Narivetta: The Wolf Hunt Movie Review: Tovino Thomas' Boldest Film YET??

So, I watched the movie Narivetta, which actually released in theatres a month ago. But I didn’t get a chance to watch it earlier because there was no watch option available here. I wanted to watch it mainly because, first of all, Malayalam films usually have strong content, and secondly, this movie had created quite a hype after its theatrical release. Now, this movie has come on Sony Liv, it was supposed to release on 11th July, but they uploaded it a day earlier. Anyway, it’s finally here, and I have watched it. The total length of the movie is around two hours and fifteen minutes. The first half may make you wonder whether to continue watching or not because the gripping moments, which you expect in any content, disappear after the first 15 minutes.

It follows a simple storyline about one man who is poor but educated. He works very hard to become an IPS officer, but due to his family’s poor financial condition, he is forced to take a job as a CRPF constable. After that, the story turns into a horrific mess. Such incidents happen that even you will be shocked. It is a story of a tribal community versus the police. The tribal community wants land to settle down, but the police and administration join hands to evict them from there. Meanwhile, what role does Tovino Thomas play and how does the story progress? Watch the movie and find out yourself. By the way, this movie is said to be inspired by a real-life story. In 2003, in the tribal areas of Kerala, people protested over land issues, but that protest took a violent turn. I was shocked thinking about this, especially after watching the climax, because if such things really happened in real life, it is a very disgusting incident, a huge blot on the police and administration.

Even in the trailer, a reviewer had written that it’s a quietly devastating portrait of power and policing. After watching the movie, I literally realised this and felt the pain. You could skip the first half, but the second half takes the movie’s situational thriller aspect to its peak. The climax scene of the police versus tribal fight will literally squeeze your heart if you are soft-hearted. I must say, this movie is for viewers aged 16 and above, not only because of its brutal content but also because the socio-political and ethical issues shown require a mature mind to understand. The only thing is that the first half had too much buildup and unnecessarily showed Tovino’s love angle, which doesn’t connect later on. So, about 15 minutes could have been cut from the movie.

But overall, the movie is good. Its intense emotion and Tovino Thomas’s acting will impress you a lot. The other actors have also done a great job, and the background music is excellent. Overall, considering everything, I would comfortably rate this film 3.5 out of 5 stars. You can watch it with your family, but everyone should be 16 or older. There are no vulgar scenes or abusive language, just some brutal content towards the end.