Maareesan Directed by Sudheesh Sankar and written by V. Krishna Moorthy, Maareesan (translated as “Maricha” or “imposter”) is a Tamil-language drama-thriller that blends elements of road-trip comedy, suspense, and moral ambiguity.
Produced by R.B. Choudary under Super Good Films, the film stars Fahadh Faasil as Dhayalan, a petty thief fresh out of prison, and Vadivelu as Velayudham, an elderly man grappling with dementia. Supporting roles by Vivek Prasanna and Kovai Sarala add depth, while Yuvan Shankar Raja handles the music. Clocking in at 154 minutes, it premiered in theatres on July 25, 2025, and hit Netflix on August 22, 2025, where it racked up 6.6 million global watch hours in its first week, ranking seventh among non-English films.
The story kicks off as a deceptive con: Dhayalan plans to exploit Velayudham’s memory loss for an easy score during a cross-Tamil Nadu road trip. What starts as a light-hearted, character-driven journey—reminiscent of films like Meiyazhagan—takes a sharp genre pivot at the interval, morphing into a crime thriller laced with vengeance, deception, and social commentary on forgiveness and the elderly. This tonal shift is the film’s boldest gamble, exploring whether we ever truly know someone through its protagonists’ fractured pasts.
Maareesan Plot and Themes (Spoiler-Free)
Without diving into twists, Maareesan shines in its slow-burn setup, using the duo’s evolving dynamic to probe themes of kinship among the morally compromised. The road-trip premise allows for quiet, introspective moments amid Tamil Nadu’s stunning visuals, but the second half ramps up the stakes with thriller tropes that feel both inevitable and jarring. It’s a film about contradictions—two “imposters” finding reluctant connection, though some metaphors (like dementia as a lens for unreliable truth) land flat, and the social messaging can veer simplistic.
Performance: This is where Maareesan truly anchors itself. Fahadh Faasil delivers an effortless, shrug-it-off portrayal of Dhayalan, channelling his goofy thief from Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum but infusing fresh layers of guarded vulnerability. Vadivelu, however, is the revelation: shedding his comedic baggage for a raw, heartbreaking turn as Velayudham, complete with breakdowns that transcend the script’s limitations. Their chemistry—echoing but elevating their Maamannan pairing—carries the film, making even predictable beats feel authentic. As one viewer put it, it’s Vadivelu’s “best performance to date, a side of him we’ve never seen before.”
Technical Aspects Cinematography captures the journey’s poetic isolation beautifully, and the editing maintains a deliberate pace that suits the first half’s humanism. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s soundtrack, however, draws mixed reactions—singles like “FaFa Song” and “Maareesa” are catchy, but the BGM is often called out as “field out” or underwhelming. The 154-minute runtime feels trim in spirit but could shed 15-20 minutes for tighter impact.
Critic and Audience Reception is largely positive, with praise for the acting duo and narrative risks, though the abrupt shift divides opinions—some hail it as a “brilliant execution” that subverts expectations, while others decry it as tonally inconsistent or “ruined” by thriller clichés. On Rotten Tomatoes, it’s certified fresh with audiences calling it “well-crafted and engaging.”
IMDb users rate it around 7.5/10, highlighting the “surprising second half” and “moral grey zones.” Letterboxd logs average 3.5/4 stars, noting the “promising premise” but uneven plot. Critics like The Hindu describe it as a “slow-burn suspense flick” where the leads “steal the show,” while Cinema Express laments a “pleasant ride derailed by unpleasant surprises.” The Times of India awards 3.5/5 for letting “contradictions breathe,” and India Today gives 3/5 for its edge-of-seat thrills amid flawed heroes.
| Source | Rating | Key Quote |
|---|---|---|
| The Times of India | 3.5/5 | “Maareesan works best when it lets its contradictions breathe.” |
| India Today | 3/5 | “A comedy thriller that can make you smile, hold you on the edge… and support the morally flawed characters.” |
| The Hindu | Positive (no numerical) | “Vadivelu, Fahadh Faasil steal the show in this slow-burn suspense flick.” |
| Cinema Express | Mixed (2.5-3/5 implied) | “What could have been a wholesome road trip drama suddenly turns into a crime thriller loaded with simplistic social commentary.” |
| IMDb User Average | 7.5/10 | “Fahadh Faasil and Vadivelu carry the movie effortlessly.” |
| Letterboxd Average | 3.5/4 | “Premise is promising… but the plot failed to do justice.” |
| Rotten Tomatoes | Fresh (Audience) | “Beyond Vadivelu’s brilliance, the film is well-crafted and engaging.” |
Final Verdict
Maareesan is a rewarding watch for fans of character-driven Tamil cinema with a thriller twist—think Maharaja meets a buddy road movie, but with more heart than horror. It falters in pacing and resolution, feeling like two films stitched together, but the stellar leads and thematic depth make it worth the ride. If you crave Vadivelu’s dramatic pivot or Fahadh’s understated charm, stream it on Netflix. Recommended with caveats: 7.5/10. It’s a solid 2025 entry that proves small-scale stories can pack big punches, even if not all land.