← Home · Malayalam · 2026
Balan: The Boy review
Keep your shortlist together and see where it’s streaming
Keep your shortlist together and see where it’s streaming
Filmi Score
Very good
19 reviews
75
What the critics say
Audience Score · not yet · appears once three readers have written a review
Critics widely praise Balan's mother-son performances, tense first half and genuinely surprising climax, though many flag an uneven, dragging second half and a pace that tests patience.
Your rating
Rate it
Drag or tap the slider. Not rated yet.
Say why · optional, public under your name
StoryPerformancesMusicWatched
Posting as
Public, beside your review. Needed once you write words; a verdict or aspect numbers alone needs none.
Filmi reads what you write under the same rubric it uses for critics.
16+
Violence
Intense scenes
Language
Positive messages
Role models
Your age call
Set the age you’d allow
Drag the slider. Not set yet.
Tell other parents why · optional, 280 characters
0 / 280
ViolenceIntense scenesLanguageSex & nudityDrinking, smoking, drugsPositive messagesRole models
Posting as
Public, beside your note. Needed once you write words; an age pick alone needs none.
Your age call counts now; the levels show once three parents have rated.
Saved. One more thing, if you like — your kids’ ages.
Set once, and your vote shows other parents which ages it came from. Kept on your account; only the ages travel with your vote.
One email on Fridays: the five films worth your time, read from every review. See the latest issue
Summary
Balan: The Boy (2026, Malayalam) has a Filmi Score of 75 from 19 critic reviews, is rated 16+ by Filmi (CBFC: U/A 16+), and streams on ZEE5 in India.
A teenage boy searches for his missing mother following a turbulent childhood and her subsequent disappearance, exploring his search for closure and the truth about his past.
Where to watchAvailability by JustWatch · some watch links pay filmi.ai a small commission; it never changes what we show or how we score.
Box office collection
₹$≈ at ₹88/$, as of 26 Oct 2026
₹33.22 CrWorldwide gross in 42 days
India gross₹22.02 Cr
Overseas gross₹11.20 Cr
As of 2 Sep 2026 · Sacnilk
view →
Cast & crew
Cast
Directed by Chidambaram · written by Jithu Madhavan · music Sushin Shyam
ChidambaramDirector
Jithu MadhavanWriter
Sushin ShyamMusic
Shyju KhalidCinematography
Vivek HarshanEditing
Adhisheshan K RLead
Muhammed Zinaan
Farzana Palathingal
Tovino Thomas
Lal Jr.
Beena Antony
Girish A. D.
Dolly June
Anand Ekarshi
Sanesh Guinness
Achuthanandan
Archana Padmini
Full crew
Production designAjayan Chalissery · Indulal Kaveed
CostumeSapna kajha Rawther
LyricsAnwar Ali
MakeupRonex Xavier
More like this
Also by Chidambaram
Malayalam · Apr 2026 · 13+
52
Malayalam · Feb 2024 · All
80
Malayalam · Nov 2021 · All
77
Other well-rated Malayalam films from 2026
Malayalam · Aug 2026 · 13+
82
Malayalam · Apr 2026 · 13+
78
Malayalam · Sep 2026 · 16+
76
Summary
A teenage boy searches for his missing mother following a turbulent childhood and her subsequent disappearance, exploring his search for closure and the truth about his past.
Balan: The Boy (2026, Malayalam) has a Filmi Score of 75 from 19 critic reviews, is rated 16+ by Filmi (CBFC: U/A 16+), and streams on ZEE5 in India.
Where to watch
Availability by JustWatch · some watch links pay filmi.ai a small commission; it never changes what we show or how we score.Not streaming yet
Not streaming yet
Not streaming yet
Not streaming yet
Not streaming yet
What the critics said
19 reviews · the critic’s own number where they gave one
Five of 19 · the critic’s own number where they gave one
Nona Prince · YouTube · transcript read · 20 Jun 2026
Reviewer is left speechless, calling Balan a thought-provoking, uniquely approached thriller that adds to the library of great Kerala cinema,… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
92
അരുൺ മധുസൂദനൻ · 19 Jun 2026
The critic calls this an emotionally deep, technically excellent film anchored by phenomenal lead performances and Jithu Madhavan's layered… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
90
Baradwaj Rangan ✓ Claimed · 20 Jun 2026
Rangan calls this Chidambaram's most mature work, praising sharp performances, direction, cinematography and music as a major artistic leap. His… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
86
Deeksha Sharma · YouTube, Hindi · rating spoken aloud · 20 Jun 2026
4/5, said on camera. Published nowhere. Watch it there →
Stated in video
Filmi’s reading 85
80
Yogi · YouTube, Hindi · rating spoken aloud · 20 Jun 2026
4.5/5, said on camera. Published nowhere. Watch it there →
Stated in video
Filmi’s reading 85
90
Unni Narayanan · YouTube, Malayalam · transcript read · 19 Jun 2026
The critic calls Balan one of his best theatre experiences, praising every performance and technical department, but flags that some viewers may… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
85
YouTube, Malayalam · transcript read · 19 Jun 2026
The critic praises every technical department — cinematography, music, editing, casting — and calls every performance flawless, closing with… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
82
S. R. Praveen · 20 Jun 2026
The Hindu calls Balan Chidambaram's most supremely crafted film yet, praising its writing, performances and imagery, with only a brief note that… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
82
MG Vijayan · 19 Jun 2026
The critic calls this a deeply moving, technically polished survival drama with strong performances from the child actor, Farzana and an impactful… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
82
Rohit Panikker · 20 Jun 2026
Balan: The Boy Review: Chidambaram Finds Beauty In Uncertainty | Filmfare.com Read it there →
Published · 4.0/5
Filmi’s reading 78
80
Latha Srinivasan · 20 Jun 2026
Balan The Boy Review: A Survival Drama That Impresses For The Most Part Read it there →
Published · 3/5
Filmi’s reading 76
60
YouTube, Telugu · transcript read · 3 Aug 2026
Watching on OTT, the critic calls Balan a beautiful, unique mother-son survival thriller with a genuinely surprising climax, recommending it to… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
75
Anwar Mohammad · 20 Jun 2026
బాలన్ మూవీ రివ్యూ: అమ్మ చెప్పింది Read it there →
Published · 3/5
Filmi’s reading 65
60
20 Jun 2026
Review: Balan-The Boy - A Slow Burn Thriller Powered by Strong Performances Read it there →
Published · 3/5
Filmi’s reading 65
60
Sreeju Sudhakaran · 20 Jun 2026
Balan: The Boy Review: *Almost* Nails It! Read it there →
Published · 3/5
Filmi’s reading 64
60
Anna Mathews · 20 Jun 2026
Balan: The Boy Movie Review: A novel survival story that fails to create an emotional connection Read it there →
Published · 3.0/5
Filmi’s reading 62
60
Nikhil Waiker · 1 Aug 2026
The critic finds Balan: The Boy has cinematic polish and impressive performances but says the mother-son road-drama's manufactured conflicts grow… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
35
How this number was made. We read every review and derive a 0–100 reading from each — including where the critic printed a number, which stays first on its row, because it’s theirs. The Filmi Score is the mean of 19 readings; 10 of those rows also carry the critic’s own rating, shown beside ours. Rubric v2.1, computed 26 Oct 2026. Any critic can ask us to remove a derived reading.
PublishedStated in videoDerived by FilmiNo score
One email on Fridays: the five films worth your time, read from every review. See the latest issue
Balan: The Boy: quick answers
Box office, where to watch and what critics said — from the same data as the page.
What is Balan: The Boy's box office collection?
Balan: The Boy has a box office collection of ₹33.22 Cr worldwide (gross), made up of ₹22.02 Cr India gross and ₹11.20 Cr overseas gross. Figures are Sacnilk's, as of 2 Sep 2026, day 42. Grosses are contested in India, and money never feeds the Filmi Score.
How much has Balan: The Boy collected at the box office?
Balan: The Boy has collected ₹33.22 Cr worldwide in 42 days, as of 2 Sep 2026, according to Sacnilk.
Where can I watch Balan: The Boy?
Balan: The Boy is streaming on OTT: ZEE5 (India). Availability comes from JustWatch and is checked every Friday.
What did critics say about Balan: The Boy?
Balan: The Boy has a Filmi Score of 75 (Very good), the mean of 19 readings of critic reviews, one per review. Readings run from 35 (Deccan Herald) to 92 (Nona Prince (YouTube)). Every review and how it was scored is listed below.
What readers say
The Audience Score appears once three readers’ reviews have been read under the rubric — built from what people write, never from the rating numbers.
Loading…
New to Malayalam cinema? Start here: the Malayalam starter pack →