Drishyam 3 review: Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph's sequel is less clever, more dramatic

Drishyam 3 movie review: Director Jeethu Joseph's Drishyam 3, starring Mohanlal, Meena and Siddique, is a sequel that prioritises drama over intelligence. While the film has some meaty ideas that could make for a brilliant thriller, it settles for less because of its writing.

In Short

• Drishyam 3 focuses on Georgekutty facing threats from a journalist reopening Varun's death case
• The film moves towards drama, losing the clever twists of earlier parts
• Mohanlal's performance remains strong, keeping audience engaged despite weak script

How long can a man outrun the ghosts of his past? A middle-class family man who once went to unimaginable lengths to protect his family now finds himself battling a past that refuses to stay buried (literally). This is what Jeethu Joseph's Drishyam 3 is all about. Does Jeethu Joseph have a few more tricks up his sleeve to make the third film in the franchise as interesting as the first two were? Let's find out.

Producer Georgekutty (Mohanlal) has successfully released his first film, which is based on the events that happened in his family. As he is hounded with congratulations and offers for overseas release and remakes, there's also a looming threat for his family. This time, it's not the police or Geetha Prabakar (Asha Sharath), who lost her son Varun, who is coming after Georgekutty.

We're told that the police and Geetha are not interested in pursuing the case any more due to lack of evidence against Georgekutty's family. But the case gets renewed attention from a journalist who wants to make a documentary on Varun's death and the Georgekutty family's involvement in it. Why is the case suddenly being reopened? Did the journalist or the police find more conclusive clues that could lead to arrests?

When Drishyam first hit theatres in 2013, director Jeethu Joseph presented the concept of a slow-burn thriller to the mainstream audience. It caught on and how. The second part, which had an OTT release in 2021, didn't disappoint either. Now, in 2026, Jeethu Joseph is back with Drishyam 3, with massive expectations riding on him and the film. Between 2013 and 2026, the filmmaker belted out many thrillers laden with twists — a trademark of his filmography. But his last few films have been criticised for a more predictable and convenient approach. And that has plagued Drishyam 3 as well.

Drishyam was a franchise built on clever screenplay, twists that came out of nowhere and a strong emotional connect. The first two films rode on these twists. And somewhere down the line, this became Drishyam 3's biggest issue. By now, audiences are aware of the template and the urge to look for twists is more apparent than ever. Take, for example, the moment Anju's fiance is introduced — you know a twist is incoming. In Drishyam 3, it is not a question of when, but more about how. And that is a tall expectation to live up to.

Drishyam 3 leans more into drama — the emotional weight of the truth and sin that Georgekutty and his family are carrying, while trying to move on with their lives. It is not the cerebral thriller that it was in the first two parts. The film has several interesting subplots that could have tapped into the intelligent side of the story. Take, for example, the arc where the people affected by Georgekutty scheme against him. While the subplot gets a proper opening, it is killed before it can explode in the way that made the franchise work in the past.

For the major part of the first half, Drishyam 3's story doesn't move forward at all. It is only before the interval that it picks up pace, but again settles for more drama post-interval. When Drishyam 3 finally finds its footing, we are just 20 minutes away from the end credits.

There are several interesting beats in Drishyam 3 — can a common man who outwitted the cops twice get lucky a third time? We know a killing happened, and a body was hidden. But can a man execute it without leaving a trace? How many times can luck favour him? All these threads get too little screen time and the pay-offs aren't satisfactory either.

That said, Drishyam 3 is not a bad film. It goes for the low-hanging fruit and relies on one certainty: Mohanlal's Georgekutty will always be one step ahead of the cops. And Mohanlal's brilliant performance, despite the script's shortcomings, keeps us glued to the screen for two hours and 39 minutes. His wife, played by Meena, and daughters, played by Ansiba Hassan and Esther Anil, get roles that require them to simply agree with what Georgekutty says. Esther Anil has several dialogues that bring in some welcome comic relief.

Asha Sharath and Siddique make a comeback in Drishyam 3 and their roles, initially shrouded in mystery, get well-rounded arcs. Murali Gopy and Kalabhavan Shajohn get extended roles in the third part, which keeps the proceedings interesting.

Satheesh Kurup's cinematography captures the landscapes of Kerala in all its glory. Anil Johnson's music serves the film's mood well.

Drishyam 3, despite delivering on the performance front, falls short of brilliance due to its convenient screenplay. What set the franchise apart has now been reduced to milking its own popularity. It keeps asking whether Georgekutty can outrun his past — and leaves you with an answer that you already know.

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