5 brilliant Kannada movies that are must-watch for thriller fans

Kannada movies have been the pioneers in the ‘ahead of its time’ trope, a much-needed change in the format of storytelling. They merely didn’t depict plots that narrated ‘boy meets girl’ concepts but told real natural stories of today. On this note, the Kannada Film Industry has given us quite a few thrilling movies that keep us hooked to our seats till the very last shot. One very impressive attribute of these movies is that they are usually very authentic and nothing unreal, yet, they manage to surprise people. And with the advent of OTT, these Kannada movies, especially the thriller genre, have expanded their viewer base to the whole country.

Since searching and figuring out the best of the Kannada movies will be a herculean task on your weekend, here is Yo! Vizag’s compilation of some of the must-watch Kannada thriller movies. 

#1 U-Turn

U-Turn is a 2016 supernatural thriller starring Shraddha and Srinath in the lead roles. The plot revolves around a journalist chasing down a motorist who breaks traffic rules at a flyover in Bangalore. The plot of the film was liked by a lot of directors from the film fraternity that it is the only Kannada movie to have been remade in six languages. The film was remade in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Sinhala, Filipino, and Bengali. A feather to its hat, a Hindi remake of U-Turn was announced by Ekta Kapoor in July 2021. 

Watch it on: Netflix/Amazon Prime Video

#2 Kavaludaari

Kavaludaari, which translates to ”Crossroads”, is a 2019 neo-noir thriller film starring Rishi, Anant Nag, Achyuth Kumar, Suman Ranganathan, and Roshini Prakash. The film was directed by Hemanth Rao and is the first feature film under the PRK production house.  The plot revolves around a traffic constable who attempts to solve a mysterious case of three skulls found near a metro construction site. The movie has been remade in Tamil and Telugu. The makers also revealed that it is being remade in Malayalam and Hindi. 

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video

#3 Bell Bottom

Bell Bottom is a 2019 crime thriller set in the 1980s. Written by Dayanand T.K, this feature film stars Rishab Shetty and Hariprriya in the lead. The plot revolves around the son of a policeman who aspires to be a detective. The movie completed 100 days in 25 plus centers and turned the highest-grossing cash cow for the Kannada Film Industry. A caveat, the 2021 Hindi Action thriller film Bell Bottom is not a remake of the 2019 Kannada film Bell Bottom. 

Watch it on: Voot

#4 RangiTaranga

RangiTaranga is a mystery thriller set in a fictional village called Kamarottu. This film was Anup Bhandari’s directional debut. The plot is guided by mysteries of nightmares and subsequent unnatural occurrences. The film finally uncovers a mysterious trial of crime when Gautam, the lead, finds his pregnant wife missing. The film was inspired from the Dennana Dennana, a 1990s Kannada television track. At the hall of fame, this film made it into the list of productions eligible for the 88th Academy Awards but did not make it through the nominations. It’s one of the best Kannada thriller movies ever and a must-watch for all.

Watch it on: SunNXT

#5 Aa Karaala Ratri

Aa Karaala Ratri, which translates to ‘that intense dark night’ is a 2018 suspense thriller. The film is based on a play by Mohan Habbu which is translated from the English play Lithuania by Rupert Brooke. The plot revolves around a received prediction that bestows fortune upon a family that lives in abject poverty. This movie won the Karnataka State Film Award for First Best Film in 2018. Karthik Jayaram, the lead from the film, was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the 8th South Indian International Movie Awards. 

Watch it on: Disney+ Hotstar 

Here’s another list of some highly-rated English time-travel thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video for you to check out.