Ronit J

Manjummel Boys (2024) Synopsis:

A group of friends get into a daring rescue mission to save their friend from Guna Caves, a perilously deep pit from which nobody has ever been brought back.

Manjummel Boys (2024) Review:

Manjummel Boys received a lot of acclaim and attention when it came out last year. Many of my cinephile friends recommended it to me, praising its technical finesse. I can’t believe it took me this long to finally watch the film.

But, was the film really as gripping as everyone claimed? Read and find out…

Unapologetically Indian

The film opens with a group of people on a pilgrimage, when one guy spots a news article that prompts him and his group to turn back and return home. Cut to: a wedding scene weeks earlier, where the film introduces us to the ‘Manjummel Boys’. This is a group of youngsters from Manjummel who’re all part of a club. They’ve arrived at this wedding to bring life to the party, dancing and keeping spirits high. They are also champion tug-of-war players, something that’s established by showing them play a round against the real-life Manjummel Boys (a fitting cameo, if you ask me).

The film finally begins from there, slowly establishing each character as they plan a road trip to Goa. When that falls apart, they decide to go to Kodaikanal instead. Whether you like Indian tourists or not, you can’t deny how accurately this ‘group of boys’ behaves on their vacation. They’re loud. They’re drinking. And most importantly, they’re having the time of their lives. This is a group of people who have a mountain of problems in their lives, this vacation being one small break where they can finally let loose. And they do like there’s no tomorrow.

The film is a Malayalam film, but the characters and settings are honest and accurate Indians. Sticking to the cultural roots is something only regional films manage to get right. And in that regards, Manjummel Boys is a beautiful experience.

An edge-of-your-seat survival thriller

The film takes such a sudden shift when the tragedy finally strikes. Subhash (Sreenath Bhasi) falls down a hole, and it’s heartbreaking to see these happy-go-lucky friends struggle to make sense of what’s happening. They’re not the most mature or rational people, and naturally their attempts to get help also doesn’t proceed as usual. In fact, even in the real incident, the group faced police brutality before someone took them seriously.

The group is not accustomed to dealing with such serious trouble. And it shows in their frantic scrambling. The hole in question is inside a restricted area. No survivors have lived from falling down. All this prompts the authorities to keep hurling abuses and insults at the group for their recklessness and callous attitude. They have all but assumed that Subhash is dead. But not our group. The Manjummel Boys cling onto their hope until finally, one of them hears Subhash screaming. The authorities have no choice but to attempt a rescue.

Where the first 30 minutes show the uncouth nature of Indian tourists, the rest of the film highlights the apathy of Indian authorities. Neither group is willing to understand the other. Yet, they are forced to work together to rescue the one man who is still alive. This entire segment is as gripping as it is horrifying. The feeling of helplessness that Subhash and the gang feel, the unsettling apathy and dismissiveness from the police and forest departments, everything just raises the stakes all too high.

In the end, only empathy wins. After all, what is society but a collective empathising and collaborating to grow and evolve together? Despite the daunting premise, the themes of friendship balance out the film’s tone. Subhash’s rescue feels like a personal victory, humanity’s triumph over nature’s cruelty and society’s unnatural apathy.

Manjummel Boys (2024) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

Kuttan volunteers to be lowered into the hole after the fire-fighters refuse. It isn’t an easy ordeal, but with teamwork and careful navigation, Kuttan (Soubin Shahir) manages to pull Subhash out of the hole. The group’s tug-of-war experience comes in handy as they help the rescuers pull the two out of the hole. Subhash is taken to a local hospital, but they don’t have trauma care facilities. So, after some convincing, the authorities allow the group to return home.

There, Subhash is given the treatment he needs. The group lies about him just falling down a waterfall, which their hometown accepts albeit with some animosity. Finally, the group from the start of the film recognise the true gravity of the situation, and return to tell their church. The pastor declares this rescue as an act of god, which results in their hometown applauding Kuttan for his bravery. He is even awarded the Jeevan Raksha Padak by the Government of India.

Is Manjummel Boys (2024) worth watching?

Yes. It is a beautifully compelling film.

I’ll admit, I didn’t really connect with either of the characters. In fact, one of my worst flight experiences was when the plane was full of noisy Indian tourists with no civic sense. I hated the group’s behaviour throughout the film. The emotions over rationality seemed to miss the gravity of the situation. The lack of accountability imposed on the group post-rescue further made it seem like they didn’t really learn a lesson. While their friendship and bravery were commendable, the aftermath should also have shown how this has changed them all. That growth felt missing from the ending.

In addition to that, I felt the film took too long to get to the point. We only reach the caves some 30-35 minutes into the runtime. You can argue that it was important to establish the group’s friendship, except that the film keeps cutting to flashbacks to remind us of the same. Of course, all this is purely subjective. I know, because I haven’t heard anyone complain about these things.

Yet, this is a review, and it’s only fair to include these here.

In Conclusion:

Manjummel Boys (2024) is a compelling survival thriller. While I had certain issues with the film, there is no denying its technical and cinematic excellence.

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Have you watched Manjummel Boys (2024)? What did you think about this film? Let me know in the comments below, along with any film recommendations you’d like me to watch/review.

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