Review 
Thaainilam review: A big heart, stretched very thin
Abhilash G. Devan's Sri Lankan war drama means well, but it stacks hardship on hardship so relentlessly that it forgets to keep you engaged.
Reviews
Films watched closely. Praise where it lands, push-back where it's earned — never the trade-press shrug.
Review 
Sigma review: Jason Sanjay's debut looks good but runs long
Sundeep Kishan's earnest librarian deserves better than Jason Sanjay's debut, a polished but stock heist of vaults, keys and pen drives that takes far too long.
★★ ★★ ★★
Review 
Baththa review: a gangster comedy with a tender heart
A schoolboy accidentally locks a feared 1980s rowdy in a toilet, and Vijay Sethupathi and Sai Prithvi Raj spin it into something funny and moving.
★★★ ★★ ★
Review 
Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai review: Ram's ideas outshine the telling
Nivin Pauly and Soori carry Ram's odd fable about an 8,000-year-old immortal on a train, even as rough AI imagery undercuts its plea for every living thing.
★★★ ★★ ★
Review 
The Paradise review: one more epic chasing a borrowed high
Srikanth Odela builds a lived-in 1980s Secunderabad and Nani commits totally, but the film replays a worn mass-epic template through hours of numbing gore.
Review 
Meesaya Murukku 2 review: Adhi's family saga goes down easy
Hiphop Tamizha Adhi plays three generations of gaana dreamers. The crusade feels dated, but Baba Baskar and Ramya Ranganathan make the family story land.
★★★ ★★ ★
Review 
Dorothy review: Karthik Subbaraj’s boldest leap yet
Karthik Subbaraj's Dorothy pairs a light touch with unusually direct politics, superb long takes and moving performances from Sananth and Rishikanth.
★★★★ ★★
Review 
Paris Cafe review: a strong marriage drama spread too thin
Guru Somasundaram and Anumol make a buried honour-killing secret hurt, but Saraj Seelan's debut juggles three romances and lets its sharpest conflict drift.
★★★ ★★
Review 
Cold Call review: these salesmen are worth your time
Four sales recruits stumble into a kidnapping case. Thambidurai's comedy has an appealing cast and a clever use for their training, but takes time to get there.
★★★ ★★
Review 
Sardar 2 review: Karthi makes the spy game worthwhile
A lively period mission and inventive action give this sequel plenty to enjoy, even as its conspiracy grows wordy and the final stretch runs too long.
★★★ ★★ ★
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Mandaadi review: Soori excels in a rousing sea drama
Sailboat racing gives an old village rivalry fresh excitement, with bruising action and people worth rooting for, despite a few familiar dramatic turns.
★★★ ★★ ★
Review 
4 Idiots review: too many jokes crowd the bungalow
Pugazh leads four pickpockets into a bungalow owned by an organ-trafficking doctor. Sajo Sundar Murugesan has the trap and keeps reaching for the gag instead.