2022 was rather a thanda year for Bollywood, with the bulk of movies being unsuccessful South remakes which failed to captivate the audience. There were, however, some silver linings which were a sigh of relief for cinema distributors and something to look forward to for Bollywood geeks. So here’s a list of the top 6 thrillers of 2022, which compelled the viewers to remain at the edge of their seat and unemploying their nail cutters in the process of finding out- What next????
- Drishyam 2
The sequel to the classic Bollywood thriller is a spicy curry that leaves you craving for more! First part ke ‘What if?’ scenario ko explore karte hue the plot revolves around the Salgaonkar family, seven years after *the* dreaded incident. Packed with a powerful star cast lead by Ajay Devgn, Tabu and Akshaye Khanna, the movie serves an intense storyline with a generous tadka of twists and turns. With Director Jeetu Joseph keeping the screenplay tighter than those Zara jeans these days, you can only expect a nail biting journey of emotions. A really good Bollywood thriller after so long, but alas, it is a remake 🙂
Available on: Amazon Prime
- Monica O My Darling
Probably the stand out movie of the year for me, ‘Monica, O My Darling’ is a laughter riot infused with just the right amount of thrill that makes it an entertaining watch. This exciting neo-noir comedy thriller follows the kartoots of Jonny, an ambitious man played by Rajkumar Rao, who plots an evil plan to commit the perfect murder. With its witty dialogues, powerful writing, and a *chef’s kiss* cast, this film delivers non-stop laughs from start to finish. From catchy songs inspired by the OG Bollywood era of the 80s to perfect comic timing, Monica O My Darling guarantees a joyous and side-splitting experience thereby ensuring a paisa vasool Friday night for you!
Available on: Netflix
- Hit: The First Case
It’s Rajkumar Rao yet again. The engaging plot of the Sailesh Kolanu directorial follows a middle-aged cop, who fights his traumatic past while trying to solve a case involving a missing woman. The film’s plotline is seedha saral aur simple but despite the overlapping sub-plots, the director manages to keep you engaged for most parts. Rajkumar Rao, as always, shines in the movie, portraying a plethora of emotions and almost screaming ‘Mereko sab aata hai, main expert hoon’. The film, however does have it’s flaws with some parts of the movie slower than the rest and unwanted romantic songs messing up with the intensity. But despite the bumps, the movie remains to be a good one time watch.
Available on: Amazon Prime
- A Thursday
Yami Gautam is such an under-utilised actress and this movie just proves my point. She delivers a stellar performance in this intense hostage thriller that keeps you hooked. The plot involves a kindergarten teacher taking a class of 16 students hostage and produces a list of unimaginable demands. The film however, suffers from the flaws in the writing department. The storyline becomes predictable after a point, but still manages to engage you till the end. Some aspects of the movie feel unreal and make you go “Kuch bhi???” thus leaving a bittersweet taste in your mouth. However, if it’s a friends night and you’re craving a captivating thriller, ‘A Thursday’ can be a good one time watch.
Available on: DisneyPlus Hotstar
- Mili
A remake of the 2019 film Malayalam movie ‘Helen’, Mili is a survival thriller starring Jahnvi Kapoor as the antagonist who gets stuck in a freezer. and now has to use every iota of her intelligence to survive and get out of literally a spine chilling scenario. This is one of Jahnvi’s best works, with the actress really making the audience feel for her character. The brilliant Manoj Pahwa plays a humble, strict yet loving dad, someone who’s one of Mili’s strongest pillars in the battle against survival. I won’t lie, I had no expectations from the movie, but it did a pretty good job in portraying a beautiful father-daughter story infused with a commentary on internalized casteism.
Where to watch- Netflix
This movies can be a good watch with your friends and family (if they are cool with murders idk), and should be enough to keep your thinking caps on! Despite a flat year, Bollywood did see some captivating and commendable performances, which is hopefully a sign of good things to come in 2023.
