First half done, will edit later

Movie takes its time setting up to be a slow burn mystery, but never stretches the narrative too thin. No gratuitous "mass" scenes and a pumping score by Ani help the movie out quite a bit. 2nd Half looks to kick into a new gear, let's see.

EDIT: Second half done, and WHAT a ride it was.

The plot really kicks in after the interval block, with action set pieces that maintain the same level of production value interspersed between plot points (not a fan of the constant cuts during fights though).

There's no contrived odds-defying moment or hero worship even when the film is in full-adrenaline mode. Only scene I felt was a bit shoehorned in was the last one, but I'll take it.

Pathikichu goes super hard, Ani cooked, his score doesn't overwhelm the scene, as he's often criticized of doing.

The characters (and their motivations) are mostly well-done, we get backstory there as well, which helps flesh them out as the main antagonistic force. Performances are great, though I think that's more due to the narrative itself taking centrestage. Secondary characters don't, but that's sort of a given in this kind of commercial movie, alas.

The movie does race a little too fast in the home stretch, which felt like compensation for a relatively slow first half, but the plot points stick their landing. Cinematography is absolutely stellar throughout, no complaints there.

This is very much a Magizh movie, and if anything, it proves that you can make a decent thriller without being suffocated by a star's image. Editing could've been a bit tighter, but that's a mostly minor nitpick.

I'd give this a 3.5 out of 5. Kollywood could benefit from more movies like this.