Top Rated Malayalam Movies of All Time
Ever since Malayalam cinema underwent a renaissance in the past decade- with the influx of new-age filmmakers creating some groundbreaking work, it has been unarguably the foremost film industry in India when measured by the quality of films produced. If the 2000s were the worst years for Malayalam movies, then the best era was definitely the 70s and 80s, which witnessed the rise of the New Wave and Middle cinema respectively.This list is an attempt to compile the best of mainstream and independent films that I’ve watched over the years.
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- DirectorSibi MalayilStarsMammoottyThilakanMukeshA school teacher living in a village belongs to a family with a history of lunatic males, and soon he falls prey despite being normal due to society misinterpreting his actions.
- DirectorT. HariharanStarsMammoottyMadhaviDevanThe film offers an alternative version of the fight between two legendary Chekavars from Chanthu's perspective.
- DirectorSathyan AnthikadStarsSreenivasanJayaramThilakanA satire on contemporary Kerala politics where brothers turn local leaders of rival parties, leading to distress for their aged and once-proud parents.
- DirectorSathyan AnthikadStarsMohanlalSreenivasanShobanaAfter losing their jobs in Kerala, Dasan and Vijayan decide to migrate to the Middle East. But they end up in Tamil Nadu where they are mistaken as two CID officers by a group of smugglers.
- DirectorSibi MalayilStarsMohanlalThilakanKaviyoor PonnammaThe life of a young man turns upside down when he intervenes in a dispute in order to rescue his father (a cop) from a ruthless local outlaw.
- DirectorFazilStarsShobanaMohanlalSuresh GopiWhen a forbidden room in an old bungalow is unbolted, the spirit of a vengeful dancer is unleashed.
- DirectorCochin HanifaStarsMammoottyGeethaSiddiqueRaghavan, a farmer, devotes his life to ensure that his brother Vijayakumaran gets educated. But with time and under the influence of his rich wife, Vijayakumaran ends up destroying all relationships.
- DirectorPriyadarshanStarsMohanlalJagathy SreekumarRevathiA tourist guide in Ooty shelters a mentally unstable woman in return for the reward offered by her relatives. Later, he comes to know that she is in danger from her relatives.
- DirectorKamal K.M.StarsKunchacko BobanVinayakanJoju GeorgeAll the governments that have ruled the nation made laws that denied the indigenous people their way of life and their land often, protecting crony capitalist interests. The film revisits an episode of dissent in the 90s which brought up this question amongst us. A history forgotten!
- DirectorPriyadarshanStarsMohanlalJagathy SreekumarRevathiA tourist guide in Ooty shelters a mentally unstable woman in return for the reward offered by her relatives. Later, he comes to know that she is in danger from her relatives.
- DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsMohanlalSumalathaParvathiJayakrishnan falls in love with two girls, Radha and Clara, and fights his confusion about whom he should marry and spend his life with.
- DirectorAmal NeeradStarsMammoottySoubin ShahirSreenath BhasiMichael helms his ancestral family in Kochi, inspiring fear and respect through his past. When a few younger members of the household find his power over their lives too aggravating, they join hands with foes to clamp down on him.
- DirectorSalim AhmedStarsMammoottySreenivasanJewel MaryNarrates both the hardships and happiness that Gulf life has provided to Malayalees. The period from 1960 to the present form the context of the story.
- DirectorAdoor GopalakrishnanStarsMammoottyThilakanKaramana Janardanan NairIts a story of Basheer, an author who experiences his prison life. In it he finds friendship, loneliness, fear and finally love, but that remains questionable.
- DirectorAdoor GopalakrishnanStarsMammoottyM.R. GopakumarTanvi AzmiThommy is a loyal servant of Bhaskar Patel. But Patel is a ruthless tyrant. Thommy struggles between his moral sense and his professional sense. He is finally redeemed without compromising his duty as Patel's servant.
- DirectorBlessyStarsMohanlalMeera VasudevanArjun LalWill an unexpected turn of events change Rameshan's life forever and prevent him from witnessing his dream where his son becomes a reputable IAS Officer?
- DirectorP. PadmarajanStarsMohanlalShariThilakanA man falls in love with his new neighbor but then finds that her family life is difficult.
- DirectorLalSiddiqueStarsSaikumarMukeshInnocent Vareed ThekkethalaThree unemployed men struggle to earn a living and decide to get involved in a kidnapping scheme to make quick money.
- DirectorSibi MalayilStarsMohanlalAugustineJanardananSadayam follows the final days of a condemned prisoner, for murdering two little girls.
- DirectorVineeth SreenivasanStarsPranav MohanlalKalyani PriyadarshanDarshana RajendranThe emotional journey of Arun, his carefree bachelor days in engineering college, and how he matures through various phases of life.
- DirectorBlessyStarsMammoottyYash GawliPadmapriyaMadhavan, a villager, comes across Pavan, a young boy who lost his family in the Gujarat earthquake. He welcomes Pavan into his family and the rapport between them strengthens over time.
- DirectorRanjithStarsMammoottyPriyamaniJesse Fox AllenPranchiyettan is a successful businessman who often has talks with an imaginary St. Francis of Assisi. The story deals with how he goes about changing his embarrassing image to making a name for himself using wealth and contacts.
- DirectorK. MadhuStarsMammoottySuresh GopiJagathy SreekumarPrabhakara Varma is called upon to investigate the death of Omana, the daughter-in-law of a local businessman. It looks like a suicide but, Varma is sure that is not so.
- DirectorBalu MahendraStarsShobanaMammoottyAdoor BhasiUnnikrishnan (Mammootty), an ex-convict, tells his tragic love story to his fellow passengers in a school bus. An orphan and a forest officer by profession, he falls in love with a local girl, Thulasi, during his stay at a forest area. They decided to get married and he sets off to inform his marriage to his best friend. On his way back the police arrest him as a suspected criminal, who has some visible similarities to Unnikrishnan. There he accidentally kills a policeman and is sentenced to life imprisonment. During his early days in prison, he writes a letter to Thulasi asking her to forget him. When his prison term was about to complete, he wrote a letter to her to light a lamp if she still waits for him. After long years of torment in the prison he goes to meet Thulasi. Does she still wait for him? That's the question of his fellow passengers too.
- DirectorJoshiyStarsMammoottyJayaramSuresh GopiNarasimha Mannadiar is a village lord famous for his thirst for justice and fearlessness. Hyder Marakkar, a notorious criminal awaiting capital punishment has means to prevent it. Mannadiar must battle to ensure that justice is prevailed.
- DirectorSreenivasanStarsSreenivasanParvathiInnocent Vareed ThekkethalaA man with a serious case of inferiority complex is married to a beautiful girl. Soon, his love and care turns into suspicion.
- DirectorMahesh NarayananStarsFahadh FaasilNimisha SajayanVinay ForrtA past ridden with crime, death and pain is recounted to Freddy, a juvenile criminal, who has been assigned to eliminate his estranged uncle Sulaiman, an aging patriarch, while behind bars.
- DirectorAnjali MenonStarsDulquer SalmaanNivin PaulyNazriya NazimA fun roller coaster ride about three young people, Aju, Divya and Kuttan who are cousins, reach Bangalore to dream, discover and explore.
- DirectorJeethu JosephStarsMohanlalMeenaAsha SharathA man goes to extreme lengths to save his family from punishment after the family commits an accidental crime.
- DirectorT.V. ChandranStarsJanardananSalu KoottanadLakshmi KrishnamurthySet in 1940s, the low-caste Ponthan Mada bonds with his colonial landlord Sheema Thampuran, who was expelled to British India from England during his youth for supporting the Irish Republican Army.
- DirectorAlphonse PuthrenStarsNivin PaulySai PallaviMadonna SebastianA young man has three opportunities to find love. Will the third time be the charm?
- DirectorAnwar RasheedStarsDulquer SalmaanThilakanSiddiqueFaisi wants to go to UK to become a professional chef but circumstances force him to assist his grandfather in a small restaurant in Kozhikode city, changing his outlook on life forever.
- DirectorDileesh PothanStarsFahadh FaasilAparna BalamuraliSoubin ShahirMahesh, a studio photographer and studio owner gets into a fight and loses. He ends up taking revenge which leads to certain realizations in his life.
- DirectorJoshiyStarsMammoottySumalathaSuresh GopiA journalist is illegally jailed for exposing two corrupt politicians, He exacts revenge through his new mysterious newspaper.
- DirectorShaji N. KarunStarsMohanlalSuhasiniMattanoor Shankara MararAn illicit relationship between a Kathakali dancer and a young woman from an upper caste family results in an illegitimate child. He faces hardships when she refuses to let him see their child.