Movie Review(s): Kuttram 23, Memories & Nibunan (Malayalam/Tamil)

I don't know what's it with most Indian crime/mystery thrillers today - Kuttram 23, Nibunan and Memories (a 2013 Malayalam film directed by Drishyam director Jeethu Joseph), the examples are one too many to count. All these films convincingly build up, be it the killings, the suspense, the procedural aspect of it and whatnot, until the antagonist's intent is revealed and you are like that's it? Where is the psychological exploration? Where are the details? Why are the characters so uninteresting? And why are the backstories often half-baked? I could go on and on, but watching Kuttram 23 left me exasperated more than the others. (Memories definitely fares the better of the three.) The movie — essentially about a white-collar crime involving doctors who deliberately mislead childless couples resorting to artificial insemination — is taut, but treats the subject as if it's a matter of shame rather than focusing on the perpetrators of the medical malpractice. Talk about being misguided!