Golam (Review): An agreeable little murder mystery.

“Golam” is another murder mystery from Malayalam cinema. It centres on the mysterious death of Issac John, the MD of an IT company. ASP Sandeep, portrayed by Ranjith Sajeev, is tasked with unraveling the truth behind Issac John’s demise.

The screenplay, penned by Praveen Vishwanath, sets a solid foundation for the film. The narrative is engaging, and director Samjad demonstrates his prowess as a promising filmmaker. He skill-fully blends suspense for the major part. Mahesh Bhuvanend’s editing deserves special mention. Music is average. Not bad.

Unraveling Secrets and Suspense in a Low-Budget Thriller

Issac John is found dead in the washroom of his own company. As ASP Sandeep digs deeper, he uncovers a puzzle, turning what seemed like a straightforward case into a complex puzzle. It is more like a how-dunnit than a who-dunnit. The way the crime was committed is the best part of the movie. The planning and execution of the murder is remindful of Agatha Christie novels. That mystery is well-developed by the makers. However, the film’s ambition sometimes works against it. For eg. the movie ends with a lead to a sequel. Not bad but not effective enough to create anticipation. The villain’s grandiose schemes feel disproportionate to the movie’s scale. While the complexity of the plot is admirable, it occasionally feels overly ambitious for the film’s otherwise intimate setting.

The storyline resembles Jeethu Joseph’s “12th Man,” but without the same level of complexity in finding the killer. “Golam” is too simple at times and delves into overly heavy content at others.

Ranjith Sajeev is good as ASP Sandeep. His portrayal of a sharp investigator is convincing. Veteran actor Siddique is excellent, particularly in when he navigates through the heavy content with ease. Alencier plays his role as a police constable with expertise. The supporting actors, mainly fresh faces, also provide decent performances. And then there is Sunny Wayne in a guest role.

Overall, Could be better. It is not a high-budget, star-studded murder mystery movie. It is a small film with the majority of the cast being inexperienced. However, it is still worth a watch for fans of the genre due to its mystery and the “how-dunnit” aspect.