Eko (2025) [Movie Review] — A moody Malayalam mystery thriller

Directed by Dinjith Ayyathan and written by Bahul Ramesh, Eko is a Malayalam-language mystery thriller that leans hard on atmosphere and ensemble tension. The cast includes Sim Zhi Fei, Sandeep Pradeep, Saheer Mohammed, Biana Momin, Narain, Ashokan, and Binu Pappu, among others. At its core is the disappearance of Kuriachan, a controversial dog breeder, and the steady trickle of visitors — friends, foes, and lawmen — who arrive at his remote estate seeking answers or revenge.

Story & Structure

A promising premise that doesn’t always pay off

Eko’s central conceit is strong: an isolated, foreboding estate populated by menacing dogs and an air of old secrets is fertile ground for suspense. The film unfolds through encounters and interrogations, circling around whether Kuriachan is alive and what sins he might have committed. Yet the screenplay often withholds too much without rewarding the audience; key motivations and the extent of Kuriachan’s misdeeds remain nebulous. The result is a mystery that feels intentionally opaque at times and lazily under-explained at others — intriguing in mood, frustrating in resolution.

Performances

Standouts amid some uneven casting

Sandeep Pradeep is a highlight as Peyoos, delivering a layered, quietly magnetic performance that anchors many of the film’s emotional beats. Biana Momin brings credibility and toughness to Mlatthi, Kuriachan’s beleaguered wife, making her survival and sorrow believable. Saurabh Sachdeva as Kuriachan is competent but oddly unconvincing as a central Malayali planter — a miscasting that occasionally pulls the viewer out of the story. The larger ensemble does well with what they’re given, but the script’s gaps limit the scope for deeper character work.

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Cinematography & Sound Design

Visuals and ambience that carry the film

The film’s strongest asset is its look. Bahul Ramesh’s cinematography (credited here for visual tone) captures the estate’s scale and the lush, isolating hills with melancholy precision. Shots of the dogs, misted paths, and long, empty corridors create a sustained unease. Sound design complements the imagery — the low growls, echoing footsteps, and sparse score build a nervous, watchful atmosphere that often outshines the narrative.

What Works

Mood, performance, and visual craft

Eko succeeds when it trusts mood over exposition. The setting is a character in itself, and the film’s smaller moments — a tense conversation by a kennel, the slow reveal of a bruise, an echoing hallway — are genuinely effective. Sandeep and Biana’s portrayals give the film emotional ballast, and the technical craft elevates scenes that might otherwise feel thin.

Where It Falters

Loose ends, unclear motives, and a familiar finish

The film’s principal flaw is its storytelling laziness. Important backstory and the precise nature of Kuriachan’s alleged crimes are sketched rather than shown, leaving several narrative holes. The climax, while serviceable, slides into formula, reducing the payoff for viewers who patiently pieced together the clues. After Dinjith and Bahul’s fresher earlier work, Eko sometimes reads like a re-run of familiar beats — atmospheric but not wholly satisfying.

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Verdict

A visually arresting film that needs a tighter script

Eko is an uneven but watchable mystery: beautifully shot, tonally confident, and buoyed by strong turns from its leads, yet weakened by gaps in plot and characterisation. Fans of mood-driven thrillers will find much to admire; viewers wanting a neatly wound mystery may feel shortchanged.

Overall Rating: ★★★⯪☆ (3.5/5) — a film with memorable textures that doesn’t entirely deliver on its promise.