Vellai Pookal is an intriguing crime thriller set in a location we've rarely seen before. The story starts with an experienced cop Rudhran (Vivekh) using his intelligence to solve a crime with great flair. It is admirable and not exaggerated. The setting shifts to Seattle in the USA where the characters are established and suspense lingers from the beginning.
Ajay (Dev), son of Rudhran is married to an American woman, Alice (Paige Henderson). There is a friction that Rudhran exerts on being cordial with Alice and so he doesn’t talk to his daughter in law. There is also a clear history of misunderstanding between the son and the father which is not explained in the beginning.
Meanwhile, there is a parallel story that takes place in a farm, where a garbage truck driver kidnaps children, sexually abuses them, and sells them in exchange for drugs. He has an enslaved wife and daughter whom he tortures and threatens frequently. Things take a turn when the first kidnapping happens. While Rudhran’s police instincts inspire him to get involved in the case, Bharathi (Charlie) plays a good support role, despite the American Cops not letting them anywhere near the crime scene. Rudhran thinks he had figured out the suspect but has he?
The first half ends with Rudhran’s son getting kidnapped. The second half throws more puzzles at us complicating the proceedings and making us suspect many characters. Though there is a clever story backing up, the movie falls short due to slowness in the narration. Lack of songs has quite helped the film, as the pace doesn't get disturbed more. The cast has been very supportive and has helped in keeping the mysteries mysterious. For a major part, the movie is reliant only on Vivekh.
Vivekh who is popular as a comedian plays the lead in this film and portraying him as a retired policeman has come off in a believable and convincing manner. The climax that witnesses a merger of the parallel storylines and an interesting screenplay gives a neat finish to the thriller. Charlie, Pooja Devariya, Dev play their part well. Vivekh and Charlie's scenes are written candidly and subtly humorous. Considering a much newer team holding the film strong, the production value deserves appreciation. Special mentions to debutant director Vivek Elangovan and Cinematographer Jerald Peter.
There are a few humorous stretches in the film which work well. The suspense and mystery are not nerve-wracking or tense but in the last few minutes, the story is handled well to solve these issues. The plot, as such, is smart and neat, but a stronger screenplay could have paced things up and made the film gripping. Being a thriller, there is no ‘edge of the seat’ moments which gives us a sense of incompleteness. The social message at the end is important but doesn't make a very strong impact because of the slower pace. Overall, Vellai Pookal could have been a very interesting crime thriller, if the screenplay is racier with more twists and turns that is expected out of this genre.