Well, the penchant for supernatural elements goes on in our films. The latest addition is Tanu Balak-directed “Cold Case”, which an investigation thriller with a dollop of horror elements as add-ons. The plot is obviously a curious one with intriguing fragments taking their places in it. The flick’s opening scenes showcase the practices of exorcism that prevail in various religions. Apparently, the paranormal activity plays its perfunctory part in the film, and thus, making us scowl at its relevance in the tale quite often.

The film has a riveting beginning when a fisherman gets a human skull from the lake. A police team led by Assistant Commissioner Sathyajith (Prithviraj Sukumaran) starts the probe with Neela IPS (Pooja Mohanraj) and CI Siyad (Anil P Nedumangad) assisting him. At the same time, in another part of the city, Medha (Adhithi Balan), a TV journalist, shifts to a rented house with her little daughter Chinmayi (Ester Evana Sherin). Medha is trying to get divorce from her husband and now, her mother Padmaja (Mala Parvathy) is her sole solace. Meanwhile, Medha has a close relationship with lawyer Haritha (Lakshmipriya Chandramauli), who is appearing for her case at the family court.  

After a few days, Medha, who is also bearing the pangs of her sister’s suicide, experiences bizarre scenes in the new house. Along with a colleague, Medha approaches a paranormal investigator, Sara Zakhai (Suchithra Pillai). This meeting leads her to search for a woman named Eva Maria (Athmiya). Interestingly, the police team also arrives at the conclusion that the skull belongs to a woman. The parallel investigation by the journo and the police reveals vital details about the victim. 

Written by Srinath V Nath, this languidly treated film hardly offers anything worthwhile in terms of the acting prowess of Prithviraj. As a police officer, his mien is perfectly apt despite the pace of the film is seemingly enervating.  The investigation process is interesting due to its authentic portrayal. But when the narration is interspersed with the life of Medha and her harrowing encounter with the supernatural force’s presence, “Cold Case” really becomes a cold experience.

The structure and narration of the thriller is traditional and the depiction of supernatural part is also not far from it. The pace in the narration is nowhere in harmony with the requirement of the theme. Tanu Balak overlooks the possibility of bringing in novelty in the treatment, albeit he embraces the textbook style of filmmaking in his first outing as a filmmaker. The film lacks the vital energy in every part; be in performance or in the making.     

In her maiden appearance in Malayalam, Adithi (Tamil film “Aruvi” fame) gives a satisfying performance within the limitations of the characterisation by the director. Being an investigative thriller, significance is given to major characters, including Chandrabhanu (Alencier), who is the only relative of Sathyajith. Athmiya hogs the second half of the flick due to the importance of the character but her contribution as an actress is mediocre. (You can only blame the scenes without much dialogues given to her!).

Cinematographer Girish Gangadharan has lent an intense effort in making frames appealing. Prakash Alex, the music director, sticks to the familiar and trite tunes of thriller movies instead of creating something fresh and interesting. In short, “Cold Case” traverses through the road that has taken umpteen times!

Rating: 5.7/10  

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