One of the best Malayalam films of 2024, Ullozhukku explores the undercurrents of the familial system — which, particularly in the Indian context, is deeply rooted in patriarchy — social conditioning that enforces conformity, parenting, women’s agency, morality, and more.

In one of his finest films to date Ee Ma Yau (2018), director Lijo Jose Pellissery masterfully created an atmosphere that evoked a constant sense of suffocation, reflecting the emotions of the central character Eeshi (Chemban Vinod Jose). Lijo achieved this by cramming the small house, adjacent lanes, and surroundings with crowds, gathered to “pay their last respects” to Eeshi’s father Vavachan Mesthiri (Kainakary Thankaraj). Similarly, in his debut feature film Ullozhukku (Undercurrent), which too has a corpse at its centre, director Christo Tomy succeeds in creating a similar atmosphere, albeit in a different manner. By judiciously and extensively using close-ups and mid-shots, Christo and cinematographer Shehnad Jalal skillfully highlight the mounting tension in the narrative where “lies drown and secrets surface,” ensuring the audience also feels the weight on the characters’ chests.

Ullozhukku revolves around two women — Leelamma (Urvashi) and her daughter-in-law Anju (Parvathy Thiruvothu) — whose lives go through a stormy passage following the death of Anju’s husband and Leelamma’s son Thomaskutty (Prashanth Murali).

But, on the nuptial night itself, she realises that expecting “love, compassion, and care” from this relationship is futile, as Thomaskutty, evidently sexually repressed, forces himself on Anju without any regard for her consent. Christo deserves credit for delivering one of the most impactful and brilliant title reveals in recent Malayalam cinema; the movie’s name appears as Anju reflects on the gravity of what she has lost and what she is left with, while the camera soaks up her undercurrents.

One of the greatest strengths of Ullozhukku is that it isn’t loud, melodramatic, or preachy. While it is evident that Christo, who also penned the script, put considerable thought into every moment, dialogue, and setting, he ensured that the narrative’s flow is pristine and genuine. However, while the flow is clear, the story is as murky as the floodwaters inundating the terrain of Kuttanad, where their house is located.