Hello movie lovers, if you are a fan of gripping narratives, suspense-filled plots, and edge-of-the-seat moments, this Top 10 Crime Thriller Movies in Tamil list is for you. Over the years, Tamil thriller movies have carved a niche in indian cinema with their brilliant storytelling, powerful performances, and unexpected twists.
This genre has delivered some unforgettable gems from psychological thrillers to investigative dramas. In this curated List of Best Tamil Thriller Movies, we’ll explore the most iconic and must-watch thrillers that have kept audiences hooked from start to finish.
Whether you are a hardcore cinephile or a casual movie lover, these films promise an intense cinematic experience. Read this article, continue, and get the best Tamil thriller movies of all time.
List of Top 10 Crime Thriller Movies in Tamil
Here is the list of 10 Crime Thriller Movies in Tamil That Will Blow Your Mind.
| Movie Name | Release Date | Director |
| 1. Yutham Sei | 4 February 2011 | Mysskin |
| 2. The Wolf and the Lamb (Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum) | 27 September 2013 | Mysskin |
| 3. Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru | 29 December 2016 | Karthick Naren |
| 4. Naan | 15 August 2012 | Jeeva Shankar |
| 5. Thegidi | 28 February 2014 | P. Ramesh |
| 6. Aaranya Kaandam | 10 June 2011 | Thiagarajan Kumararaja |
| 7. Imaikkaa Nodigal | 30 August 2018 | R. Ajay Gnanamuthu |
| 8. Kurangu Bommai | 1 September 2017 | Nithilan Saminathan |
| 9. Thani Oruvan | 28 August 2015 | Mohan Raja |
| 10. Kuttram 23 | 3 March 2017 | Arivazhagan |
1. Yutham Sei
- Director: Mysskin
- Producer: Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S. Ganesh, Kalpathi S. Suresh
- Cast:
Cheran, Dipa Shah, Y. G. Mahendra, Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, Jayaprakash, Selva, Srushti Dange, Ineya - Release Date: 4 February 2011
- Running Time: 152 minutes
Yutham Sei is a neo-noir crime mystery thriller film written and directed by Mysskin. It features Cheran and debutant Dipa Shah along with an ensemble cast including Y. G. Mahendra, Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, Jayaprakash, and Selva in supporting roles.
The film revolves around a brooding CB-CID officer, J.K. investigates a series of gruesome murders involving severed arms, only to uncover a dark network of rape, blackmail and revenge.
As he reaches for his missing sister, he unravels a shocking conspiracy where a seemingly dead family returns to exact brutal justice on those who wronged them. The movie was released on 4 February 2011 and was remade in Kannada as Gharshane in 2014 with a running time of 152 minutes.
2. The Wolf and the Lamb (Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum)
- Director: Mysskin
- Producer: Mysskin
- Cast: Mysskin, Shaji Chen, Adithya, Sri Natarajan
- Release Date: 27 September 2013
- Running Time: 142 minutes
Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum (The Wolf and The Lamb) is an indian Tamil neo-noir crime thriller film written, directed, and produced by Mysskin. The film stars Sri Natarajan, Mysskin, Shaji Chen, and Adithya in the lead roles. One of the most shocking things in the film is that there is no heroine featured in the film.
The movie story revolves around a medical student, Chandru, who saves a wounded fugitive named Wolf and gets caught in a deadly clash between the police and a criminal gang. As the truth unfolds, Chandru discovers Wolf’s bond with a blind family and ultimately steps up to protect the little girl Wolf risked everything for.
The movie was scheduled to release on 27 September 2013 with a running time of 142 minutes.
3. Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru
- Director: Karthick Naren
- Producer: Karthick Naren
- Cast: Rahman, Prakash Vijayaraghavan, Ashwin Kkumar, Anjana Jayaprakash
- Release Date: 29 December 2016
- Running Time: 105 minutes
Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru, also known as D-16, is a crime thriller Tamil film written and directed by Karthick Naren and starring Rahman, Prakash Vijayaraghavan, Ashwin Kkumar, and Anjana Jayaprakash in lead roles.
The movie story revolves around three youngsters who hide a hit-and-run body, unknowingly toes to a rape murder case. Retired cop Deepak later reveals his son avenged the crime, and dies confessing the truth to Gautham.
The film was released on December 29, 2016, with a running time of 105 minutes.
4. Naan
- Director: Jeeva Shankar
- Producer: Jeeva Shankar
- Cast: Vijay Antony, Siddharth Venugopal, Rupa Manjari, Anuya Bhagvath
- Release Date: 15 August 2012
- Running Time: 141 minutes
Naan is a Tamil language crime thriller film written and directed by Jeeva Shankar, marking his debut with the film. In the movie, the music composer Vijay Antony plays the role of a psychopathic killer, and also a producer of the film, along with Siddharth Venugopal, Rupa Manjari, and Anuya Bhagvath in supporting roles.
The film displays the story of a brilliant and disturbed youth, Karthik, who assumes a dead man’s identity to enter a medical college where he manipulates murders and deceives to maintain his false life. As bodies pile up, he escapes suspicion, ending with a chilling promise: “To Be Continued.”
The film was released on 15th August 2012 with a running time of 144 minutes.
5. Thegidi
- Director: P. Ramesh
- Producer: C.V. Kumar
- Cast: Ashok Selvan, Janani, Jayaprakash, Kaali Venkat, Jayakumar, Pradeep K Vijayan, Rajan Iyer
- Release Date: 28 February 2014
- Running Time: 116 Minutes
Thegidi is a crime mystery thriller film directed by P. Ramesh and produced by C. V. Kumar under Thirukumaran Entertainment. The film features Ashok Selvan and Janani in the leading roles, while Jayaprakash, Kaali Venkat, Jayakumar, Pradeep K Vijayan, and Rajan Iyer play supporting roles.
The film plots a criminology student, Vetri turns detective to solve a string of murders tied to a fake insurance scam. He uncovers his mentor Govardhan’s role, leading to a shocking twist and the rise of the elusive mastermind Vallabha. The movie was released on 28 February 2014 with a 116-minute running time.
6. Aaranya Kaandam
- Director: Thiagarajan Kumararaja
- Producer: S. P. B. Charan
- Cast: Jackie Shroff, Ravi Krishna, Sampath Raj, and debutants Yasmin Ponnappa, Guru Somasundaram, and Master Vasanth
- Release Date: 10 June 2011
- Running Time: 126 minutes
Aaranya Kaandam is a Tamil crime thriller film written and directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja in his directorial debut and produced by S. P. B. Charan. And this will be the first neo-noir film in Tamil cinema.
The film features Jackie Shroff, Ravi Krishna, Sampath Raj, and debutants Yasmin Ponnappa, Guru Somasundaram, and Master Vasanth. The film was released on 10 June 2011 with a running time of 126 minutes.
The movie is about a gritty gangland tale, a drug deal sparks betrayal and bloodshed as a powerless woman manipulates violent men into destroying each other. In the end, Subbu escapes the chaos, revealing she orchestrated it all to reclaim her life.
7. Imaikkaa Nodigal
- Director: R. Ajay Gnanamuthu
- Producer: C. J. Jayakumar
- Cast: Nayanthara with Atharvaa, Raashii Khanna, Anurag Kashyap, Baby Manasvi, Vinoth Kishan, Ramesh Thilak, Devan
- Release Date: 30 August 2018
- Running Time: 170 minutes
Imaikkaa Nodigal is an action crime thriller Tamil film written and directed by R. Ajay Gnanamuthu and produced by C. J. Jayakumar. The movie stars Nayanthara with Atharvaa, Raashii Khanna, marking her latter’s debut in Tamil cinema, and Anurag Kashyap with Baby Manasvi, Vinoth Kishan, Ramesh Thilak, Devan, and others in supporting roles.
The film focuses on how a serial killer is apprehended by an intelligent CBI officer. It was released on 30 August 2018 with a running time of 170 minutes.
8. Kurangu Bommai
- Director: Nithilan Saminathan
- Producer: Shreya Sri Movies LLP
- Cast: Vidharth, Delna Davis, Bharathiraja, Elango Kumaravel, P. L. Thenappan
- Release Date: 1 September 2017
- Running Time: 105 minutes
Kurangu Bommai is a Tamil crime thriller film written and directed by Nithilan Saminathan in his directorial debut and produced under Shreya Sri Movies LLP productions.
The film features Vidharth, Delna Davis, and Bharathiraja in lead roles, along with Elango Kumaravel and P. L. Thenappan in supporting roles. The movie was released on 1 September 2017 with a running time of 105 minutes.
The movie showcases a story of a cab driver who searches for his missing father, uncovers a dark smuggling plot, and betrayal. Teaming up with a quirky thief, he delivers brutal justice to the man who destroyed his family.
9. Thani Oruvan
- Director: Mohan Raja
- Producer: Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S. Ganesh, Kalpathi S. Suresh
- Cast: Ravi Mohan, Arvind Swamy, Nayanthara, Thambi Ramaiah, Ganesh Venkataraman, Harish Uthaman, Sricharan, Rahul Madhav, Nagineedu, Madhusudhan Rao, Saiju Kurup, Nassar, and Mugdha Godse
- Release Date: 28 August 2015
- Running Time: 158 minutes
Thani Oruvan is an action thriller film written and directed by Mohan Raja and produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S. Ganesh, and Kalpathi S. Suresh under AGS Entertainment. The film features Ravi Mohan and Arvind Swamy in lead roles.
While Nayanthara, Thambi Ramaiah, Ganesh Venkataraman, Harish Uthaman, Sricharan, Rahul Madhav, Nagineedu, Madhusudhan Rao, Saiju Kurup, Nassar, and Mugdha Godse play supporting roles. The movie was released on 28 August 2015 with a running time of 158 minutes.
10. Kuttram 23
- Director: Arivazhagan
- Producer: Inder Kumar
- Cast: Arun Vijay, Mahima Nambiar, Vamsi Krishna, Aravind Akash, Amit Bhargav, Abhinaya, Thambi Ramaiah,
- Release Date: 3 March 2017
- Running Time: 134 minutes
Kuttram 23 is a crime-action thriller Tamil movie written and directed by Arivazhagan. The movie is themed with medical crimes, and it stars Arun Vijay and Mahima Nambiar, with Vamsi Krishna, Aravind Akash, Amit Bhargav, Abhinaya, and Thambi Ramaiah, amongst others, in supporting roles.
The film features the story of an ACP Betri who uncovers a sinister blackmail and murder racket linked to illegal sperm donor swaps at a fertility clinic, leading to a personal tragedy.
As he hunts the culprits, he faces betrayal, loss, and a chilling fight to expose the truth. The film was scheduled to release on 3 March 2017 with a running time of 134 minutes.
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