Movie Name : I’m Game
Release Date : September 03, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Dulquer Salmaan, Kayadu Lohar, Mysskin, Antony Varghese and others
Director : Nahas Hidhayath
Producer : Dulquer Salmaan
Music Director : Jakes Bejoy
Cinematographer : Jimshi Khalid
Editor : Chaman Chakko
Related Links : Trailer
I’m Game is the latest Malayalam movie that hit the big screens today. Dulquer Salmaan has joined hands with RDX-fame director Nahas Hidhayath for this action thriller. Amid decent buzz, the film is out now, and here’s the review to find out how it fares.
Story:
Dan John (Dulquer Salmaan) is a compulsive gambler who loses everything and ends up drowning in debt. Refusing to back down, he turns to cricket betting, only to lose whatever little he has left. Frustrated and desperate to recover his money, Dan creates a massive ruckus, an act that ultimately leaves his life hanging by a thread.
Following the incident, he slips into a coma. When he eventually wakes up, everyone assumes he has returned to normal, but Dan soon discovers that something bizarre has happened to him. What exactly happened to Dan? What is this strange phenomenon he has encountered, and how does he deal with the chaos that follows? The rest of the story reveals the answers.
Plus Points:
Dulquer Salmaan is well known for picking movies with fresh and interesting ideas. He has good taste in stories, and I’m Game is another honest try in that direction. The main plot feels new and makes people curious right from the start. That freshness is one of the biggest strengths of the movie.
Dulquer gives a very good performance, and there is almost nothing to complain about his acting. He puts in a lot of hard work, especially during the interval scene, which looks great on screen. The unusual story also gives him enough room to show different emotions and shades of his character.
Kayadu Lohar looks good on screen, and her scenes with Dulquer work well enough. Mysskin does a decent job as the villain, and Samyuktha Vishwanath leaves a good mark despite her small role. Antony Varghese enters in the second half and delivers a solid, emotional performance that helps the movie.
The background music, camera work, and fast editing in the fight scenes make the film look clean and stylish. All the technical departments come together nicely to give the movie a grand, commercial look.
Minus Points:
The story idea is fresh, but the way it is told on screen is quite normal. The first half sets up the plot nicely and brings in a big twist, which creates high hopes for the rest of the film. However, the second half slowly loses its grip because many scenes feel repeated and the story becomes easy to guess.
The action scenes are fun at the beginning, but they soon feel boring because you always know what is going to happen next. The director and writer should have added more surprises here to keep the excitement alive. Also, the cricket betting angle has been seen in many movies before, and the film does not show anything truly new with that topic.
The lengthy runtime is another big problem for the film. A story like this does not need nearly three hours to finish. Cutting about twenty to thirty minutes would have made the film much faster and far more enjoyable to watch.
Mysskin does an okay job, but his character needed a stronger presence to feel scary. A younger and more stylish villain could have made the hero-villain clash much more intense. As it stands, his role does not leave the kind of punch you expect from a main bad guy.
Technical Aspects:
The director, Nahas Hidhayath, starts with an exciting story idea, but he struggles to turn it into a non-stop thrilling ride. He shows real talent in a few sequences, but he needed a firmer grip on the story during the second half. Better pacing would have kept the excitement high until the very end.
The editing by Chaman Chacko is good in parts, especially during the big action scenes. However, he should have cut down several slow and repeated scenes to make the movie flow better. A tighter edit would have kept the audience far more engaged.
The cinematography by Jimshi Khalid makes every frame look rich and colorful. Jakes Bejoy’s background music is easily one of the best parts of the movie, as it brings great energy to the fight scenes. The overall production values are high and give the film a proper big-screen look.
Verdict:
On the whole, I’m Game has an interesting plot, but the average storytelling pulls it down. Dulquer Salmaan and the technical team do their best to lift the film, but the slow second half and predictable scenes stop it from becoming a big hit. The movie works only in bits and pieces, so action fans who like fresh ideas can give it a try with low expectations.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team