Arivazhagan handles the mystery and investigation very well, while he deftly incorporates the flashback scenes into the narrative as well.

But the movie slides down when the police officer gets to know everything from an 'unknown' source. This makes the investigation process less interesting. The director goes on to narrate the story for almost one hour to show us how the hero traps the culprit.

When everything has been revealed by the 'unknown source', the suspense element ends and the proceedings look lengthy and tedious.

Adhi impresses while playing the suave cop. Equally impressive is Sindhu Menon. She fits the role of a bubbly young girl in love and later as a timid wife.

Nandha has a different role in this film. The actor, who has until now played a lover-boy, dons the role of character with different shades and he handles it with conviction. Saranya Mohan and Rajasekar also leave a positive impact with their relatively brief appearances.

Thaman, introduced as an actor by Shankar in 'Boys', has scored music for Viveka's lyrics. More than the songs, his re-recording sets up the momentum in the movie.

Despite some flaws, 'Eeram' is a whiff of fresh air in the otherwise commercially cliched Tamil cinema.