Curator Watchlist

https://watchlist.tannermartz.com › vikram

Vikram

A high-voltage Tamil action thriller that starts as an investigation and detonates into a larger criminal war, Vikram is stylish, brutal, and built for big-screen momentum. Its appeal is less about realism than about swagger, scale, and the thrill of watching a tightly assembled ensemble tear through a shared… Read more

72% (132,515)

Vikram

Where to watch: Buy

Movie · Action · Crime · PG-13

2022 · 2h 54m · ★ 72% (132.5K)

Once upon a time there lived a ghost...

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Starring: Kamal Haasan, Suriya, Fahadh Faasil

Overview

Amar is assigned to investigate a case of serial killings. When Amar investigates the case, he realizes it is not what it seems to be and following down this path will lead to nothing but war between everyone involved.

Director

Lokesh Kanagaraj

Production

Raajkamal Films International

Cast

Kamal Haasan, Suriya, Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi, Narain, Chemban Vinod Jose, Santhana Bharathi, Elango Kumaravel, Vasanthi Guru, Kalidas Jayaram, Gayathrie Shankar, Swathishta Krishnan, Baby Dharsan, Jaffer Sadiq, G. Marimuthu, Maya S. Krishnan, Gowtham Sundararajan, Ramesh Thilak, Sampath Ram, Maheswari Chanakyan

Curator Review

Verdict

A high-voltage Tamil action thriller that starts as an investigation and detonates into a larger criminal war, Vikram is stylish, brutal, and built for big-screen momentum. Its appeal is less about realism than about swagger, scale, and the thrill of watching a tightly assembled ensemble tear through a shared universe.

Best for

  • fans of muscular action thrillers
  • viewers who like crime plots with escalating reveals
  • audiences who enjoy star-driven mass cinema
  • people looking for slick editing, score, and set-piece filmmaking

Skip if

  • you want a restrained or realistic police procedural
  • you dislike hyper-stylized violence and swagger
  • you prefer compact stories without universe-building
  • you are not in the mood for a long, loud, maximalist action film

Overview

Vikram is a prime example of contemporary Indian commercial cinema operating at full blast: part investigation thriller, part criminal conspiracy, part star-powered payoff. It opens with a serial-killer case, but the movie is really interested in widening the battlefield until every faction feels dangerous and every entrance lands like an event.

Worth noting

What makes it work is the confidence of the filmmaking. The action is staged with real clarity, the cuts are sharp, and the score does a lot of heavy lifting in turning scenes into eruptions. Even when the plot is busy, the movie keeps its pulse because it knows exactly when to slow down for tension and when to unleash chaos.

Bottom line

It is also a showcase for larger-than-life screen presence. The ensemble is used for maximum impact, and the film leans into the pleasure of seeing major characters arrive, clash, and dominate the frame. If you want grounded realism, look elsewhere; if you want a slick, ferocious crowd-pleaser with genuine momentum, this delivers.

Top Letterboxd reviews

Anurag Kashyap · 1266 likes

Too much guilty pleasure .. what’s day . I also want to be in this universe ..

vaishnavi (4.5★) · 871 likes

robert pattinson has nothing on fahaad faasil’s black eye makeup

Arjun Rajput (5★) · 412 likes

Loki na probably the only filmmaker out there who is making MASS films for grown-ups.

Michael James (4★) · 247 likes

Aandavan solraan.. Lokesh mudikuraan !!! Set as an investigative drama during the first hour, the movie takes its own time to set up its characters and universe with multiple narratives, while picking itself up with a kickass interval bang and later turning into an extravagant action bonanza with terrific action set pieces lined up one after the other in the final hour. Each n every character get a chance to score, with its main trio of Kamal Haasan, Fahadh Faasil… more

Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine (4★) · 198 likes

A Passage to India: Dawn of the Wobble Not the masterpiece some reviews and people promised me, but it definitely was a hell of a ride with some great fun and a bit over the top action, mainly by Kamal Hasaan’s titular character looking all gruff—almost like an Indian Gerard Butler—and kicking ass, killing presidential candidates by jumping off buildings and splitting their heads in half. The kinetic camerawork and some great editing also helped sustain the tension and thrills… more

Recommended similar titles

Kaithi

2019 · Action, Thriller, Crime · 2h 27m · ★ 99% (51.3K) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads

A tense, propulsive crime thriller with the same universe-building energy and a relentless night-of-chaos structure.

Thuppakki

2012 · Action, Thriller · 2h 50m · ★ 86% (41.1K) · Where to watch: Sun Nxt

A sleek action thriller built around a disciplined hero, crisp plotting, and escalating conflict.

Ratsasan

2018 · Thriller, Crime, Mystery · 2h 50m · ★ 78% (77.4K) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Sun Nxt, Amazon Prime Video with Ads

A serial-killer investigation thriller that offers a more grounded but equally gripping procedural hook.

Drishyam

2013 · Thriller, Crime, Drama · 2h 44m · ★ 86% (47.9K)

A suspenseful crime drama about concealment, pressure, and the consequences of one hidden truth.

The Dark Knight

2008 · Action, Crime, Thriller · 2h 32m · PG-13 · ★ 98% (7.3M) · Where to watch: Max

For the mix of criminal chaos, iconic confrontations, and a city-scale battle between order and anarchy.

Heat

1995 · Crime, Drama, Action · 2h 50m · R · ★ 93% (1.8M) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads

A benchmark crime thriller for professional obsession, tactical tension, and explosive confrontations.

Infernal Affairs

2002 · Drama, Action, Thriller · 1h 41m · R · ★ 84% (241.4K) · Where to watch: Max

A sleek undercover-crime thriller with cat-and-mouse suspense and layered loyalties.

The Raid

2012 · Action, Thriller, Crime · 1h 41m · R · ★ 82% (503.9K) · Where to watch: Hulu

If the appeal is relentless action and brutal choreography, this is a lean, ferocious companion piece.

Mad Max: Fury Road

2015 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 1m · R · ★ 93% (3.2M)

A maximalist action experience that prioritizes momentum, visual storytelling, and pure kinetic force.

Themes

undercover investigation, criminal underworld, revenge and retaliation, corruption and conspiracy, shared cinematic universe, antihero charisma, escalating violence, law enforcement vs. organized crime

Topics

action thriller, crime saga, neo-noir, mass entertainer, brutal violence, ensemble cast, investigation, shared universe, high-octane, Indian cinema

Open Vikram (2022) on Curator TV