A viral song might make people curious to watch the movie in the theatre on opening day, but it cannot rescue a weak script from drowning.

Director Ullas Chemban and writer Chemban Vinod Jose return with Disco, a coastal gangster Malayalam drama that mistakes excessive noise and gore for good storytelling.

Spoiler Alert:

Set in a gritty seaside town, the plot revolves around two local crews run by Ousu (Dev Mohan) and Darling Marty (Lukman Avaran).

When veteran criminal Vediamo (Chemban Vinod Jose) walks out of prison, the rival youngsters decide to bury the hatchet and team up for one massive, life-changing score.

Their grand plan quickly hits a wall when they cross paths with Yoyaki (Antony Varghese), a brutal local heavy, sparking a relentless turf war.

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This setup sounds like a solid recipe for a gripping crime thriller. On screen, however, the execution falls apart.

Rather than building real tension or giving us reasons to care about these characters, the screenplay jumps erratically from one bloody brawl to the next.

Before its release, the infectious track “Aadhame” took social media by storm, building massive hype around the film.

Watching the promotional material, audiences naturally expected a wild, colourful gangster comedy in the vein of Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Double Barrel, or a slick, high-energy entertainer matching the sharp street fashion and visual flair of Khalid Rahman’s Thallumaala.

The vibrant outfits and swagger promised a fun, quirky ride that Malayalam cinema fans love to celebrate.

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Unfortunately, those stylish costumes and catchy beats are just window dressing for a hollow core.

Great clothes and a viral hook cannot carry a feature film when the basics are missing. Disco lacks a cohesive script to tie its scenes together, and the choppy editing ruins whatever momentum the visuals try to build.

Without solid writing or tight pacing, the aesthetic feels completely wasted.

Also, with a bloated cast, including wasted appearances by talented actors like Arjun Ashokan and Vishnu Unnikrishnan, nobody gets enough breathing room to leave a mark.

Even Antony Varghese’s intimidating presence takes a hit whenever his character breaks into awkward, unconvincing English dialogue.

The film tries hard to look cool, borrowing heavy visual cues from western crime shows with sharp costumes and moody set designs.

Yet, the filmmaking choices often work against the audience. The climactic fight experiments with a shaky, first-person video game camera angle under harsh strobe-like lighting, turning what should be a thrilling finale into a confusing blur where you can barely tell who is hitting whom.

Making matters worse is a relentless, deafening background score that refuses to give your ears a single second of peace.

Coming off the success of their distinct debut Anchakkallakokkan, the Chemban brothers seem too focused on shock value this time around.

Disco delivers plenty of bullets, severed limbs, and swagger, but forgets to pack a heart or a coherent story.

Timeline Verdict: Unless you enjoy sensory overload and hollow gangster posturing, you are better off just listening to “Aadhame” at home.

Rating: 1.5/5

Cast: 

• Antony Varghese
• Dev Mohan
• Lukman Avaran
•  Chemban Vinod Jose
• Arjun Ashokan
•  Vishnu Unnikrishnan

Crew:

• Director: Ullas Chemban
• Writer: Chemban Vinod Jose
•  Producers: Chemban Vinod Jose, Ahmad Golchin (Chembosky Motion Pictures, Phars Film)
• Music & Background Score: Manikandan Ayyappa
• Cinematography: Armo