Malik (2021)

Malik isn’t so much a dissection of the strongman concept than a mere representation of it. Had it not been for those pesky subtitles, the film could quite possibly have caused a bit of a stir. But fortunately for all of us, I don’t think the people who tend to cause this kind of trouble are particularly fond of reading. It’s a political drama that masquerades as a gangster picture. Identifying the difference between the two, as always, is up to you.

Malik movie review: Fahadh Faasil film parlays its time and place and characters into a sprawling sparkler of a film, told with great fluidity, and backed by solid performances.

Malik, out on Amazon Prime Video, centers on Ahammadali Sulaiman, a school dropout whose guts put him in the crosshairs of the administration of his town, Ramadapally. The film, helped along by lead actor Fahadh Faasil operating within an uncharacteristically limited yet effective bandwidth, hits its straps. Malik isn't always exhilarating but it is never less than watchable.