If the way a thriller works is equated to an explosive, the thrillers of Tamil cinema (the ones with big stars) is the equivalent of a cracker that gives out inconsistent bursts and fizzles out. But Thadam, to a larger degree, feels like a bomb that gives a passable payoff, but detonates at the right time.

Thadam uses its fillers as a prelude to the main premise of the film, instead of infusing with it. Thadam opens by introducing its lead characters in the form of chapters. The film deals with the lives of two identical people, a civil engineer named Ezhil and a really educated thug named Kavin (both these names are synonymous with beauty) and their lives get entangled after a chilling incident. The film really sets its mood in the portions involving Kavin, with the sodium-lit night sequences captured with a combination of static and moving Dutch angles (the director and the cinematographer had taken a leaf out of Ram Gopal Varma’s playbook).

The initial portions appear to be less invested in the process of mood creation, as the eerie atmosphere created in Kavin’s sequences is followed up by Ezhil's portions that are shot and staged in a rather generic manner (and yes, it does include a generous amount of lens flare), creating a slightly inconsistent visual language. But the minor glitches do not reappear when Ezhil and Kavin's lives converge. The film's street lit night sequences are balanced with the stark, contrast day exteriors. This change also extends to the way the plot moves. The female lead characters take up some significance to the red herring that ensues after the point.

The film unfolds mostly in a police station, but director Magizh Thirumeni ensures that staging and ambiance engage us without the monotony of a predominant location. The indoors were brilliantly art-directed (the production design is by A. Amaran), where the fading walls  go really well with the warm colour palette. Another good stretch of imagination involves a scene where Kavin's arrival at the station is invited by the ghastly stares from the policemen.

But the film really takes off in the second half, where a really creepy, cold flashback (involving a dysfunctional relationship) comes to play. The film really provides a much-needed suspension of disbelief at this moment and loose ends of the first half are resolved. Even the humour feels more organic (George Maryan as the dim-witted constable is really effective at some places) and a minor character like the forensic expert has some depth in terms of characterization and makes a presence, unlike the ones in the first half. The flashback portions feels a bit chilling, despite a pathos-ridden background score that literally intructs us to feel sentimental.

Thadam is one of those rare films where the cinematography (the film is shot by Gopinath) elevates the performances at some places, especially that of ‘FEFSI’ Vijayan, who renders a really spooky presence during the close-up shots. The director very well knows how to capture faces. One really wishes that this level of acting is also achieved by the female leads, who barely make their presence felt. Arun Vijay gives a painstaking performance with a great level of effortlessness. Overall, Thadam is well-written whodunnit with a really gripping second half.

[Review based on a special preview show to the press members on February 27th. Catch the film in theatres, from the 1st of March]