Keep your shortlist together and see where it’s streaming
2018 · Tamil · 2h 46m · Action, Crime, Drama · CBFC U/A
Keep your shortlist together and see where it’s streaming
Filmi Score
Very good
6 reviews
68
1 exceptional2 very good2 good1 mixed
What the critics say
Critics praise Ranjith's political vision, the Dharavi world-building and a humanised, actor-driven Rajinikanth performance, though several flag a dry, preachy second half, a weak villain and a plot that may test fans expecting a typical star vehicle.
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Summary
Kaala (2018, Tamil) has a Filmi Score of 68 from 6 critic reviews, is rated 12+ by Filmi (CBFC: U/A), and streams on Prime Video in the US.
Karikaalan consistently fights to keep the people of Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai, safe from the clutches of mighty politicians and the land mafia don, Hari Dhadha.
Where to watchAvailability by JustWatch · some watch links pay filmi.ai a small commission; it never changes what we show or how we score.
Karikaalan consistently fights to keep the people of Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai, safe from the clutches of mighty politicians and the land mafia don, Hari Dhadha.
Kaala (2018, Tamil) has a Filmi Score of 68 from 6 critic reviews, is rated 12+ by Filmi (CBFC: U/A), and streams on Prime Video in the US.
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.
The critic likes the performances and some craft choices but faults the single-note plot, irritating rap interludes, slow pacing and a tedious,… Read it there →
Menon admires the film's political ambition and Dharavi world-building but finds the second half turns dry and preachy, with a weak villain and… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
42
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 6 readings; 4 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
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Kaala: quick answers
Box office, where to watch and what critics said — from the same data as the page.
Where can I watch Kaala?
Kaala is streaming on OTT: Prime Video (India, the US, the UK and Canada), JioHotstar (India) and Vi Movies and TV (India). It can also be rented or bought on Amazon Video (India). Availability comes from JustWatch and is checked every Friday.
What did critics say about Kaala?
Kaala has a Filmi Score of 68 (Very good), the mean of 6 readings of critic reviews, one per review. Readings run from 42 (The Hindu) to 82 (Hindustan Times). 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.
