In his review for THR India, Vishal Menon calls Kalamkaval a genre refiner for Malayalam cinema — a film that redefines the serial killer thriller through its masterful blend of screenwriting and editing. Directed by debutant Jithin K. Jose, the film features Mammootty in a role unlike any in his 400+ film career, playing a brutal serial killer with chilling precision. Vishal highlights a stunning 20-minute sequence in the first hour as possibly the most elegant stretch of Malayalam cinema this year, where timelines, victims, and identities merge seamlessly. The music by Mujeeb Majeed and cinematography by Faisal Ali create a labyrinthine atmosphere impossible to escape, while Vinayakan anchors the film as the obsessive officer on the killer's trail.
Vishal notes that unlike films such as Anjaam Pathiraa, Abraham Ozler, or the Tamil hit Ratsasan, Kalamkaval doesn't work overtime to justify its killer's psyche through elaborate backstories. Instead, Jithin lets images from Stanley's past speak for themselves, trusting the audience to grasp the horror without spoon-feeding. For Vishal, it's Mammootty who steals the film — embodying both the charm of a debonair and the menace of a murderer in the same breath. Who ever thought we could love him even more by playing a character that deserves all the hate in the world?
