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Critics Review
2.50
A Blunt Whodunit!
The intent to treat it unique within the thriller genre is appreciable, but the thin script with lack of depth in writing the investigation portions and backstory behind the crime make it a weak outing.(more)
Source: Ashwin, MovieCrow
3.00
An interesting yet slow-paced murder mystery thriller
The idea of the writer connecting Vijay Antony's personal loss and his trauma to the case that he's investigating seems great and does help make the screenplay a bit more effective. The second half, though, becomes a bit slow, and the writer makes us wait longer even after letting us know who the killer is. The backstory of the killer is also a bit unconvincing and could have been shaped up better in terms of writing. While Vijay Antony and Ritika Singh's performances are good, it's Meenakshi Chaudhary's acting and screen presence that helps elevate certain sequences. It helps that she looks perfect as a model.(more)
Source: Logesh Balachandran,, Times Of India
1.50
It's style over substance for Vijay Antony's murder mystery
In an attempt to give the murder mystery a stylised treatment, the story of 'Kolai' is compromised. Hence, there is no desired impact while watching the film.(more)
Source: Janani, India Today
1.50
A plastic murder mystery
Kolai also suffers from an exposition problem. The moment we are introduced to a character, Balaji tells us everything we need to know about them. And nothing is interesting about the characters in Kolai because they are all stereotypes. There�s a suspect who is more about flaunting his biceps, a mentally-challenged neighbour who is a tech-savvy hacker, an addict who is a photographer, and so on. Even Vinayak and his problems don�t move us a bit as everything about the film is extremely remote to the viewer. A great twist might have made the film a bit more tolerable, but it fails on that account as well. Also, by the end of it, one doesn�t actually care about who killed whom. The only good outcome of the movie is the songs of composer Girish Gopala Krishnan. Yaar Nee and the new version of Tamil classic Paatha Nyabagam Illayo are the only things that remain with you.(more)
Source: Kirubhakar Purushothaman, Indian Express
2.75
Visually and musically rich attempt at a Tamil film noir
The film builds up good suspense till the interval but post that it goes downhill with its own contrivance. The villain using a recording of the victim's voice to throw suspicion away from him may have worked a good hundred years back. And so would the drama with the side door with all the suspects entering through it undetected which becomes funny after a point. Similarly the abstract elements of the film could have been more organic that would have helped the film reach a wider audience.(more)
Source: Indiaglitz, IndiaGlitz.com