Baby Girl OTT review: Nivin Pauly's Malayalam thriller falls flat as weak writing undermines the suspense

Baby Girl is streaming on OTT

• Baby Girl now streaming on SonyLIV after its theatrical release
• Strong performances and visuals, but weak writing and suspense
• Nivin Pauly stars, but script lacks depth for a true thriller

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Malayalam thriller Baby Girl, which stars Nivin Pauly, came out in theaters on January 23, 2026. It has now made its digital debut on SonyLIV after its box office run. If you're thinking about watching it on OTT, here's a new look at what the movie does well and where it falls short.

Plot:

The movie is about Sanal Mathew, a hospital worker who gets caught up in a crisis when a three-day-old baby suddenly goes missing from the maternity ward. Because the police department is busy with security for the Chief Minister's event, the investigation starts under pressure and with few resources.

The first person of interest is a woman in a burqa, mostly because of what Sanal said. But as the investigation goes on, the story takes an unexpected turn:

Sanal himself becomes a person of interest. At the same time, siblings Rithu and Rishi get involved in the mystery as it unfolds, which makes the case even more interesting.

This is an attempt at a suspenseful drama that tries to find out what happened to the missing child.

What works:

The actors in the movie do a good job, which helps it. Nivin Pauly's performance is pretty restrained for his character, but Lijomol Jose and Sangeeth Pratap have a bigger impact. Both actors bring emotional balance and realism to their roles, which helps keep the story grounded when the script starts to fall apart.

The cinematography is the best part of the movie from a technical point of view. It has beautiful frames that make some scenes stand out. The editing is sharp enough to keep the movie's runtime to about two hours, which keeps it from going on too long.

What doesn't:

Baby Girl has an interesting premise, but it doesn't work because of bad writing. The screenplay doesn't have the depth and tension that a good thriller needs. The drama never really picks up, and the suspenseful parts don't keep people interested.

Bobby and Sanjay wrote the script, which feels incomplete and even some of the scenes aren't emotional enough. The way director Arun Varma did things doesn't help these problems much, so the movie feels flat and uneven.

Even though the movie is short, many parts of the screenplay feel stretched, which makes it hard for viewers to stay interested in the main mystery.

Performances:

Nivin Pauly is the star of the movie, but his character doesn't have the depth that a psychological thriller should have. The role doesn't give him much room to shine because it's not well-written. On the other hand, Lijomol Jose and Sangeeth Pratap are the emotional center of the movie and give better performances.

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Verdict:

Baby Girl has a hard time keeping people's attention, even on OTT. The movie has some good moments thanks to good acting and decent visuals, but it doesn't work as a whole because the writing isn't consistent and the story doesn't hold your attention.

If you're a die-hard fan of Nivin Pauly, you might still want to see this movie. But if you're looking for a tightly woven thriller, this one might not be for you.