Por Thozhil, like most investigative thrillers, opens with a mysterious murder case that puts the police officials on their toes. But how the investigation unfolds is quite unusual and interesting, as it doesn't play the usual whodunit game. Director Vignesh Raja, instead, takes us into the lives of the people with disturbed childhoods and shows how a little affection can make some sort of difference in the lives of many. Prakash (Ashok Selvan), an intelligent-yet-timid youngster, gets appointed to the crime branch as a trainee. Loganathan (Sarath Kumar), a senior, higher-ranking official, who's in stark contrast to Prakash, is asked to mentor him. Loganathan reluctantly agrees to travel with the rookie to investigate a mysterious murder case, but the investigation will not only help them form a close bond but also lead to some shocking revelations. Many young women get strangled to death, and the entire police department struggles to find the suspect. As events unfold, both the cops realise that there is a pattern in all of them and that a psychopath is on the loose. Can they manage to get hold of the murderer despite the lack of evidence and the complications that come along? What makes Por Thozhil an interesting watch is its effective screenplay and inventive writing. Though the plot is not something new, with moments that we have witnessed in many investigative thrillers, Vignesh Raja and his team manage to keep us engaged and immersed in the world that they have created. The conversations between the lead characters not only take the film forward but also make us curious about how two people, with contrasting personalities, are going to crack the case. Vignesh Raja doesn't follow the usual tropes that one finds in this genre and refrains from incorporating too many twists. In fact, there is only one in the second half, and it's quite organic. The best part is, he keeps the events engaging and enticing, even after we get to know the identity of the murderer. Many psycho-thrillers have spoken about disturbed childhood and how it ruins an individual's life. This one, too, touches upon a similar theme and succeeds. Late actor Sarath Babu's role is one of the surprises in the film. His character is so-well designed and convincing enough to evoke some sort of fear on-screen. When it comes to performances, both Sarath Kumar and Ashok Selvan have brought out their A-game. Sarath Kumar looks effortless as a cop and brings in all his experience and pulls off a role that has a lot within. Nikhila Vimal and Lisha, too, deserve a mention. Kalaiselvan's cinematography and Jakes Bejoy background score don't disappoint us and elevate the film to a certain extent. Though we get a lot of investigative thrillers in Tamil cinema, Por Thozhil is convincing enough to enthral and engage us throughout. It also has an underlying message that's good enough to evoke emotions.Read more

Crime thriller is one genre that never loses its sheen. A perfect crime thriller is one which maintains the suspense till the end, manages to keep you hooked throughout and satisfies you with the final payoff. Rarely does a film satisfy all the parameters. And, debutant director Vignesh Raja’s Por Thozhil, produced by Applause Entertainment in association with E4 Experiments & Eprius Studio, belongs to the list. It grabs your attention from the first frame and keeps you surprised till the end. Set in the 2010s, gruesome murders of young women rock Trichy. As the police try to find out the patterns, they rope in Lokanathan (Sarath Kumar) and Prakash (Ashok Selvan) to follow up on the case. While Lokanathan is short-tempered, he is excellent at his job. Prakash, on the other hand, is scared of peeing in the dark and emotionally awkward. Together, they try to crack the case and find out the criminal and his/her motive. When it comes to crime thrillers, it is important to keep the surprises coming. Once the villain or the suspect is unveiled, the filmmaker has to have more meat in the story to justify the gruesome murders committed by the person. Here, in Por Thozhil, director Vignesh Raja packed in layers of story and kept the story flowing. In the film, Lokanathan and Prakash find the suspect with the minimal clues available and connect it with serial killings in the 70s. Read more