Disco movie review: A Chaotic Gangster Thriller

Ullas Chemban‘s Disco arrives with plenty of attitude, ambition and visual flair. This 2026 Malayalam action-crime thriller takes inspiration from Latin American gangster cinema.

It also borrows of Guy Ritchie and Martin Scorsese. However, often the stylish aesthetic can be misleading, as the plot is disappointingly simple.

Disco was released in cinemas worldwide, including the UK, on 6th November 2026. The film appears to promise a fast-paced crime thriller with a large cast of gangsters, conflicts and betrayals. However, it does suffer from too much violence, awkward flow and a complicated narrative.

A Gold Heist That Spirals Out of Control

Vethiyamo (Chemban Vinod Jose), an elderly gangster fresh out of jail, comes up with a grand plan to steal some of the stolen gold biscuit fortune. In order to do so, he tries to bring two feuding local gangs together.

One gang are his nephews led by Ousu (Dev Mohan) and the other led by Darling Marty (Lukman Avaran). However, the situation quickly gets complicated due to their odd partnership.

Everything quickly escalates into a bloody gang feud with a tough gangster named Yoyaki (Antony Varghese) involved.

This is further complicated by corrupt cops and a vengeful creditor named Ashokan (Arjun Ashokan). As the story progresses the characters get progressively corrupted by betrayal, greed and revenge.

Whilst there is some promise to this setup, with the opposing gangs coming together to commit a growing chaotic heist, the screenplay doesn’t make the best of it.

The disjointed narrative makes the complex plot difficult to understand. The first half has many scenes showing us who the characters are and how they have a rivalry. The second half lacks meaningful progression and focuses more on violence.

Cinematography and Visual Style

One of Disco’s biggest positives is its cinematography. Armo uses vivid colours and moody lighting to create a distinctive visual style. The wide-angle lenses also give a unique feel to the coastal setting.

This really helps some of the scenes set at night. The retro vibe fits well with the quirky costume and vintage cars and set designs. Often the visuals are more interesting than what you expect from the script.

The set designs are also worth noting. The Latin American inspired gangster theme gives the characters and settings a lot of character. This helps give an unforgettable world.

However, when it comes to the climax some of the visuals aren’t as good. Some of the interior scenes are quite unclear and there are some jarring jump cuts.

The final fight scene tries to do something very different. Ullas uses a first person perspective similar to that of a video game.

However this is hard to understand due to the dark lighting and confusing choreography.

Performances Across a Crowded Ensemble

Chemban Vinod Jose puts in the best performance of the lot. He is very natural in his portrayal of the old gangster and the character of Vethiyamo has a cunning nature that helps bring in some light-hearted moments.

However, the rest of the supporting cast does not get much to do. Antony Varghese, Arjun Ashokan, Lukman Avaran and Dev Mohan are all good but the characters they play do not go far beyond being just another gangster.

There are not many opportunities for them to shine due to the script and often they are used as eye candy which limits their performance.

Some more faces are added with Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Femina George and Sreenath Bhasi but the film fails to really give any real character development to the large cast.

Music, Violence and Missed Opportunities

There is some great energy in Manikandan Ayyappa‘s original score. The retro style fits perfectly with the stylish underworld. The music really helps to lift up some bigger action set pieces.

As the film progresses however, there are some problems with the violence. In some cases it can feel like the violence is being used to be shocking rather than necessary. Some scenes become quite uncomfortable.

The violence towards the pregnant woman can be quite hard to understand. These scenes can often feel like they’re being used for shock value rather than adding any real dramatic value. The film often mixes up intense with violent.

A big issue with this film is how the women are portrayed. They are mostly excluded and very passive.

This makes the machismo in the film quite hard to ignore. All the characters seem to be trying too hard to be masculine. This makes the film feel more repetitive than provocative.

A Story Lost Behind the Spectacle

Disco is ultimately about greed, deceit and tenuous friendships within crime. It brings together some dangerous characters through the lure of quick money, however these differing motivations cause them to lose any sense of loyalty.

This could have been used to create an engaging gangster film. However there is little emotion shown throughout the screenplay.

The characters change sides, seek revenge and get involved in violence with very little character development.

The main issue with the film is that it lacks substance. Although there is a nice aesthetic created by the cinematography, set design and soundtrack, the story lacks depth.

The climax especially shows this. Although the unique angle shows a lot of ambition from the director, it becomes too confusing.

This could’ve easily been a much better ending if it had been more structured.

Final Verdict

Disco is a visually distinctive gangster thriller that struggles to match its considerable stylistic ambition.

Armo’s cinematography, Manikandan Ayyappa’s score and Chemban Vinod Jose’s performance provide its strongest moments.

However, repetitive direction, muddled storytelling and excessive violence leave the film feeling underdeveloped.

There is an entertaining film buried somewhere beneath all the slow-motion entrances and chaotic gunfights. Unfortunately, Disco never quite manages to bring it into focus.