his comedic roles, Soori transformed into a multifaceted performer this year.
In Durai Senthilkumar’s Garudan, he charted a compelling arc from submissive servant to fiery rebel, while Kottukkaali revealed an entirely different side of him. Here, he played an abominable, casteist man who seeks to control his bride through violence. Soori, who once made us laugh, now made us shudder — a testament to his growth as an actor. His third outing, Viduthalai Part 2, relegated him to a cameo, but the film’s political undertones and thoughtful messaging ensured his presence still resonated.
While on Viduthalai 2, this was also a strong year for Vijay Sethupathi in Tamil cinema. Maharaja, directed by Nithilan Saminathan, was a standout. The film played with structure and delivered one of the year’s most unforgettable endings, with Sethupathi masterfully embodying a character who never fell into saviour tropes.
His performance in Viduthalai Part 2 was louder, relying more on words, but you could still catch the power of his performance in moments of quiet sensitivity — like in the formative moments of his relationship with Manju Warrier’s Mahalakshmi.
Amid the rise of actors like Soori and the memorable performances of Vijay Sethupathi, this year also gave us reason to celebrate actresses who proved their mettle when offered roles with depth. Priyanka shone in patches in Captain Miller, Malavika Mohanan was a ferocious, mythical warrior in Thangalaan, Sai Pallavi elevated Amaran with a performance that transcended her role’s limitations, and Anna Ben delivered a masterclass in restraint and presence, even in silence, in Kottukkaali.
These actresses reminded us that when given meaningful opportunities, they are more than capable of commanding attention and leaving strong impressions, and that more often than not, the shortcomings we perceive in cinema lie not in their performances, but in the characters they are given.
The year truly began to flex with the release of Kottukkaali, which heralded a wave of quality cinema. Smaller films like Jama and Minmini demonstrated the beauty of intimate storytelling, while big-budget spectacles like Raayan and Pa.Ranjith’s Thangalaan showcased the power of craftsmanship. Thangalaan, though not Ranjith’s most effective work, refused to be confined by genre, experimenting with form and structure. And then came Vaazhai, a Mari Selvaraj masterpiece that stands as one of the year’s finest. With no stars, no conventional protagonist, and children at its heart, Vaazhai delivered a gut-wrenching tale of childhood dreams stifled by harsh realities. Dreamy yet devastating, it is another jewel in Selvaraj’s growing oeuvre.
By September, Tamil cinema was on a roll. Lubber Pandhu, widely celebrated as one of the year’s best, combined progressive politics with an empathetic lens that captured the humanity of all its characters. Director Prem Kumar followed this with the audacious Meiyazhagan, a film centred on two men in conversation. Karthi’s portrayal of an idealist brimming with forgiveness and love stood in poignant contrast to a cynical, disillusioned man (Aravind Swami) — a brave, quiet exploration of redemption.
October continued the momentum with the second Rajinikanth film of the year, Vettaiyan (Lal Salaam, being the first). The latter saw Rajinikanth as a Muslim protagonist in a film burdened by too many ideas and too little exploration, while Vettaiyan, though uneven, stood out for its anti-police-encounter message and marginalised representation.
Director TJ Gnanavel, coming off the success of Jai Bhim, tackled these themes with audacity, even as the film lost its way in trying to find a meaningful road to its end. Its counterpart, Amaran, followed later in the month. While it excelled as a love story, its romanticised portrayal of Kashmir politics raised uncomfortable questions — but there was enough emotional honesty and vulnerability in the romance, enough craft value, to make you overlook its political missteps.
Of course, not all major releases landed their punches, though. Suriya’s Kanguva and Venkat Prabhu’s GOAT, to a lesser extent, mirrored Indian 2 in their pursuit of spectacle over substance.
GOAT still had its moments —Vijay stepping into a younger role with charm, Yuvan Shankar Raja reaffirming his quality, and Venkat Prabhu delivering flashes of his signature flair. However, all these films, though brimming with intriguing ideas, struggled to deliver consistent storytelling, reminding us of the perils of prioritising moments over narrative coherence.
As the year closes, Tamil cinema feels poised for introspection. The first half of the year may have been dry, but the second half overflowed with stories of authenticity and emotion. If the lessons of this year are learned — if we can value emotional depth and storytelling finesse over fleeting spectacle — then perhaps 2025 will bring us a steadier stream of uncompromised, authentic cinema, and this time, hopefully, we won’t have to wait half a year for the rewards.
LOVER
The first truly remarkable Tamil film of the year was Lover. Prabhuram Vyas’ evocative exploration of romance took a magnifying glass to the bruised male ego, exposing its toxic edges. With Sean Roldan’s hauntingly emotional score underscoring the film, Lover dared to hold its protagonist accountable in ways our cinema rarely does. Manikandan played a character whose entitled, possessive behaviour might once have been glorified as love, but here, it was scrutinised and laid bare.
INDIAN 2
Just as it seemed Tamil cinema had found its rhythm, Indian 2 arrived as a sensationally sobering disappointment in July. Shankar’s sequel to the iconic Indian had everything going for it: the return of Kamal Haasan as Senapathy, a rich legacy to build upon, and sky-high audience expectations. Yet, the film’s critique of excess was ironically undermined by its own indulgences, leaving audiences questioning its lack of empathy and cohesion. It was a wake-up call, albeit one quickly drowned out by the cinematic joys of August.