Marco (2024 film)
| Marco | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Haneef Adeni |
| Written by | Haneef Adeni |
| Produced by | Shareef Muhammed |
| Starring | Unni Mukundan |
| Cinematography | Chandru Selvaraj |
| Edited by | Shameer Muhammed |
| Music by | Ravi Basrur |
Production company | Cubes Entertainments |
| Distributed by | Cubes Entertainments |
Release date |
|
Running time | 145 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Budget | ₹30 crore[2][3] |
| Box office | ₹90 crore[4] |
Marco is a 2024 Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Haneef Adeni and produced by Cubes Entertainments and Unni Mukundan films. The film stars Unni Mukundan, alongside Siddique, Jagadish, Abhimanyu S Thilakan, Kabir Duhan Singh, Anson Paul and Yukti Tareja. The music was composed by Ravi Basrur, while cinematography and editing were handled by Chandru Selvaraj and Shameer Muhammed respectively.
Marco was released worldwide on 20 December 2024, coinciding with Christmas weekend, and received critical acclaim, becoming the highest grossing A-rated Malayalam film of all time surpassing Kammatipaadam.[5]. It also emerged as one of the highest grossing Malayalam film of all time.
Plot
Victor, a blind person, witnesses the murder of his close friend Wasim. Despite his blindness, Victor identifies the killer by recognising the distinct scent of the killer's perfume and the vehicle. Victor's identification leads the cops to uncover that the killer is Russell Issac, who conspired with Wasim's elder brother Tariq, to carry out the murder. Tragically, Victor gets captured by Russell, who throws him into a vat of hydrofluoric acid, resulting in his agonizing death. Victor's brother George Peter, the patriarch of the Adattu family, is devastated by the loss. Marco, Peter’s adopted brother who had been sent to Italy for safety, returns after learning about Victor’s death. At Victor's memorial service at their local church, Marco vows to avenge Victor's death, declaring his intent to eliminate everyone involved in the heinous act, including Russell, who is present at the scene. Despite Peter's attempts to dissuade him from taking a path of violence, Marco remains resolute.
Meanwhile, Tony Issac, Russell’s father, manipulates the situation to his advantage and strikes a deal with George involving gold biscuits and a ransom, all while plotting further treachery. During George’s return from the deal, Issac’s henchman Dev ambushes him in his car, reveals the conspiracy and fatally stabs him. George survives, but is hospitalised, further enraging Marco. George informs Marco that Tony and Russell were responsible for Victor's death. As Marco sets out for vengeance, Russell reveals his true nature by severely injuring Marco and using a chainsaw to mutilate the arm of Anwar, Marco’s right-hand man. An enraged Marco retaliates, killing Russell’s goons with the chainsaw. While preparing to kill Russell, Marco learns that Victor’s girlfriend Isha is pregnant with Victor's child and is being held captive by Tony.
Marco captures and tortures Dev, who confesses that Isha is with Russell, before dying in an explosion set off by him. Marco storms Issac’s factory, battling his goons in a brutal fight to rescue Isha. However, Tony deceives Marco, revealing that Isha is locked in the trunk of Russell’s car. Marco and Anwar track Tony to his guesthouse, where Tony attempts to bargain for his life. After learning that Tony is bisexual, Marco cuts off Tony’s hand and sends it to Russell, disguised as a suitcase full of money. In a final trap, Marco rigs Tony’s chair with a detonator, causing the bomb to trigger just as Tony is hanged. As Tony is hanged in the air, the bomb detonates, leading to his suffering. Russell stands helpless outside the warehouse and is unable to do anything, but watch as Tony suffers through his final moments. George kills Tariq by hanging him.
Desperate for revenge, Russell seeks help from his adopted brother Cyrus, a ruthless butcher. They launch an attack on the Adattu household, during Isha’s labour, and begin slaughtering the family. Despite George's valiant efforts, Cyrus and Russell kill all the family members, including the children, Marco’s fiancée Maria and Isha, brutally killing her and abducting her newborn child. Marco, gravely injured and helpless, is left to mourn his family’s death. George urges Marco to avenge not only Victor, but the entire family. Marco adopts a striking and fearsome appearance and confronts Cyrus and Russell at their factory. Marco fights through their henchmen in a bloody showdown, where he kills Russell by stabbing him and ripping out his heart. In a climatic encounter with Cyrus, who holds the newborn child over a vat of acid, Marco decapitates him and rescues the child before pushing him into the acid.
Marco completes his path of vengeance and leaves the factory with the child, while paying the ultimate price in the suffering and loss of his family. In the aftermath, Marco spends time with Victor's son until a platoon of cars arrive.
Cast
- Unni Mukundan as Marco D’Peter
- Siddique as George D’Peter, Marco's foster elder brother
- Jagadish as Tony Isaac, Russell's father
- Abhimanyu S Thilakan as Russell Isaac, Tony's son[6]
- Kabir Duhan Singh as Cyrus Isaac, Tony's adopted son
- Anson Paul as Devaraj / Dev, Tony's henchman
- Yukti Thareja as Maria, Marco's fiancée[7]
- Ishaan Shoukath as Victor D’Peter, Marco's foster younger brother
- Durva Thaker as Isha D'Peter, Victor's girlfriend and wife
- Sreejith Ravi as Mathews, Marco's brother-in-law
- Mathew Varghese as Peter D’Marco, Marco's foster father
- Ajit Koshy as Jahangir, Tony's henchman
- Dinesh Prabhakar as CI Ashok, an investigation officer
- Arjun Nandhakumar as Tarik, a corrupt businessman
- Lishoy as Adattu Varghese, George's uncle
- Riyaz Khan as Marco's friend
- Meera Nair [8]
- Bindu Sanjeev as Celina, George's wife
- Sajitha Sreejith as Ancy Mathews, Marco's foster sister
- Chithra Prasad
- Suneesh Nambiar as SI Shahul Hameed
Production
Development
In October 2023, Director-screenwriter Haneef Adeni announced his next film Marco in which Unni Mukundan will play the lead role. Marco was the character he previously played in the film Mikhael (2019) starring Nivin Pauly.[9] The film was expected to commence filming in February 2024. The film is produced by Shareef Muhammed and Abdul Gadhaf under the Cubes Entertainments banner.[10][11] In February 2024, it was reported to begin the shooting in April 2024.[12] Ravi Basrur, joined the project on March 2024 to compose the music who earlier announced to be part of Prithviraj Sukumaran's period epic Kaaliyan.[13] On April 28, 2024, the makers confirmed that the film will start rolling in the first week of May, 2024.[14] Marco will be co produced by Unni Mukundan Films. The film would have Chandru Selvaraj as the cinematographer, Shameer Muhammed as the editor and Kalai Kingson was signed as the action choreographer. The film will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages.[15]
Casting and filming
Grandson of Thilakan and son of actor Shammi Thilakan, Abhimanyu was cast in his maiden Malayalam film.[6] Siddique, Jagadish, Anson Paul, and Kabir Duhan Singh were for the major roles.[16] Yukti Thareja, known for her appearance in the T-Series song "Lut Gaye" opposite Emraan Hashmi, made her debut in Malayalam cinema joining the film on May 20, 2024; confirmed via her social media handle.[7] Debutante Durva Thaker joined the project earlier.[17] Riyaz Khan joined the cast in July 2024.[18]
The first schedule was held in May 2024 in Munnar.[19] The second schedule was wrapped by July 2024 in Kochi.[20][21] The principal photography was wrapped by 28 August 2024 after nearly 100 days of shooting.[22][23]
Music
| Marco | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Ravi Basrur, Saeed Abbas and Shaan Rahman | |
| Released | 21 December 2024 |
| Recorded | 2023–2024 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 25:57 |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Label | Sony Music India |
| Official audio | |
| Marco (Jukebox) on YouTube | |
The film's music along with the background score was composed by Ravi Basrur.[24] The music rights of the film were acquired by Sony Music.[25] The first single titled "Blood" was released on 22 November 2024.[26] The second version of song Blood sung by Santhosh Venky was released on 25 November 2024 due to criticism from audience.[27] The second single titled "Marpapa" was released on 29 November 2024.[28]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blood" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Ravi Basrur | Dabzee, Rohith Siddappa, Santhosh Venky | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Marpapa" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Saeed Abbas | Baby Jean | 2:57 |
| 3. | "Asuran" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Ravi Basrur | Santhosh Venky | 3:08 |
| 4. | "Brother" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Ravi Basrur | Jithin Raj | 3:37 |
| 5. | "Family" | Anohnymouss, Fil$ | Shaan Rahman | Anohnymouss, Fil$ | 4:01 |
| 6. | "Blood" (Version 2) | Vinayak Sasikumar | Ravi Basrur | Santhosh Venky, Rohith Siddappa | 3:31 |
| 7. | "Marpapa" (Fast Version) | Vinayak Sasikumar | Saeed Abbas | Baby Jean | 2:24 |
| 8. | "Marco Theme 1" | Instrumental | Ravi Basrur | Santhosh Venky | 1:43 |
| 9. | "Marco Teaser Theme" | Instrumental | Ravi Basrur | Instrumental | 1:12 |
| Total length: | 25:57 | ||||
Background score
| Marco | |
|---|---|
| Film score by | |
| Released | 27 December 2024[29] |
| Recorded | 2023–2024 |
| Genre | Film score |
| Length | 1:24:50 |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Label | Sony Music India |
| Producer | Ravi Basrur |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Blind and The Killer" | 1:08 |
| 2. | "Cabral 616" | 2:58 |
| 3. | "Tony Chemicals" | 1:41 |
| 4. | "Torso" | 1:49 |
| 5. | "Tony's Mayhem" | 1:19 |
| 6. | "Tony's Evil Way" | 1:30 |
| 7. | "Daredevil" | 1:06 |
| 8. | "Fighting Yard" | 1:33 |
| 9. | "Fight Club" | 0:17 |
| 10. | "George D'Peter" | 0:57 |
| 11. | "In The Woods" | 8:01 |
| 12. | "Russel's Plan" | 0:57 |
| 13. | "End of Victor" | 0:37 |
| 14. | "Marco in Fight Club" | 2:05 |
| 15. | "Wrong Wrong Person" | 1:24 |
| 16. | "The Epic Walk" | 2:42 |
| 17. | "First Phase of Marco" | 1:53 |
| 18. | "Marco's Katana" | 1:50 |
| 19. | "Russel at Funeral" | 0:24 |
| 20. | "Russel's Rampage" | 0:59 |
| 21. | "The Corridor Fight" | 2:15 |
| 22. | "The Massacre" | 9:39 |
| 23. | "Cyrus The Butcher" | 1:59 |
| 24. | "The Church Intro" | 2:41 |
| 25. | "Trap for Tony" | 3:11 |
| 26. | "The Gold Plan" | 2:01 |
| 27. | "This is My Deal" | 3:29 |
| 28. | "The Killer" | 3:01 |
| 29. | "The End is Here" | 4:41 |
| 30. | "The Staircase" | 2:43 |
| 31. | "Dev's Blood" | 1:05 |
| 32. | "Phosgene" | 0:53 |
| 33. | "The Last Ride" | 11:55 |
| Total length: | 1:24:50 | |
Release
Marco was released on 20 December 2024, coinciding with Christmas weekend.[30][31] The film received an A certification from the Central Board of Film Certification due to extreme bloody violence.[32]
Reception
Marco received widespread critical acclaim from critics with praise for its cast performances (especially Unni Mukundan), action sequences, cinematography, musical score and technical aspects.
Critical response
Sanjith Sridharan of OTTplay gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Marco is the closest Malayalam film to a Prashanth Neel movie, not in terms of scale or story, but style. Unni Mukundan's performance gets the lion’s share of credit for this too."[33] Aaliya Farzeen Ashraf of The Week gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Marco caters to fans of stylized action and intense violence."[34]
Arjun Ramachandran of The South First gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Marco is the most violent movie ever made in Malayalam. Unni Mukundan’s swag and stylish filmmaking are the takeaways of the movie with a predictable story."[35] Vignesh Madhu of The New Indian Express gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Marco is a result of the increasing acceptance in Kerala for non-Malayalam films with hyper-masculine narratives. Realising the market potential, the makers have dished out an excessively violent action film, which is a cocktail of films like K.G.F, John Wick, Animal and many other such celebrated works.[36]
Shilpa Nair Anand of The Hindu wrote "The movie scores on the technical aspects such as the stylised stunts, cinematography and background score; the writing, however, flounders."[37]
Box office
On its opening day, the film grossed ₹10.8 crore worldwide, being the fourth highest day-one grossing malayalam film in 2024, and one of the highest opener in malayalam cinema with ₹4.55 from the domestic market.[38][39][40][41] Marco became the highest-grossing A rated film of Malayalam cinema surpassing Kammatipaadam (2016).[5] In 3 days, the film grossed over ₹30 crore worldwide with ₹14.75 crore from Kerala.[42][43] The film has grossed ₹25 crore in Kerala and around ₹50 crore worldwide .[44] In 10 days, the total worldwide gross collection stands at ₹68 crore, including ₹53 crore in its opening week, the film grossed ₹41 crore domestically and ₹27 crore from overseas.[4]
References
- ^ "Marco: Unni Mukundan's film to skip the trailer release; Plot and runtime revealed". ottplay.com. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Marco Is Set To Feature Unni Mukundan In Lead Role With a Budget of 30 Crores". Asianet News. 2 October 2023.
- ^ "ആ വില്ലന് ഇനി നായകന്! 30 കോടി ബജറ്റില് ഉണ്ണി മുകുന്ദന്റെ മാര്കോ വരുന്നു". Asianet News. 2 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ a b Dixit, Mohit (30 December 2024). "Marco Day 10 Worldwide Box Office: Unni Mukundan's violent-actioner has excellent 2nd weekend; Rs 100 crore dream shall be achieved". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Marco box office collection Day 1: Unni Mukundan's film beats Dulquer Salmaan's Kammatipaadam". OTTPlay. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Legendary actor Thilakan's grandson to Debut in Unni Mukundan's Marco". Times Now. 18 May 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ a b "'Lut Gaye' Fame Actress Yukti Thareja To Join Unni Mukundan's 'Marco'". Times Now. 20 May 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ "New Cast Additions For Unni Mukundan's Marco". Times Now. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "Marco: Shooting for the Unni Mukundan-starrer to begin soon". www.ottplay.com. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' set to go on floors in February 2024". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "First look poster of Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' out". Mathrubhumi English. 16 June 2024. Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ "Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' to go on floors soon". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ Service, Express News (9 March 2024). "Ravi Basrur joins Unni Mukundan's 'Marco'". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' to go on floors on May 3". The Times of India. 29 April 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ Service, Express News (4 May 2024). "Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' begins". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "Marco – Unni Mukundan dons new look for the first villain spin-off movie in Malayalam". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- ^ "Marco – The Unni Mukundan-starrer will have THIS Telugu actress as a female lead". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "Riyaz Khan joins Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' in 'Adich Keri Vaa' style". The Times of India. 7 July 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "Unni Mukundan wraps up the first schedule of 'Marco'". Times of India. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ "Second schedule of Unni Mukundan's Marco wraps up". Cinema Express. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Unni Mukundan's Marco Completes Second Schedule Of Shoot". Times Now. 18 July 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "'Marco': Makers call it a wrap; say the Unni Mukundan's actioner will 'redefine action genre' in the Malayalam film industry - WATCH video". Times of India. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "It is a wrap for Unni Mukundan's thriller, 'Marco'". The South First. 29 August 2024. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "'KGF'-fame Ravi Basrur on board Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' as composer". The Hindu. 2 March 2024. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ "'ചോരയൊലിക്കുന്ന തലയോട്ടിയും ഹെഡ്ഫോണും'; മാര്ക്കോ'യുടെ മ്യൂസിക് റൈറ്റ്സ് സോണി മ്യൂസിക്കിന്". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 11 November 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- ^ "First Single Titled Blood From Unni Mukundan's Marco Released!". Times Now. 22 November 2024. Archived from the original on 22 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ "'Marco' promo song revamped: 'KGF' singer Santhosh Venky replaces Dabzee after audience feedback". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ "Lyric Video Of The Banger 'Marpapa' Promo Song From Marco Released". Times Now. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ "Marco (Original Background Score)". Spotify. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "Wow! Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' poster creates huge buzz on social media". Kerala Kaumudi. 16 June 2024.
- ^ "Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' locks a release date". The Hindu. 13 November 2024. Archived from the original on 14 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Unni Mukundan's Marco clears censorship formalities". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Marco movie review: Unni Mukundan's raging portrayal fuels this brutal no-holds-barred revenge thriller". OTTplay.
- ^ "Marco' review: A bloody revenge drama that plays it safe". The Week.
- ^ "Marco review: Bloodshed and violence are at their peak in this stylish Unni Mukundan starrer". The South First. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Marco Movie Review: Gruesome violence makes it an unpalatable experience". Cinema Express.
- ^ Anand, Shilpa Nair. "'Marco' movie review: This stylish Unni Mukundan action thriller falters due to a weak script". The Hindu.
- ^ "Marco | ആദ്യ ദിവസത്തിൽ മുടക്കുമുതലിന്റെ മൂന്നിലൊന്ന്; ഉണ്ണി മുകുന്ദന്റെ 'മാർക്കോ' ഒറ്റദിവസം നേടിയത് 10.8 കോടി". News18 മലയാളം (in Malayalam). 21 December 2024. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Marco Day 2 Kerala Box Office: Unni Mukundan's gory actioner is set for a BLOCKBUSTER Christmas with close to 5 crore on Saturday". PINKVILLA. 21 December 2024. Archived from the original on 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ Jha, Annie (21 December 2024). "Marco Day 1 Box Office Collection Worldwide & Budget (Malayalam)". Bollymoviereviewz. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "'Marco' box office collections day 1: Unni Mukundan's action thriller opens to Rs 4.21 crore!". The Times of India. 23 December 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "Kerala Box Office Weekend Update: Marco rocks, Rifle Club remains strong; All eyes on Barroz 3D". PINKVILLA. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Marco Day 3 box office collection: Unni Mukundan film sees a huge spike in overseas and rest of India gross". OTTPlay. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ "Marco Worldwide Box Office Update: Unni Mukundan's actioner crosses Rs 50 crore on day 7; targets to enter Rs 100 crore club". Pinkvilla. 26 December 2024.