Midhun Manuel Thomas's Abraham Ozler, written by Randheer Krishnan, digs into the labyrinth of personal and professional hurdles that surround a probe in a serial killings case. Actor Jayaram plays an experienced police officer struggling to deal with a tragic past.
The intrigue intensifies as ACP Abraham Ozler (Jayaram) investigates the murder case, revealing a cryptic chase that has everyone on edge. The film depicts various characters, all of whom are intertwined in a web of fate. Abraham has his own personal dilemmas but is trying to find his way around them.
Soon after Ozler is assigned to the murder case in which the victim has been fatally wounded, two other killings with the same modus operandi follow. As Ozler puts together evidence to prevent a fourth killing, he finds many more suspects—putting him in a state of doubt about the truth behind the crime. The film delves deeply into the professional and personal lives of its characters, too, which adds to the suspense of the plot.
Thomas's directorial skills are on display as the picture flawlessly integrates tension, drama, and mystery while maintaining a crisp storyline throughout. The first half of the film is fast-paced, producing a box packed with questions, while the second half provides a combination of emotions with suspense and intense scenes.
The composers deserve special praise for the background score that elevates the scenes to another level. The frames captured by cinematographer Theni Eswar, known for Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, and Shameer Muhammed's editing have also made the visuals top class.
However, if you look closely at the production and thread, you will notice a recurrence of the classic police-killer film cliches that we have seen in numerous Malayalam police-killer pairings. Factors like the sad past of the investigating officer, communication of the criminal through letters or poems, views of forensic experts and a dark past that justifies the criminal’s actions add to the predictability.
When it comes to the portrayal of characters, actors Arjun Ashokan, Jagadish, Dileesh Pothan, Anaswara Rajan, Darshana Nair, Senthil Krishna, Arjun Nandakumar, Aseem Jamal and Arya Salim have delivered great performances. Watch out for Mammootty's mass entry and cameo in the film.
Abraham Ozler is worth a watch on the big screen for those interested in an investigation drama with medical thriller elements.
Movie: Abraham Ozler
Director: Midhun Manuel Thomas
Rating: 3/5