Best Tamil films of 2023 so far.
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From Por Thozhil to Good Night, best Tamil films of 2023 so far
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After the pandemic, the success of Ponniyin Selvan 1 and Vikrambrought back hope to theatre owners and other stakeholders of the Tamil film industry. It was further reinforced by the overwhelming response to small-budget films like Thiruchitrambalam and Love Today. It was a sign that despite the advent of OTT, theatre-going audiences are still out there and willing to spend money on tickets. However, out of over 200 films that were released in 2022, not more than ten per cent of it turned out to be box office hits. To put it bluntly, despite having record-breaking films like PS 1 and Vikram, the overall performance of Kollywood in 2022 was anything but average. But even last year looks pretty bright when compared with what’s happening in Tamil cinema in 2023. It is all gloom except for a few infrequent flashes.
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While star vehicles like Varisu, Thunivu, Pathu Thala and Vaathi have raked in big numbers at the box office, the numbers are not reflective of their quality. While a lot of hope was pinned on H Vinoth’s Thunivu, it was utterly disappointing and lost the box office battle to Vijay’s Varisu, a generic affair. Dhanush’s Vaathi and Silambarasan’s Pathu Thala were other letdowns, While the stars failed, the small-budget films have punched above their weight. Most of our top picks of 2023 (till June) comprise these ventures. Here’s our pick of the best Tamil films of 2023 so far:
Good Night
There have been many reports about wives/husbands filing for divorce just because their partners snore at night. Debutant director Vinaya Chandrasekaran has made an engaging movie with one such premise that easily acquires your emotional investment. The film wins your heart even before getting into the conflict. The lead characters, the blossoming of romance between them, and all the drama in Good Night are heartwarming and convincing. Mohan (Manidkandan) develops an inferiority complex because of his snores. Though his wife Anu (Meetha Raghunath) is accepting of him, his self-doubt creates a huge gap between the newlyweds. Though the climax tests your patience, it is a worthwhile trade-off for the other beautiful moments in the film.
Viduthalai Part 1
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Though not the best work of director Vetrimaaran, Viduthalai Part 1 is easily one of the best Tamil films to come out this year so far. Based on Jeyamohan’s short story Thunaivan, the gut-wrenching film is about a tribal village that suffers due to police brutality. It follows a new naive police constable posted in a remote village, who witnesses the atrocities committed by the men in power in the name of preventing acts of terror. Even without his knowledge, he becomes an enabler of such violence. The film is extremely disturbing because it doesn’t look away from the truth.
Por Thozhil
Easily the most entertaining film of the lot, Por Thozhil, another low-budget film on the list, follows all the tropes of a buddy cop film. With brilliant casting choices and focused story-telling, debutant director Vignesh Raja has delivered an engaging film that doesn’t disappoint from start to finish. Prakash (Ashok Selvan) is a newly-appointed DSP, who suffers from anxiety issues. On the very first day, he is made to work with a reclusive but efficient SP Loganathan (Sarathkumar), who prefers working alone. The two different personalities come together to catch a serial killer who targets women. With no clue in sight, the two have to act before the killer strikes again.
Ponniyin Selvan 2
Perhaps, PS 2 is the only film on the list that is made on a big budget. While the first part went on to set box office records earning close to Rs 500 crore, the second part couldn’t even touch the Rs 400 crore mark. Yet, more than the first part, the second part was more true to the craft. Mani Ratnam took a lot of creative liberty with the climax and diverged from the source novel (of the same name, written by Kalki Krishnamoorthy), which left the readers upset. Nevertheless, PS 2 was more organic than the choppy first part. There were more good moments here, notably the brilliant interval sequence.
Yaathisai
While Mani Ratnam enthralled the Tamil audience with Ponniyin Selvan’s impressive production design and big budget, director Dharani Rasendran showed such historical fiction doesn’t require big money. Yaathisai, despite having a small budget and featuring fresh faces, found many takers in a short span. If PS films are about the glory of Cholas, Yaathisai is about Pandyas and a tribal braveheart named Kothi (Seyon), who captures the mighty empire for a brief period. Despite the limited budget and a few technical glitches, the film is effective in narrating the rise of an underdog and effortlessly depicts the culture, bravery, and politics of ancient Tamil Nadu.
