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Police procedural dramas and crime thrillers never run out of fashion. It is a genre that does is not barred by language and time periods. Ever since time in memorial, crime thrillers and cop stories have been a subject of interest, and pave way for both rooted and sleek, stylish thrillers. The latest addition is Eleven, a Tamil-Telugu bilingual film which is headlined by Naveen Chandra. The film is now available for streaming on OTTplay Premium and Prime Video. Eleven follows an honest cop who is asked to probe a serial killer case, which leads him to a school that admits only twins. Interesting right? Now, as you keep Eleven for your weekend watchlist, here are five other Tamil crime thrillers that follows a cop trying to crack a tough nut.
5 best police crime thrillers to stream right now on OTT
Por Thozhil released in 2023 and is a crime thriller helmed by Vignesh Raja in his debut. Featuring Sarath Kumar and Ashok Selvan in the lead roles, the film makes an interesting choice by pairing up a rookie cop with a much senior and cynical officer to investigate a case where a series of murders take place in similar fashion targeting young girls. Exploring the psychological bent of mind of an interesting serial killer character, Por Thozhil was lauded for its compelling narrative and performances. Nikhila Vimal, Sarath Babu, Nizhalgal Ravi, Sunil Sukhada and others appear in supporting roles.
8 Thottakkal is a crime thriller released in 2017. Sri Ganesh made his directorial debut with the film which features Vetri, Aparna Balamurali, Nassar, MS Bhaskar and Meera Mithun among others. The film is about a timid and young police officer who loses his service pistol which is fully loaded. Unable to remember where it has been placed, the young cop has to now retrieve it or face suspension. The film blends a tense crime thriller with emotional depth, culminating in a poignant climax.
The Smile Man is a 2024 crime thriller which features a retired cop Chidambaram Nedumaran (played by Sarathkumar), battling early-stage Alzheimer’s. Circumstances lead him to investigate a serial killer case who leaves his victims scarred by carving a smile on their faces. Racing against time with fading memories, the film is an edge-of-the-seat thriller directed by Syam and Praveen. Sija Rose, Ineya, Kalaiyarasan, George Maryan, Suresh Chandra Menon, Rajkumar are part of the film.
Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu is 2006 iconic cop drama in Tamil cinema. Headlined by Kamal Haasan who played DCP Raghavan, the film is directed by Gautham Menon. The film explores a senior cop who has to investigate the brutal murder of his friend’s daughter. Featuring a cast comprising of actors Jyothika, Kamalinee Mukherjee, Prakash Raj, Daniel Balaji, and Salim Baig, Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu became a commercial blockbuster and has music by Harris Jayaraj.
Ratsasan is a crime thriller released in 2018 and is directed by Ram Kumar. The film is about an aspiring film director who becomes a cop after the demise of his father and has to nab a serial killer. It is headlined by Vishnu Vishal and also features Amala Paul, Kaali Venkat, Abhirami and others.
