Cadaver movie review: Amala Paul's murder mystery is an engaging fare despite its predictable nature

3/5

Story: A forensic surgeon sets out to investigate the murder of an efficient doctor along with two cops. Despite nabbing a prime suspect, two more people associated with the deceased are assassinated. The case becomes complex whenever the surgeon thinks she is close to the killer because of unanticipated incidents. With the case hitting a roadblock, will she be able to solve the murder mystery? 

Review: Making a gripping murder mystery has become one of the biggest challenges for storywriters and filmmakers now, thanks to the spate of films and series releasing in different languages under the genre in recent years. Anoop S Panicker's Cadaver, which attempts to tick all the boxes of an engaging crime thriller, is the latest movie to join the bandwagon.

Bhadra (Amala Paul), a cold-blooded forensic surgeon, assists Vishal (Harish Uthaman) and Michael (Munishkanth) in solving the murder case of a renowned doctor. They identify a suspect based on a few crucial pieces of evidence and start questioning him. But a couple of more murders related to the case put the investigation team in trouble.

Meanwhile, the father of the deceased doctor, too, sets out to find the assassin and poses a threat to the police team. The case becomes more complex as days keep passing and the team hits a roadblock. Bhadra comes up with some ground-breaking discoveries pertaining to the case, but they learn that those vital pieces of evidence aren't adequate to lead them to the killer.

Cadaver follows the tried-and-tested pattern that most of the murder mysteries resort to, and succeeds to a decent extent in keeping the audience glued to their seats. Amala Paul puts up a convincing performance as a pathologist who comes up with startling revelations at regular intervals. 

The constant rapid pace of the screenplay makes viewers invested completely in the flow of events that are mostly intriguing. The twists and turns work, but do not leave you stunned. The backstory of a few characters and the revenge angle are interestingly narrated.

The emotional aspect, too, works; the depiction of a father-daughter relationship and a husband-wife relationship make us feel for them, thus justifying that the deceased are people who deserve punishment. The portrayal of relevant details associated with post-mortem complements the screenplay and adds conviction to a few sequences. 

But the generic approach in investigation dilutes the curiousity factor; things become predictable after a point and what was meant to be an astonishing surprise towards the pre-climax doesn't pack a punch. The lack of detailing in a few characters stick out as a sore thumb.

A mother-daughter relationship which is established in the beginning remains unexplored after the prime plot gets thicker. The biggest challenge for makers of Cadaver would be to hold the interest of audiences who are fans of whodunit films. The film, despite having a few engaging moments and surprises, offers nothing new.

The performances of Vinod Sagar and Adith Arun stand out while characters of Harish Uthaman and Munishkanth remind of their earlier portrayals. Aravind Singh's cinematography is neat and Ranjin Raj's music is okayish.  

Verdict: The fast-paced screenplay, intriguing backstories and a few convincing sequences make Cadaver a harmless one-time watch. The generic approach towards investigation, however, is a setback for those who expect some novelty from this mystery thriller.

Cadaver is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.