Netflix India continues to invest in Tamil language content, as well as Malayalam and other regional languages which continue to churn out some of the best written films in all of India.
In fact most of these movies end up being remade into Hindi and Bollywood versions. South Indian actors are some of the best in the country and the OTT platform is heavy on showing Indian audiences the best Netflix Tamil movies available.
Even Amazon Prime is now competing with Netflix, Hotstar, Zee5 and other platforms to bring the best Tamil web series and movies to NRI audiences across the world.
My friend Comedian Praveen Kumar and I were in Chennai last week and we were trying to find a list of popular Tamil movies on Netflix, but we couldn’t really find anything good and with IMDB scores and ratings. So we sat on the train back to Bangalore and put this list together.
What are the best Tamil movies on Netflix?
- Baahubali: The Beginning
- Bahubali: The Conclusion
- Echcharikkai
- Goli Soda 2
- Kalakalappu
- Lens
- Merku Thodarchi Malai
- Mersal
- Nibunan
- Oh! Baby
- Orange Mittai
- Pandigai
- Petta
- Power Paandi Pa Paandi
- Puriyatha Puthir
- RadioPetti
- Sarkar
- Sarvam Thaala Mayam
- Sigaram Thodu
- Solo
- Sometimes
- Super Deluxe Movie
- Taramani
- Thaandavam
- Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru
- Uriyadi 2
- Uyare
- Visaranai
- Aval (Tamil)| The House Next Door (Hindi) |Gruham (Hindi)
- Manusangada (Cry Humanity)
Whether you want superstar Rajinikanth films to enjoy on Netflix, or funny Tamil comedy movies, or drama and suspense type of genres, Netflix has a decent offering of the newest Tamil movies.
There’s no need to mess up your laptop with Tamilrockers, you can simply get good deals these days and watch the movies in high quality on a larger screen and enjoy to your heart’s content.
Best Tamil Language Films on Netflix
These are the most popular Tamil movies on Netflix India as of October 2019.
1. Baahubali: The Beginning
IMDB 8.1
Year: 2015
This movie smashed all box office records and was recorded in Telugu and Tamil. It is also in our Best Hindi Movies on Netflix article.
It opens with strong scene of the hero’s origin and then moves into action, adventure, love and obstacles to find your true self. Fans of mythical figures in India will rejoice as all aspects of religions, cultures, kingdoms, folklore and battles are in abundance in this big budget production.
Baahubali also did 650 crores at the box office and proved to the rest of India the power of South Indian Cinema and South Indian actors. An epic mythology story that will please the entire family for years to come.
If you haven’t seen it, it is definitely one of the blockbuster south Indian films of the last few years.
Starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishna, Sathyaraj and Nassar.
2. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
IMDB 8.3
Year: 2017
Revenge story anyone?
Should you watch Baahubali the first movie before watching the sequel? Yes, it is a continuation of the storyline from the previous film.
This sequel to the first Baahubali had:
- 1800 crores at the box office,
- a great IMDB rating,
- rave audience reviews
- and a discussion for part 3 make this another great feather in the South Indian film industries cap.
Starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Sathyaraj, Ramya Krishna and Nassar.
3. Echcharikkai
IMDB 6.5
Year: 2018
This ransom crime thriller was a decent first effort for Sarjun KM.
Audiences were divided on the story’s depth and second half but overall if you’re looking for a Tamil crime film to watch tonight and seen all the other films in this list in this genre, go ahead and give it a one time watch.
Starring Sathyaraj, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Kishore, Vivek Rajgopal and Yogi Babu.
4. Goli Soda 2
IMDB: 7.6
I don’t see Part 1 on Netflix but part 2 is here and although maybe not as great as part 1, is a nice movie by itself. The lives of three people who are underdogs in their own unique ways.
SD Vijay Milton makes a nice 2018 film that had reviewers and audiences split. Some said the first half was the second half but I thought it was a decent film.
Starring Samuthirakani, Gautham Menon, Barath Seeni, Vinoth, Esakki Barath and Chemban Vinod Jose.
5. Kalakalappu
IMDB: 6.9
This 2012 by Sundar C. is a nice family friendly comedy about a man struggling to survive in his restaurant business when love strikes.
One of the best Tamil comedy films on Netflix that is also more or less family friendly. Also is that an iMovie lower third in the thumbnail?
Starring Vimal, Shiva, Anjali, Oviya and Santhanam.
6. Lens
IMDB 7.0
A Malayalam and Tamil film available now on Netflix in both languages about voyeurism gone wrong. This film is also on Amazon Prime. One of the most discussed Tamil digital films of recent years.
Directed by Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan.
Starring Jayaprakash Radakrishnan, Anandsami, Aswathy Lal and Misha Ghoshal.
7. Merku Thodarchi Malai
IMDB 8.8
Small town villagers, the beautiful villages they live in and corporate industrialization are all themes in this award winning 2018 movie by Lenin Bharathi and Vijay Sethupathi.
A must watch Tamil film on Netflix India. The pace is slow however so be warned about that. If you have low attention span or want more drama and tension you may not find it here.
Starring Antony, Gayathri Krishna and Abu Valayankulam.
8. Mersal
IMDB 7.7
Critics called this one of the “year’s best Mass Masala movie.” Super fans of Vijay and the general public will also love it.
A blockbuster action thriller with a medical corruption industry theme. Also the highest grossing film of Vijay’s career.
Starring Vijay, S. J. Surya, Nithya Menen, Samantha, Kajal Aggarwal, Vadivelu and Sathyaraj.
9. Nibunan
IMDB: 6.6
In this 2017 crime-action thriller, three police officers are hunting a serial killer complete with twists and turns.
Great reviews by the Times of India and other Indian newspapers, as well as a 92% audience approval rating on Google makes this a sureshot watch.
Starring Arjun, Prasanna, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Sruthi Hariharan and Vaibhav.
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10. Oh! Baby (Tamil)
IMDB 7.6
This Telugu movie (in Tamil on Netflix) is a remake of a South Korean film “Miss Granny” in which a 70 year old woman then becomes her younger 25 year old self again. A very cool concept that serves well in Tamil cinema.
She is now able to relive her life. Audiences and critics loved this family friendly Tamil comedy movie which is also emotional in parts and will be a great watch with friends or large gatherings.
Starring Samantha Akkineni, Lakshmi, Naga Shaurya and Rajendra Prasad.
11. Orange Mittai
IMDB 6.5
This Tamil comedy film from 2015 is about an old man and ambulance drivers who have to go on a journey together.
A beautiful memory lane nostalgia type of story that father-son sort of folks will truly enjoy.
Starring Vijay Sethupathi, Ramesh Thilak, Aashritha and Karunakaran.
12. Pandigai
IMDB 6.6
A 2017 Tamil Action Thriller film directed by first time director Firoz about an underground fight club.
Naturally, there is also a romantic angle which turns the plot in this nice Tamil movie. They’re a lot of twists and turns which audiences will be sure to enjoy.
13. Petta
IMDB 7.3
A Tamil Action Drama with a 83% google audience rating and of course superstar Rajnikanth. Times of India said the 2019 movie “gives Rajini fans their Thalaivar in a way that they have been dying to see him, celebrating the Rajinisms”
The Karthik Subbaraj movie did 250 CR at the box office and will do a lot more for years to come!
Starring: Rajinikanth, Vijay Sethupathi, Simran, Trisha, Sasikumar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bobby Simha, Sananth, Megha Akash and Malavika Mohanan.
14. Power Paandi (Pa Paandi)
IMDB: 7.6
In this 2017 film, after arguing with his son, retired stuntman Aman goes to find his first love.
This is a wonderful comedy drama Tamil movie that is enjoyable to watch with the whole family. Themes are mature and not easy subject matter but done in a nice way that will keep audiences thinking about real life and it’s nuances.
Starring Rajkiran, Revathi, Prasanna and Chaya Singh.
15. Puriyatha Puthir
IMDB 6.6
This 2017 psychological thriller film, which was directed by Ranjit Jeyakodi is about blackmail and using the camera on your phone in wrong ways.
A decent one time watch with a social message.
Starring Vijay Sethupathi, Gayathrie and Mahima Nambiar.
16. Radiopetti
IMDB 7.5
Won the audience award at the Busan International Film Festival in 2015.
A 70 year old man has issues in this Tamil drama film that was highly reviewed as you’ll have feelings of grandma, old age, nostalgia (who uses a radio still) and more.
Starring Lakshmanan, TVV Ramanujam, Shobana Mohan and Nivas Adithan.
17. Sarkar
IMDB: 6.9
As an NRI, I also enjoyed seeing this NRI story about government corruption and bad voting practices.
This 2018 political action film was actually written AND directed by AR Murugados. Vijay also gives a great performance.
Starring Vijay, Keerthy Suresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Yogi Babu and Radha Ravi.
18. Sarvam Thaala Mayam
IMDB: 7.6
A musical drama film from 2018 that is a feel good story and will keep you smiling throughout the movie. G. V. Prakash Kumar was nominated for some best actor awards.
A movie fanatic turns into a musician. Hmmm, who else is a composer and an actor here in real life?
Starring G. V. Prakash Kumar, Aparna Balamurali, Nedumudi Venu, Vineeth and Kumaravel.
19. Sigaram Thodu
IMDB 6.2
An action thriller father-son police drama type of movie, which has its moments.
This 2014 film is one of the older ones on our list for Tamil movies on Netflix (curious why we don’t see too many older ones?) and not even the highest rated, but fans may enjoy seeing it on the streaming platform.
20. Solo
IMDB 7.1
A 2017 movie that is very experimental in its narration.
The movie was shot simultaneously in Malayalam and Tamil. Directed by Bejoy Nambiar. Romantic thriller in genre and anthology.
It is not for everyone but has a great climax and if you enjoyed strange plot lines like the Hollywood movie Dunkirk or Kill Bill, you may enjoy the storytelling structure here as it has various worlds and narrative devices.
Starring Dulquer Salmaan in lead role, Dhanshika, Neha Sharma, Sruthi Hariharan, Arthi Venkatesh, Dino Morea, Manoj K. Jayan and Soubin Shahir.
21. Sometimes (Sila Samayangalil)
IMDB: 7.2
This 2017 suspense thriller is a Tamil Netflix Original film which takes place in a hospital waiting room.
This is a Tamil film industry remake of the Malayalam comedy drama Maheshinte Prathikaram.
The movie is about seven strangers who are awaiting their HIV test results to come back and recollect their experiences. It was released directly to Netflix. Premiered at the Mumbai Film Festival and was highly appreciated!
Starring Prakash Raj, Sriya Reddy and Ashok Selvan.
22. Super Deluxe Movie
IMDB: 8.4
Year: 2019
This hit movie is probably the best Tamil movie on Netflix right now.
Four stories are intertwined much like the Hollywood film “Crash.” The film has:
- Black comedy,
- Suspense
- and drama
What more do you want these days? Many great Tamil pop culture references also.
Really deep characters and highly appreciated in this neo-noir type of Tamil genre film. A future masterpiece by Thiagarajan Kumararaja. One of the best new Tamil films of 2019 also.
Starring Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Samantha and Ramya Krishnan.
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23. Taramani
IMDB: 7.5
As an IT Guy this movie stuck with me for some time.
I think the picture had its moral lessons go over a few people’s heads.
It covers modern topics like virtue signalling and being a single parent. You can’t hide misogyny bro. The plot is a bit all over the place at times but it eventually comes together for better or worse.
A really thought provoking modern 2017 Tamil drama film by director Ram about jealousy, corporate life, family, love, romance and relationships.
Starring Andrea Jeremiah, Anjali, Vasanth Ravi and Adrian Knight Jesly.
24. Thaandavam
IMDB: 6.1
The 2012 movie could have been a bit more chopped down or tighter, but overall still a nice action thriller type of movie with spy type of scenes and mystery angles.
Worth a one time watch as a good Tamil murder mystery film. The lead actor is blind so it keeps you guessing.
Starring Vikram, Jagapati Babu, Anushka Shetty, Amy Jackson and Lakshmi Rai.
25. Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru
IMDB: 6.1
A software engineering romantic comedy Tamil film a bit more on the lighter side than some of the similar genre movies above.
New freshers in their companies like Accenture or Infosys might relate to this story a little bit. The Tamil version of this 2012 movie was rated higher than the Telugu version.
Starring Siddharth, Hansika Motwani, Santhanam and Ganesh Venkatraman.
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26. Uriyadi 2
IMDB: 7.3
This 2019 corruption themed political thriller was a nice 2019 addition to Netflix’s Tamil catalogue of movies that uses the backdrop of Bhopal Gas tragedy.
This Tamil disaster movie sequel was directed by Vijay Kumar and produced by Suriya.
Starring Vijay Kumar, Sudhakar and Vismaya.
27. Uyare (Tamil)
IMDB: 8.1
In this 2019 Malayalam movie, a girl wants to be a pilot but falls prey to an acid attack. Netflix has this version in Tamil.
An important movie with a great message about important issues and also surviving the odds against you and hardships.
Starring Parvathy Thiruvothu, Asif Ali and Tovino Thomas.
28. Visaranai
IMDB: 8.5
This 2015 movie was written and directed by Vetrimaaran. An excellent crime and thriller and drama film. Premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it was also praised. One of the best Tamil films on Netflix India and a must watch suspense film.
This film received the best movie award in 2016. Awesome climax and fantastic acting by the whole team.
Starring Dinesh, Anandhi, Aadukalam Murugadoss, Samuthirakani, Kishore, Pradheesh Raj ad Silambarasan Rathnasamy.
29. Aval (The House Next Door, Gruham)
Finally a horror movie from Tamil and Telugu and Hindi cinema (the movie was shot in three languageS) that matches the CGI, production and most importantly, plot/storyline of a good Hollywood horror film.
This is a great step forward for Indian cinema to actually make good jump scares and keep you gripped to your seat.
Major credit to Milind Rau for this 2017 horror film. Don’t read too much about it, just know it’s one of the best new Indian horror films you can watch on Netflix now.
CAST: Siddharth and Andrea Jeremiah.
30. Manusangada (Cry Humanity)
This film festival favorite won many awards and is a Tamil movie about Dalit struggles in India. It’s a sad, very heavy film about caste divide in India that does not tie it up in a war and fuzzy feeling, that is partly the reality right?
A great independent Indian film that’s based on a true story about how we look down at those who are less fortunate in modern Indian society, even after passing.
Amshan Kumar made a great film that is only 93 minutes long and will leave you thinking and hurting and hopefully being a better human being as time goes on.
CAST: Rajeev Anand, Manimegalai, A.S.Sasikumar, Sheela Rajkumar, Vidhur Rajarajan, Sethu Darwin and Anand Sampath.
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Conclusion
Did we miss any of your favorite Netflix Tamil movies on this list? Let me know in the comments, and if you have any suggestions to add feel free to ping me on Instagram. South Indian movies continue to get better and better so we will maintain this list monthly.
Sanjay Manaktala is a stand-up comedian, author of the Harper Collins Book “My Beta Does Computer Things: You’re Guide to the IT Industry” and digital content creator. His latest effort is the Birdy Num Num podcast, helping you learn creativity in life after engineering. You can learn about Sanjay here or check out his stand up comedy YouTube channel here.