The film excels in maintaining a strong sense of doubt and suspense in the first half, keeping the audience guessing. The second half opens up emotionally with some key reveals and a climax twist that clicks and works in the film’s favour. However, the back story that the film presents is something that is done-to-death and there have been similar beats in recent films – while it is effective enough to push forward the narrative of the film, it is not something extraordinary. The film benefits from the emotional investment that is created by the lead characters, and that is what takes it till the end.
Taanakkaran’s best parts are in the portions where Vikram Prabhu and Lal face off, as the events that take place between the two act as those that seem to have come straight out of Tamizh’s episodes in the police camp. The unusual climax is also a positive to the film, pulling off a surprise that many would not see coming. Vikram Prabhu delivers a class act in the film, with a performance that brings out his talent to the T, after a long time. It is evident that the actor has gone through a lot physically for the role, and it has paid off superbly in the film. Watch out for Lal’s menacing show, which is another reason why Taanakaaran will be remembered for a while in memory. The film also has good performances from its support cast that has names such as Pavel Naganeethan, MS Bhaskar and the others.
