5 Best Malayalam crime thrillers to watch on JioHotstar: Mohanlal’s L2 Empuraan, Sookshmadarshini to Mammootty’s Kannur Squad

Malayalam crime thrillers are certainly a great option for those who enjoy watching edgy and nail-biting stories. They serve a perfect dose of entertainment while keeping audiences hooked till the last moment.

So, if you’re on the lookout for a list of the best films in this genre, check out these 5 best Malayalam crime thrillers to watch on JioHotstar.

5 Best Malayalam crime thrillers to watch on JioHotstar

L2: Empuraan

• Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Abhimanyu Singh
• Director: Prithviraj Sukumaran
• Release date: March 27, 2025

L2: Empuraan is the latest and popular Malayalam crime thriller, which is available to stream on JioHotstar. It is the sequel of the 2019 release, Lucifer and has performed exceptionally well at the box office.

Sookshmadarshini

• Cast: Nazriya Nazim, Basil Joseph, Akhila Bhargavan, Pooja Mohanraj, Deepak Parambol
• Director: M.C. Jithin
• Release date: November 22, 2024

Sookshmadarshini emerged as a popular Malayalam thriller and received critically positive reviews from audiences after its theatrical release. It revolves around the story of a group of women who set out to investigate a new entrant in their neighborhood with suspicious behavior.

King of Kotha

• Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Prasanna, Gokul Suresh, Nyla Usha
• Director: Abhilash Joshiy
• Release date: August 24, 2023

Another popular title in the crime thriller genre, King of Kotha, takes audiences back to the town infested with crime. The area is ruled by the local goon Kannan bhai and his gang. To end his rule, a crafty inspector stages the return of the ‘king’, leading to some drastic events unfolding.

Rorschach

• Cast: Mammootty, Asif Ali, Bindu Panicker, Sharafudheen, Jagadeesh
• Director: Nissam Basheer
• Release date: October 7, 2022

Rorschach centers around a thriller based on revenge. The storyline talks about an NRI who seeks vengeance from the man who destroyed his life and it resulted in his wife going missing. In his search, he stumbles upon the Balan clan where terrorizing events unfold gradually.

Kannur Squad 

• Cast: Mammootty, Azees Nedumangad, Rony David Raj, Shabareesh Varma, Kishore
• Director: Roby Varghese Raj
• Release date: September 28, 2023

Another Mammootty starrer, Kannur Squad, follows the story of a crime investigation unit renowned for its team spirit and success rate in solving cases. Based on a real life team of inspectors, the film navigates one such case where they track down a high demand criminal gang and nab their activities.

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