New Malayalam Film Releases May 2026

Set in the late 1990s in a crumbling cashew factory on the outskirts of Kasaragod, the film follows Vellicham (a career-best performance by newcomer Anupama Suresh), a young widow hired as an accounts clerk. She soon discovers that the factory’s mild-mannered manager, Prabha (Roshan Mathew, wonderfully restrained), is secretly siphoning money to fund a local palliative care centre. Meanwhile, a ruthless loan shark (a menacing Joju George) tightens his grip on the workers. When Vellicham is asked to cook the books, the film transforms into a tense moral thriller—not about good vs. evil, but about necessary wrongs.

Sreekumar’s direction is masterfully unhurried. Cinematographer Sameer Thahir drowns every frame in deep greens and rusted browns, making the factory feel like a living, decaying character. The sound design—clanking machinery overlaid with the distant cry of a kaattaatti (bird of prey)—is a subtle triumph. new malayalam film releases

In a season crowded with star vehicles and formulaic sequels, Kaattu Velli arrives like a sudden cool breeze off the backwaters—unexpected, sharp, and lingering long after it’s gone. Director Arjun Sreekumar, known for his short films on existential dread, proves he’s ready for the big league with this taut, atmospheric drama that refuses to take easy sides. Set in the late 1990s in a crumbling

The second act drags slightly, especially a subplot involving a police inspector (Saiju Kurup) that feels like setup for a sequel we don’t yet need. And while the ending is thematically perfect, some audiences may find its lack of a cathartic “punch” frustrating. When Vellicham is asked to cook the books,