Movie review — 2023 Malyalam film “Iratta”
What goes around comes around.
This is how a murder mystery is done.
Iratta is not an easy watch. The disturbing storyline gets darker by the minute and it's a difficult story to consume. Nonetheless it's gripping from the get go. A locked room murder mystery with a flawless whodunnit premise, Iratta was a perfect movie to bring me back from my movie slump.
The story is about identical twins, Pramod and Vinod both working in the police department. During an event organized by the local cops, gunshots are heard inside the station and Vinod is found dead. What exactly happened forms the premise for the film.
The movie never slacks and it doesn't give the audience time enough to catch a breath and ponder over. With this one, you don't have to dig deep to justify why you like it or not. It sucks you into its grim world. There are no unanswered questions or open endings but it does open gates for discussions over a number of societal issues like childhood abuse, neglect, upbringing and the age old question : nature v/s nurture when it comes to the making of a criminal.
The movie gives a strong vibe of the 2001 film "Abhay". While the story progression of Abhay was a bit far fetched to the point of magical realism, Iratta is very much grounded in reality, which only adds fuel to the horrors it unravels.
At halftime I suspected that Malyalam cinema will bring out a character arc where evil turns to good to show a change of heart in order to absolve the male character of his misdeeds. But I’m glad to have been proven wrong because writer director Rohit M. G. Krishnan delivered. He did justice to the whole scenario that he built. Special kudos to Joju George for pulling off a double role in a convincing manner. The differentiation is stark in every scene even when the two characters are in the same frame with identical dressing style and makeup and it is done in an impeccable way.
This one is a must watch for mystery seekers. Go in blind with no context of reviews or trailers or synopsis.
