Was there a recurring theme this year? I can't be certain. Perhaps ladies are finally getting meaningful roles in big-budget films. Perhaps we can look to the mainstreaming of high-concept films like "Super Deluxe," "Aadai," "Game Over," and "Oththa Seruppu" as examples! Or maybe this year's 'trend' is just because there isn't one – and that the mix of films below shows that Tamil cinema found room for a lot of creativity and variety, from the ultra-commercial to the eccentric.

Peranbu

Director: Ram

Peranbu is Ram's quietest, gentlest, and least furious film: a poignant drama about a father (Mammootty) whose life revolves around a daughter (Sadhana) with cerebral palsy. The first half of Peranbu takes place in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature. The film shifts away from Eden and into the city in the second half. Paradise is actually lost, and the movie masterfully reflects this. Ram's protagonists have always been shown to be loved in his flicks. We perceive a lot of passion for the media in Peranbu as well.

To Let

Director: R Chezhiyan

R Chezhiyan's sincere depiction of a family's effort to obtain a rental home is as authentic as it gets. There's no ruse here, and there's no music in the background. Ilango (Santhosh Sreeram) and Amudha (Sheela Rajkumar) are a frayed-around-the-edges married couple. He is adored by her. Nonetheless, she is irritated by him. Throughout the storey, these ups and downs continue to colour their relationship. Chezhiyan presents his argument on his own terms, prompting you to construct a cinematic term: "staged neorealism," perhaps? Ilango handing Amudha some much-needed cash while the grinder grinds away in the corner is a sight to behold. Life continues to go on.

Thadam

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Magizh Thirumeni gives a unique spin to one of masala cinema's oldest tropes: the double role. There is no good/evil distinction in Arun Vijay's portrayals of Kavin (shot largely in daylight) and Ezhil (shot mostly in the orange glow of night-time street lights). Neither man is particularly virtuous, yet they are both treated with sympathy. And following a murder, both of them become suspects! We think we know whodunit, but are we really sure? Despite a few flaws (the motivation for the murder is explained too quickly), the end result is a gloriously pulpy whodunit. It accomplishes what a film of this nature should: it keeps us guessing.

Sathru

Director: Naveen Nanjundan

According to the teaser, this appears to be another case of a young actor (Kathir) attempting to jumpstart his career by playing a cop. But rarely has a mainstream-movie cop been so vulnerable, so powerless in the face of events spiralling out of control around him, and so evenly matched with the merciless villain (Laguparan), who heads a kidnapping ring. Naveen Nanjundan's tight, focused cat-and-mouse thriller makes excellent use of settings for a first-time director. We get a feeling of how tough it must be to find someone in a sprawling metropolis. His frames are brimming with vitality. Technique is something that can be learned. Feel cannot.

Super Deluxe

Director: Thiagarajan Kumararaja

I haven't mustered the courage to re-watch Thiagarajan Kumararaja's second film because I was so swept away by it the first time I saw it that I'm afraid a second viewing may reveal some shortcomings. But, in my opinion, this is the year's most brilliant film — a unique, ambitious, incredibly detailed, and blessedly amoral companion piece to Aaranya Kaandam. It's both grand and personal. It's a long, sluggish fuse that keeps you guessing when it'll go off, and when it does, it goes off with a bang. Or the Big Bang, for that matter. Isn't it bizarre? The film boasts the best craft of the year, and Vijay Sethupathi's trans-woman performance is unforgettable.

Monster

Director: Nelson Venkatesan

Following Oru Naal Koothu, Nelson Venkatesan takes a sharp left with a live-action animation about a guy fighting a rat. SJ Surya was made for this role. Everything about him fits: his cartoony stiffness, his love for abrupt motions, and his exaggerated expressions. The director has an uncharacteristically keen eye for comedic ballet. A micro-set piece with a gas cylinder, an umbrella, and an outrageously costly sofa is staged to perfection. Monster is a delightful reminder of how gently (and liberally) smiles can be created at a time when so much of our "humour" is so mean-spirited.

Game Over

Director: Ashwin Saravanan

Is Ashwin Saravanan's tense drama a serial killer thriller? Is this a supernatural'vengeance' storey? A psychodrama about a suicidal video game designer (played by a gritty Taapsee Pannu) who is scared of the dark and has "anniversary reaction"? Is the movie a video game in and of itself? Is it a nightmare — or a dream — in the style of David Lynch? Is this a representation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? A storey about female empowerment? Game Over is all of the above and more, as well as a true original. The abstract jigsaw-pieces of information increase the guessing game rather than forming a "logical" (and traditional) plot. The film's little wonder is that it manages to cram all of its ideas into a tight 100-minute runtime.

Suttu Pidikka Utharavu

Director: Ramprakash Rayappa

Sometimes you get a gut feeling about a movie right away. That's how I felt while reading Ramprakash Rayappa's terrific little thriller, which begins with a bank robbery and steadily builds to a satisfying twist. Even with minor shortcomings and a lack of refinement (though the location filming is fantastic), the film keeps you intrigued and invested — especially with Mysskin in the picture. His brusqueness as an actor works wonders for the character of Ibrahim, a cop. Given the current status of the globe, terrorists will almost certainly be portrayed as Muslims. To restore the balance, we require an Ibrahim.

House Owner

Director: Lakshmy Ramakrishnan

Lakshmy Ramakrishnan continues her effort to present powerful (and well written) female stories. This time, we have middle-aged Radha (a great Sriranjani) caring for her Alzheimer's-affected husband Vasudevan ('Aadulakam' Kishore). The storey alternates between the younger and older versions of this pair, which is a brilliant premise. We reflect on Radha and Vasudevan's current struggle through moments from the past, rather than languishing in agony with the present-day Radha and Vasudevan, who are stuck in the 2015 Chennai floods. House Owner may be the most intimate film about a disaster ever made. It's a love song, a reminder to appreciate what we have while we have it.

Aadai

Director: Rathna Kumar

When the naked self is revealed, who are we really? With the nudity of the protagonist, Rathna Kumar's film literalizes this idea. I expected a victim based on the trailer's "lady wakes up without clothes in a barren building." I was expecting a survival drama along the lines of Trapped. Aadai, on the other hand, adds to our confusion by rendering Kamini (a phenomenal Amala Paul) absolutely unfeeling. I was caught between pity ("no one deserves this plight") and apathy ("...but if anyone deserves it, it's her"). Despite a lengthy and unwieldy conclusion, this is an excellent morality tale: Kamini, you were a scumbag. Karma is, after all, one of them.