Playwright William Shakespeare would be in awe and shock if he watched the character Joji ( Malayalam equivalent of King Macbeth ) played by Fahadh Fasil in the film of the same name.

Joji's foray into the path of darkness and immorality is devoid of any strength or display of power, unlike King Macbeth. The latter had all the resources to feed his greed. He went about his job quietly without any fuss, on the sidelines, thereby striking more fear due to his low profile. Even his Lady Macbeth was not the same as Shakespeare envisioned in his epic" Macbeth".

The writer-director duo of Sam Pushkaran and Dileesh Pothan reworks Macbeth in a rich Malayalam Christain household setting. It examines the length of man's greed in pursuit of his aim. It's a slow thriller where the dark side of human nature is brought to the fore subtly without any grandeur wherein conscience and morality fail to stop the serene and vicious cycle of evil and self pursuit.

Joji introduces us to the Panechals, a wealthy plantation family living in a sprawling villa surrounded by vast greenery. The shadow of family patriarch Kuttapan PK ( Sunny PN) looms over his three sons, one daughter in law and a grandson.

As Kuttapan suffers a fatal stroke that leaves him hanging between life and death, the family members' inert desires and ambitions slowly become apparent. This is when Joji Panechal, 3rd son referred to as" the second piece" by his father, an aimless misfit, hatches a devious plan to cash in this opportunity to make it big.

The sole female family member, Bincy (Unimaya Prasad ), silently witnesses all his plans as she realizes her husband Jaison's inability ( Joji Mundakyam ) to assert control over his stoic, domineering father-in-law. The alcoholic and divorced Jomon is the eldest among the lot, showing genuine affection towards his ailing father. He has a teenage son named Poppy.

Joji puts you in a sense of unease and suspicion right from the go and provides cues in the form of visuals and a soundtrack for the dark journey up ahead.

Shyju Khalid’s ( Cinematographer ) not just documents all the devious plots unfolding in the house but also take us up close to what each character is feeling. His frames transport us to their world to witness the internal working of this dysfunctional family. The soundtrack by Justin Varghese especially the violin score is a haunting melancholy that sets in motion Joji’s evil plan and anticipates the impending doom around the corner.

Joji‘s real success is due to the tenor in which the entire premise is being navigated. There is a subtility, quiet calmness, and not to forget the slow pace which absorbs and unsettles you till the last straw is being pulled by Fahadh Fasil in his master plan.

The stoic silences, extended gazes, dialogues ranging from little to few, lengthy elaborate shots, somber violin scores all are testimony to that. The movie while trying to flesh the themes of this Shakespeare epic, It takes a dig at religious orthodoxy as eldest son Jomon ( Baburaj ) has a series of conflict with family priest Fr. Kevin ( Basil Joseph ).

Now coming to performances, the cherry on the cake is Fahadh Fasil’s effortless and restrained portrayal of Joji. He Imbibes charisma, complexity, and vulnerability while plotting against his father shrugging aside all his conscience, morality.

Unamaya Prasad’s portrayal of daughter-in-law Bincy gave us a very different version of Lady Macbeth who passively oversees all the plot. She brings Bincy ‘s dark side to the surface in a minimalist fashion. Her exchanges with Fahadh are one hell of a scenes where so much is communicated without any surface-level action.

Baburaj put forths a good show as the alcoholic - temperamental good son Jomon whose concern for his father looked genuine. His run-ins with the priest make up great scenes to watch out for.

On the whole, the duo of Sam Pushkaran and Dileesh Pothan brilliantly infuses Macbeth for a brilliant dark thriller unlike going for a like-by-like adaptation of the original plot and characters.Joji delivers on providing an engaging watch for vividly showcasing the extent of human greed.

You can watch this epic in Amazon Prime.