Last week, we created a list of Malayalam movies about fun and feel-good sentiments. This week we stay with South India and focus on the best Tamil movies on Netflix.
- 10 best Malayalam movies on Netflix that will make you smile and think
- 10 best Hindi movies on Netflix that are under-rated
- New Indian movies and TV series to watch on Netflix
The usual disclaimer of this being an individual’s choice and not a definitive list holds true. Also, we have avoided big star movies and obvious big-ticket ventures.
Best Tamil Movies on Netflix
Sillu Karupatti
Year: 2019 | Genre: Relationship anthology
One of the earliest anthologies, Sillu Karupatti, directed by the impressive Halitha Shameem, has four short films based on relationships in an urban backdrop. In a sense, this is a ‘Modern Love’ story much before it became a thing. The highlight of the stories is the fact there is an element of hope in them. The stories starred Samuthirakani, Sunainaa, Manikandan K, Nivedhithaa Sathish, Kravmaga Sreeram, Leela Samson, Sara Arjun, and Rahul. The names of the four stories are Pink Bag, Kakka Kadi, Turtled and Hey Ammu.
Gatta Kusthi
Year: 2022 | Genre: Family drama
This rural family entertainer was a surprise packet. Its main attraction was that it subverts the idea of alpha males clashing with a female angle. It is so refreshing to see a genuinely funny movie, even while making a strong point for the emancipation of women. It does so through the essentially manly sport of wrestling. And that is its strength. Directed by Chella Ayyavu, Gatta Kushti was well served by the lead pair of Aishwarya Lakshmi and Vishnu Vishal. Aishwarya was especially a hoot as a ferocious wrestler and a docile housewife. Karunas, Muniskanth, Kaali Venkat, Redin Kinglesy, and Sreeja Ravi are also in the cast.
Mandela
Year: 2021 | General: Political satire
Satire in Indian films tends to be burlesque acts in the extreme. The caricature is usually over the top. But Mandela a satire on caste politics in our villages. One barber’s vote becomes crucial in a local election. It sets off a mad round of activities. The barber’s name, Mandela, is a comic point in this well-meaning entertainer. Directed by Madonne Ashwin, the film has Yogi Babu and Sheela Rajkumar as the lead. The end may be too facile, but the story brilliantly conveys a strong message through organic humour.
Jagame Thanthiram
Year: 2021 | Genre: Gangster drama
Gangsters in the Karthik Subbaraj films are usually colourful, quirky characters. This film is no different. But this is not just a gangster film. Though it has an ultra-cool gangster at the centre, Jagame Thanthiram also deals with a serious political film of immigrants. Karthik Subbaraj has shot this film with typically stylized sensibilities, and Dhanush is agreeably over the top in a larger-than-life role. Dhanush, James Cosmo, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Joseph Joju George lead the star cast. The Rakita Rakita song is full of rambunctious fun.
Super Deluxe
Year: 2019 | Genre: Neo-noir
Nobody makes dark comedies better than Thiagarajan Kumararaja. His first film Aranya Kandam was a zany peek into the world of goons and gangsters. Super Deluxe’s ambition is even bigger. It starts with an unfaithful newly-wed woman. She and her husband have to dispose of a dead body. Elsewhere, a little boy meets his estranged father, and a surprise awaits him. Meanwhile, a son discovers his mother’s other side, and a religious man doubts his God. These crazy tales are connected by a zany narrative that is impossible to predict. In such madness, Super Deluxe also deals with sexuality, gender identity, and social expectations. The cast features Samantha, Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, and Ramya Krishnan.
Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithal
Year: 2020 | Genre: Thriller
This is a thriller involving confidence tricksters. Dealing with modern tech crimes, the film is also a fun ride for two sets of young lovers. The feel is modern and urban, while the mood is romantic and comedic. Directed by debutant Desingh Periyasamy, Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithal stars Dulquer Salmaan, Ritu Varma, Rakshan and Niranjani Ahathian in the lead. Gautham Vasudev Menon as DCP Prathap Chakravarthi is a role that is wickedly spoofy of his previous films. You’ll watch the film with a goofy grin.
Love Today
Year: 2021 | Genre: Youthful love
Pradeep Ranganathan’s Love Today, written and aimed at young adults and college-goers, is entertaining as it gets the zeitgeist right. Though the acting is just about adequate, the film scores by being extremely real and relevant while being fun. Would you exchange your mobile phone with your significant other for a day? Two young lovers – Uttaman Pradeep (Pradeep Ranganathan) and Nikitha (Ivana) – are forced to do so by the latter’s dad as a sly ploy to pry them apart. And it works. Love Today, directed by Pradeep Ranganathan, is also a moral fable on the modern generation’s social media and smartphone addiction.
Doctor
Year: 2021 | Genre: Action thriller
No movie dealing with the serious subject of woman child trafficking can be this funny. Directed by Nelson and headlined by Sivakarthikeyan, Doctor is an odd-ball comedy involving quirky characters who make us forget that they are pursuing a young woman kidnapped by a notorious set of criminals. The black comedy film stars Sivakarthikeyan, Vinay Rai, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Yogi Babu, Milind Soman, Redin Kingsley, Archana Chandhoke and Deepa Shankar.
Nitham Oru Vaanam
Year: 2022 | Genre: Feel-good drama
Directed by debutant Ra Karthik, the film is a rite of passage story of dealing with failures and disappointments. A man wallows in bitterness because his wedding is halted as the girl chooses to run away with her boyfriend. The man is dejected. But he eventually learns to find happiness and positivity in life from two couples whose stories he reads about. Nitham Oru Vaanam stars Ashok Selvan and Ritu Varma, with Aparna Balamurali and Shivathmika Rajashekar in the main roles. It offers the one thing we need the most in these times: Positivity.
That concludes the list of the best Tamil movies on Netflix that carry some feel-good elements. Have you seen any of them? Is there one that we have missed? Let us know in the comments below.
