2025 has been a landmark year for Malayalam cinema, breaking box-office records while pushing the boundaries of storytelling. From the industry's first ₹300-crore superhero epic to grounded family dramas and chilling psychological thrillers, the variety is staggering. Here is the curated OTT360 list of the 10 must-watch Malayalam films of the year.

1. Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra

• Streaming Platform: Netflix (Expected)
• Cast: Kalyani Priyadarshan, Naslen K. Gafoor, Chandu Salimkumar
• Plot: India’s first female-led superhero film follows Chandra, a young woman in Bengaluru who discovers she is an immortal Yakshi. She must embrace her supernatural lineage to take down a dangerous organ-smuggling syndicate.

2. L2: Empuraan

• Streaming Platform: JioHotstar
• Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas
• Plot: The massive sequel to Lucifer explores the global operations of Khureshi Ab'raam. It blends high-octane international action with Kerala’s gritty political landscape, cementing Stephen Nedumpally’s status as a shadow emperor.

3. Thudarum

• Streaming Platform: JioHotstar
• Cast: Mohanlal, Shobana, Prakash Varma, Farhaan Faasil
• Plot: Marking the legendary reunion of Mohanlal and Shobana after 15 years, this revenge drama centers on a family man whose peaceful life is shattered, forcing him into a calculated path of retribution against powerful forces.

4. Ponman

• Streaming Platform: Netflix
• Cast: Basil Joseph, Lijomol Jose, Sandeep Pradeep
• Plot: A satirical dark comedy based on G.R. Indugopan’s novella. It follows a small-time gold dealer who gets caught in a chaotic web of local politics and dangerous debt collectors after a village wedding goes south.

5. Dies Irae

• Streaming Platform: Netflix / Amazon Prime Video (TBA)
• Cast: Pranav Mohanlal
• Plot: Directed by Rahul Sadasivan (Bramayugam), this is a slow-burn psychological horror film. It relies on a haunting soundscape and atmospheric tension rather than gore, following a man trapped in a house with a malevolent entity.

6. Alappuzha Gymkhana

• Streaming Platform: SonyLIV
• Cast: Naslen, Lukman Avaran, Ganapathi, Baby Jean
• Plot: A vibrant sports comedy-drama set in the heart of Alappuzha. The film moves away from typical boxing clichés to tell a relatable, humorous story about a local boxing club and the personal dreams of its quirky members.

7. Rekhachithram

• Streaming Platform: SonyLIV
• Cast: Asif Ali, Anaswara Rajan, Jagadish
• Plot: A nostalgic mystery-thriller set in the 1980s. The story revolves around a police investigation into a decades-old murder that resurfaces through a viral social media confession by a dying man.

8. Eko

• Streaming Platform: Netflix
• Cast: Sandeep Pradeep, Biana Momin
• Plot: A period mystery thriller set in a remote hill station. It tells the story of an elderly Malaysian woman living in isolation in Kerala and the dark secrets surrounding her husband's disappearance decades ago.

9. Officer on Duty

• Streaming Platform: Netflix
• Cast: Kunchacko Boban, Priyamani
• Plot: A gritty police procedural where a demoted officer with anger management issues uncovers a massive counterfeit jewelry racket. The film focuses on the psychological toll of police work and the corruption within the system.

10. Feminichi Fathima

• Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video (Expected)
• Cast: Anaswara Rajan
• Plot: A powerful social drama that explores the "bloodless revolution" of women standing up against patriarchal systems in religion and family life. It is celebrated for its sharp writing and bold stance on gender politics.