Drishyam 3 Movie Review: Mohanlal & Jeethu Joseph Should Close This Chase Once & For All – Weakest Chapter Of This Franchise Works Only In Last 15 Minutes!
Star Cast: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Murali Gopy, Siddique, and Asha Sarath
Director: Jeethu Joseph
What’s Good: Mohanlal’s unmatched screen presence as the older, weary Georgekutty, and a final 15-minute climax that reminds you of Jeethu Joseph’s gold-standard writing.
What’s Bad: A highly stretched, sluggish first half that feels like a television daily soap
Loo Break: Anytime before the last 30 minutes – that’s when the game begins!
Watch or Not? Yes, if you are a Mohanlal fan. Otherwise, wait for Ajay Devgn’s version!
Language: Malayalam with English Subtitles
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes
User Rating:
How many times can one man bury the same truth before he starts digging his own grave? This is the exact thought I had when Drishyam 3 was announced. There are franchises that grow with every chapter. And then there are franchises that start dying a slow death in the shadow of their own brilliance. Drishyam 3 seems to be that same threequel! The first part of the franchise was a revelation! One of the best thrillers to have arrived in Indian Cinema. When part 2 was announced during the lockdown, all thought it might be a desperate attempt to flock the theaters, but somehow, it managed to tweak the narrative and the crime both. But is the third part as good as the previous two parts? Well, yes, in parts! And no in entirety!
The first 10 minutes of the film explain the backstory well. The story of how an ordinary cable TV operator turns into one of Indian cinema’s most fascinating masterminds. Mohanlal’s Georgekutty is not a superhero; he was terrifyingly human. And that is exactly what made the first film extraordinary.
Then came Drishyam 2 – a sequel nobody thought could work but somehow did. It expanded the psychology, deepened the paranoia, and delivered a climax that left audiences stunned all over again, which is exactly why Drishyam 3 feels like a franchise struggling to justify its own existence.
Drishyam 3 Movie Review: Script Analysis
The story starts right from where it was left in the last installment! In the last installment, Georgekutty was writing a story with a renowned writer, and the third part starts with the grand premiere of his film Drishyam, which turns into a blockbuster! But as they say, too much chatter never works in your favor! A social media trial follows, and somewhere it starts digging into the past! Jeethu Joseph presented Georgekutty as a man who can go to any level to defend and protect his family! But that is the bare minimum, right? What if everyone goes to the same level to protect and defend their families? The same happens in Drishyam 3!
In one of the scenes, Georgekutty is told – Do you think only you have family? That hits hard! To him, as well as to the audience, who have been celebrating him as a hero! Well, he might have started off as one, but now he is merely a seasoned criminal! At least, his mind works exactly like a criminal’s! You call him sharp, but in reality, he is just sly! He can go to any length to protect his family, even if the cost is destroying someone else’s family! Let us keep the intent out of the picture here!
Drishyam 3 Movie Review: Star Performance
Drishyam 3 is clearly a one-man show, and as usual, Mohanlal is phenomenal. At this point, Georgekutty feels less like a character and more like a second skin for the actor. He effortlessly slips back into the role with the same calculating calmness, emotional restraint, and sharp intelligence that made the earlier films iconic. Even when the screenplay stumbles, the actor keeps the audience emotionally invested.
Drishyam 3 Movie Review: Direction, Music
Thankfully, Jeethu Joseph remembers the golden rule – If all fails, save the climax. The final 15 minutes of Drishyam 3 are genuinely gripping. The film suddenly wakes up from a hibernating narrative and delivers the kind of tension this franchise is known for. There are clever callbacks, emotional payoffs, and some twists that almost make you forgive the exhausting journey leading up to it. But only almost!
The first half of the film is very shaky, and if there is anything that makes it bearable, then it is the background score. The music subtly amplifies the paranoia and emotional unease without becoming dramatic. In moments where the screenplay lacks urgency, the score tries desperately to inject tension into the narrative. Aesthetically, the film is decent. The visual language remains intimate and realistic.
The magic of Drishyam was always its unpredictability. The audience constantly felt one step behind Georgekutty. But by the third film, the franchise becomes too aware of its own formula. You can almost see the screenplay planting clues and preparing for its eventual revelation! Georgekutty is always a step ahead to save his family, but now the audience knows him and his world too well!
Jeethu Joseph’s biggest mistake here is confusing slow-burning storytelling with a lull in the narrative. The first half moves at a pace that is criminal. At several points, the film feels like it is desperately trying to remind audiences why they loved Drishyam instead of giving them new reasons to care. There are long stretches where nothing substantial happens. Characters repeat information, scenes overstay their welcome, and tension never surprises!
Drishyam 3 Movie Review: The Last Word
The thrill of watching Georgekutty outsmart the system diminishes when the system itself starts behaving conveniently dumb. And this is where Drishyam 3 becomes the weakest chapter of this franchise. The film exposes the limitations of stretching a completed arc.
The emotional fatigue reflects in the screenplay as well. Unlike the previous films, where every scene carried hidden tension, this installment often feels like filler waiting for its climax. And while the climax works, it also highlights the structural weakness of the film. A thriller cannot survive solely on its final twist. The journey itself needs to remain compelling.
The supporting cast performs sincerely, but the writing sidelines them significantly. Their emotional conflicts lack the vulnerability that made the earlier films so gripping. Drishyam 3 is not a bad film. It still remains more engaging than most mainstream thrillers, but we cannot judge this franchise by normal standards anymore. Georgekutty may still be smarter than everyone in the room. But this time, the audience finally catches up, and pleads- let us close this chase once and for all!
Drishyam 3 Trailer
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