Anomie

Anomie

There is a Malayalam medical crime thriller mystery film called Anomie. Wait, let me breathe. Yes, it's Anomie, not Anatomy. Anomie means a breakdown of social rules, values, and moral guidance. Looking at the cast, Bhavana, Rahman (from Sangamam), and that's mostly it. Except for a villain who appears briefly, known from the movie Sathya. Let's see how the experience of watching this film was.

According to the story, Zaara works in forensics. Her younger brother Zayaan suddenly goes missing. After searching everywhere without success, she and her boyfriend Alby file a police complaint. Zayaan has been suffering from mental health issues ever since their parents died in an accident. After some delay, the police find Zayaan's dead body. ACP Jibraan quickly closes the case as a suicide, since Zayaan had a history of suicide attempts due to his mental condition. But during the post mortem, they discover a sedative drug in his blood. Since Zaara works in forensics, she becomes suspicious. None of the medicines prescribed for Zayaan contained that sedative. So how did it get into his body? She starts collecting information and finally concludes that it was not suicide. It was a murder.

Because of this, ACP Jibraan, who had closed the case easily, faces huge pressure at work. But the way he handles it is truly impressive. From that scene onward, Rahman, who plays Jibraan, surprises us. There are no dramatic “special” scene, but in those moments, we don't see Rahman the actor. We see Jibraan the character. That's why his performance deserves appreciation. Interestingly, the title card appears just before the interval. As soon as the title fades, the interval card comes up. Only after that does the story slowly move toward revealing the murderer in the climax.

Next, Bhavana, who plays Zaara. In every scene, I could see Bhavana more than Zaara. Only when someone calls her "Zaara" do we remember that's her character's name. I kept expecting a scene where she grabs Rahman by the collar and demands why he closed her brother's case as suicide without finding the real killer. But Rahman's character handles her calmly and firmly.

The film tries to present itself in a rich, Spanish style whodunit manner. The story and plot are decent. Everything feels somewhat predictable at first. In fact, it almost doesn't feel like a murder. But once it is confirmed as murder, we came to know that it's not just one. it's three murders. The only common factor among the three victims is their medical history. They have no connection with each other. However, the method of operation (M.O.) of the killer is the same.

Since Bhavana's character is a forensic officer, connecting the clues becomes easier. According to the story, she alone cannot solve everything, so a character like Rahman's is necessary. The screenplay is executed properly. Some scenes may look simple, but their background meaning is strong. For example, the last WhatsApp audio message sent by zayaan. It seems very ordinary, but it hides something important. The effort taken to analyze it pushes the story forward. I will stop with that hint so the audience can enjoy it while watching.

Malayalam cinema is slowly becoming like Korean, Spanish, and Japanese cinema, a place where you want to keep searching for more good films. That is truly a happy thing. Even with low budgets, they manage to deliver something cheap and best. Definitely worth watching.