Taut thriller with a sensational climax

Iratta

Malayalam (Netflix)

Rating: 4/5

Director: Rohit M G Krishnan

Cast: Joju George, Anjali, Manoj K U

In ‘Iratta’ (meaning twin) — directed by Rohit M G Krishnan — the mystery behind the death of cop Vinod builds up just like any other whodunnit thriller.

But as the film goes on, multiple layers get added to the procedural, and the tale becomes dark and complicated. The moral ambiguities sprout up even as the viewers’ comprehension of characters goes upside down.

The film ends up being less of a typical suspense thriller but more of a visual commentary on futile rage-violence, pent-up emotions, and inherent human wickedness, with an overarching philosophical musing on Karma.

There is no good twin and bad twin among both estranged brothers Pramod and Vinod, played with excellence by Joju George.

Identical twins separated early in their childhood, both grow up separately imbibing an enormous effect of their environment in their attitudes.

Both have their own share of shortcomings and they do take the path of redemption, but Vinod’s deeds catch up with him, resulting in the death.

‘Iratta’ would have been mundane if it was just a story of two warring brothers in vacuum. But the context and the backdrop that the writer-director Rohit provides for the film’s conflicts make it captivating.

The film, in its 107 minutes runtime, feels short in a way that the action takes place quickly but its crisp and concise screenplay drives home several points.

The film treads cautiously in its treatment of grey characters without expressing any sympathies with them.

It dives deep into how an individual’s circumstances ingrain many sorts of violence and how it manifests in different forms. ‘Iratta’ also sensitively explores the nitty-gritties of sexuality and the point where it spirals into violence.

As the film progresses, the viewer hopes to see more details of characters such as Pramod and Malini. The latter, played by under-utilised Anjali, speaks louder in her silence, but the character overall deserves more than just unspoken suffering in patriarchal violence.

Jakes Bejoy’s beguiling original score work in tandem with the theme, tone and the pace, and calling him another hero of the film would be an understatement.

‘Iratta’ just has the guise of a suspense thriller. However, ignoring the crux of what it is really about would be unfair for the film’s efforts.