Aarkkariyam: An unhurried tale of the mundane

Aarkariyam

Malayalam (Prime Video)

Director: Sanu Varghese

Cast: Parvathy Thiruvothu, Biju Menon, Sharaf U Dheen

Rating: 3.5/5

Every family has secrets; with time, some come out and others remain buried. Movies try to dig out the bizarre past. More often than not, they end up being potboilers like 'Drishyam 2'. We rarely come across a film that understates even the most dramatic moments in a family’s past. This is one such film.

Despite the slow pace and the lack of any conflict, the narrative keeps you engaged. ‘Aarkkariyam’ (meaning ‘who knows?’), focuses on details that we often miss out or neglect. It takes you through the lives of three people stuck in a lockdown.

The dynamics and the contrasts drive the movie forward. The climax is mellow but the film ends on a satisfying note. The subject had the potential to be nail-biter but director Sanu Varghese and writers Arun Janardanan and Rajesh Ravi made it a slice-of-life drama.

However, this may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It is slow and as mundane as most people’s lives.