Another week, another “hidden gem” to see. This week we will be taking a look at a little known Mollywood multistarrer that failed in the Kerala box office but became a cult classic years later. Titled ‘City of God‘, this movie was released back in 2011, a time when Malayalam cinema was undergoing a revolution, where the South-Indian filmmakers were returning to their roots, to create great stories. While this movie didn’t attract a lot of theatre audiences, it managed to wow critics, and many among the younger viewers. Check out the trailer for this film at the end of this article.
The film is set in the city of Cochin, in Kerala. Kerala is a state which is often referred to as “God’s own country”, so the title, ‘City of God’ is a play on those words. This cult classic is known for its non-linear narrative structure which has gone on to inspire multiple other Malayalam movies. This movie is not a remake, however, of the Brazilian brilliant film of the same name – although they both share a similar style of storytelling.
‘City of God’ revolves around the lives of Tamil migrant workers and a team of land mafia criminals who are based in the city of Cochin, Kerala. One night, a road accident occurs, which will involve four families who have ties in either of the two aforementioned factions. The film will follow a series of strange incidents that lead to the previously mentioned road accident.
Check out ‘City of God’, which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video