The discourse around Haneef Adeni’s Malayalam film Marco, starring Unni Mukundan in the lead role, reminds one of a bygone era when cinema overwhelmed people and elicited extreme reactions. “A woman threw up on my shirt,” reads one headline, while another proclaims, “It’s not for the faint of heart.” Much like when The Exorcist (1973) made people faint, vomit or leave the show midway.
Good ol’ times! (Also Read: Fans surprised to see Marco actor Unni Mukundan speak fluent Gujarati: ‘Bro switching language like Netflix feature’ ) And, of course, the proclamations of Marco dethroning Kill, Animal or Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire as the most violent Indian film , came soon after. The censor board asking the film’s team to censor or tone down certain scenes only solidified the belief that it ventured into unchartered territory. Fans of gore were in for a ride, but is the film really that good? The answer is both yes and no.
Marco pushes the boundaries of violence Commercial cinema has increased the amount of violence year by year, threading the fine line between extreme entertainment and sadistic gratification. Moral policing aside, Asians and Americans have done that for years, so we’re just catching up. But no matter how many heads or arms you’ve seen heroes chop, nothing prepares you for Marco.
The film starts as usual: a violent gangster is on a rampage to avenge the death of a loved one while trying his best to protect what he has left. In one scene, M.