the 12th man malayalam movie review

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

‘IC 814’ X review: ‘The Kandahar Hijack’ delivers intense drama; fans hooked

'Outlander' Season 7, Part 2 premiere date announced; new characters revealed for season 8

Designer Rick Roy to do a guest appearance in the show Dil Dosti Dilemma

'Loki Season 2' Fan theory on EPIC finale will leave you mind-blown; Tom Hiddleston starrer may be most important event in MCU since 'Avengers: Infinity War'

Takeshi's Castle Indian Reboot Trailer: Bhuvan Bam aka Titu Mama unleashes hilarious punches

Actress Go Ah Sung wows with her idol talents in upcoming Netflix series 'Doona!'

Call Me Bae

Terminator Zero

IC 814: The Kandahar Hi...

K-Pop Idols

Follow Kar Lo Yaar

'Kalki 2898 AD' releases on OTT: Here's how and where you can watch the Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Prabhas starrer in different languages

Angry Young Men

My Perfectt Husband

Matsya Kaand - An MX Original Series

Sabka Sai - An MX Original Series

Samantar 2 - An MX Original Series

Indori Ishq - An MX Original Series

Runaway Lugaai - An MX Original Series

Ramyug - An MX Original Series

Hello Mini 3 - An MX Original Series

Bisaat - An MX Original Series

Hey Prabhu 2 - An MX Original Series

Chakravyuh - An Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller - An MX Original Series

Filmfare OTT Awards

Thalapathy Is The G.O.A...

Pad Gaye Pange

A Wedding Story

The Diary Of West Benga...

Khel Khel Mein

Hocus Focus

Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillr...

Kinds Of Kindness

The Deliverance

Blue Lock: Episode Nagi

Drive-Away Dolls

Blink Twice

In The Land Of Saints A...

Harold And The Purple C...

The Greatest Of All Tim...

Adharma Kadhaigal

Pogumidam Vegu Thoorami...

Kottukkaali

Demonte Colony 2

Raghu Thatha

Mr.Bachchan

Purushothamudu

Sarangadhariya

Prabuthwa Junior Kalash...

Music Shop Murthy

Bhaje Vaayu Vegam

Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi

Roopanthara

Family Drama

Back Bencherz

Manikbabur Megh: The Cl...

Rajnandini Paul and Ama...

Chaalchitra Ekhon

Nayan Rahasya

Teriya Meriya Hera Pher...

Kudi Haryane Val Di

Shinda Shinda No Papa

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gharat Ganpati

Ek Don Teen Chaar

Danka Hari Namacha

Aamhi Jarange

Vishay Hard

Swargandharva Sudhir Ph...

Naach Ga Ghuma

Juna Furniture

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

• Web Series /

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

12th Man Review : ​A entertaining, delicious whodunnit

Videos left arrow right arrow.

'12th Man' Teaser: Mohanlal and Unni Mukundan...

Photos left arrow right arrow

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Paliyath Sreedhar 247 days ago

A dull start, but them movie takes us through thrilling scenes after, good watch.

User 812 days ago

Semano Nemat 826 days ago

The starting moments at the resort involving Mohanlal were a bit too much to digest. Thereafter, the movie gets gripping.<br/>Overall, it is a well-made movie and definitely worth a watch!

User R P HANDE 837 days ago

Jeethu Joseph is Indian Agatha Christie. Vinayak sashikumar song top matching to bond Hollywood song well sung by souparnika. Worth watch

User Antony 838 days ago

Just an average movie, expected much better thriller

Visual Stories

Entertainment

Aditi Shankar redefines ethnic fashion with flair

​Rakul Preet Singh mesmerises in exquisite lehenga ensembles​

In pics: Shirin Kanchwala’s stylish wardrobe collection

THIS is Warren Buffet’s favourite book about investing and finances

9 reasons why cooked rice water is good for health

Manu Bhaker inspired stylish ethnic clothing ideas

10 reasons to eat a bowl of Papaya on an empty stomach daily

Nidhhi Agerwal channels Barbie vibes in stunning pink gown

Top 10 tax-paying bollywood celebrities of 2024

Urmila Matondkar commands attention in chic white halter neck pantsuit

Latest Reviews

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

George RR Martin criticizes 'House of the Dragon' changes, explains his objections

Reply 1988, Twinkling Watermelon, Welcome to Samdal-ri, and more:Perfect family-friendly K-dramas for quality time with your parents

Vikrant on 'Sector 36': To convincingly play a terrifying killer has been difficult

‘Gyeongseong Creature 2’: New mysteries await Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee in modern-day Seoul

Ekta Kaul: Being a Kashmiri, there was no challenge for me in filming there

'12.12: The Day' selected as South Korea's entry for the Best International Feature Film category

'Sector 36' trailer out: Vikrant Massey’s haunting serial killer role is sure to give goosebumps

Ji Chang Wook, Seo In Guk and Ma Dong Suk to join forces for new Korean superhero series ‘Twelve’

Rainbow’s Jung Yoon Hye and actor Ahn Jae Min announce October wedding

Fans hail Hyun Bin as he takes on the challenging role of independence fighter Ahn Joong Geun in ‘Harbin’

Promoted Stories

• Visual Story

• Entertainment
• Life & Style

To enjoy additional benefits

CONNECT WITH US

‘12th Man’ movie review: Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph combo doesn’t quite hit the mark this time around

The film’s concept has enough in it to keep the audience hooked till the end, but more often than not, one gets the feeling of watching a game show rather than an investigative thriller.

Updated - May 20, 2022 07:28 pm IST

Published - May 20, 2022 01:46 pm IST

A still from ‘12th Man’

At the centre of 12th Man is a group of friends, whom we are told are still very close, years after college. But in all those initial scenes involving them, we wonder whether they are friends or game show participants who are plotting against each other and gossiping behind each others' backs. If this was not enough, the feeling is further accentuated when the film itself shifts into a game show mode with the characters viewing each other with suspicion.

The eleven friends, including their spouses, have got together at a hill station resort to celebrate the bachelor party of the last unmarried person in the group. But the celebratory mood, despite interruptions from a perpetually drunken stranger (Mohanlal), quickly disappears when they decide to play a game to prove that they do not have any secrets to keep from each other. Soon, it appears that most of the people in the group have secrets which could put their friendship in jeopardy. A death which happens later in the night further complicates matters.

In 12th Man , Jeethu Joseph returns yet again to the thriller genre, his most comfortable space, but the script written by K.R.Krishnakumar, based on Sunir Khetarpal's story, brings back memories of the many movies based on Agatha Christie's works. The classic signs of this are in the isolated setting cut off from the outside world, and in the plot where one among a group dies leading to all of the remaining becoming suspects. On top of this familiar setting has been placed a novel idea derived from the much remade Italian film Perfect Strangers , in which a group of friends at a get-together play a game revealing the contents of all the calls and messages that they receive during that time.

It is a concept which has enough in it to keep the audience hooked till the end, but more often than not, one gets the feeling of watching a game show rather than an investigative thriller. The interesting bits are in their behavioural shifts, initially uttering half-truths and even lies, and later attempting to cover up when confronted with evidence to the contrary.

Director: Jeethu Joseph

Cast: mohanlal, unni mukundan, priyanka nair, saiju kuraup, sshivada, anusree, anu sithara, rahul madhav.

After a point, the scriptwriter seems to be labouring to turn the needle of suspicion towards each one of them, with quite a few red herrings thrown in. This also has to do with the movie’s runtime, which at over 160 minutes, is a bit of a stretch for such a plot.

The investigation gets long-winded and tiring after a point, so much so that with the suspicion landing on every new person, one wishes for the mystery to get solved soon, only to watch helplessly as another person becomes the suspect. The mystery, when it is finally revealed after all the twists and turns, does not manage to shock us much too. But then, it is unfair to expect a Drishyam from every other movie of Jeethu Joseph.

Ultimately, the familiar settings and a long-winded investigation becomes the undoing of 12th Man , which has derived inspiration from multiple sources.

12th Man is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar

Related Topics

Malayalam cinema / entertainment (general) / reviews

Top News Today

• Access 10 free stories every month
• Save stories to read later
• Access to comment on every story
• Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
• Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products

Terms & conditions   |   Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Eleven friends get together for a bachelor party, but the celebrations go awry because of a phone call and a death. A drunk cop steps in to unravel the mystery. Eleven friends get together for a bachelor party, but the celebrations go awry because of a phone call and a death. A drunk cop steps in to unravel the mystery. Eleven friends get together for a bachelor party, but the celebrations go awry because of a phone call and a death. A drunk cop steps in to unravel the mystery.

• Jeethu Joseph
• Sunir Kheterpal
• K.R. Krishna Kumar
• Chandhunadh
• 83 User reviews
• 6 Critic reviews

Top cast 33

• Chandrasekhar

• (as Shivada Nair)
• (as Chandunath)

• Psychiatrist

• Chemmeen Jose
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Crazy credits Many Amazing Seemless transitions can be seen in the second half.
• Soundtracks Celebrate Written by Vinayak Sasikumar Produced by Anil Johnson Performed by Souparnika Rajagopal

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 43 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

12th Man Movie Review: Passable whodunit held together by a few stimulating ideas

A few hours before I started watching 12th Man , a friend lamented about her close friend not telling her about a pivotal life decision. Her disappointment came from the fact that this friend used to share with her every little problem. So why wasn't she told about this particular thing? In Jeethu Joseph's new film, the Malayalam master of suspense once again explores the idea of keeping and revealing secrets, this time between friends. 

Who is a friend? Is it someone who keeps us company in our dark times? Is it someone to whom we tell our most intimate secrets? When we don't, is it because we don't consider them our friends (and vice versa)? When we share something of ours, do we expect them to share theirs too? And what about couples (married or otherwise)? Is it necessary to tell each other everything? Would it be wiser to keep some secrets to ourselves? Does doing the latter contribute to the sustenance of a romantic relationship?

Director: Jeethu Joseph

Cast: Mohanlal, Sshivada, Leona Lishoy, Saiju Kurup, Unni Mukundan, Chandunadh

Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar

Now, if both parties have made a commitment to being 100 per cent transparent, there's no issue. But what if these friends (or lovers) were always under the impression that they were always transparent? Would the sudden revelation of a shocking bit of information about one of them — triggered by the arrival of a stranger — throw their bond off balance?

These questions were put forth and explored brilliantly in the Italian film, Perfect Strangers (and its numerous remakes), from which 12th Man borrows its core idea. While the original was a relatively more lighthearted affair, a relationship drama, to be precise, Jeethu combines that concept with a Sherlock Holmes/Hercule Poirot-style investigative procedural. Unlike Perfect Strangers, 12th Man leans slightly towards the dark side. 

When Mohanlal's Chandraprakash crashes the party of a group of eleven friends, the initial impression formed is that of a drunk rabble-rouser who proves troublesome for the other guests. He bores us — in a good way — with his over-the-top act. After he leaves, the friends, at the provocation of one character, start playing a game, borrowed from Perfect Strangers , of course, which requires everyone to make their calls, texts, and voice messages public. Little by little, it is known that they all are concealing something that could lead to their whole world crashing down. Something that violently rips apart their false veneer of transparency.

Since the promos of 12th Man didn't reveal the profession of Mohanlal's character, I've elected to withhold it here, too. Since I went in without knowing anything about the plot, I liked how each plot development unravelled. Some neatly done, seamless transitions between past and present got me thinking about how the team executed them. For example, a character sitting on a chair in the present is framed in the same angle when he 'teleports' to a hotel bed in the past. Another one would have an actor moving towards the right side of the frame to merge into a frame in the present. In one scene, we see Mohanlal in the present 'observing' a conversation between two people in the past. I refuse to dismiss this as a fancy gimmick because it made the storytelling intriguing. 12th Man is, after all, a single-setting mystery with a 3-hr duration.

Credit to Jeethu Joseph and editor VS Vinayak for keeping things moving briskly. Though composer Anil Johnson's James Bond-inspired score is a welcome addition, it tends to have a distracting effect at times, especially when a principal character is in the middle of feeding us a crucial piece of information. The problem with having a familiar-sounding score accompanying a serious conversation is that we are distracted by the familiarity of the music.  

Other distractions in 12th Man come in the form of some soap opera-style performances that border, occasionally, on unintentional hilarity. Of all the actors, I can only think of Mohanlal, Sshivada, Leona Lishoy and Chandunadh sounding like regular folks even when driven by strong emotions.   

There are points where 12th Man gets a tad confusing. We also don't care for any of the characters. But then, it's an affliction of even some of the most revered mystery classics authored by the most distinguished of writers such as Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, or Dashiell Hammett. We saw this problem even in their big-screen adaptations. But regardless, many critics regard the adaptations of Chandler's The Big Sleep (1946) or Hammett's The Maltese Falcon (1941) as first-class mysteries. But these stories, in my book, didn't have characters I cared about even though I consider them well-made whodunits. It's sometimes necessary to keep these characters at a distance because it's what they don't tell us that appeals to the voyeur in all of us. 

Sometimes we look for an emotional response to the victim, like in the case of KG George's Yavanika or the 1974 film adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express . Even Jeethu's Drishyam films demanded a high degree of emotional commitment. Of course, casting also matters in such examples. When the victim/killer is someone who either makes us angry or sad, the reader or viewer becomes an active participant in the story. It starts tugging at their conscience. In other cases, such as 12th Man , it's fun to see the private detective deciphering multiple clues until he reveals the primary suspect. But how many of us remember how we got there? Yes, we find delight in knowing the mastermind's identity, but when we try to analyse how the sleuth reached some conclusions, we may not always be successful. I prefer the ones that rely on emotional provocation, and this is why I place  12th Man a couple of notches below something like Drishyam 2 .

Yes, 12th Man has its share of shortcomings; however, it's a relief to see Mohanlal playing a level-headed character again... after that initial bit of theatricality to mislead the other characters, that is. Yes, we have seen him in better versions of this character before, but his presence largely contributes to making a film of such a lengthy duration bearable. But knowing Jeethu to be one for setting remarkably high standards in the mystery genre with a Drishyam 2 or Memories, it becomes a bit difficult to digest anything lesser, no?

Related Stories

• Power List 2024
• Cannes 2024
• In-Depth Stories
• Web Stories
• Oscars 2024
• FC Wrap 2023
• Film Festivals
• FC Adda 2023
• Companion Zone
• Best Indian Films Forever List
• FC Front Row
• FC Disruptors
• Mental Health & Wellness

12th Man Movie Review: A Great Setup Never Develops Into A Great Thriller

Cast:  Mohanlal, Unni Mukundan, Saiju Kurup, Shivada, Anu Sithara, Anusree

Director:  Jeethu Joseph

Among the reasons why Jeethu Joseph's third film with Mohanlal doesn't quite achieve the full potential of its promising setup is the weight of high expectations riding down on this superhit duo. Not only did they achieve a thriller masterpiece with  Drishyam  but they managed to follow it up with a compelling sequel as well. The standards have been set and it's not easy for a film like  12th Man  to match that, especially when it follows the themes of a thriller like their earlier films.

The director, though, builds a solid case for a chamber drama set in one resort through the course of one day. It's a reunion of sorts as five couples and their one single friend meet before one of them gets married. At the outset, all of them appear to be the very definition of decent, educated men and women. They are privileged and sophisticated but they also appear to be a set of good friends who've not let issues of early adulthood affect their bond. Given the chronology of the film's events, it's perhaps best to use a Malayalam phrase to describe them. They are what you'd call  pakal manyanmaar.

The emphasis on the chronology is because the group's decency and uprightness are limited to the daytime ( pakal ). As the day shifts into dusk and then on to nighttime, we also see their bright, pretty faces recede to make way for their darker selves. Like skeletons tumbling out of the closet, no one is the saint you thought they were. The writing choices here are interesting in an effort to use the audience's biases against them. A recently separated woman is shown drinking, smoking and spending time with a married man, as if to create a character that's closest to committing a crime. On the other end of the "moral spectrum" is the stereotypical  paavam  who believes people sin because they are not fearful of God.

Even if you don't buy into these tricks, the film still manages to give you 11 distinct characters, their individual equations and the personal baggage with which they arrive at this celebration. The  pakal manyan  phrase gets a neat extension onto the titular  12th Man  (ironically, he's only the 6th MAN), played by Mohanlal. His character is that of a daytime drunk who says the crassest of things to the women there. He fits outside the norms of decency set by the group and it also fits into the film's larger point and Jeethu Joseph's most favourite life philosophy—visuals can be deceiving.

As the 11 insiders sit down for dinner and drinks, the film introduces to us a dangerous game featuring unlocked cell phones and a butt load of secrets. From stealing to lying, coveting to murder, we learn pretty soon that there are not many commandments left to break during this last supper. And when the action shifts entirely into one dining room after one of the 11 is found dead, it's also time for the group to get their just desserts.

This is also when the aforementioned expectations start to weigh down on the film. As an audience, we've trained ourselves to never take Jeethu Joseph lightly, especially when it comes to his ability to keep springing surprises. Which means that it's no longer enough for the film to move unpredictably, but these twists have to also spring up and bite you. But given the nature of the chamber drama, there are only so many possibilities the script can explore to arrive at an ending. And as with 12th Man , once you've considered each person in the group as a possible culprit at least once during its runtime, how shocking can it be when a name is revealed towards the end?

This aspect of the film backs itself into a corner because it doesn't have the room to give you a Jeethu Joseph Twist™ at the end. The 160-minute runtime too adds to this feeling because the nature of the film further adds to the claustrophobia. So when these characters begin to get exposed for their dark pasts, one after the other, it feels like a reality show you'd name Worst Person Wins.

The film tries to sidestep the monotony of this closed room by taking us back and forth to recreate the night as the events unfold. In places, the writer uses the unreliable narrator trope to keep things interesting. But the device I found most distracting is the overuse of jarring transitions to keep moving the drama in and out of the dining room. This is where it keeps reminding you that you're eventually watching a lockdown film. In some places, these transitions are so tacky that you can practically smell the green screen. All of this chips away from a promising setup about hypocrisies and the facade of decency all of us hide behind. It's still eminently watchable, but that's hardly enough from the team that left you with one of the best ever endings in Malayalam cinema.

Related Stories

• தமிழ் சினிமா செய்திகள்
• தமிழ் விமர்சனம்
• Galatta Features
• Galatta Daily
• Baradwaj Rangan Movie Reviews
• Upcoming Movies
• Corridos Of Power
• Celebrity Fashions
• Short Films
• Galatta Awards
• Tamil Telugu Kannada Malayalam English Hindi

12th Man Movie Review (2022)

The new mohanlal-jeethu joseph thriller, '12th man', on disney+ hotstar is talky and dull.

12th Man Movie Cast & Crew

Jeethu Joseph's 12th Man opens with a secret that quickly is told to someone, who tells it to someone else, and so on – until the secret is no longer a secret. The film's centrepiece is a woman’s death, which leads to more secrets. That's why there's a subtitle: Unveiling the Shadows . The 11 characters are a group of very close friends. But how close is "close"? And how do you define a "friend"? Are friends just people who meet at Diwali parties and go to resorts during vacations, like in this movie? Or are they people who genuinely help each other when in need? Do they make sacrifices even if it means that their reputation takes a hit? Don't worry. 12th Man isn't an existential study. But it does make you wonder how this group of friends has remained friends all this time. If only they knew at the beginning what they know about one another at the end!

The film is an Agatha Christie-style mystery, where Mohanlal plays Hercule Poirot. In those books, it is only at the end that Poirot gathers everyone together and announces his deductions by leaping from one possible suspect to another. Here, Mohanlal's entire investigation is conducted at a Last Supper -like table with everyone being a suspect at some point, and everyone revealing a secret at some point. I wondered who in their sane mind – I mean, people who have serious secrets – would agree to a game where everyone around gets to listen to their phone calls and read their messages. That is what sets off the crime. I also wondered why they wasted some 45 minutes trying to make us think Mohanlal is some kind of drunkard-buffoon. Flab is the enemy of a tense thriller, and without that huge opening portion, we might have been left with a more watchable movie.

12th Man is not unwatchable, exactly. And you cannot expect constant sixers from the Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph combination. But the film is talky and dull. It is filled with reaction shots and a needlessly showy technique that morphs locations. None of the characters are terribly interesting, so it never matters who the culprit is going to be. But most importantly, none of the revelations have that oh-wow feeling. I kept hoping that the explanation for the death had better be good, given how many red herrings we are being fed. But the ending doesn't have that oh-wow quality either. The real culprit is the screenplay. The lack of serious effort really shows. Mohanlal can do these roles in his sleep, but crime-film writers have to be constantly awake, no?

About Author

Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

12th Man Movie News

Latest Movie Reviews

Thanks for visiting GALATTA.

Please turn off your ad blocker in order to continue.

Without ads, we can't offer free content to our users.

Thanks again!

Madhabi Buch exercised ICICI Bank stock options to get shares worth Rs 10.3 crore after joining SEBI

Mumbai’s ageing buildings need renovation – not redevelopment

‘The Greatest of All Time’ review: A Vijay show and not much else

Interview: What the Kerala film industry needs to do to fix its problems

This cookbook traces the history and purpose of traditional utensils used in South Indian cooking

Memoir: A police officer on how he competed in the Ironman triathlon despite suffering from cancer

Recruitment chatbots, targeted propaganda: The Islamic State is tapping artificial intelligence

Sheikh Hasina must ‘keep quiet’ in India till Bangladesh seeks her extradition, says Muhammad Yunus

India is losing the taste for toddy

Rajasthan HC grants bail to man accused in killing of Udaipur tailor in 2022

‘12th Man’ review: Oversharing between friends is overrated (it can lead to murder)

Jeethu joseph’s latest collaboration with mohanlal is being streamed on disney+ hotstar..

The Jeethu Joseph-Mohanlal collaboration yielded the Malayalam blockbuster and remake generator Drishyam and its sequel . If Drishyam was about a family man building a watertight alibi for a righteous murder, 12th Man is about the contours and limits of friendship.

A group of 11 long-term friends – five couples and a single woman – have booked a resort for a few days. Each of the friends brings along emotional baggage to the vacation.

Mathew (Saiju Kurup) regrets not marrying Fida (Leona Lishoy) and worries about the spending habits of his wife Shiny (Anusree). Annie (Priyanka), the partner of the frequently unemployed Zachariah (Unni Mukundan), is pregnant.

Bank manager Sam (Rahul Madhav), married to Merin (Anu Sithara), is involved in what appears to be a shady financial transaction. The other couples are Sidharth (Anu Menon) and Arathy (Aditi Ravi) and Jithesh (Chandunath) and the doctor Nayana (Sshivada).

Nayana arguably sets the ball rolling by tattling on Annie’s pregnancy to the group even though she has been told to stay mum. The business of never keeping secrets from friends leads to a tech update on Truth and Dare, the game that is designed to lead to doom. At dinner, everyone in the group is persuaded to put incoming calls on a speakerphone and publicly reveal received messages.

Sharing has always been a bit overrated. Oversharing is definitely a disaster. As if it’s not bad enough that uncomfortable truths tumble out, the night ends with the discovery of Shiny’s dead body.

Did she kill herself or was she done in? That question is answered by Chandrashekhar (Mohanlal), a police officer who happens to be the only other guest at the resort. Chandrashekhar herds everybody into a room and proceeds to pick apart each of the alibis.

The Disney+ Hotstar release is based on a story by Sunir Kheterpal and a screenplay by KR Krishnakumar. (A vigilant Wikipedia editor has pointed out that the Truth and Dare variant is from the 2016 Italian film Perfect Strangers ).

The overall importance of smartphones and its clever use in Chandrashekhar’s investigation breathes new life into an old-fashioned murder mystery that has money and infidelity among the possible motives. Indeed, Chandrashekhar might be one of the few detectives in the world who solves a crime simply by dialling numbers and making sense of who called or messaged whom at what time.

Will you be able to speed it up, a character asks – never a good question in a Jeethu Joseph film. Viewers have to wait for every character to be introduced before the crime occurs. Once the dark deed is done, we have to warm our seats for much longer until Chandrashekhar ambles towards the truth.

Editor VS Vinayak does a fine job of cutting between shots and reactions shots in a largely sit-down narrative. Vinayak also comes up with interesting editing transitions between the flashbacks and the present – a big help during a needlessly lengthy 163-minute film.

For all its emphasis on human psychology, 12th Man is woefully low on character shading. The link drawn between Shiny’s mental state and her actions is a cheap shot in a drama that places great emphasis on grey matter.

The competently performed movie, led with typically understated elan by Mohanlal, takes too long to finally reveal the killer. It’s the kind of film in which characters dissemble minutes before the denouement. Whatever the features of the cellphones that Chandrashekhar handles in his quest for the truth, speed-dial is clearly not among them.

• 12th Man review
• Jeethu Joseph

• WEB STORIES New
• ENTERTAINMENT
• CAREER & CAMPUS
• INFOGRAPHICS
• Paris 2024 Olympics

• Manorama Online
• Manorama News TV
• ManoramaMAX
• Radio Mango
• Subscription

• Entertainment

Jeethu Joseph’s 12th Man review: Exploring human relationships through the maze of an investigation

Man is not what he thinks, but what he hides, some say. Jeethu Joseph’s 12th Man -- which unveils the tough dynamics of human relationships through a group of supposedly close-knit people and an unforeseen situation they end up in -– tries to lay bare cold realities of relationships. The group is apparently totally unprepared for the experience.

Six women and five men, who were collegemates, get together at a resort to celebrate one of their upcoming weddings. Things take a sour turn when they inadvertently start playing a risky game, that ends up revealing ‘classified information’ about many of their lives.

Meanwhile, a drunk man at the resort also keep annoying them from time to time. What then?

'Neru': Mohanlal's courtroom drama explores the emotional turmoil of legal battles | Movie review

Kooman Review: Jeethu Joseph’s flair for thrillers in play, Asif Ali emerges

Formatting an interrogation scene in a film is no cakewalk and that too avoiding clichés. 12th Man deserves applause for trying to tell a major share of the story through an interestingly structured police interrogation sequence, filling it with simple yet intriguing dialogues, expressions and a tad dramatic flashback.

The screenplay by K R Krishna Kumar for the story by Sunir Khetarpal offers no special set-ups or dim lights, though you perhaps notice the overall ‘resort atmosphere’ was a bit eerie from the beginning. Neverthless, the film shows how basic, sensible questions from someone can make respondents crumble under pressure, especially while trying to hide behind a veil.

The story neither has easily confessing suspects nor power dynamics in play. But still, the scenes are tense and engaging for most parts for a viewer to be patient enough to wait till the culprit is unravelled through a labyrinth of lies.

Yes, there are stretches where you get impatient wondering how long the probe will latch on to certain ‘possibilities’ or ‘twists,’ but overall, the storytelling conjures up a decent tale of investigation.

The characters can’t be rated as too challenging for any of the actors essaying them in 12th Man. Regardless, each of their subtle performances add to the excitement and shock value of the revelations.

The BGM gives a sense of mystery to the story in most places, but there are also certain junctures where it goes slightly over-the-top.

Considering the number of characters, their convoluted equations and histories, at times you lose track of who is who, unless you are thoroughly attentive.

12th Man is not a typical fun watch, for it demands a bit of your concentration. However, those who love investigation thrillers and unearthing twisted crime stories can enjoy the film without a doubt.

• Movie Review
• Jeethu Joseph

'The Greatest of All Time': This Thalapathy Vijay starrer is a nostalgic yet uneven ride | Movie Review

'Footage' movie review | Manju Warrier, Saiju Sreedharan's film is well executed

'Vaazha': Fathers and children try to understand each other in this slice-of-life comedy | Review

'Manorathangal' Series Review | A collection of 9 films each different from the rest

Kadalkkaattu: Lame presentation of a beautiful story

'Thangalaan': Stunning visuals and social commentary, yet missing the emotional core | Movie Review

An eccentric Basil Joseph stars in a fun Jeethu Joseph film | ‘Nunakuzhi' movie review

‘Abhayam Thedi Veendum:' Powerful frames dominate this Santhosh Sivan film, which falls short in narrative | 'Manorathangal' Series Review

'Kazhcha’: This Parvathy starrer examines societal stigma and personal triumph in the wake of a broken marriage | 'Manorathangal' series review

• India Today
• Business Today
• Harper's Bazaar
• Brides Today
• Cosmopolitan
• India Today Hindi
• Reader’s Digest
• Aaj Tak Campus

Download App

12th Man Movie Review: Mohanlal's whodunit thriller is a slow burner

Director jeethu joseph's 12th man is a mystery thriller with mohanlal's chandrashekhar headlining the investigation of a murder. the film is interesting in parts, but it gets bogged down by the duration..

Listen to Story

• 12th Man is directed by Jeethu Joseph.
• After Drishyam 2, Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph have reunited for 12th Man.
• The film was released on Disney+ Hotstar.

Director Jeethu Joseph and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, in the past, have treated the audience to out-of-the-world thrillers such as the Drishyam series. Now, the successful duo is back with yet another thriller titled 12th Man. Does this film live up to Drishyam or does it stand on its own?

11 friends head to a resort for a bachelor party at a hill station. Meanwhile, they have an uninvited guest. Chandrashekhar (Mohanlal) is an alcoholic who keeps annoying them by asking for liquor. At the end of the day, one of the eleven friends dies. Chandrasekhar is not just a drunkard, but a police officer, who steps up to investigate to find the killer. So, who's the killer?

Director Jeethu Joseph is a filmmaker who knows how to package a thriller. Be it Drishyam or 12th Man, he follows a pattern in storytelling. He slowly establishes the characters and the conflicts. In the final few stretches, he removes the knots one by one, which gives a high to the audience. But, did 12th Man work as well as Drishyam did? The answer would be no. At this age, films with a duration of 2 hours and 43 minutes will test the patience of the audience, especially for a flick that has been released on an OTT platform.

With 12th Man, Jeethu spends too much time establishing the characters and it feels like an eternity when the actual conflict arrives. But once it does, there’s no stopping. It is interesting to see Mohanlal in supreme form while conducting the investigation. The way the story moves back and forth creates a great impact.

However, 12th Man is not a film without flaws. The thriller is bogged down by its uneven pacing and slow-paced screenplay. Some of the conflicts that arise are too convenient. For example, Mohanlal sets up a roundtable for the investigation and asks everyone to read out their messages loud and speak on loudspeaker. Just when he is done with his speech, a phone rings. It’s like they waited for him to finish his monologue.

If you expect 12th Man to be an out-and-out Mohanlal film, then you’d be disappointed. He comes in the latter part of the story and convincingly pulls off the role with ease. Unni Mukundan, Saju Kurup, Sshivada, Anu Sree, Anu Sithara, Anu Mohan and several others played their parts well.

Cinematography by Satheesh Kurup and music by Anil Johnson complement the film’s landscape and the mood.

Overall, 12th Man is a film that is a delicious whodunit thriller that is affected by a slow-paced screenplay in parts.

3 out of 5 stars for 12th Man.

12th Man is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. ALSO READ | 12th Man trailer out. Mohanlal-starrer promises to be another compelling whodunnit thriller

'12th Man' review: Mohanlal leads loosely plotted murder mystery

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal and director Jeethu Joseph are back! After delivering hits like Drishyam and its sequel, the duo came together for 12th Man —a mystery thriller that could very well be straight out of Agatha Christie's books. 12th Man 's plot unfolds slowly, giving you enough time to soak in the drama. It was released on Disney+ Hotstar on Friday. Here's how the movie fared.

Seemingly close-knit friends hold secrets from each other

A group of friends, who are apparently close since college, go to a hill station resort to celebrate their friend's bachelor party. While everyone is in a mood for celebration, their party gets interrupted by an inebriated stranger. They play a game to prove how honest they have all been to each other, but soon find out that a lot has been kept hidden.

Party stops when one of friends dies mysteriously

Things start to get heated and the friends begin to turn on each other once the secrets start to come out. The situation escalates further when they find out that one of their friends has died mysteriously. Chandrasekhar ( Mohanlal ), who had previously crashed their party, turns out to be a suspended Deputy Superintended of Police—the "12th Man" as he calls himself—and begins his investigation.

Everyone seems to have a motive

When the friends are questioned about their motives and dark secrets, their behavioral changes leave you guessing about the murderer. The friends, who were supposed to be close, plot and gossip behind each other's backs and even try to desperately plead themselves innocent with their half-truths. Suspicion looms as everyone seems to have a motive. But frankly, it plays out in a confusing manner.

Story feels predictable, characters not fleshed out properly

The screenplay by KR Krishnakumar, which is based on Sunir Khertapal's story, feels a little wonky and it takes some effort to follow Chandrasekhar's investigation. The cop goes through every member of the group and ticks off the list of suspects to get to the murderer. However, with 11 characters in question, the story feels cramped. We also see some obvious revelations taking place.

Investigation takes up screen time, film lacks suspense

The investigation feels prolonged and the ending doesn't have a satisfying conclusion like you would expect from a well-crafted thriller. However, the cinematography by Satheesh Kurup deserves a mention. The silent, cut-off location goes well with the mystery-shrouded storyline. While the film lacks the obvious elements of a good thriller like proper suspense and a gripping, unpredictable narrative, it is a half-good attempt.

Story of '12th Man' could have been crisper

Mohanlal tries to give his best in portraying Chandrasekhar. The other lead actors like Unni Mukundan, Priyanka Nair, Saiju Kurup, Sshivada, Anusree, Anu Sithara, Rahul Madhav, and Aditi Ravi, among others, give convincing performances. Joseph's 12th Man could have shaved off a good 20 minutes or more to present a crisp storyline, but the end product can be given a watch. Verdict: 2/5 stars.

Trailer Video

12th Man Malayalam Movie

Jeethu Joseph's 12th Man has a simple yet fascinating plot. It follows a group of close friends who gather at a resort in Kerala for a party as one of them is about to get married. During the party, they decide to play a game that involves each of them putting their calls on speaker or reading out their text message. Soon, a piece of communication reveals a deeply private secret of one of them, leading to seemingly small conflicts within the group. I said seemingly, because the revelation is more serious than meets the eye. It contributes to the death of one character, paving the way for a courtroom drama-like investigation. Only, here, a resort room replaces the courtroom.

Mohanlal plays a police officer who behaves as a Hercule Poirot- or a Sherlock Holmes-like character. That is to say, he mainly uses his observation skills to tell lies and truths apart. Jeethu Joseph uses unreliable narrators and the Roshmon effect in ways that make the audience treat each of the group members as a suspect. By the time the investigation starts, the writer cum director sets up the behavior types of the members. This forces us to take sides with or make a judgement about each of them as Lal's character questions them. This is an inherent flaw of the film because it deprives us of whatever little shock value that the revelations of the investigation have. Somewhere, the audience will realize that one of the group members is the killer.

On top of that, the audience will expect wow-inducing moments from the writer and director of the two Drishyam movies and Memories. In Jeethu Joseph's defense, it is hard to measure up to the standards that those earlier films have set. However, as an audience member, it is also hard for one not to feel that the big reveal of a Jeethu Joseph film is disappointing. Even the recent, standard thrillers in Malayalam cinema at least have a twist or two in the climax that makes you want to jump from your seat. 12th Man is short on thrills and those nail-biting moments. This is not to say that the movie is bad or unwatchable, though. It has some good performances and an intriguing plot.

Seeing how deeply personal details threaten to derail the relationships between these characters, will make you wonder how much each of them values friendship and how close they are.

Mohanlal is a bit clumsy in the portions where he acts like a drunken man but is quite riveting in the investigative parts. Perhaps it would have been better to introduce Mohanlal's character at the hour mark. The parts where he acts drunk add little to the overall plot or screenplay of the movie. The other actors also play their parts exceedingly well. I also liked how Satheesh Kurup shot the nocturnal parts of the movie. Despite its flaws, it is worth noting that 12th Man has the look and feel of a thriller. The premise and the ambience make the movie a bit somber, but it is worth noting that it also takes a lot of skill to set up that mood.

Awesome thriller, nobody would guess anything and where the story is going. May be considered a little lazy for the fac... Show more

• Let me explain
• Yen Endra Kelvi
• SUBSCRIBER ONLY
• Whats Your Ism?
• Pakka Politics
• NEWSLETTERS

12th man review: Mohanlal film has interesting premise but is let down by poor writing

Perhaps KR Krishnakumar, the scriptwriter, was preparing us for the murder ahead when he introduces 11 people as a set of annoyingly superficial friends in 12th Man , the new thriller from the Jeethu Joseph-Mohanlal team. Why else would a bunch of grownups have such lousy conversations, passing on a secret like kindergarteners and generally making the accidental viewer squirm? Either the writer never paid attention when friends had conversations around him or else he wanted us to see how absurd this gang of people he had to write about were. Just so there is no surprise when one of them dies and all the others become suspects. There is of course the twelfth man, the stranger, coming into their midst, making things slightly interesting.

Mohanlal, unsurprisingly, is the stranger at the resort that the gang of 11 come to spend a night at. One of them – Siddharth (Anu Mohan) – is getting married and the gang is having a party at the mostly deserted resort. Character introductions happen helter-skelter, but give you enough time to fix who is married to whom and who doesn’t like whom. You imagine Jeethu Joseph running around the actors – all of them known faces – asking one to frown, the other to laugh, a third to look silly. Saiju Kurup and Anusree, Anu Sithara and Rahul Madhav, Sshivada and Chandunath, Priyanka and Unni Mukundan, Anu Mohan and Aditi Ravi, and Leona Lishoy – not difficult to remember. Full marks to Jeethu for avoiding the confusion when you have a big cast on board.

That’s the way murder mysteries work, of course – you have a bunch of people with disquieting backstories so the solver can bring it all out on the table. And tables, quite literally, play a big part in the film. That’s where a lot of “secrets” come tumbling out when the friends are seated around and one of them has an idea for a game. For one whole hour, they place their mobile phones out on the table and agree to play every call and message out loud for everyone to hear, in some weird urge to prove that they have no secrets to hide.

Watch: Trailer of the film

But even with a game that sounds interesting – weird but interesting – the script turns lame with the kind of “secrets” that pop out and the reactions to them. It fits your initial assessment that these are awful friends, who, if nothing else, have their lousiness in common. Anil Johnson’s music is not much help in raising your tension or sympathy. There are two nice songs, one at the beginning and the other at the end of the film, which don’t suit the story but suit the setting – an isolated building in a cold, remote place. Satheesh Kurup, the cinematographer, makes sure that the beautiful interiors are caught on camera, letting the exteriors remain misty and dark.

Mohanlal popping in and out of the film, first as a clownish character who loves his drink and later as a very serious man (apparently affected by some major face-washing), is charming in the latter half. His is the most convincing character of the lot, the others often reduced to caricatures of hypocritical youth. These are some fine actors but there is only so much they can do.

To be fair though, the premise remains interesting and the suspense creates some interest. A whole lot of rewriting might have made it more enjoyable; as it is, Jeethu Joseph’s new thriller has substance but lacks quality.

12th Man is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

Related Stories

• Firstpost Defence Summit
• Entertainment
• Web Stories
• Health Supplement
• First Sports
• Fast and Factual
• Between The Lines
• Firstpost America

12th Man movie review: Team Drishyam returns with a McDonald’s-style take on Agatha Christie whodunnits

Jeethu Joseph’s new film 12th Man takes off with some promise, but ends up as ordinary despite its credentials and cast.

Language: Malayalam

A team-up between actor Mohanlal and director Jeethu Joseph will forever more carry with it a burden of high expectations. The two, after all, made the 2013 blockbuster Drishyam that not only broke theatrical records among traditional Malayalam film viewers but also drew nationwide attention and spawned remakes from several Indian film industries. By the time Drishyam 2 came around, India was deep into the OTT era and fell in love with this sequel in its original language itself, making it one of the most-talked-about releases of the pandemic.   

Though Drishyam bore a resemblance to a Japanese literary thriller, Jeethu denied having read it before his script was ready and said that he was inspired by a real-life incident. The film’s appeal extended way beyond the murder and cover-up at its centre anyway. Drishyam ’s strength lay in the localisation of an enthralling mystery the basics of which could be transported to any country on the globe, its entertaining realism, socio-cultural insights, sense of humour, intricate characterisation and the very human tale of two families in distress.   

As a diehard Agatha Christie buff, I confess I had mixed feelings when I heard of Jeethu’s new collaboration with Lalettan . The director likened 12 __ th Man: Unveiling The Shadows to the great British crime novelist’s works while informing the press that it is a saga of 12 people gathered at one place and unfolds largely over the course of one day. The trailer further disclosed these ingredients: 11 friends, multiple secrets, an intruder (the 12 th man of the title), night-time, a sudden death. Uh oh…   

It’s one thing to forgive a solitary instance of ‘inspiration’, but did this new venture indicate a bankruptcy of the imagination ? Or would Jeethu, as with Drishyam , refashion a core idea into a brilliant, thoroughly Indian adaptation?   

Now that 12 __ th Man is out, it can be said with clarity that it is not a Christie copy, it simply pays tribute to a structure she was fond of: a group of people compelled to stay on at a place where there has been a mystifying death, and a detective holding court. How Jeethu and the writers, Sunir Kheterpal (credited for the story) and K.R. Krishnakumar (screenplay and dialogues), build on that kernel is the question to now be examined.   

In 12 __ th Man , 11 youngsters – friends from college and their spouses – meet for a celebration at a mountain resort in the remote, gorgeous Kerala countryside when an offensive stranger (Mohanlal) disrupts their peace. Shortly thereafter, fun and banter devolve into a game between the friends that threatens to destroy ties nurtured over a period of many years.   

As tensions explode in their faces, a tragic death occurs. During the course of the investigation that lasts through the night, several terrible truths are unveiled.

12 __ th Man ’s first hour is engaging as it becomes clearer and clearer with each passing minute that there is plenty lying buried beneath the apparent bonding between these supposed buddies. Krishnakumar’s writing is on solid ground while he portrays the game between the friends kicking off in a natural, believable fashion, and how each is compelled to join in – and stay in – although one by one they all become uncomfortable with it.   

The maiden revelation comes from a smoothly written, unexpected turn of events. The rapid unravelling of the bonhomie among the gathering is well written and directed.   

After the death at the resort, you might wonder why the friends allow themselves to be subjected to a probe that is often extra-legal (they grant the investigator access to their phones and don’t object to intimidation), but there is a credible explanation: they each have personal, professional and/or financial compulsions to return to the city immediately, hence they are in a rush to get this over and done with. Besides, the detective is playing on their psychology that was also at work during their party game – each person is likely to be afraid of opting out, for fear of raising suspicion among the others that she/he alone has something to hide; some think they are smart enough to outwit the rest.

With the premise firmly established, Mohanlal in full flow as the annoying intruder in this assembly, and a cast of dependable, likeable, well-known younger actors playing the friends, 12 __ th Man should have aced its second act. Instead, the proceedings become progressively less absorbing due to various factors.   

The script does not spend much time on character development. As a result, the audience is given little reason to invest in any of these people or their fate. The entire ensemble need not necessarily have been written in detail, but here none of them are. The only one who is set apart from the others in a very obvious way is Fida (played by Leona Lishoy) who is a stereotype of the smart, independent single woman as seen through a conservative Indian gaze more common in Hindi than Malayalam cinema: she is a divorcee, and her smoking habit is pointedly highlighted. I could almost imagine a list of descriptors for each of the 11 at the concept stage in which Fida was labelled “the modern type”. Couple that with a stray remark about Mohanlal’s character Chandrashekhar’s singleton status, and you have to know that this is not a conscious portrayal of social prejudice in Malayali/Indian society by the writers, but their own subconscious prejudice revealing itself.

Though the initial twists in 12 __ th Man have considerable surprise value, each turn of events in the second half is less compelling than the previous one.   

Beyond its whodunnit aspect, 12 __ th Man lacks the sociological and cultural detailing that enriched Drishyam. For a start, the Drishyams would have been half the films they were without that chaaya kada , Georgekutty’s craze for Malayalam cinema, the distinctive architecture of those homes and  those colourful locals. In contrast, the friends in 12th Man could be from any city in Kerala; frankly, they could be Malayalis from any large Indian city; and apart from the fact that they speak Malayalam, there is nothing to particularly distinguish them from any well-off, urban, urbane Indian from any Indian metropolis.   

Jeethu here also does that thing that too many contemporary Malayalam filmmakers do when they consciously design their films as products for a pan-India market rather than cinema that develops organically: the tendency is to insert a song or two with Hindi and/or English lyrics into their soundtrack as though these are the languages of universality and hipness (c’mon!). These numbers are almost always incongruous with their setting.   

12 __ th Man begins and ends with an English composition by Anil Johnson that is woven into innovatively arranged opening credits. Despite its prettiness and Souparnika Rajgopal’s lovely voice, the overall effect of the writing choices and the decision to feature this song in the film is that watching 12 __ th Man is like eating McDonald’s fast food on a transcontinental trip – it is standardised and hence safe for those who are not experimental, it is hygienic and low cost, and it can never give the pleasure and excitement that the diversity of flavours in world cuisine offers. This McDonald’s approach to filmmaking removes the very quality that has made the Malayalam new New Wave popular across India: rootedness that leads to universal relatability.     

It would perhaps have been wise to lower the bar of expectations early in 12 __ th Man , when a sudden burst of song at a party prompts the friends to dance, not as normal folk do in real life, but arranging themselves as though they are aware that they are characters in a film, not actual people, and must therefore face the camera and us, the audience.   

Jeethu Joseph’s new film takes off with some promise, but ends up as ordinary despite its credentials and cast (though I wonder why Siddique was wasted in a few-seconds-long appearance that adds nothing to the narrative). Everyone does a decent enough job, but no one – not even Mohanlal – stands out.

12 __ th Man is okay enough entertainment while it lasts, but “okay enough” and “decent enough” are hardly acceptable from the team that gave us the Drishyam s.

Rating: 2.5 (out of 5 stars)  

12 **** th Man is streaming on Disney+Hotstar

Anna M.M. Vetticad is an award-winning journalist and author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic. She specialises in the intersection of cinema with feminist and other socio-political concerns. Twitter: @annavetticad, Instagram: @annammvetticad, Facebook: AnnaMMVetticadOfficial  

Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram

Find us on YouTube

Related Stories

Yodha: How Karan Johar and Sidharth Malhotra created history by unveiling the trailer mid-air at 37,000 feet

Netflix’s The Indrani Mukerjea Story – Buried Truth Review: A very mature approach to the Sheena Bora case

Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran & Tabu starrer Drishyam franchise goes global, set for Hollywood remake

Here's looking at how Anant Ambani lost 108 kilos in mere 18 months ahead of his wedding with Radhika Merchant

• Change Password
• Top 20 Songs
• Top 100 Movies

12th Man ( HOTSTAR ) 20/May/2022 Mystery, Drama 2hrs 25mins

Critics: 4 Panel: 0 User: 6

Overall: 2.2 from 10 users

Synopsis/Plot : A group of 11 friends go away to a resort for a weekend bachelor party, but the day ends in a death

Director : Jeethu Jospeh

Music Director : Anil Johnson

Cast More Cast & Crew (8)

+ Add Review

Photo Gallery

Critics Review

A entertaining, delicious whodunnit.

12th Man is definitely worth a watch and is sure to appeal to more than the Malayali audience. (more)

Source: Anna Mathew, Times Of India

Jeethu Joseph's storytelling outshines Mohanlal

12th Man is a director's canvas. The actors have a limited role to play, as most of the narrative load remains firmly on screenplay and editing. It's a minimalistic locked-room drama, which plays out like one of Agatha Christie's short stories. The production value looks cheap. There�s a complete re... (more)

Source: Manoj Kumar, Indian Express

Mohanlal & Jeethu Joseph Fail To Recreate Their Drishyam Magic

There is no hook in 12th Man to hang our hopes on. It is bland and flat without any effect. Watch it at your own risk. (more)

Source: Shubham Kulkarni , Koimoi

Team Drishyam returns with a McDonald's-style take on Agatha Christie whodunnits

12th Man is okay enough entertainment while it lasts, but "okay enough" and 'decent enough' are hardly acceptable from the team that gave us the Drishyams. (more)

Source: Anna, Firstpost.com

Movie News More news (1)

Play Trailer

• Click on the Menu icon of the browser, it opens up a list of options.
• Click on the “Options ”, it opens up the settings page,
• Here click on the “Privacy & Security” options listed on the left hand side of the page.
• Scroll down the page to the “Permission” section .
• Here click on the “Settings” tab of the Notification option.
• A pop up will open with all listed sites, select the option “ALLOW“, for the respective site under the status head to allow the notification.
• Once the changes is done, click on the “Save Changes” option to save the changes.

• Top Listing
• Upcoming Movies

3 /5 Filmibeat

• Cast & Crew

12th Man Story

12th man cast & crew.

12th Man Crew Info

12th Man News

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About 12th Man

In this 12th Man film, Mohanlal , Unni Mukundan played the primary leads.

The 12th Man was released in theaters on 20 May 2022.

The 12th Man was directed by Jeethu Joseph

Movies like Paalum Pazhavum , Haal , Bharathanatyam and others in a similar vein had the same genre but quite different stories.

The 12th Man had a runtime of 145 minutes.

The soundtracks and background music were composed by Anil Johnson for the movie 12th Man.

The cinematography for 12th Man was shot by Satheesh Kurup .

You can watch the 12th Man movie on Disney Plus Hotstar,.

On 20 May 2022 12th Man was released on the Disney Plus Hotstar, platform.

The movie 12th Man belonged to the Mystery,Thriller, genre.

12th Man User Review

• Movie rating

Disclaimer: The materials, such as posters, backdrops, and profile pictures, are intended to represent the associated movies and TV shows under fair use guidelines for informational purposes only. We gather information from social media, specifically Twitter. We strive to use only official materials provided publicly by the copyright holders.

Celeb Birthdays

Movies In Spotlight

Video Title

• Don't Block
• Block for 8 hours
• Block for 12 hours
• Block for 24 hours
• Dont send alerts during 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am to 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am