2018 (2023) on Netflix
Anoop, a former soldier, works at a shop owned by Bhasi and hopes to marry Manju, a teacher. Then the Kerala floods arrive.
- Netflix4.6/5
- IMDb8.3/1017,134 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes100%
Trailer
Plot summary
In Aruvikulam, Anoop is troubled by memories of soldiers dying and works at a shop owned by Bhasi, who cannot see. He loves Manju, who teaches at the local school, and they consider marriage. Needing a visa for Dubai, Anoop asks his friend Rameshan, who has a hidden marital crisis. In Tamil Nadu, truck driver Sethupathi meets Noora, a television reporter covering a water shortage, and she later travels to Kerala, where her family faces health problems. Shaji, a government officer for disaster management, has fishermen missing after a severe storm.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about 2018 (2023)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Because high-quality graphics were too costly, the team used real water to depict the flooding in 2018, building miniature houses to show rising water and shooting the main flood scenes on a 22-acre set at Maravanthuruthu near Vaikom with a 2-acre water tank.
- The airlift scene in 2018 took eight nights to shoot, and the helicopter seen in it was built from construction sets at a cost of 1.4 million.
- Director Jude Anthany Joseph conceived 2018 after an NGO asked him to document the flood heroes; for research he met fishermen from Kollam who went on rescue missions in Chengannur and spoke with police, volunteers, army and fire force workers.
- Tovino Thomas's character in 2018 was inspired by a news report about a man who drowned during the flood rescue operations, according to Jude Anthany Joseph.
- Jayasurya, reported in October 2019 as part of the 2018 cast alongside Manju Warrier, Indrajith Sukumaran, Kunchako Boban, Asif Ali, Indrans and Tovino Thomas, dropped out over conflicts with Rojin Thomas' Kathanar.
- The flooded Aluva river scene in 2018 was shot in August 2022 when the Aluva river actually overflowed, and the shots of actors walking on floodwaters were filmed for real.
- 2018 was chosen by the Film Federation of India as India's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, the fourth Malayalam film to be submitted after Guru (1997), Adaminte Makan Abu (2011) and Jallikattu (2019); it failed to make the cut.
- 2018 overtook Pulimurugan (2016) to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, a record it held until Manjummel Boys (2024) took over.
