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Top 10 South Indian Thrillers on Amazon Prime, Hotstar and more: Mohanlal’s Drishyam to Adivi Sesh’s Evaru
Everyone loves a good thriller. Here are the Top 10 South Indian thriller films that are sure to give fans an ‘edge of the seat’ experience.
Who doesn’t love a good thriller? A film that is capable of bringing fans to the edge of their seats, with their heart pounding against their chest. Over the years, thrillers, as a genre, have gained a separate fanbase of their own, and grown to become one of the most loved kinds of films as well. The South Indian film industries have come up with a number of such thrillers over the course of time. Here are the top 10 South Indian thriller films, and where to watch them.
Top 10 South Indian thriller films
1. Drishyam (2013)
- Writer-Director: Jeethu Joseph
- Language: Malayalam
- IMDb rating: 8.3/10
- Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Genre: Crime-thriller
- Cast: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Asha Sharath, Siddique, Kalabhavan Shajon,
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Drishyam is perhaps Jeethu Joseph’s most famous film. The film marked his first collaboration with Mohanlal, a combination that gained a place in fans’ hearts as well. Drishyam deals with a cinephile named Georgekutty, whose family comes under scrutiny when Varun Prabhakar, the son of IG Geetha Prabhakar goes missing. How Georgekutty deals with the situation, and how he escapes the police’s net forms the crux of the film. Drishyam was very well received at the time of release and enjoys a cult following even today. The film was remade in several languages including Tamil with Kamal Haasan in the lead, and Hindi with Ajay Devgn in the lead, as well as foreign languages like Sinhala, Chinese, Korean, and Indonesian.
2. Ugramm (2014)
- Writer-Director: Prashanth Neel
- Language: Kannada
- IMDb rating: 8.1/10
- Running time: 2 hours 11 minutes
- Genre: Action-thriller
- Cast: Srimurali, Nithya, Tilak Shekar, Atul Kulkarni, Avinash
- Where to watch: Zee5
Ugramm marked the debut of Prashanth Neel, someone who would soon go on to be one of the most renowned filmmakers all over the country. The film follows the story of Agasthya and Nithya, who attempt to flee from Shivarudra Lingaiah. The story involves a fictional township run by a crime syndicate and how Agasthya gets entangled with the syndicate. Ugramm brought about a new kind of filmmaking in Kannada cinema, something that was not seen prior to it. Prashanth Neel recently admitted in an interview that his latest film Salaar, which features Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukiumaran in the lead roles, is a retelling of Ugramm on a much larger perspective.
3. Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014)
- Writer-Director: Rakshit Shetty
- Language: Kannada
- IMDb rating: 8.4/10
- Running time: 2 hours 34 minutes
- Genre: Gangster-thriller
- Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Kishore, Rishab Shetty, Tara, Yagna Shetty
- Where to watch: SunNXT
Rakshit Shetty made his directorial debut with Ulidavaru Kandanthe. The film revolves around an investigative journalist who is investigating a person’s murder. The film is told in five chapters and follows a Rashomon effect narrative. That is, the story moves forward as it is told by the characters in the film. Although the film received mixed reviews upon release, over the course of time, it has gained a cult status amongst cinephiles across the nation.
4. RangiTaranga (2015)
- Writer-Director: Anup Bhandari
- Language: Kannada
- IMDb rating: 8.3/10
- Running time: 2 hours 29 minutes
- Genre: Mystery-thriller
- Cast: Nirup Bhandari, Radhika Chetan, Avantika Shetty, Shilpa Singh, Pramod Shetty
- Where to watch: SunNXT
RangiTaranga is undeniably one of the most popular Kannada thrillers. The film follows the tale of a couple, Indu and Gautham, who perform a ritual at the former’s ancestral home. However, Indu goes missing. Gautham takes the help of a reporter Sandhya in an attempt to find his wife. The story brings in several twists and turns and promises to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. RangiTaranga received widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike upon release and has developed a separate fan following of its own over time.
5. Visaranai (2015)
- Writer-Director: Vetrimaaran
- Language: Tamil
- IMDb rating: 8.5/10
- Running time: 1 hour 58 minutes
- Genre: Crime-thriller-drama
- Cast: Attakathi Dinesh, Murugadoss, Samuthirakani, Kishore, Ajay Ghosh, Anandhi
- Where to watch: Netflix
Visaranai is written and directed by Vetrimaaran and is based on a novel titled Lock Up by M. Chandrakumar. The film revolves around two men who were wrongfully imprisoned, and tortured for a confession. The film received widespread acclaim at the time of release and was even selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 89th Academy Awards.
6. Goodachari (2018)
- Writer-Director: Sashi Kiran Tikka
- Language: Telugu
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
- Running time: 2 hours 27 minutes
- Genre: Spy-action-thriller
- Cast: Adivi Sesh, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jagapathi Babu, Prakash Raj, Vennela Kishore, Anish Kuruvila
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Goodachari is one of the most popular Telugu thriller films of all time. The film revolves around Gopi, who ardently wants to serve his country as part of the Research and Analysis Wing. However, he falls prey to a plot by a terrorist organization and is implicated in killing two RAW officials on his graduation day. Gopi is declared a terrorist and now has to clear his name and find the people responsible for his disrepute. The film received ravishing responses at the time of release with its sequel currently under development.
7. Ratsasan (2018)
- Writer-Director: Ram Kumar
- Language: Tamil
- IMDb rating: 8.3/10
- Running time: 2 hours 32 minutes
- Genre: Psychological horror-thriller
- Cast: Vishnu Vishal, Amala Paul, Saravanan, Ramdoss, Vinodhini Vaidhyanathan
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Ratsasan is a 2018 slasher psychological thriller film with a tinge of horror in it as well. The film revolved around a serial killer, who specifically murdered teenage girls. How the police engage in a wild chase to track the killer down forms the crux of the story. The thriller has everyone hooked with the storyline and is even considered to be one of the best performances of Vishnu Vishal in his career.
8. Evaru (2019)
- Writer-Director: Venkat Ramji
- Language: Telugu
- IMDb rating: 8.1/10
- Running time: 1 hour 58 minutes
- Genre: Crime-thriller
- Cast: Adivi Sesh, Naveen Chandra, Regina Cassandra, Murali Sharma, Pavitra Lokesh
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Evaru, helmed by Venkat Ramji, is undeniably one of the best crime-thrillers to exist. The film revolves around a corrupt cop who is investigating a seemingly open and shut case of a woman murdering her accuser. However, there are several layers, with a well-defined backstory that gives a nail-biting experience to the audience.
9. Viduthalai Part 1 (2023)
- Writer-Director: Vetrimaaran
- Language: Tamil
- IMDb rating: 8.3/10
- Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Genre: period-crime-thriller
- Cast: Soori, Vijay Sethupathi, Bhavani Sre, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Rajiv Menon, Ilavarasu
- Where to watch: Zee5
Viduthalai Part 1 is a period crime thriller film helmed by Vetrimaaran. The film is set in 1987 and follows the ongoing feud between the police and an extremist force named Makkal Padai. The film received highly positive reviews upon release, especially for the performances by Gautham Vasudev Menon and Soori. The second part of the film is expected to release in Summer 2024.
10. Kannur Squad (2023)
- Writer-Director: Roby Varghese Raj
- Language: Malayalam
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
- Running time: 2 hours 41 minutes
- Genre: Crime-thriller
- Cast: Mammootty, Shabareesh Varma, Rony David Raj, Kishore, Azees Nedumangad
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Kannur Squad is cinematographer Roby Varghese Raj’s first directorial venture. The film, inspired by real events, follows a group of policemen who are investigating a sensitive murder case. Their journey follows the crux of the film. The film received critical and commercial acclaim, with the performances, cinematography, and pacing getting special mentions.
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