Others: A Chilling Dive into Medical Shadows That Promises More Than It DeliversIn the shadowy underbelly of Tamil cinema's 2025 thriller landscape, where high-stakes dramas often blur the line between ethical quandaries and outright exploitation, Others emerges as a provocative entry. Directed by debutant Abin Hariharan and produced by Grand Pictures, this 133-minute crime thriller clocks in with a runtime that feels both taut and tantalizingly drawn out. Starring newcomer Aditya Madhavan as the dogged investigator Assistant Commissioner Madhav, alongside Gouri G. Kishan and Anju Kurian, the film tackles the murky world of IVF clinics, black-market steroids, and the commodification of hope. Released on November 7, 2025, Others isn't just a procedural—it's a stark reminder of how desperation can breed monsters. Yet, for all its bold swings, it stumbles in the execution, leaving audiences with a potent premise that's undermined by pacing pitfalls and unresolved emotional threads. If you're in the mood for a cerebral chiller that probes real-world horrors, this one's worth the ticket; just brace for a finale that fizzles where it should flare.
The film opens with a gut-wrenching tableau: a multi-car pileup on a rain-slicked highway claims four lives, including a young family. As emergency responders scramble, the camera lingers on a grieving mother clutching her newborn, only for subtle hints to emerge—whispers of "defects" in the child, anomalies that don't add up. Enter Madhav (Aditya Madhavan), a no-frills cop assigned to what seems like a routine accident investigation. But as he peels back layers, the case morphs into a labyrinthine conspiracy: IVF babies across the city are born with severe, unexplained conditions—deformities, organ failures, the works. What starts as medical malpractice spirals into a web of anonymous donors peddling blacklisted steroids, compromised fertility clinics chasing quotas, and a shadowy figure profiting from parental despair. Hariharan's script, inspired by real-life fertility scandals, cleverly juxtaposes the sterile glow of hospital corridors with the gritty chaos of undercover ops, turning parenthood's miracle into a commodity of terror.
At its heart, Others is a morality play disguised as a thriller, questioning the ethics of "playing God" in the age of assisted reproduction. Madhav's arc isn't your typical hero's journey; he's a reluctant family man haunted by his own infertility struggles, making his pursuit personal. Flashbacks reveal his strained marriage to Priya (Gouri G. Kishan), a doctor whose idealism clashes with the system's corruption, adding layers of marital tension that ground the high-concept plot. Subplots weave in Anju Kurian as a whistleblower clinic worker, torn between loyalty and conscience, and Jagan as a sleazy pharma rep whose comic relief veers into caricature. The narrative builds like a pressure cooker, with early sequences in dimly lit labs evoking the paranoia of Contagion meets the procedural bite of The Night Manager. A mid-film twist involving hacked donor databases delivers a jolt, forcing Madhav to confront how "invisible" crimes prey on the vulnerable. Hariharan doesn't shy from the grotesque—scenes of afflicted infants are handled with restraint, using shadows and sound design to amplify dread rather than exploit shock.
Performances are the film's lifeline, anchoring its ambitious scope. Aditya Madhavan, stepping out from supporting roles, commands the screen with a brooding intensity that's equal parts Vijay Sethupathi stoicism and Suriya's quiet fury. His Madhav is a powder keg of suppressed rage, exploding in a raw interrogation scene that leaves you breathless; it's a star-making turn that screams breakout potential. Gouri G. Kishan brings nuance to Priya, evolving from supportive spouse to fierce advocate, her tear-streaked confrontations with Madhav pulsing with authentic pain— a far cry from her lighter Por Thozhil outing. Anju Kurian shines in flashes as the conflicted insider, her vulnerability injecting warmth into the cold conspiracy, while supporting players like Maala Parvathy and Vinoth Sagar add textured realism to the ensemble. Jagan's turn as the antagonist's proxy is a mixed bag—amusing at first, but his over-the-top villainy in the climax tips into unintended comedy, diluting the menace. Hariharan draws strong work from his cast, fostering a lived-in Chennai where cops banter over filter coffee amid mounting dread, making the stakes feel intimately Tamil.
Technically, Others gleams with promise. Ghibran's score is a masterclass in atmospheric dread—pulsing synths underscore lab infiltrations, while a haunting lullaby motif twists parental joy into sorrow, rivaling his Vikram highs. Aravinnd Singh's cinematography bathes the film in clinical blues and nocturnal greens, transforming sterile OT rooms into nightmarish voids; a standout tracking shot through a crowded neonatal ward is pure visual poetry. Editing by R. Ramar keeps the first half clipping along with procedural precision, intercutting accident probes and data hacks like a well-oiled machine. Yet, the second half sags under its weight—subplots balloon, emotional beats drag, and the 13-minute runtime feels bloated by redundant flashbacks. The scientific jargon, while researched (nod to real steroid bans in fertility tech), occasionally overwhelms, alienating casual viewers without deepening the intrigue.
For all its intellectual heft, Others grapples with executional flaws that blunt its impact. The screenplay's ambition—to blend thriller tropes with socio-ethical commentary—leads to tonal whiplash; early levity gives way to maudlin family drama that undercuts suspense. The antagonist's reveal, teased as a "ghost in the machine," lands with a thud, more expository than explosive, confusing caricature for complexity. Pacing falters post-interval, with investigative montages stretching thin and a romantic subplot feeling shoehorned, echoing complaints of "unnecessary drags" in early buzz. Hariharan shows flair for setup but lacks the finesse for payoff; the film's empathy for its "villain"—a damaged soul warped by societal neglect—feels tacked-on, lacking the depth of Mysskin's Psycho. Still, these missteps don't erase the chills: a hospital blackout sequence, lit by flickering monitors, is edge-of-your-seat gold, and the IVF ethics debate lingers like a bad dream, timely in an era of fertility tech booms.
Audience and critic reactions mirror this divide. BookMyShow polls it at a stellar 9.7/10 from 200+ ratings, with viewers praising its "gripping emotional weight" and "must-watch theatre vibes." hails the first half's "punchy setup" and Aditya's "controlled intensity," though second-half gripes abound: "Watchable but drags like Anjaneya's tail," one user quipped. Critics are kinder to the concept than the craft—Times of India awards 3/5 for its "strong ideas," urging focus on destination over detours, while Cinema Express dings it as a "drab thriller" lacking restraint. Only Kollywood sees potential in its "grounded premise," pegging it as OTT gold despite uneven rhythm. Consensus? A bold debut that sparks debate on cinema's role in exposing systemic sins.
Others is Abin Hariharan's audacious call to arms, a thriller that weaponizes parental fears to spotlight medical malfeasance. It falters in finesse but triumphs in provocation, reminding us that behind every "miracle" baby could lurk a calculated horror. In a year of splashy spectacles, this one's a sobering gut-punch—flawed, fierce, and fiercely relevant. Catch it before it streams; the big screen amplifies its unease.
Rating: 3/5.
The film opens with a gut-wrenching tableau: a multi-car pileup on a rain-slicked highway claims four lives, including a young family. As emergency responders scramble, the camera lingers on a grieving mother clutching her newborn, only for subtle hints to emerge—whispers of "defects" in the child, anomalies that don't add up. Enter Madhav (Aditya Madhavan), a no-frills cop assigned to what seems like a routine accident investigation. But as he peels back layers, the case morphs into a labyrinthine conspiracy: IVF babies across the city are born with severe, unexplained conditions—deformities, organ failures, the works. What starts as medical malpractice spirals into a web of anonymous donors peddling blacklisted steroids, compromised fertility clinics chasing quotas, and a shadowy figure profiting from parental despair. Hariharan's script, inspired by real-life fertility scandals, cleverly juxtaposes the sterile glow of hospital corridors with the gritty chaos of undercover ops, turning parenthood's miracle into a commodity of terror.
At its heart, Others is a morality play disguised as a thriller, questioning the ethics of "playing God" in the age of assisted reproduction. Madhav's arc isn't your typical hero's journey; he's a reluctant family man haunted by his own infertility struggles, making his pursuit personal. Flashbacks reveal his strained marriage to Priya (Gouri G. Kishan), a doctor whose idealism clashes with the system's corruption, adding layers of marital tension that ground the high-concept plot. Subplots weave in Anju Kurian as a whistleblower clinic worker, torn between loyalty and conscience, and Jagan as a sleazy pharma rep whose comic relief veers into caricature. The narrative builds like a pressure cooker, with early sequences in dimly lit labs evoking the paranoia of Contagion meets the procedural bite of The Night Manager. A mid-film twist involving hacked donor databases delivers a jolt, forcing Madhav to confront how "invisible" crimes prey on the vulnerable. Hariharan doesn't shy from the grotesque—scenes of afflicted infants are handled with restraint, using shadows and sound design to amplify dread rather than exploit shock.
Performances are the film's lifeline, anchoring its ambitious scope. Aditya Madhavan, stepping out from supporting roles, commands the screen with a brooding intensity that's equal parts Vijay Sethupathi stoicism and Suriya's quiet fury. His Madhav is a powder keg of suppressed rage, exploding in a raw interrogation scene that leaves you breathless; it's a star-making turn that screams breakout potential. Gouri G. Kishan brings nuance to Priya, evolving from supportive spouse to fierce advocate, her tear-streaked confrontations with Madhav pulsing with authentic pain— a far cry from her lighter Por Thozhil outing. Anju Kurian shines in flashes as the conflicted insider, her vulnerability injecting warmth into the cold conspiracy, while supporting players like Maala Parvathy and Vinoth Sagar add textured realism to the ensemble. Jagan's turn as the antagonist's proxy is a mixed bag—amusing at first, but his over-the-top villainy in the climax tips into unintended comedy, diluting the menace. Hariharan draws strong work from his cast, fostering a lived-in Chennai where cops banter over filter coffee amid mounting dread, making the stakes feel intimately Tamil.
Technically, Others gleams with promise. Ghibran's score is a masterclass in atmospheric dread—pulsing synths underscore lab infiltrations, while a haunting lullaby motif twists parental joy into sorrow, rivaling his Vikram highs. Aravinnd Singh's cinematography bathes the film in clinical blues and nocturnal greens, transforming sterile OT rooms into nightmarish voids; a standout tracking shot through a crowded neonatal ward is pure visual poetry. Editing by R. Ramar keeps the first half clipping along with procedural precision, intercutting accident probes and data hacks like a well-oiled machine. Yet, the second half sags under its weight—subplots balloon, emotional beats drag, and the 13-minute runtime feels bloated by redundant flashbacks. The scientific jargon, while researched (nod to real steroid bans in fertility tech), occasionally overwhelms, alienating casual viewers without deepening the intrigue.
For all its intellectual heft, Others grapples with executional flaws that blunt its impact. The screenplay's ambition—to blend thriller tropes with socio-ethical commentary—leads to tonal whiplash; early levity gives way to maudlin family drama that undercuts suspense. The antagonist's reveal, teased as a "ghost in the machine," lands with a thud, more expository than explosive, confusing caricature for complexity. Pacing falters post-interval, with investigative montages stretching thin and a romantic subplot feeling shoehorned, echoing complaints of "unnecessary drags" in early buzz. Hariharan shows flair for setup but lacks the finesse for payoff; the film's empathy for its "villain"—a damaged soul warped by societal neglect—feels tacked-on, lacking the depth of Mysskin's Psycho. Still, these missteps don't erase the chills: a hospital blackout sequence, lit by flickering monitors, is edge-of-your-seat gold, and the IVF ethics debate lingers like a bad dream, timely in an era of fertility tech booms.
Audience and critic reactions mirror this divide. BookMyShow polls it at a stellar 9.7/10 from 200+ ratings, with viewers praising its "gripping emotional weight" and "must-watch theatre vibes." hails the first half's "punchy setup" and Aditya's "controlled intensity," though second-half gripes abound: "Watchable but drags like Anjaneya's tail," one user quipped. Critics are kinder to the concept than the craft—Times of India awards 3/5 for its "strong ideas," urging focus on destination over detours, while Cinema Express dings it as a "drab thriller" lacking restraint. Only Kollywood sees potential in its "grounded premise," pegging it as OTT gold despite uneven rhythm. Consensus? A bold debut that sparks debate on cinema's role in exposing systemic sins.
Others is Abin Hariharan's audacious call to arms, a thriller that weaponizes parental fears to spotlight medical malfeasance. It falters in finesse but triumphs in provocation, reminding us that behind every "miracle" baby could lurk a calculated horror. In a year of splashy spectacles, this one's a sobering gut-punch—flawed, fierce, and fiercely relevant. Catch it before it streams; the big screen amplifies its unease.
Rating: 3/5.