"Take Off" Movie Review: Gripping Malayalam Thriller

The year is 2014. Sameera (Parvathy Thiruvothu), a Malayali nurse, lives in Mosul, Iraq, working at a hospital alongside her colleagues Jincy (Divya Prabha), Hasna (Anjali Aneesh Upasana), and Ibru (Eric Zachariah). The city is volatile, but the nurses have carved out a fragile normalcy. Then ISIS storms the city. In a matter of hours, the nurses-along with thousands of other Indians-are trapped, their hospitals overrun and their lives reduced to a single goal: survival.

The narrative follows two parallel tracks. One is the nurses’ harrowing ordeal inside Mosul: the fear, the narrow escapes, the impossible choices. The other is the frantic diplomatic effort spearheaded by Indian diplomat Manoj Abraham (Fahadh Faasil), who must navigate red tape, local warlords, and a ticking clock to get a rescue team in place. Meanwhile, back in Kerala, Sameera’s estranged husband Shaheed (Kunchacko Boban) wrestles with guilt and desperation, trying to reach her through any channel possible. The story is based on real events, but Narayanan resists the urge to overdramatize-he trusts the situation itself to generate terror.

Let’s start with what makes Take Off unforgettable: the atmosphere of dread. From the opening shots of Mosul’s bustling streets to the sudden crack of gunfire and the ominous black flags, Narayanan builds a world where safety is an illusion. The camerawork by Sanu Varghese is lean and kinetic-it stays close to the characters, trapping you in their claustrophobia. When the nurses huddle in a dark room as militants pound on the door, you feel every thud in your chest.

Parvathy Thiruvothu is the film’s backbone. Her Sameera is no superhero; she’s a woman who trembles, weeps, and still finds the steel to lead. The scene where she negotiates with a ISIS commander is a masterclass in micro-expressions: fear, defiance, and a barely suppressed rage all flicker across her face. Fahadh Faasil, in a smaller but crucial role, brings a weary pragmatism to his diplomat-he’s the calm in the storm, but you see the cracks. Kunchacko Boban’s Shaheed, though underwritten, delivers a gut-punch of a final monologue that lingers.

The film’s genius lies in what it doesn’t show. The violence is mostly off-screen, implied in sound design and aftermath. A single gunshot echoes; a window shatters; a nurse disappears. This restraint makes the horror more intimate. The script, co-written by Narayanan, avoids tropes like heroic speeches or last-minute cavalry charges. Instead, it focuses on the small, bureaucratic steps of rescue-passports, phone calls, bribes-which feel real and exhausting.

If there’s a flaw, it’s that the first act takes time to establish normalcy, which slows the pace for some viewers. And the film could have fleshed out the nurses’ individual stories more-Divya Prabha and Anjali Aneesh Upasana are mostly reactive. But these are minor complaints in a work that otherwise fires on all cylinders. The climax, shot in near-silence, is one of the most moving finales in recent Indian cinema.

Pros

• Parvathy Thiruvothu delivers a raw, vulnerable, and unforgettable lead performance
• Mahesh Narayanan’s direction is precise and empathetic, never exploiting the real-life tragedy
• Sound design and score (by Sushin Shyam) amplify tension without being manipulative
• Fahadh Faasil brings a quiet gravitas to the diplomatic subplot
• Realistic, unhurried pacing that respects the gravity of the situation
• The climactic moment is emotionally earned, not forced

Cons

• First half occasionally drags while establishing characters in Mosul
• Some supporting nurses feel underwritten compared to Sameera
• Kunchacko Boban’s character arc, though moving, is a little thin in screen time
• The political context could have been explored with a bit more depth

Take Off isn’t just a film about a rescue-it’s about the courage of ordinary people faced with the extraordinary. Mahesh Narayanan has crafted a thriller that respects its subject, its audience, and its characters. It makes you feel the heat of Iraqi dust, the chill of fear, and the warmth of a community that refuses to give up. Nine years on, it stands tall as one of Malayalam cinema’s most accomplished and humane works. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor. And if you have, it rewards a rewatch-you’ll notice new layers of craft in every frame. With a TMDb rating of 7.315/10, it’s a film that deserves even higher praise. Don’t miss it.