Maranamass review: Wickedly funny & quirky black comedy
Writer Director Sivaprasad in his directorial debut, adds something weird nutty but funny both to the genre and the characters of this joy ride
Maranamass movie synopsis
A serial killer is on a prowl, known as the banana killer because of his weird pattern, the serial killer has murdered three elderly men in a village in Kerala. An over-the-top nutty character Luke PP (Basil Joseph) is the suspect due to his weird past history. Luke PP is in love with Jessie (Anishma Anikumar). Meanwhile, A bus conductor Aruvi (Siju Sunny) is still coping with the sudden disappearance of his father during his childhood. Bus driver Jikku (Suresh Krishna), is excited about his marriage in middle age.
How these characters come together and nutty situations gets created forms the crux of this film.
‘Maranamass’ by debutant writer director Sivaprasad is a jolly good ride, the tonality and colour may beat the multicolored rainbow but its overall ability to provide fun makes it a winner. For example the spoofs on the titles superstars give to themselves like Basil Joseph wears jackets which reads “Sigma Male”, “Sad Superstar” in different situations. And the wackiest lost and found I have seen in years, makes ‘Maranamass’ the movie that provides escapism without dope and gives hope.
A rooted dark comedy which is not entirely consistent but has enough fun to hold the audience in its two hours twenty-one-minute duration.
Director Sivaprasad along with his fellow writer Siju Sunny surprise us with unexpected mix of flavours, genre poaching and it works. Thanks to the amazing mix of identifiable and colourful characters and weird situations they find themselves in.
Performances
Basil Joseph is outstanding
Siju Sunny is adorable
Suresh Krishna is fantastic
Rajesh Madhavan is very good
Maranamass review final words
On the outer face, ‘Maranamass’ is a wickedly funny & quirky black comedy, a joyful ride. But at places ‘Maranamass’ also serves as a satire on some most common beliefs and system in real and reel. Hundred percent consistency in tonality and colour would have done wonders and ‘Maranamass’ could have been a real gem, a masterpiece but still it’s no mean achievement by Sivaprasad and you need guts and something special in you to churn out such jolly good rides.
Going with a happy three and a half stars
Written and directed by Sivaprasad in his directorial debut. ‘Maranamass’ is jointly produced by actor Tovino Thomas and his brother Tingston Thomas under his banner Tovino Thomas Productions along with Raphael Pozholiparambil of Raphael Productions and Thanzeer Salam of Worldwide Films. The movie released in theatres on 10 April 2025, is now streaming on SonyLIV