Por Thozhil Review: Engaging Investigative Crime Thriller With Exceptional Writing

From the look of the trailer, Por Thozhil might appear to be yet another cat-and-mouse chase between a serial killer and the cops. With Vignesh Raja being a debutant director, one might wonder how he is going to make his film stand out from what is seemingly just another serial killer thriller. Well, the audience is surely in for a surprise!

Por Thozhil, directed by debutant Vignesh Raja and produced by Applause Entertainment with e4 Experiments and Eprius Studio, is set in 2010, the film begins with the mysterious and gruesome murder of a young woman in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. The chaos begins when two women are found dead in a similar pattern, and since the police are struggling to put the pieces together, senior police officer Loganathan (Sarath Kumar) from the Chennai Crime Branch is roped into the case.

Loganathan is tough as nails, unsentimental, and authoritarian, but he is also exceptionally talented, determined, and dedicated. He is asked to mentor the newly-joined Deputy Superintendent of Police, Prakash (Ashok Selvan). Prakash is a nerdy, emotional, and scared young man who turned out to be a cop due to his family’s persuasion. In another world, he would easily come across as a boy-next-door working in IT. Not even remotely does he fit into society’s expectations of a "masculine and rigid" cop. Wait, has Tamil cinema begun to redefine the conventional cop?

Back to the storyline of ">Por Thozhil, Loganathan takes an immediate dislike towards Prakash but gradually gets to know that Prakash is indeed a dedicated cop who wants to fight for justice. Although Loganathan never accepts it openly, he comes to realise that his street smarts and Prakash’s bookish smarts are a great combination. So the duo develops more of a mentor-mentee relationship. Tracing a remote connection to serial killings in the 1970s, Loganathan and Prakash race against time to nab the killer despite having minimal clues in hand.

Por Thozhil Review

Por Thozhil stands out because of its exceptional writing. The director has ensured that every scene gives you an adrenaline rush and that every twist and turn keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just when you might think what more could be made out of the plot, the movie takes yet another unexpected turn, leaving you awestruck. The director knows exactly how to handle a thriller and ensures no immaterial element is placed just to appease the commercial audience, which is another feather added to his cap.

Partnered with Jakes Bejoy’s background score and Kaliselvan Sivaji's cinematography, the film surpasses all expectations and turns out to be one of the most amazing thrillers of recent times.

What adds to the meticulous writing are two amazing actors, Sarath Kumar and Ashok Selvan. Needless to say, veteran actor Sarath Kumar is the apt choice to pull off a tough and dedicated cop. His character comes with a past, and not much is explored about it. Yet one backshot and one dialogue are all it takes to connect with his character. Ashok Selvan is the perfect pick to play a geeky and emotional cop. Despite his goofy personality, he is a committed cop who knows how to use his strengths to ensure justice is served.

To refrain from contributing any spoilers, this review is standing down from revealing information about the antagonist. But they did complete justice to their roles.

The success of a crime thriller boils down to just one thing: maintaining the suspense factor until the very end. Despite a few minor loose ends that we might not even notice, Poz Thozhil does exactly that! Every frame gives you a nail-biting moment, and you’re in for one fantastic crime thriller that would make you want to advocate for it.

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Image Credits: Por Thozhil PR Team

Views expressed by the author are their own