User reviews

"Kerala Crime Files" is a web series that has been making waves in the world of online entertainment. The crime drama, which is set in the southern state of Kerala, follows the lives of various police officers as they navigate the murky world of crime and corruption.

The series has garnered a lot of attention from viewers and critics alike, thanks to its engaging storyline and well-written characters. The acting performances in the series are also top-notch, with the actors bringing their A-game to every scene.

One of the standout features of "Kerala Crime Files" is its attention to detail..... The pacing of the series is also worth mentioning. The story moves at a brisk pace, with each episode leaving you wanting more. The series manages to keep you on the edge of your seat, with twists and turns that will leave you guessing until the very end.

Overall, "Kerala Crime Files" is a fantastic web series that is well worth your time. It is a gripping crime drama that will have you hooked from the very first episode. The series is well-written, impeccably acted, and beautifully shot, making it a must-watch for anyone who loves a good crime drama.

Positives:

• Just six episodes of ~30 minutes each. The length is almost the same as a regular Malayalam film.

• The presentation of the case and its procedural elements. The cops are regular people (not some superheroes), and the developments in the plot have a real-time feel to it.

• The performances are solid overall. This is definitely one of the better Aju Varghese efforts in recent times. I also liked the performances of supporting cast (Zhinz Shan, Lal, Navas Vallikunnu, and Sanju Sanichen especially). Given it's a procedural, the female characters are less impactful.

• Hesham's score is an important ingedient. Be it in bringing urgency, subtly underlining some of its lighter moments, and keeping us invested in the details.

• The visual style strikes a balance between being an out-and-out investigation thriller and a family drama.

Negatives:

• The writing, while detailed, is pretty ordinary for a crime thriller with not many surprises. It's clearly the direction that has elevated it to a better space.

• The last couple of episodes feel like they were stretched (just a bit) to accommodate additional suspense, even when we know the inevitable conclusion.

P. S - This somehow reminded me of DQ's "Salute" but with an actual ending.

Kerala Crime Files, Kerala's first OTT WEB SERIES, written by Ashiq Aimar, Directed by Jithin Stanislaus & Produced by Rahul Riji Nair, Star Cast Aju Varghese & Lal plays the lead role, released on HOTSTAR. Jithin Stanislaus did decent work and he was able to keep the Stars on direct track, there was no lope in between story. From start to ending the Kerala Crime Files web series, managed to keep the thril keep on going as in starting only we can understand that it's an murder mystery case, as we keep on going with the story, it's overall great work.

Aju Varghese has played S. I Manoj's role, he is dedicated to his work and he has mainted the good and decent cop reputation, his colleagues are happy with him.

Along with him LAL As C. I Kurian, being his Boss, who is media attention seeker, but he supports Aju in every way possible.

There happened to be a murder in there Station Area and S. I Manoj got appointed on the case. The murder happened in an Lodge and then the story follows around the lodge in Kochi & near by areas.

All the cast were manage to do there best with the roles they have offered.

A good on going Series.

First Malayalam web series , it's a decent thriller The main thread of investigation is done well , the suspense is well kept. The key thread is about tracing a suspect that is such a common man who disappears in the world . Good acting by all leading stars. Especially aju varghese and his supporting police cast named pradeep Chettan.

The main problem is that after couple of episodes the enquiry is a bit monotonous. It also looks like the police offers are is just focused on this one case comprising their life for no convincing reasons , other than they kept saying we must nab this guy no matter what.

Considered to be the first official Malayalm series dubbed in all languages. Looking at the title, expected it to be some very intense drama but it lacks that intensity. It's a simple story of a murder investigation. The direction elevates the presentation but otherwise story is weak and lacks twists and turns. Climax is also very dull. A total of 6 episodes of 30 mins each. Available on Hotstar. My ratings 6/10!

Considered to be the first official Malayalm series dubbed in all languages. Looking at the title, expected it to be some very intense drama but it lacks that intensity. It's a simple story of a murder investigation. The direction elevates the presentation but otherwise story is weak and lacks twists and turns. Climax is also very dull. A total of 6 episodes of 30 mins each. Available on Hotstar. My ratings 6/10!

The casting was great and all done very well..no lag atall and all episodes can watch continuesly. The life is police guys also shown in between with out making any parelel stories which I liked a lot. The humour also there in between that comes very naturely comes and didn't felt even a bit out of the main story.

Lal , Aju Varghese and entire cast done fantastically well , the casting too was excellent, especially all the women characters and those comes in between even for one scene also done very well. BGM is ok ok , overall it's a must watch series congratulations for the makers .........

FINAL VERDICT: 6/10 for the cinematography, Acting and Music.

The cinematography and acting were very good. Editing could have been better. Music did try to make a positive impact and the background scores are appreciable.

Story was very bad and the direction amplified this. Story seriously lacked any attention seeking plots, even the climax and ending is unexpectedly bad. It's very clear the director didn't research the content well enough. Whole premises was on empathising for the police, with ZERO character development (only developed character, that of the villain, is seriously flawed - explained below).

Following might CONTAIN SPOILERS:

Direction -

• FACTUAL FALACY - The fact that forensic arrive after the police investigate the scene is a very serious factual flaw and that too without using gloves and other measures, contaminating the scene. In any homicide, the forensic unit is the first point of contact only after which police take over the scene.

• The typical (Indian cinema) unnecessary highlighting of hero entry (mass entry) was over the place for no reason.

• NOT IMERSIVE - direction failed to stir any emotions (attachment for police characters, thrill of investigation, fear for villain, mood of suspense), failed character development could be a reason.

• 80% of the movie was spend in searching addresses which really slowed down the plot and so the movie seemly gives the conclusion that police are just address diggers when they could have explored so much more and made it much more impactful.

Story -

• Story is the worst part. Story was solely made to show police as hard overtime working people (divorce, unable to spend time with family) which is the only content with a simple homicide made complicated by chasing a fake address, when there could have been hundreds of others ways to investigate.

• Very slow paced. There is nothing of a thriller here, because it doesn't really have a climax. The whole of it is just looking for the offender's address. The idea of revealing the story slowly while goose chasing the fake address simply backfired.

• CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT - The portrayal of the villain as a criminal mastermind with a very strong ruthless sophisticated character (serious offender who was kicked out by his father, has been giving out fake address even in police stations, not running away from crime location, no personal information available, threatens people) is not at all justified when the story unfolds - the crime turns out to be very ordinary crime of passion with no premeditation or any other stoke of villainous genius, and infact contradicts the character who turns out to be a simple ordinary even generous man for the most part (treats a sex worker with beer and biriyani, and has an actual true love).

• HOLLOW STORYLINES - Failed attempts to introduce story branching by diverting investigate by arresting a random person - the content just seems to be out of place and fakes with the characters entirely disappearing after the overdeal.

Whenever I watch a Malayalam thriller, i expect some kind of twists and turns that would blow ones mind. Kerala crime files is not one of them sadly.

Kerala crime files is about a murder case where the murderer is smart enough to keep the police guessing and running around for 6 long days (6 episodes). Being an investigation thriller, i expected a twist of some kind at the end but in the end i realised, there was none . It kind of disappointed me . The main reason for this is that the story is too simple and straightforward with no shock value .

Nevertheless, the series is still extremely riveting. The conversations, the clues that the police track and the subsequent roadblocks they face all account for a riveting watch . Not once will you get bored in this series. I felt it was very well paced.

Even with this pace, it manages to capture the characters of the policemen pretty well and how they have to sacrifice their family life to serve the nation . We have an officer who has a baby just born but is unable to give him time due to the case. Short glimpses of their family conversations show their longing to stay back or go on vacations but are constantly pulled back by cases. They heave a sigh and leave for their duty without complaining. Theres a mini interview scene at the end of the series where the characters explain how police life is.

Another problem with the series is that it fails to end properly. The ending is so abrupt that you feel a sudden brake being applied in your mind. The ending actually is a bit hastened. Could have been better here.

Overall, you should give this series a chance. Barring a few flaws it's a smooth engaging ride with no boring moments.

Note : There was a series in Prime named Dahaad that too was very simple with no twists as such but it can't be compared to Kerala crime files as in the former, the criminal was already known it presented the police as well as the criminal side equally , but in Kerala crime files the criminal is kept hidden so i expected a twist in the reveal (Mini spoiler that won't ruin your watch : i thought the father in law of Manoj was the criminal for a moment but he wasn't xD).

I had decent expectations on this being the first official Malayalam OTT web series but the climax reasoning was dissapointing. I expected lot of twists and turns but it was just a stretched search of the culprit with a lot of lag. The starting episode will make u feel like there are lot of twists in this but later episodes were a lot of lag. The actors did their role well though. Aju Varghese as police did a decent job. One good thing is that it can be watched with family apart from one or two scenes unlike Hindi web series which has more obscene contents. If u ignore the climax , the web series is just about average .

Exhilarating and captivating, this crime investigation thriller marks a groundbreaking moment in Malayalam. Normally in English the Tv Shows are much more astonishing than the Movies in terms of story, casting etc... On the same way in our Malayalam industry we got a series which surpass movies in terms of everything. The series boasts remarkable cinematography, flawless casting, a masterfully crafted storyline, and a satisfying climax. Every element falls into place seamlessly, resulting in a resounding success.

Moreover, the performances delivered by the emerging actors are nothing short of exceptional. The director deserves commendation for skillfully discovering and placing the perfect talents in their respective roles for this series. Ultimately, this latest addition to the Malayalam industry delivers a truly unique and immersive experience, this time in the form of a captivating mini series.

Kerala Crime Files (Season 1 of 6 episodes) is a well-made police procedural, with a simple cast and premise. A Kerala Police team investigates a murder by chasing a culprit who they know only by a first name and a fake address. The plot seems conveniently developed as you watch the middle episodes but I liked the production value and the garnished humour. The characterization was interesting, especially that of Lal, Aju, and other policemen. Just like the cops, you also want to find the culprit as the episodes go and more details are revealed, so it's difficult to not watch this in one setting. Go for it. 7 stars.

Though it's a six-part web series comprised of 30-minute instalments, I found the experience no different from a movie.

The story is very engaging, moves at a crisp pace, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Lal and Aju Varghese fit very well in the shoes of astute police officers, backed brilliantly by well-cast supporting actors. It gives a glimpse into "a day in the life of a Kerala cop".

Here are the three reasons why you should watch it if you have not done so already:

1) No overdose of sleaze or gore: This could have easily slid into "yet another sleazy and gory crime story" like many others on Netflix. Though the story revolves around the murder of a sex worker, the movie maker does a good job of ensuring it caters to a wider audience.

2) Very relatable villain: Typically, villains are portrayed as supernatural beings who are master planners and MMA champions at the same time. The Director has steered himself away from that temptation, which makes the series very relatable.

3) Exposes a systemic problem: The story happens in 2011, and the police are unable to trace a murderer. It's a shame that the Indian system didn't make a national ID (like Adhar) mandatory for all employers, which could have greatly helped with tracing miscreants.

Overall, I loved watching it and would recommend it to any Malayali movie lover.

-arun.

At starting of the scene a prostitute body found in a hotel room by room boy... Then he called police and start investigate to find the killer.... Initially it seems it's a open and close case but it's not... The killer wrote fake address in hotel room so its bring to dead end... Then one police shows keen interest and find the killer finally.... Start to end there is no lagging and very gripping stroy and screenplay... All r acted soo well... Excellent photography It seems another season also come soon... It's available in hotstar... Some of the dialogues are good... Must watch investigation thriller movie...!

I felt the series is to highlight the dedication kerala police shows towards any case, even if it's the case of a murdered prostitute. I mean, everyone wants to be good at their job. Loved the background music throughout by Hisham Addul Waheeb. Aju Varghese is excellent as the police officer Manoj. How they start the investigation of the sex worker found murdered in a lodge, and finally end the case in Day 6 (so 6 close to 30 min episodes), chasing every evidence with thoroughness and dedication, to finally be face to face with the murderer, was a good watch. In fact everyone acted well, the young police officer who shows a lot is zeal in his job (Sanju Sanichen) also stands out. The frustration they felt when at the end of every evidence the murderer seemed to have slipped off, till the real clues come to light, was palpable.. good watch!

True stories are mostly more thrilling then the imagineries plots. The action The location The setup and furniture all choosen well. The actors are also performed to that marked expected. The lady leads miss a bit but it's covered by storyline.

This is simple crime thriller to search a murderer and police is chasing clue by clue. The good point is the matching sting by sting and not thashing or unnecessary action. It's mind in action and a solid teamwork that bring the end to chase. Day by day account and not to miss the point is advantage. Some time it's stress a lot for talks but mostly it's too the point.

Good direction. Location and camera usage makes it even better. Can be watched alone to cover time we'll.