Aamir Pallikkal’s Extra Decent is a satire that explores how people who meticulously follow certain social niceties can become monsters within their own family. Take a protagonist with a clean shaven look and tucked-in outfit, for instance. That is the last person you expect to mistreat his loved ones. Suraj Venjaramoodu plays this ‘Shammi chettan’ type character, a man unpredictably volatile like a ticking time bomb. Fittingly, Aamir provides him with a ‘psycho’ tag. In a hilarious early scene, Suraj’s Binu uses an old family secret to coerce his parents (Sudheer Karamana and Vinayaprasad) into selling off their ancestral property and relocating to an apartment in a city. But he tells everyone else that he is merely realising his family’s ‘wish’ to move out; his ‘gesture’ even invites a familiar response from someone, “Enth decent payyana” (what a good guy). But the truth is that Binu has an ugly face behind his facade of kindness.
Director: Aamir Pallikkal
Cast: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Sudheer Karamana, Vinayaprasad, Grace Antony, and Shyam Mohan
The first hour of Extra Decent, where Aamir sets up the foundations of this wildly inventive story, is undoubtedly its best part. The filmmaker provides Binu with a compelling backstory that explains his closeted nature. A traumatic past is already affecting him emotionally and psychologically, and the sudden discovery of a detail hitherto privy to his parents only drives him further insane. Aamir makes some excellent creative choices in the first half to maintain a great sense of balance between humour and serious moments. For example, the contrasting use of melodic music as two characters physically duel over (and even under) a dinner table. However, the novelty in the premise wears thin gradually as things become a tad repetitive.
The major issue with Extra Decent is that all the characters become mere types without proper arcs. The use of one particular supporting character (Vineeth Thattil David) seems to serve hardly any purpose in the story, and a plot point about another’s memory loss seems redundant in hindsight. The said character is inherently interesting without the added layer of amnesia. The transformation of two women in Binu’s life from being considerate of his situation to becoming callous feels inconsistent with their established characterisations. Some scenes help explain why these women’s attitudes towards Binu change, but you wonder why they cannot be empathetic towards him at least at some level. Further, you wonder how the family secret that Binu uses to manipulate his parents is so powerful as to silence them and put them under his spell for so long. If this single detail is sufficient to exert such dominance, it raises questions about how Binu's father (Sudheer Karamana) could previously assert his authority over him. Moreover, the family's ultimate recourse for addressing Binu's behaviour feels disproportionate and extreme, as the film never establishes such a dark side to their personalities early on to make it believable.
Tonal inconsistencies also arise with certain supporting characters reacting with casual amusement to a situation that the protagonist takes very seriously. While significantly different in terms of plot, films such as Vadakkunokkiyantram and Mukundan Unni Associates are highly regarded for their skillful navigation of the line between provocation and humor. Extra Decent, unfortunately, fails to achieve this balance, often resorting to explicit dialogue to convey its bolder ideas.
Despite these shortcomings, the performances elevate the film. Suraj Venjaramoodu delivers a captivating performance as a character grappling with psychological instability. His transformation from a hesitant, diffident son unable to face his parents to a controlling tyrant is truly compelling. Suraj's nuanced portrayal effectively captures the various facets of his character, including his anxiety and helplessness. His descent into madness is particularly chilling to witness. The supporting cast also delivers commendable performances, including Sudheer Karamana and Vinayaprasad as Binu's parents, Grace Antony as his sister, and Premalu star Shyam Mohan as his brother-in-law.
Extra Decent, while not without its flaws, offers an engaging cinematic experience, a reminder that the facade of respectability often masks a darker, more unsettling truth.