15 Great Malayalam Movies To Stream on Amazon Prime in 2025
The pandemic's exponential increase in streaming platforms has galvanized the reach of cinema regionally. Malayalam cinema already had a dedicated fan base, but the lockdown limits and the increased stay-at-home streaming ushered in a wider audience and more impact. South Indian cinema, in particular, has received praise for its new-age storytelling and striking characterization.
Now, with the advent of platforms like Netflix and Prime Video, these quality Malayalam movies by filmmakers like Lijo Jose Pellissery and Jeethu Joseph are not just readily available but are also collecting national and global acclaim. Subtitles and dubbed soundtracks now make it possible for non-Malayali-speaking audiences to enjoy these gripping stories.
Following is our handpicked list of 15 excellent Malayalam movies now available on Prime Video—carefully chosen to appeal to diverse cinematic tastes without sacrificing quality.
15. Malayankunju (2022)
Director: Sajimon Prabhakar
Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Rajisha Vijayan, Arjun Ashokan
Malayalam films often engage entrenched social hierarchies, and Malayankunju is no different. The movie is about Anikkuttan, a service mechanic with an inborn caste bias that is shaken when a lower-caste family settles next door. A sudden act of nature brings him into a survival situation that demolishes his worldview.
The dual narrative of the film—transitioning between a social drama and an intense survival thriller—is well managed. Fahadh Faasil's acting is captivating, revealing Anikkuttan's transformation realistically. A.R. Rahman's soothing background score, along with good support from the rest of the cast, makes the film a cathartic watch.
14. Trance (2020)
Director: Anwar Rasheed
Starring: Fahadh Faasil, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Nazriya Nazim
Trance is about the confluence of mental illness, drug addiction, and the commercialization of faith. Fahadh Faasil is Viju, a flailing motivational speaker turned Joshua Carlton, the beaming face of a thriving spiritual business. The film is a critique of the commodification of spirituality and the emotional manipulation of vulnerable individuals.
Elevated in style and bold in theme, Trance depends purely on Faasil's tour-de-force performance, switching effortlessly between emotional vulnerability and manipulative charm.
13. C U Soon (2020)
Director: Mahesh Narayanan
Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Roshan Mathew, Darshana Rajendran
Dreamed up amidst the pandemic and filmed almost exclusively on digital monitors, C U Soon is India's response to the screen-thriller genre that Searching helped introduce. The movie tells the tale of Jimmy, who meets Anu on a dating app. As their love unfolds, revelations start surfacing that are connected to something much bigger, such as human trafficking.
With tight editing, immersive rhythm, and earthy performances, the film succeeds in conveying a richly human tale given its technological constraints. Its observation about online self and cyber vulnerability is particularly well-timed.
12. Unda (2019)
Director: Khalid Rahman
Cast: Mammootty, Shine Tom Chacko, Arjun Ashokan
Unda (Bullet) is based on a true story in which a police team was deployed to a Maoist-affected area with insufficient ammunition. Mammootty plays Mani, a police sub-inspector commanding the poorly equipped team.
Taking a mix of satire and social commentary, the film delves into the systemic neglect in law enforcement infrastructure. It also touches on some deeper issues of fear, duty, and human resilience, all while presenting an entertaining story.
11. Virus (2019)
Director: Aashiq Abu
Cast: Parvathy Thiruvothu, Tovino Thomas, Rima Kallingal
Virus documents the Kerala Nipah virus outbreak of 2018, depicting the collaborative efforts of medical doctors, administrators, and civilians. With woven plots, the movie narrates the anxiety, selflessness, and bravery of people trapped in an invisible war.
Steering clear of melodrama, the film is realistic and empathetic. It is at once a paean to frontline workers and a masterful public health thriller.
10. Jallikattu (2019)
Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery
Cast: Antony Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose
In Jallikattu, a buffalo runs away from the house of a butcher, leading to a mad chase in a village. Behind the literal man-vs-beast fight is an impressive allegory on masculinity, basic instincts, and societal collapse.
Shot with frenzied energy and visceral force, the film is a technical tour de force. Pellissery choreographs chaos expertly, employing it to prowl the darker alleys of human nature.
9. Pada (2022)
Director: Kamal K.M.
Starring: Kunchacko Boban, Joju George, Vinayakan
Drawing from a real event, Pada recounts the events involving four activists, who take a district collector hostage to stage an agitation over a land amendment bill encroaching on tribal rights. It is a thrilling tale of defiance, negotiation, and ideological confrontation that follows.
The power of this film is its dialogue and acting, particularly humane chats between captors and captives. Pada presents a strong argument for marginalized voices in a system frequently deaf to their suffering.
8. Drishyam 2 (2021)
Director: Jeethu Joseph
Cast: Mohanlal, Meena, Murali Gopy
A follow-up to the acclaimed Drishyam (2013), this film is set six years later with Georgekutty established as a successful theatre owner. Appearance versus reality, the past continues to haunt the family, with the police quietly pursuing their case.
Drishyam 2 is a slow-burning thriller that heads towards a careful payoff. Not as tight as the first one, it broadens the original's themes of morality, justice, and guilt, and culminates in a satisfying, cerebral sequel.
7. Driving Licence (2019)
Director: Lal Jr.
Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu
A witty and incisive critique of celebrity culture and ego, Driving Licence is a battle between a star and a car inspector. The movie explores issues of pride, identity, and the need to be recognized, all the while providing generous servings of comedy.
6. Helen (2019)
Director: Mathukutty Xavier
Cast: Anna Ben, Lal, Noble Babu Thomas
Helen is an individual survival thriller that narrates the gruesome ordeal of a young woman confined in a freezer. The film is an expert exercise in building tension and registering the resourcefulness and determination of the protagonist to survive at all costs. Anna Ben's performance is at once compelling and poignant.
5. Android Kunjappan Version (2019)
Director: Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval
Cast: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Soubin Shahir, Saiju Kurup
A charming mix of science fiction and family drama, this movie is the story of an old man who, to fight his loneliness, is presented with a robot caretaker. The changing relationship between the man and the robot is a comedy of errors that gives us a laugh while also speaking to the role technology plays in our lives.
4. Joji (2021)
Director: Dileesh Pothan
Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Baburaj, Unnimaya Prasad
Inspired by Shakespeare's Macbeth, Joji is a thriller on the theme of ambition, greed, and the downfall of morals. Based on a rural backdrop, the movie explores the life of Joji, an aspiring young man, who, after the loss of his family, takes a path that leads him to unforeseen events. Fahadh Faasil is excellent throughout the film, bringing out the character's inner fight.
3. Kumbalangi Nights (2019)
Director: Madhu C. Narayana
Star Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Soubin Shahir, Anna Ben, Shane Nigam, Sreenath Bhasi
A funny, warm-hearted story about four brothers different in nature and character, Kumbalangi Nights explores themes of masculinity, love, and family relationships. In the beautiful small village of Kumbalangi, the film shoots through relationships so neatly interwoven that might never see their way to understanding and acceptance.
2. The Great Indian Kitchen (2021)
Director: Jeo Baby
Cast: Nimisha Sajayan, Suraj Venjaramoodu
The Great Indian Kitchen provides a well-deserved social commentary exemplifying the life of a newly married woman who gets impeded into a mundane existence of a housewife. The film illustrates the gender roles and expectations of women in a standard household and the emotional consciousness is heart-wrenching and well-deserved. Nimisha Sajayan is a astute performance in the film and anyone who is into social conscious films will want o have a look at it.
1. Joseph (2018)
Director: M. Padmakumar
Cast: Joju George, Dileesh Pothan, Irshad, Athmiya Rajan
Joseph is a serious crime thriller about a retired officer Joseph, who returns to the world of crime solving after his ex-wife dies in a mysterious road accident. Joseph is directed by Mahesh Narayanan and explores themes of justice, guilt, and redemption that will absolutely compel you to continue watching. Joju George gives this rich performance in this thrilling drama.
These films also add to the richness of Malayalam cinema, as there is a mix of genres and tales to please a broad audience. Whether you're feeling like a sweet family drama, a suspenseful thriller, or a satirical comedy, these are sure to provide a good watch.