Star
Cast:
Mohanlal,
Anusree,
Saiju
Kurup,
Unni
Mukundan
Director:
Jeethu
Joseph
12th
Man,
the
highly
anticipated
project
that
marks
the
reunion
of
Mohanlal
and
director
Jeethu
Joseph,
has
finally
been
released
on
Disney+
Hotstar.
The
project,
which
is
touted
to
be
a
mystery
thriller,
had
garnered
the
attention
of
viewers
with
its
teaser
and
trailer.
12th
Man
is
bankrolled
by
Antony
Perumbavoor,
under
the
banner
Aashirvad
Cinemas.
Did
the
Mohanlal-Jeethu
Joseph
project
live
up
to
expectations?
Read
the
12th
Man
movie
review
here,
to
know...
*No
Spoilers
Ahead*
What's
Yay:
Mohanlal
Jeethu
Joseph's
making
style
Engaging
narrative
What's
Nay:
Predictability
Duration
&
Slow
pace
Plot
12th
Man
revolves
around
a
group
of
friends,
who
travel
together
to
a
hill
station
to
celebrate
the
bachelor
party
of
Siddharth
(Anu
Mohan).
The
friends
come
across
Chandrasekhar
(Mohanlal),
an
alcoholic,
and
are
instantly
annoyed
with
his
antics.
However,
things
take
an
unexpected
turn
with
the
mysterious
death
of
Shiny
(Anusree),
the
wife
of
Mathew
(Saiju
Kurup).
This
leads
to
a
lot
of
secrets
getting
unraveled.
Director
Jeethu
Joseph
and
scriptwriter
KR
Krishna
Kumar
have
created
a
well-crafted
thriller
from
the
story
idea
of
Sunir
Khertarpal.
The
film
takes
its
own
sweet
time
to
establish
its
main
characters
and
premise,
in
Jeethu
Joseph's
signature
style.
But
once
things
get
on
track,
the
Mohanlal-starrer
becomes
an
appealing
and
engaging
watch
for
most
of
its
parts,
despite
its
long
duration
and
occasional
slow
pace.
The
biggest
positive
factor
of
12th
Man
is
unarguably
the
making
style
of
Jeethu
Joseph,
which
transports
the
viewers
into
its
world.
The
Mohanlal-starrer
is
primarily
set
in
a
single
room
and
the
narrative
unfolds
through
the
conversations
between
the
11
and
Mohanlal's
character.
But
this
doesn't
prevent
the
Jeethu
Joseph
directorial
from
emerging
as
an
intriguing
watch.
The
carefully
written
screenplay
is
truly
the
backbone
of
the
film.
However,
12th
Man
is
not
a
flawless
movie.
Too
many
characters
and
backstories
tend
to
get
confusing
at
certain
points.
Some
of
the
major
revelations
in
the
narrative
are
highly
predictable,
thanks
to
the
storyline
that
somewhere
reminds
us
of
the
tv
soap
plots.
Even
though
the
climax
brings
an
unexpected
twist,
it
didn't
create
the
much-needed
impact.
While
a
couple
of
characters
are
well
fleshed
out,
others
are
ignored
in
the
process.
Sadly,
this
list
even
includes
the
character
played
by
Mohanlal.
Mohanlal
excels
as
Chandrasekhar,
who
is
an
alcoholic
in
the
film.
Even
though
the
under-developed
character
is
a
cakewalk
for
the
superstar,
he
makes
it
appealing
with
his
energetic
yet
balanced
performance.
Anusree
plays
the
most
layered
character
of
12th
Man,
and
she
has
delivered
an
impressive
performance.
The
rest
of
the
star
cast,
including
Saiju
Kurup,
Sshivada,
Unni
Mukundan,
Anu
Sithara,
Chandhunath,
Rahul
Madhav,
Priyanka
Nair,
Anu
Mohan,
Aditi
Ravi,
Leona
Lishoy,
Nandu,
Siddique,
Pradeep
Chandran,
and
others
have
also
played
their
parts
well.
Technical
Aspects
Satheesh
Kurup's
excellent
visuals
create
a
perfect
backdrop
for
the
mystery
thriller.
VS
Vinayak
scores
with
the
editing
of
12th
Man
(the
scene
transitions
were
quite
effective).
The
art
department
headed
by
Rajeev
Kovilakam
has
done
a
fabulous
job
with
the
custom-made
sets
of
the
film.
Music
Anil
Johnson's
background
score
elevates
the
narrative
of
12th
Man
for
most
of
the
parts
but
sometimes
becomes
repetitive
at
certain
points.
The
impactful
title
song
sets
the
right
mood
for
the
premise.
Verdict
12th
Man
is
a
well-crafted,
engaging
mystery
thriller
that
can
be
watched
for
Mohanlal's
performance
and
Jeethu
Joseph's
signature
making
style.
But
don't
expect
the
Drishyam
magic
here.