Official Trailer:

 Kalamkaval is an excellent example of how a generic serial killer story can be made interesting with a tight screenplay, a smart twist, and excellent performances from the lead actors Mammootty and Vinayakan. Kalamkaval is not a who done it thriller, here we know the identity of the killer in the opening sequence itself. What a brilliant opening sequence that is. A murder committed by a calm and composed killer. Has the shock value and sets the character arc. Stars playing the bad guy role is nothing new. But usually, it gets balanced by a good twin double role, or redemption and change of character halfway through or a backstory that blames the society for his bad streak. Not in Kalamkaval. Stephen Das, played by Mammootty, is a bad guy in bold. That’s it!! No redeeming qualities or elaborate backstories. Maybe he was born that way. Since we know the identity of the killer the story is about how the cops are going to catch him. Vinayakan plays the detective who has the task cut out to catch the killer. We follow his hunt as Stephen continues his killing spree that happens across both sides of Kerala and Tamilnadu border. First half of the movie builds towards the pre-interval twist. When we are about to feel the repetitiveness of sequences, the twist makes us sit up. The sequence that shows the MO of the killer Stephen Das is done creatively with different victims for each step – how he gets the details about the victims, identifying their needs that makes them vulnerable, stalking, befriending, and building trust👏👌🏼 Scary and sad at the same time. Second half picks up momentum leading to a riveting climax. There is some withholding of information by the director, Jithin K Jose, to make the climax surprising and exciting. Those familiar with thriller genre would be able to spot it but still the finish is engaging with good payoff. The shot of the woman waiting anxiously for the killer in the hotel room while the final showdown happens at the lobby between Vinayakan and Mammootty, I am sure, will linger in our heads for a long time. How vulnerable we are 😨