'Eko' Review: A Slightly Convoluted But Brilliant Thriller

Years of watching Malayalam cinema has left me with two takeaways. One, no industry makes as good thrillers as Kerala. And two, you can't let your eyes wander off the screen even for a second. Pay attention, for even the minutest of details, otherwise easily overlooked, actually carry a meaning and have a payoff towards the end.

Eko, a November theatrical release now streaming on Netflix, is yet another winner for the dream factory down South that has made it a habit to surprise, shock and thrill audiences with audacious, original thinking and layered storytelling. Despite the absence of A-listers and stiff competition from Prithviraj's Vilayath Buddha, which released on the same day, Eko went on to become a major hit with its gripping plot and finely calibrated climax once again proving that there is no substitute for inventive writing.

Perhaps it's not surprising. After all, it's the same team of writer-cinematographer Bahul Ramesh and director Dinjith Ayyathan, that gave us the mindblowing family thriller Kishkinda Kandam in 2024. Eko has echoes of that film in its treatment-atmospheric, eerie and deeply symbolic-and while it lacks the sucker punch which the Asif Ali-Vijayaraghavan starrer landed us with, it has enough and more elements to keep you captivated. And yes, the climax is worth every minute you invest in it.

The story revolves around a shady but enigmatic dog breeder Kuriachan (played by Animal actor Saurabh Sachdeva), an elusive figure who appears to have made more enemies than friends. There are several people, including cops, on his hunt for multiple reasons-betrayal in business, scandalous dealings and run-ins with the law. All their search leads to his mysterious Malaysian wife, Mlathy Chetathi, rumoured to be practicing black magic, who lives alone in a tiny house up in the hills, guarded by a bunch of fierce guard dogs. Her only apparent companion is a young caretaker, Peeyoos (Sandeep Pradeep) who has his doubts but appears sincere towards her. Peeyoos' prime position as the individual who has her ears and trust makes him sought-after by the men who have engaged with Kuriachan-including a friend-turned-foe Mohan Pothan (Vineeth), a navy man (Narain), a Man Friday Appoottan (Ashokan), and a son among others. But is Peeyoos a sellout? We really don't know.

Despite being the central figure, we get to see Kuriachan's chronicles only through glimpses and flashbacks. In fact, his enigma looms larger than the person himself. Even his actions in a segment set in Malaysia during World War 2 where he meets and heroically rescues Mlaathy from a questionable marriage and brings her to Kerala along with a rare breed of dogs, is not as straightforward as it initially appears. What drove him to do it? We really don't know.

What we do know is that in the world of morally ambiguous men, if there is something that is pure, honest and trustworthy, it's the love and loyalty of animals. There are dogs in the film. Lots of them. Scenes that dwell on breeds, training and instinct. Yet the story is not about the intimate nature of the man-animal relationship. On the contrary, the underlying layer is that of control and ownership, with an even subtler layer of patriarchy. A male character declares,“Be it a woman or dog, if she's in heat, she must be caged.” At one point Kuriachan questions the status quo:“Protection and restriction sometimes look the same,” he says in reference to Mlaathy's plight under her possessive ex.

There is no hero or heroine in this complex cat-and-mouse tale of a slimy dog trainer and his uneasy engagement with the world. Bahul and Dinjith instead invite the viewer to unpeel the layers and derive meaning from the shadows. Aiding them immensely in this task, apart from the absorbing albeit tangled screenplay, are the evocative cinematography and Mujeeb Majeed's score.

Set in the misty mountains, the camera captures not just the landscape but also the secrets hanging in the air. Every frame is meticulously composed, especially the ones featuring the dogs, capturing their ferocity and granting each animal a distinct presence. The climax-arguably the most critical component of any thriller-unfolds the way you expect it to. While the revelation itself may not be earth-shattering, its staging, coupled with a terrific background score, is powerful enough to leave jaws dropping.

The flaws? The journey to this climax is a bit like those winding mountain areas the film is located in-stunning, but occasionally tough to negotiate. One knows that Malayalam filmmakers don't like to spoon-feed their audiences, but the myriad motivations of its many players require complete attention to be fully grasped. While everything does come together in the end, certain questions remain unanswered, preventing you from feeling fully emotionally invested in the people on screen. This was unlike Kishkinda Kandam that immersed you deeply in the dilemmas of its leads with that incredible final disclosure.

Strangely another weak point is the most important part of the film-Saurabh Sachdeva's Kuriachan. He is a fabulous actor but somehow he doesn't suit the role of a complicated Malayali alpha male here. But the rest of the cast is spot on, especially Sandeep Pradeep whose chameleon-like switch showcases the range he is capable of. Then there is Biana Momin playing Mlaathy with a grace and steely grit that lingers long after the end credits roll.

It must be said the flaws do not take away from the experience of enjoying Eko. This is a slow burn demanding you get on the same page as the script, it's cinematically shot and very well enacted. Yet another home run among Malayalam thrillers.

Rating: 4 stars

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