2018 has been an interesting year with plenty of diversity in terms of films that were offered to us. It is certainly a step forward for Tamil cinema, there were fewer ‘heroes’ who saved the day, and more weighty, content rich stories. Hence the Varnam team came up with our list of the best and the worst for the year!
Best Tamil Films of 2018
Pariyerum Perumal
This Mari Selvaraj film is not good, it is exceptional. Kathir executes his task to a tee, allowing the audience to easily relate to his wrath and pain. The introduction of characters never seen before in Tamil cinema is a breath of fresh air and Santosh Narayanan’s music was spot on. This is one of those films that will stay with the audience long after they’ve walked out of the cinema.
96
Okay, you had to know this was going to be on the list. Trisha and Vijay Sethupathi’s emotional moments are remarkable, it almost feels like their energy is in the same room. 96 is one of the most magnificent, realistic love stories of our time.
Kaala
One of the few films that showcased strong women alongside strong men this year, Kaala is one of a kind, and it isn’t because of Rajinikanth.
Vada Chennai
Stellar filmmaking and a brilliant script makes Vada Chennai one of the best films this year. The star of this movie wasn’t Dhanush, but the story. Chopped into blocks of flashback reels, it is initially hard to keep track of what went on when. Towards the end of the film, however, Vetrimaaran packages those blocks into a beautiful package.
Nadigaiyar Thilagam
This film will make the audience laugh, cry and walk away with their hearts full, remembering Savitri for the love that she exuded, and not just her tragic ending. An ensemble cast helped, too. Keerthi Suresh has proven herself to be way more than a meme-worthy actress with Nadigaiyar Thilagam.
Merku Thodarchi Malai
This Vijay Sethupathi production revolves around the life of a group of people living along the foothills of the Western Ghats. The excellently executed cinematography transports the viewer into the village, surrounded by the colourful characters and their ways of life.
Overrated Films of 2018
These films were touted to do well, but failed miserably for us.
2.0
There as so much hype building up to this film, that when we saw it, it felt like a bird hit our windscreen while driving. Great strides technically, very poor otherwise.
Vishwaroopam 2
It is hard to believe that the visionary behind the direction of films like Hey Ram and Virumaandi served us this mess of a movie. Vishwaroopam 2 was all over the place, a hodge podge that lacked flow and a good script. Utterly disappointing.
Tik Tik Tik
Our first astronaut movie may have been nice to watch, but the underlying story ruined all of it for us. India needs to steal a space missile from China and so they hire three thieves/magicians to travel to space and complete the task. *Slow clap*
Worst Movies of 2018
There are probably many more movies to be added to this list, but these few stood out for us.
Kadaikutty Singam
The whole film is based on a patriarchal premise that a son is a must in every family. Sathyaraj’s character goes to great lengths to make this happen shamelessly. While it is understandable that this is the current thinking among villagers, there really is no need to perpetuate it with one apologetic line at the end of 2 hours where Sathyaraj says “Boys and girls are equal,”
Saamy Square
This movie was doomed from the time the scriptwriter penned these words down, “Naan Saamy illai, bootham!” What were you thinking, Vikram?
Mr Chandramouli
One would imagine that an actual father and son would have great on screen chemistry while playing those exact roles. Apparently not.
Sketch
The only thing worse than this two hour bore is Tamannah’s name, Amuthavalli. We are unsure why Vikram takes on movies like Sketch, but we certainly hope Dhruv makes better choices.
Billa Paandi
Rubbish film with horrendous comedy sequences that do nothing more but dare the viewer to turn it off. Even Ajith fans would need a break from this one.
Semma Botha Aagatha
This is a story with plenty of potential, but it has been marred by a shoddy screenplay and a pathetic script.
Kalavani Mappilai
We are unsure if Dinesh used Kabali as a stepping stone. This film is completely unwatchable.
Seema Raja
The only thing worse than a regular Sivakarthikeyan movie? Seema Raja. This movie had one goal: To make Sivakarthikeyan a mass hero. He fails miserably in spite of having some rowdy beating and farmer supporting scenes.
All in all, 2018 has been an interesting year with Tamil filmmakers exploring different genres of movies. What was your favourite this year?
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