A Review by Aaliya Ansar
RELEASE DATE: July 25, 2025
LANGUAGE: Malayalam
DURATION: 02 Hours 06 Minutes
DIRECTOR: Arun Varma
GENRE: Drama Thriller
Positives:
1: Promising First Half
2: Background Score
3: Cinematography
4: Performance of Sangeeth and Lijo Mol
Negatives:
1: Outdated Direction
2:Many Logical Issues
3: Lazy Screenplay Writing
4: Predictability Issues
5: Underdeveloped Character Arch
6: Scenes doesn’t connect emotionally
7: Off-colour grading
8: Underutilisation of Nivin Pauly
Story
“Baby Girl” This movie takes us through an intense experience, as a baby goes missing from a state-run hospital, which leads the people in the hospital, as well as the parents, into a dilemma. Nivin Pauly represents the role of an innocent, vulnerable, and meek-looking attendant named Sanal Mathew, who eventually becomes the prime suspect. This movie makes us curious, wondering if he is indeed innocent, or if there is more than what we might have thought.
REVIEW & ANALYSIS OF THE FILM:
“Baby Girl” won’t surprise you with any plot or writing surprises. It will simply make an effort to unnerve you. though maybe a bit too slowly for its own good. A sense of helplessness is something that “BabyGirl”seems to care far more about than any actual thriller plot points—this fact represents the movie’s best and worst qualities as soon as it decides to start telling its story in a hospital setting. From that very moment onward, it seems to settle firmly into an emotional space and never really budges. There’s an uncomfortable sense of realism to all of this pacing and all of these conversations. Indeed, nothing really happens here—nothing explodes controversially and demands to be solved—so everything just lingers.
Nevertheless, as the story progresses, it seems that this strategy is not exactly an intentional decision but rather an unintentional one. Scenes are stretched out rather longer than needed, not because of any revelation of emotion or character complexity, but simply because it is momentarily unsure of which path it should proceed down. Not only does none of the tension created in the first half of the film build or develop in any sort of tangible way, it simply repeats itself in different locations and with different people.
Direction-wise as well, “Arun Varma” decides to take it easy. There are no bold choices made with regards to setting or story once part of it is established as a conflict. It teases some rather deeper themes and questions and never really attempts to explore them. Even when it seems like it’s going to make some kind of bold commentary or observation, it never really manages to.
Another aspect of the movie is the screenplay. One can say the theme is good; otherwise, the script lacked force after the interval. Many scenes were conveniently incorporated; scenes where the characters’ emotions were to be challenged lacked depth due to the convenience of the scenes. Most scenes were moved as if the characters were playing chess. From the visual perspective of the movie, it was good; the tones were consistent apart from the colors. Some scenes were dimmed dimly on purpose; some were dimmed undesirably.
When the movie hits its final stretch with Baby Girl, what should be anger and betrayal actually ends up as disappointment. The ingredients for such an edgy and unsettling drama were clearly well-placed here but were instead taken in an even more predictable vein.
SO WHAT’S HOT:
1: The First Half’s Controlled Build
The film begins well, building up tension without forcing the drama.
2. Background Score
The music does understand the power of silence and avoids the temptation of over-selling each emotional moment. However, while the music avoids melodrama, it sometimes neglects to provide the thrills and energy that a movie of this scale warrants
3. Cinematography
The camera often looks on rather than react; its effect is un-orchestrated and uncomfortable.
4. Lijomol Jose
She gives a performance that seems to be based around restraint, depicting her fear and tiredness in a way that avoids exaggeration.
5. Sangeeth Prathap
Sincerity helps ground the film, even as the script struggles.
6. Realistic Tone
The film stays grounded and avoids the usual over-the-top Malayalam thriller tropes.
7. Setting Usage
The hospital is not just a setting in the novel. It actually contributes to the narrative’s mood.
SO WHAT DIDN’T WORK OUT:
1. Outdated Direction
Arun Varma has a good grip on suspense, although there are times when it seems he is unsure of where he is panning the camera. Scenes that should be tense, like frantically searching an area of a hospital or making a phone call, really drag on and cause one to look at their watch rather than be on the edge of one’s seat. It is a bit of a shame, really, that the suspense is never quite there in his second directorial outing.
2. Characters Behaving Conveniently
Some of the decisions made by Sanal and other characters feel more artificial, as if made for the purpose of advancing the plot rather than for human nature. It’s the kind of “well, let’s do what the plot needs” problem. Certainly, for something described as a thriller about the disappearance of a child, it detracts from the tension because you start to guess what’s going to happen next.
3. Screenplay Runs Out of Steam
The first half is paced well, but by the second half, the story seems to repeat itself, like the writers were getting bored with ways to scare the hospital. The suspense is so formulaic that you can hear the film saying, “Don’t worry, the climax is coming… eventually.”
4. Predictable Twists
Even with the mystery aspect, the major turns can easily be predicted. While the suspense initially has the reader guessing, after a while, the story does a disservice to the reader by giving away all the hints they have. A thriller should tie your stomach into knots, not have you go?Ah, I knew it.
5. Supporting Characters Left Hanging
Besides the character of Sanal and the mother, the other people in the hospital and the policemen exist only in a line or two of dialogue. You don’t actually know what their motivations are for anything they’re doing, and in some instances, the story seems to have forgotten they were ever in the scene to begin with. They’re props, not people, which was a shame because they could have helped to add another layer to the tense moments in the film.
6. Off-Colour Grading
There are moments in the film’s visual color scheme that are more distracting than enhancing. Scenes in the hospital are too cold on occasion, creating a somewhat unrealistic environment, while others are too warm, disrupting the overall mood. A more selective approach here could have helped make the hospital environment even more ominous, with the tension rising more believably.
7. Underutilisation of Nivin Pauly
It’s also unfortunate to see Nivin Pauly play a glorified cameo. He does bring a certain vulnerability to his character Sanal Mathew, but he is a performer in ‘Standby Mode.’ He is an actor whose screen presence is incalculable, but he is relegated to the typical plot device to keep people guessing.
PERFORMANCE OF ACTORS:
Nivin Pauly (Sanal Mathew)
Nivin Pauly is mostly employed in Baby Girl to observe . Perhaps the silence is meant to have more depth than the act of being intense, but after a while, the absence of the former has more to do with emotional standby mode. Nivin, an actor known for delivering nuanced and spontaneous performances, is quiet where the situation calls for intense; not simply intense, but really intense.
Sangeeth Prathap & Abhimanyu Thilakan
Sangeeth Prathap is excellent in a straight, no-nonsense getup, bringing a calming stability to offset the sense of urgency exhibited by Sanal and the sister’s situation. Abhimanyu Thilakan is noteworthy as the authoritative policeman, injecting a sense of gravity that propels the investigation to its necessary conclusion. Both actors have performed well to keep the display under control, ensuring that the thriller is grounded in an element of realism.
Supporting Characters
The additional actors add depth to the world of the hospital, although they seem a bit lacking at some parts. The scenes involving the nurses, the staff, and the officials seem quite natural, which helps add depth to the oppressive environment of the hospital. Despite their small time on the big screen, they were essential in creating a believable environment in the world of the film.
CONCLUSION:
While Baby Girl goes out of her way to make the viewer edge their seat, there were moments where the edge became a coffee break. While Arun Varma’s world feels more like a waiting room than a playground for thrills, there were moments where the choices made by the actors were so convenient, they made me go back. However, Nivin Pauly, along with his co-star, makes good use of the dramatic value of subtlety.
The narrative missteps sometimes on the more obvious plot turns, and there are moments where the support characters simply disappear just when you’re becoming invested in them as well. The film’s rhythm is sometimes uneven, with the suspense moments dragged out longer than necessary to keep you looking at the clock rather than holding it with tension building. Yet, the film’s setting of the cold, sterile hospital environment, the ticking clock, and the sense of impending dread are all very well done, and the background music subtly ramps up the tension without going over the top with it either. In the end, Baby Girl may not break new ground for the thriller genre, but it’s well enough done to keep you interested with the suspense, the emotions, and the performances.
Final verdict
“Baby Girl”struggles to sustain suspense, with predictable twists and uneven pacing. Performances are decent, but the film is only a one-time watch.
Rating: 2/5
A Review by Aaliya Ansar
