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Top 12 South Films to Watch in Theaters in May 2026: Mammootty-led Patriot, Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 to Suriya's Karuppu

Top 12 South Films to Watch in Theaters in May 2026: Mammootty-led Patriot, Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 to Suriya's Karuppu

Pinkvilla 2 weeks ago

As another month comes to an end, a major lineup of South Indian films is set to hit the big screens soon. Here is a list of movies to check out in May 2026.

  • Cast:Thalapathy Vijay, Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Priyamani, Prakash Raj, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Narain
  • Director: H. Vinoth
  • Runtime: 3 hours and 6 minutes
  • Genre: Political Action Drama
  • Language: Tamil
  • Release Date: May 8, 2026

Jana Nayagan narrates the story of a man who becomes a symbol of resistance after standing up against public injustice. As old foes return to settle scores, the former police officer must navigate between becoming a reluctant leader and serving as a catalyst for a young girl dealing with her own fears.

3. Dridam

  • Cast: Shane Nigam, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Mathew Varghese, Kottayam Ramesh, Krishna Prabha, Dinesh Prabhakar.
  • Director: Martin Joseph
  • Genre: Investigation Thriller
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 7 minutes
  • Language: Malayalam
  • Release Date: May 8, 2026

  • Cast: Vidhu, Preethi Asrani, Mahendran, Avinash, Shehnaz Fathima
  • Director: Rathna Kumar
  • Genre: Romantic Drama
  • Runtime: TBA
  • Language: Tamil
  • Release Date: May 8, 2026

29 is touted to be a heartwarming story exploring love, emotions, and identity, set against a nostalgic backdrop of romance before the internet era.

5. Karuppu

  • Cast: Antony Varghese Pepe, Kabir Duhan Singh, Parth Tiwari, Sunil, Harishankar Narayanan, Dushara Vijayan, Jagadish, Siddique
  • Director: Paul George
  • Genre: Action Thriller
  • Runtime: TBA
  • Language: Malayalam
  • Release Date: May 2026

  • Cast: Sathya, Rhea Singha, Vennela Kishore, Viva Harsha, Kabir Duhan Singh
  • Director: Ritesh Rana
  • Genre: Action Comedy
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 12 minutes
  • Language: Telugu
  • Release Date: May 1, 2026

Jet Lee follows a passenger flight carrying fugitive billionaire Prajapathi that spirals into chaos when mercenaries and covert agents clash mid-air. Amid the chaos, special agent Shivani Roy fights for control, while a mysterious man awakens in the aircraft's bathroom with no memory and a deadly secret hidden within him.

9. Varavu

  • Cast: Naslen, Sangeeth Prathap, Sharaf U Dheen, Alexander Prasanth
  • Director: Abhinav Sunder Nayak
  • Genre: Comedy Drama
  • Runtime: TBA
  • Language: Malayalam
  • Release Date: May 2026

From the director of Advocate Mukundan Unni comes another twisted tale. Mollywood Times follows Vineeth Madhavan, a teenager from Kuttikkanam who aspires to become a film director. The movie is described as a satirical 'hate letter' to cinema.

12. Drishyam 3

  • Cast: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Asha Sharath, Murali Gopy
  • Director: Jeethu Joseph
  • Genre: Crime Drama Thriller
  • Runtime: 2 hours and 35 minutes
  • Language: Malayalam
  • Release Date: May 21, 2026

Drishyam 3 is the upcoming installment in the crime drama franchise. Following the events of the first two films, Georgekutty and his family once again take center stage, as the emotional toll of the crime they have tried to hide continues to weigh heavily on them.

The above-mentioned films are just some of the South Indian movies set to release in theaters in May 2026.

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