Top 10 South Indian Suspense Thriller Movies In 2023

South Indian movies are known for their elaborate storylines, striking visuals, and larger-than-life characters. But, one genre that many don’t associate with South Indian cinema is suspense thrillers. Surprisingly enough, there have been some great suspense thriller movies made in South India over the past decade or two. If you’re looking for something to keep you on the edge of your seat, then these are just the movies for you. In this blog post, we will take a look at 10 of the best South Indian suspense thriller movies that have released in recent years. Get ready to be taken on an exciting journey as we explore some of these must-watch films!

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Anjaam

Anjaam is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language suspense thriller film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starring Madhuri Dixit, Shahrukh Khan, Deepak Tijori, Johnny Lever and Ashok Saraf. The film was produced by Gaurang Doshi and written by Santoshi and Kamlesh Pandey.

The story revolves around Vijay Agnihotri (Shahrukh Khan), a successful businessman who lives with his pregnant wife Sapna (Madhuri Dixit) in Bombay. One night, Vijay returns home late from work to find that Sapna has been brutally murdered.

The police investigate the case and soon zero in on Vijay as the prime suspect. Vijay vehemently denies the charges but with no other leads in the case, he is arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In prison, Vijay befriends another inmate named Shankar (Deepak Tijori) who tells him about a man named Raghu (Ashok Saraf) who was also falsely accused of murder and was recently released from jail after serving 20 years behind bars. Shankar urges Vijay to meet Raghu and take his help in getting out of prison.

Vijay follows Shankar's advice and meets Raghu who agrees to help him. Raghu starts investigating the case on his own and soon comes to believe that Vijay is innocent. He also discovers that the real

Arjun Reddy

Arjun Reddy is a Telugu language action drama film released in 2017. The film was written and directed by Sandeep Vanga, and produced by his brother Pranay Reddy Vanga through their production company Bhadrakali Pictures. It stars Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey in the lead roles, and Rahul Ramakrishna, Jia Sharma, Sanjay Swaroop, Gopinath Bhat, Kamal Kamaraju and Kanchana in supporting roles.

The plot follows Arjun Reddy (Deverakonda), a young medical student from a wealthy family who spends his time drinking alcohol and engaging in fights after his girlfriend Preethi (Pandey) is forced to marry another man. When her husband is killed in an accident, Arjun takes her back and they rekindle their relationship. However, this causes him to spiral out of control, leading to tragic consequences.

Arjun Reddy was released on 25 August 2017 to positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Deverakonda's performance. It became a commercial success, grossing over ₹600 million worldwide. A Hindi remake rights were sold for ₹40 million, making it one of the most expensive remakes in Hindi cinema history.

Drushyam

Drushyam is a Telugu suspense thriller film released in 2014. The story revolves around a man named Vijay (Venkatesh), who has the ability to foresee events before they happen. This power comes in handy when his family is threatened by an unknown assailant. Vijay must use his abilities to protect his loved ones and solve the mystery of who is after them.

The film was directed by Sripriya and written by P. Jaya Narayanan. It received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, with many praising the performances of the cast and the direction. Drushyam was a commercial success at the box office, grossing over ₹100 crore worldwide.

Kshanam

Kshanam is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language thriller film directed by Ravikanth Perepu and produced by PVP Cinema. The film features Adivi Sesh, Anasuya Bharadwaj, and Adah Sharma in the lead roles. The plot revolves around the disappearance of a young woman and her friend's search for her.

The film was released on 26 February 2016 to positive reviews from critics, who praised its direction, screenplay, and performances. It became a commercial success, grossing over ₹50 crore (US$7.1 million) worldwide.

Kshanam is the story of Rishi (Adivi Sesh), a software engineer who lives in the United States, and his search for his missing ex-girlfriend, Swetha (Anasuya Bharadwaj). Swetha goes missing under mysterious circumstances, and Rishi returns to India to find her. He is assisted by her friend, Preethi (Adah Sharma).

The film follows Rishi and Preethi as they try to piece together the events leading up to Swetha's disappearance. They uncover a web of lies and deceit that takes them down a dark path. Kshanam is a gripping suspense thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Neevevaro

Released in 2018, Neevevaro is a Telugu suspense thriller movie directed by Harinath and starring Aadhi Pinisetty, Taapsee Pannu, and Ritika Singh in the lead roles. The plot revolves around a blind man named Vicky (Aadhi Pinisetty) who is in search of his fiancée Pallavi (Taapsee Pannu) who went missing on the night of their engagement. With the help of his friend, he sets out to find her and uncover the truth behind her disappearance. The movie was well-received by critics and audiences alike and is considered one of the best suspense thrillers from South India.

Nishabdham

Nishabdham is a 2020 Indian Telugu-language suspense thriller film directed by Hemant Madhukar and produced by Kona Venkat and TG Vishwa Prasad. The film stars Anushka Shetty, R Madhavan, Anjali, Michael Madsen, Subbaraju and Shalini Pandey.

The story revolves around a mute artist named Sakshi (Anushka Shetty) who moves to Seattle with her husband Anthony (R Madhavan). Her life takes a turn when she gets embroiled in a murder mystery. The rest of the story is about how she solves the mystery with the help of police detective Krishna (Subbaraju).

The film was released on 2 October 2020 on Amazon Prime Video.

Pattas

Pattas is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by R. S. Durai Senthilkumar and produced by Sathya Jyothi Films. The film stars Dhanush, Sneha and Mehreen Pirzada in the lead roles. Pattas released on 15 January 2020 to positive reviews from critics.

Dhanush plays the dual role of father and son in the film, with the latter out to avenge the death of his father at the hands of a kabbadi team captain (Sathyaraj).

The film begins with the flashback story of how Natarajan Subramaniam (Dhanush), an expert in traditional martial arts called Adimurai, was killed by a ruthless kabbadi team captain (Sathyaraj) when he refused to cooperate with him in illegal activities. His wife Saroja (Sneha) then gives birth to their son Murugan (also Dhanush).

Murugan grows up to be an expert Adimurai fighter like his father and sets out to take revenge against those responsible for his father's death. He soon realizes that his father's killers are linked to a much bigger conspiracy involving powerful people in the government. With help from his friends, Murugan sets out to uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice.

Rx 100

Rx 100 is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language suspense thriller film directed by Ajay Bhupathi and produced by Ashok Reddy Gummakonda. The film stars Kartikeya Gummakonda and Payal Rajput in the lead roles, while Rao Ramesh, Ramki, and Shivatmika Rajasekhar play pivotal supporting roles.

The film's story revolves around two lovers, Surya (Kartikeya) and Sarah (Payal), who are forced to part ways due to family pressure. However, they continue to meet in secret until one day, Sarah is abducted and Surya sets out on a mission to find her.

Rx 100 was released theatrically on 12 July 2018 to positive reviews from critics. The film became a box office success, grossing over ₹100 crore (US$15 million) worldwide.

Directed by Ajay Bhupathi, Rx 100 features Kartikeya Gummakonda and Payal Rajput in the lead roles. The film also stars Rao Ramesh, Ramki, and Shivatmika Rajasekhar in pivotal supporting roles.

The film's story revolves around two lovers, Surya (Kartikeya) and Sarah (Payal), who are forced to part ways due to family pressure. However, they continue to meet in secret until one day when Sarah is abducted. This leads S

Soorarai Pottru

Soorarai Pottru is a South Indian suspense thriller movie that was released in 2020.

The movie follows the story of Surya, a man who is determined to start his own airline despite all the odds stacked against him. As he works to make his dream a reality, he must deal with corrupt officials, powerful businessmen, and other obstacles.

Despite all the challenges, Surya perseveres and eventually achieves his goal. Along the way, he learns some important lessons about life and business.

Soorarai Pottru is an inspiring story that will leave you on the edge of your seat. It's a must-watch for any fan of suspense thrillers.

Theevandi

Directed by debutant Tovino Thomas, Theevandi is a gripping suspense thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat till the end. The story revolves around Bineesh Damodaran (played by Tovino Thomas), an unemployed youngster who turns to drugs to escape the reality of his life. Things take a turn for the worse when he gets caught up in a drug dealing case and is on the run from the police. Theevandi is a must watch for all those who love suspense thrillers with a bit of humour.