Lijo Jose Pellissery‘s Jallikattu has been selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. The Malayalam movie is grabbing eyeballs with its simple storyline of a bull gone rogue in a small village. However, the movie is so much more as it begins to explore the animalistic similarities between men who’ve begun to lose their mind over a rogue buffalo. 


If you haven’t had a chance to watch the movie yet, here are 8 reasons why you should:

1. There are no big names in the movie and most of the characters are played by fresh faces. 

YouTube

2. The film doesn’t fall under any specific genre, and instead has a unique storyline that constantly surprises you. 

Indian Express

3. The film has no specific lead actors, and yet every single character catches your attention and gets a significant amount of screen time. 

TOI

4. The movie captures the essence of a small messy town perfectly, as people band together in the strangest of ways to capture a buffalo. And just as quickly begin to turn against each other. 

madhyamam

5. Jallikattu reflects on who the true beasts are in the film, not the animal but the humans who let their ego, jealousy and greed take charge.

Gulf News

6. The Buffalo that the villagers chase throughout the film is actually not real – the film used the technique of animatronics, paired it with VFX and spent Rs 20 Lakh to make it look realistic. 

Amazon Prime

7. You cannot tell that special effects and animation was used in the making of this film. You could watch the whole movie without once realising that the bull isn’t real. And that’s where the magic of Jallikattu really lies. 

Film Companion

8. It has quick, fast paced shots that keep you on your toes. Even when nothing makes sense, you’ll find yourself holding your breath. The cinematography of the film is a true spectacle. 

DraftHouse

8. It is a visual treat, especially the last 30 minutes when you see hundreds of people running through a forest and piling on top of each other. The sight leaves you in awe. 

Indian Express

You can watch the film on Amazon Prime Video.