Although over 150 Malayalam films released in 2018, only a handful of those were deemed watchable by industry critics at large. Out of this handful, 15 titles were selected based on their cinematic brilliance and without considering their box office success.

Ee. Ma. Yau is the best Malayalam film of 2018

This is a list of the 15 best Malayalam movies of 2018, as selected by eminent critics of the Kerala film industry.

Ee. Ma. Yau (dir. Lijo Jose Pellissery) Sudani from Nigeria (dir. Zakariya) Sexy Durga (dir. Sanal Kumar Sasidharan) Varathan (dir. Amal Neerad) Kayamkulam Kochunni (dir. Rosshan Andrrews) Koode (dir. Anjali Menon) Carbon (dir. Venu) Eeda (dir. Ajithkumar) Aami (dir. Kamal) Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil (dir. Tinu Pappachan) Njan Marykutty (dir. Ranjith Sankar) Aalorukkam (dir. V C Abhilash) Padayottam (dir. Rafeek Ibrahim) Poomaram (dir. Abrid Shine) Maradona (dir. Vishnu Narayn)

Varathan has polarizing reviews but still came in at #4

The method of selection as well as other details about individual titles can be found over at my IMDb list here. My annual tradition of creating best-of lists/video was not possible because I could not catch all the films in 2018. (A punishment for not living in Kerala.)

Carbon stars Fahadh Faasil and Mamata Mohandas in the lead

Most of these are available on DVD or VOD. If none of these interest you or if you have already seen them, consider my personal favourites:

Ente Mezhuthiri Athazhangal (dir. Sooraj Thomas)

(dir. Sooraj Thomas) Uncle (dir. Gireesh Damodar)

(dir. Gireesh Damodar) Theevandi (dir. Fellini T P)

(dir. Fellini T P) Kuttanpillayude Sivarathri (dir. Jean Markose)

Or, go for some of the underdogs of 2018:

Bhayaanakam (dir. Jayaraj)

(dir. Jayaraj) Kaly (dir. Najeem Koya)

(dir. Najeem Koya) Joseph (dir. M Padmakumar)

(dir. M Padmakumar) Lilli (dir. Prasobh Vijayan)

(dir. Prasobh Vijayan) Kammara Sambhavam (dir. Rathish Ambat)

(dir. Rathish Ambat) Njan Prakashan (dir. Sathyan Anthikkad)

While you decide which film to catch this holiday season, also check out my list of the best posters of Malayalam cinema in 2018. A few of my other similar lists related to Malayalam films can be found here (best of 2017), here (best of 2016), and here (best of 2015). TN.