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73
Qualified16+
Filmi Score
The mean of 18 Filmi readings, one per review.
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73
Qualified
18 reviews read · 7 with the critic’s own rating
Age Fit
A slow-burn crime thriller about a serial killer who strangles women he seduces; one intimate scene precedes a murder, and the killer…
Family Room →
16+
CBFC: U/A 16+
6 of 7 categories documented
Audience
The Audience Score is built from what readers write, read under the same rubric as the critics — not from these numbers.
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Your rating
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Where to watch
USUKCanadaIndia
Not streaming in US yet (it is in India). We check every Friday.
Box office
₹$
₹82.75 CrWorldwide gross
India gross₹44.05 Cr
Overseas gross₹38.70 Cr
Sacnilk · as of 26 Aug 2026 · day 35
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Every review we read
Scores normalised to 0–100. A 3/5 shows as 60. Each row links to where it came from when we have the link.
Vishal Menon · 5 Dec 2025
Vishal Menon calls Kalamkaval a genre-defining thriller for Malayalam cinema, praising its seamless editing, sound design and a Mammootty… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
92
Unni Narayanan · YouTube, Malayalam · transcript read · 5 Dec 2025
Says the film is thoroughly satisfying with no real negatives, praising the script, Mammootty and Vinayakan's performances, music and visuals, and… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
90
Unni Narayanan · YouTube, Malayalam · transcript read · 16 Jan 2026
A dense, spoiler-heavy scene-by-scene explainer that opens and closes urging fans who missed the theatre run to watch on OTT, calling the writing,… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
85
റഷാദ് കൂരാട് · 13 Dec 2025
Rashad Koorad calls Kalamkaval a must-watch, praising Mammootty and Vinayakan's tense psychological duel and the film's craft, while noting some… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
82
YouTube, Kannada · transcript read · 5 Dec 2025
An almost entirely uncritical take praising the villain-hero role reversal, Mammootty's total disappearance into the killer and Vinayakan's… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
80
Arjun Menon · 5 Dec 2025
Kalamkaval Review: Mammootty Surprises Yet Again Read it there →
Published · 3.5/5
Filmi’s reading 80
70
Kalamkaval Review: Mammootty dominates as a chilling villain in a rather predictable crime thriller Read it there →
Published · 3.5/5
Filmi’s reading 80
70
S. R. Praveen · 5 Dec 2025
S.R. Praveen finds Kalamkaval a slow-burn procedural that could have been ordinary, but says Mammootty and Vinayakan's performances elevate it,… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
78
DHNS · 6 Dec 2025
The critic is impressed by Mammootty's disturbing villain and Vinayakan's versatility, calling the film a 'fabulous job' of exposing danger behind… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
76
Janani K · 5 Dec 2025
Kalamkaval review: Mammootty transforms into monster, Vinayakan anchors thriller Read it there →
Published · 3/5
Filmi’s reading 72
60
Princy Alexander · 5 Dec 2025
Princy Alexander praises Mammootty's quietly devastating performance and the tightening screenplay, but notes narrow character arcs trade… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
70
Rohit Panikker · 7 Dec 2025
Kalamkaval Review: Mammootty Steps Into The Shadows in a Slow Burning Crime Mystery | Filmfare.com Read it there →
Published · 3.5/5
Filmi’s reading 68
70
Latha Srinivasan · 5 Dec 2025
Kalamkaval Review: Mammootty And Vinayakan's Performances Make This Thriller A Compelling Watch Read it there →
Published · 3.5/5
Filmi’s reading 65
70
Varun · YouTube, Kannada · transcript read · 26 Jan 2026
Appreciates Mammootty's convincing, unglamorised turn as a motiveless killer and Vinayakan's subtle cop, plus a smooth background score, but finds… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
65
Anmol Jamwal · YouTube · transcript read · 11 Dec 2025
Jamwal calls Kalamkaval a slow-burn thriller that 'did not blow me away' but is elevated by Mammootty's chilling antagonist, Vinayakan's… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
65
YouTube, Telugu · transcript read · 6 Dec 2025
Calls the film a decent, unconventional serial-killer thriller carried by strong female casting and shock-value performances from Mammootty and… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
62
The Times Of India · 5 Dec 2025
Kalamkaval Movie Review: A slow-burn investigative thriller with compelling performances Read it there →
Published · 3.0/5
Filmi’s reading 62
60
Anandu Suresh · 5 Dec 2025
Kalamkaval movie review: Mammootty once again shows he’s the biggest threat to stardom; but the crime thriller fails him Read it there →
Published · 2.5/5
Filmi’s reading 48
50
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 18 readings; 7 of those rows also carry the critic’s own rating, shown beside ours. Rubric v2, computed 7 Sep 2026. Any critic can ask us to remove a derived reading.
PublishedStated in videoDerived by FilmiNo score
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.
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Your review
Your review is public, on this page, under your display name. Filmi reads what you write under the same rubric it uses for critics — so the more you say, the more there is to read. Your verdict stays yours.
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Synopsis
Early 2010s. A routine Kerala Police inquiry in the quiet village of Kottayikonam takes an unexpected turn when a trail of seemingly minor clues unravels into a string of disturbing cases. The investigation soon crosses into Tamil Nadu, revealing unsolved mysteries that have lingered for years.
Credits
Cast
Jithin K JoseDirector · Writer
Jishnu SreekumarWriter
Mujeeb MajeedMusic
Faisal AliCinematography
Praveen PrabhakarEditing
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Also by Jithin K Jose
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56
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Your review · Kalamkaval
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Rate only what you have an opinion on — untouched rows are simply not counted. These numbers sit beside your review; they never move a score.
Direction
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Writing
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Performances
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Music
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Camera
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Pacing
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Posting as
Public, beside your review. Needed once you write words; a verdict or aspect numbers alone needs none.
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