Unmadham Movie Review:
Malayalam cinema has a way of making even a simple police investigation feel a little unsettling. Unmadham tries exactly that.
Starring Kunchacko Boban and Lijomol Jose Unmadham is a crime and psychological thriller directed by Kiran Das and written by Shahi Kabir. The film originally hit theatres on July 31 2026. Is now available to stream on SonyLIV. It is available in Malayalam along with Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi.
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What is Unmadham about?
The story follows Shelly, a police constable whose professional and personal life isn’t exactly going smoothly. After getting transferred to a station he becomes interested in an old case that has been left untouched for years.
The case involves the death of a young woman. What initially looks like an ordinary investigation slowly turns into something stranger. As Shelly digs deeper, superstition, secrets and psychological pressure start getting mixed together.
That’s where the movie gets interesting.
Kunchacko Boban is the reason to watch
Kunchacko Boban doesn’t play the usual larger-than-life police officer here. His character feels more grounded and troubled.
Shelly is not someone who has everything under control. He has his problems and the investigation starts affecting him personally. Boban handles these moments quite well especially when the character starts getting pulled deeper into the mystery.
Lijomol Jose also makes her presence felt while actors like Siddique, Sudheesh and Sabumon Abdusamad add support to the story.
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Where Unmadham works
The biggest strength of Unmadham is its mood.
The film doesn’t rush to reveal everything. It slowly builds a feeling around the investigation. You keep wondering whether what Shelly is experiencing is actually happening or whether his own state of mind is affecting the way he sees things.
The combination of police investigation, psychological drama and supernatural uncertainty gives the movie a flavour.
The writing by Shahi Kabir is another plus. His earlier work in the crime-thriller space makes this combination feel familiar. Unmadham still tries to take it in a slightly different direction.
What may not work for everyone
At the time this isn’t a fast-paced thriller where something crazy happens every ten minutes.
The movie takes its time. Some portions may feel slow especially if you’re expecting an investigation thriller with constant twists.
The 143-minute runtime also means you’ll need a patience.
If you enjoy atmospheric Malayalam thrillers where the mystery slowly gets under your skin that slower approach may actually work in the films favour.
Final Verdict
Unmadham is not a thriller but it has enough mystery and psychological tension to keep you interested.
Kunchacko Bobans performance, the atmosphere and the unusual mix of crime investigation and superstition are the films biggest positives.
If you missed it in theatres the SonyLIV release is a chance to give it a try. Just don’t expect a commercial police thriller. Go in expecting a slow-burn mystery, with an edge and you may enjoy the ride.
Unmadham Rating: 3/5
Where to Watch: SonyLIV
Director: Kiran Das
Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Lijomol Jose, Siddique, Sudheesh, Sabumon Abdusamad and others.
Languages: Malayalam (Original) Tamil, Telugu, Kannada & Hindi
Genre: Crime, Psychological Thriller
Runtime: 143 minutes
