- November 21, 2025
‘Eko’ movie review: A solid mystery thriller in which animals play as big a part as humans
A poster of ‘Eko’.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Pared down to its bare bones, Dinjith Ayyathan’sEko is a story of the search for a missing man, a colourful character about whom infinite chronicles and conflicting accounts are in circulation. To bite into these bare bones is not really the point. It is to savour the whole act of reaching it and revelling in that pleasure. Just like through a dense, deceptive forest with uncharted territory at every turn, the viewer is slowly drawn into this world where not a single character can be fully trusted.
Eko’s beating heart is the shapeshifter of a screenplay, in which the cards are revealed one by one at what appears to be cleverly timed intervals. The film spans time periods and geographies, from the World War 2 era to the period of migration of Malayalis to countries like Malaysia and Singapore, to a more recent past. Its world is one of dog breeders who would go to any lengths to develop exotic breeds, and of old and resilient humans like Mlaathi (Biana Momin), as well as trusted helpers such as Peyoos (Sandeep Pradeep).
Eko (Malayalam)
Director: Dinjith Ayyathan
Cast: Sandeep Pradeep, Biana Momin, Vineeth, Narain, Binu Pappu, Saheer Mohammed
Runtime: 127 minutes
Storyline: The search for a mysterious dog breeder, who has been missing for years, leads to unexpected revelations.
In Kishkindha Kaandam, the first part of the ‘animal trilogy’ written by Bahul Ramesh, the monkeys were somewhat peripheral to the narrative. However, in Eko, just as in Kerala Crime Files 2, the rare breed of dogs is very much integral to the narrative, even driving it at various points. The human and animal interactions, as well as the theories the movie presents on the power and control that humans can wield over a pack of animals, might need some suspension of disbelief in normal circumstances. However, the writing and the visual cues the makers employ are sufficient to convince these as real-world possibilities. In this era of great screenwriting in Malayalam cinema, Bahul’s works till now have been superlative.
Once we are on the quest for Kuriachan, the movie cleverly drives our attention through various seemingly unconnected strands and characters, but which all slowly reveal to be a piece with each other. It constantly makes us question the characters’ intentions, while also upsetting our calculations. While it might lack the emotional pull of a Kishkindha Kaandam, which had a bruising human story at its core, Eko makes up for it with a rich, layered screenplay in which the animals and their behaviour too matter. The jungle terrain and the two isolated houses in which much of the story evolves help build the mystery. Added to these are the myths of the missing man, which convey a revulsion mixed with respect for his many uncommon talents.
Much of the technical crew from that film returns for Eko, with Mujeeb Majeed’s stunning score and Sooraj E.S. ‘s editing playing as much a part as the screenplay in turning it into a wholesome experience. With Eko, Dinjith Ayyathan and Bahul Ramesh craft a solid mystery thriller, in which the animals have almost as much role to play as the humans.
Eko is currently running in theatres
Published – November 21, 2025 06:06 pm IST
