18+

Story: Akhil and Athira come from the same political, but different social backgrounds. When they elope, what is the stand of the party and its leaders

Review: Since digital platforms became widespread, Malayalam cinema has been appreciated across the country for its hefty content, but sometimes our films seem to ride on the flimsiest threads.

18+, directed by Arun D Jose, and which he has co-written with Raveesh Nath and Rajesh Varikkoli, is a bit like this.

So basically, in the first half, we see Akhil (Naslen) plan and carry out his elopement with Athira (Meenakshi Dinesh), with the help of his comrade friends. The story involves party workers and leaders, and takes place in 2009. Athira hails from a socialist family with the ‘pedigree’ that Akhil lacks, and so the young lovers must overcome roadblocks to marry.

We are left waiting for something dramatic to happen, so that the story gets gripping, but even with the drama that comes with the elopement, there is no real tension. Even the titular dilemma of the bride not being 18, doesn’t cause much concern, with the young magistrate (Nikhila Vimal) leniently agreeing to postpone an order till after the girl comes of legal age in a week. The one moment the story gets really interesting and makes a statement is when the hypocrisy of communist leaders are revealed. They are very conscious of not being spotted at a temple, but when push comes to shove, their feudal mindset is very clear.

Naslen is more toned down than his usual self, Meenakshi makes the spunky effort that her character requires. A special mention to the lovability that Saaf and Anu bring to the role of Akhil’s friends.

Arun D Jose’s Jo & Jo about friendship, sibling rivalry and gender politics in households struck a chord with audiences. 18+ is well made, but with a slimmer story, it’ll be interesting to see if he manages to connect again.