Thanal movie review: Atharvaa leads a thriller that flickers but never fully ignites

Thanal movie plot:

Six new police recruits, which includes the unnamed Atharvaa’s character, are sent by their officials to go for night rounds even before their joining orders are given. It is during the night patrol they stumble upon a settlement where some suspicious activities are taking place. Who are the ones orchestrating it and how do the police recruits confront them?

Thanal movie review:

A certain amount of mystery lingering around the storytelling can prove to be a bane or boon to a film, and it all depends on how that mystery is packaged well within the story. Thanal, which also operates on these lines, keeps certain elements to audiences’ guessing, like Atharvaa’s name in the film (which never gets told) and what is point that connects his protagonist to Ashwin Kakamanu’s antagonist. But when the Thanal begins to unravel these points, the film barely manages to be a thriller beyond being a vehicle of social messaging.

Also read: DNA ending explained: What happened to Atharvaa Murali and Nimisha Sajayan’s newborn?

To begin with Thanal gets somewhere near to a good head start. Six newly recruited cops on a patrol, and getting somewhere caught in a settlement that looks like a maze, begins to take you somewhere. Here, the assailants seem to overtake the cops, the latter who are terrified due to their incompetence are the scapegoats. There is no prize for guessing Atharvaa remains unharmed, but the film begins to lose its steam when disjointed narratives begin to take over.

Thanal has a lot going on. There is the hero’s family story, his love story, and the action he must deal with. To top it off, there are two instances that happen in the beginning that are meant to connect later to the story, and the villain’s backstory that forms the crux. The social messaging that is tucked somewhere towards the end, also has least impact for it comes as a sudden strike to tie up the loose ends. The romance track between Atharvaa’s character and Lavanya Tripathi’s Anu, sticks like a sore thumb, making you wonder if romance is written in such stories only so that the antagonist has someone to take hostage of. So, when naturally, a lot of single-one liners from various genres come together for Thanal, there is an evident missed confluence that quite doesn’t make Thanal a satisfying watch.

Also read: SK 25: Sivakarthikeyan’s film with Sudha Kongara launched; to feature Jayam Ravi and Atharvaa

Thanal movie verdict:

The Atharvaa-led film is engaging in parts and shows some potential to be the solid thriller it wants to be. But when it confuses more idea and brings in sudden flashes of back stories, it goes wandering with lost ideas. The film, with streaks of comedy and drama here and there, forgets the path it wants to take and gets confused between being an overnight thriller and a canvas for societal issues.

FAQs

Q. What is the next movie of Tamil actor Atharvaa?

A. Atharvaa will be next seen in Parasakthi starring Sivakarthikeyan.

Q. Is Atharvaa related to Murali?

A. Yes, Atharvaa is veteran and late actor Murali's son.

Q. Which was the first film of Atharvaa?

A. Atharvaa's first film is 2010 romantic drama Baana Kaathadi available on OTTplay Premium.