Abraham Ozler Movie Review: Jayaram's Thriller is Gripping in Parts With a Scene-Stealing Mammootty Cameo (LatestLY Exclusive)

Abraham Ozler Movie Review: Midhun Manuel Thomas' latest film, Abraham Ozler, is a case of two halves in discord, ultimately compromising the overall thrill factor. The initial segment enthrals with a gripping serial killer mystery, replete with twists and turns that keep the audience hooked. However, the latter part proves a letdown, despite the highly anticipated extended cameo that promised to elevate the intensity. Filmmakers, take note: avoiding predictable flashback scenes that dominate a pivotal act is imperative for crafting nail-biting thrillers. No matter how stellar the acting is or having someone of Mammootty's calibre in a cameo, taking wide detours dampens the enjoyment. Abraham Ozler serves as a textbook example – not a bad film, yet it could have soared higher with more astute writing and editing. Abraham Ozler: Mammootty's Intense Look Takes Center Stage in Jayaram's Thriller Film (View Poster).

Case in point: the director's own Anjaam Pathira (why do I have this feeling that Abraham Ozler was borne out of the residual remains of MMT's medical research for that movie?). Returning to Abraham Ozler, the eponymous hero, is a brilliant cop, who (as with most protagonists in this genre) grapples with a personal tragedy. Three years before the main events of the film, his wife and child had disappeared, and despite his best efforts and even arresting the killer, he couldn't find their bodies. While plagued with chronic insomnia and hallucinations, Ozler is tasked with investigating the murder of an IT employee, which becomes the first in a chain of killings with a similar modus operandi. The media dubs the perpetrator the 'Birthday Killer' due to leaving cryptic verses and birthday greetings at each crime scene.

Watch the Trailer of Abraham Ozler:

Echoes of Jeethu Joseph's Memories resonate in these segments, both in the killer's victim selection and with a protagonist whose disturbed psyche influences the investigation. Yet, while Prithviraj's character's alcoholism in Memories is a central theme, just like the mystery, Ozler's insomnia and hallucinations fade into the background as the investigations intensify. Nevertheless, the first half of Abraham Ozler captivates with its tight pacing and engrossing mystery. For the first time in a movie, I am seeing ChatGPT being used as part of an investigation. Truly updated times...

By the time the second half begins, Abraham Ozler turns from a whodunnit to why-dunnit. It is also here that Mammootty makes his much-anticipated entry, and I have to admit it is a pretty massy one, helped amply by Midhun Mukundan's score. The role isn't a part that requires someone like Mammootty, but it is always enjoyable to see the superstar take on these unconventional parts and relish performing them. That said, the extended cameo does take away the momentum of the main protagonist, which is not helped by the fact that the flashback portions also end up sidelining Ozler in his own movie. Abraham Ozler: Jayaram Reveals Thalapathy Vijay’s Exciting Reaction Upon Learning About Mammootty’s Cameo in the Film (Watch Video).

Speaking of which, the flashback isn't as impactful as it should have been because the writing is pretty ordinary here, and the young actors don't exactly look like their senior counterparts. In fact, the most intriguing and fascinating moment of the second half only occurs in the last scene, and sadly, it is just there to tease a sequel. In the end, like Anjaam Pathira, even Abraham Ozler is a revenge story (the latter taking some inspiration from the Mahabharata's Parikshit and Takshak tale), but the impact diminishes as the revenge saga overshadows the investigation.

Talking about the performances, Jayaram is quite good as the protagonist, but his performance is restrained by the limited range given to his character despite the scope. Among the ensemble supporting cast, Jagadeesh is impressive in a negative role. Anaswara Rajan is also good in the flashback portions, so are the rest of the young actors here, but her character is not a strongly written one like we saw in Neru.

Final Thoughts

Abraham Ozler begins off as an impressive whodunnit but loses the impact when the film transforms itself into a why-dunnit despite the (overshadowing) cameo of Mammootty. It is still a decent thriller and a comeback to Jayaram in lead roles in Malayalam cinema. But I can't help but imagine the wonders a tighter narrative and editing could have done to this thriller.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 16, 2024 11:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).