Manjummel Boys Review: An Unforgettable Survival Thriller Built on Friendship

Every few years, a film comes along that reminds you why people still crowd into theatres. In this Manjummel Boys review, we look at the 2024 survival thriller that did exactly that — turning a real incident from 2006 into one of the most gripping and emotional films in Malayalam cinema history. Directed by Chidambaram and led by Soubin Shahir and Sreenath Bhasi, it went on to become the first Malayalam film to cross ₹200 crore worldwide.

But box office numbers only tell part of the story. What makes Manjummel Boys special is how it makes you feel: anxious, breathless and, by the end, overwhelmed by the power of friendship.

Manjummel Boys: Movie Details

Director & writer	Chidambaram
Cast	Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi, Lal Jr., Deepak Parambol, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Arun Kurian, Khalid Rahman, Chandu Salimkumar, Vishnu Reghu
Music	Sushin Shyam
Cinematography	Shyju Khalid
Production	Parava Films
Release date	22 February 2024
OTT	Disney+ Hotstar (now JioHotstar)

Story (No Spoilers)

A gang of friends from Manjummel, a working-class neighbourhood near Kochi, plan a trip to Kodaikanal. They are noisy, playful and a little reckless — the kind of group every Malayali knows. While exploring the Guna Caves, a dangerous site once used to shoot the Kamal Haasan film Guna, one of them, Subhash (Sreenath Bhasi), slips and falls into a deep, dark crevice known locally as “Devil’s Kitchen”.

What follows is a desperate race against time. The local police are reluctant, the terrain is treacherous, and nobody believes Subhash could still be alive. The friends refuse to give up, and Kuttan (Soubin Shahir) makes a decision that will define their lives. The film is based on true events, and the real Manjummel boys appear briefly at the end — a moment that drew applause in theatres.

Performances

Soubin Shahir carries the emotional weight of the film as Kuttan. He plays him without heroics: a man who is scared, unsure and still willing to go into the dark for his friend. It is a quietly brilliant performance.

Sreenath Bhasi has the difficult job of playing Subhash mostly in confined, physically demanding situations, and he makes every moment count. The supporting cast — especially Balu Varghese, Ganapathi and Deepak Parambol — feels like a real gang of friends, overlapping each other’s dialogue and teasing each other naturally. This authenticity is the foundation the rest of the film is built on.

Direction and Technical Craft

Chidambaram, whose debut was Jan.E.Man, shows remarkable control. He lets the first act breathe, showing us the friends’ bond so that we care when things go wrong. Once Subhash falls, the film tightens like a rope.

The technical work is world-class. Shyju Khalid’s camera captures the claustrophobia of the cave in a way that makes you hold your breath. Production designer Ajayan Chalissery recreated large parts of the Guna Caves as a set, and it is impossible to tell where the real location ends and the set begins. Sushin Shyam’s score builds tension without overpowering the drama, and the use of Ilaiyaraaja’s classic song “Kanmani Anbodu” from Guna is a masterstroke that gave the film an emotional connection with Tamil audiences.

The sound design deserves special mention. The echoes, the dripping water, the faint cries from below — this is a film best experienced in a theatre with a good sound system or at home with headphones.

What Works and What Doesn’t

What works

• A simple, true story told with total sincerity.
• Natural, lived-in ensemble performances.
• Outstanding cinematography, production design and sound.
• A deeply emotional climax that never feels manipulative.

What doesn’t

• The opening stretch, before the trip, is a bit long and some characters feel underwritten.
• Viewers who are claustrophobic may find certain sequences genuinely difficult to watch.

Manjummel Boys Review: How It Compares

Compared with other Malayalam survival films such as 2018, Malayankunju and Helen, Manjummel Boys is the most focused. It does not try to cover a whole disaster; it zooms in on one group of friends and one rescue. That focus is its strength. It sits comfortably among the best Malayalam films of the decade, and its success opened the door for many Malayalam films in Tamil Nadu. For more films inspired by real life, read our list of Malayalam movies based on true stories.

Rating Breakdown

Aspect	Score
Story & screenplay	4.5/5
Performances	4.5/5
Direction	4.5/5
Music & sound	5/5
Cinematography & production design	5/5

Who should watch it?

If you enjoy survival films such as 127 Hours or The Cave, or if you simply love stories about friendship, this is essential viewing. Families can watch it together, although the cave sequences are intense for very young children. Non-Malayali viewers need not worry: the emotions are universal, and the Tamil connection through Guna makes it especially rewarding for Tamil audiences.

Best moments (spoiler-free)

• The friends’ first look at the cave entrance, which shifts the film’s mood instantly.
• The phone-call sequence with the family back home.
• The use of “Kanmani Anbodu” at the emotional peak — the scene that made theatres erupt.

We wrote this Manjummel Boys review after a theatrical viewing and a second watch on OTT, and the film held up just as strongly at home.

Final Verdict

To sum up this Manjummel Boys review: it is a thrilling, heart-stopping and moving film about loyalty. It proves that you do not need superstars or huge budgets to create a blockbuster — just a story worth telling and a team that tells it honestly. If you have not seen it yet, do. And if you have, it is worth watching again just for the climax.

Cinemas Diary Rating: 4.5/5

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about the film on Wikipedia.