Praising the direction and the performances of the lead actors, Latha Srinivasan of
Hindustan Times wrote,"PS Vinothraj is a master storyteller, who has supreme control over his craft and the characters he presents to us on screen. [...] Caste plays a key role here as well as regressive beliefs that keep women in check. Unfortunately, the women also perpetuate these regressive beliefs because they don’t know any better or anything different. We see how the men think they are all-knowing and can’t get a simple thing done, like deal with the fly, and how the women are smarter by comparison." Gopinath Rajendran in his review for
The Hindu wrote, "Apart from an intriguing plot accented by a terrific supporting cast, it is Anna Ben and Soori’s career-best performances that elevate
Kottukkaali into one of this year’s best films. [...] Without being pompous about its themes,
Kottukkaali excels at showcasing a day in the life of a dysfunctional family doused with patriarchal norms. While the open-ended climax might feel divisive, it also opens a realm of possible outcomes that the filmmaker generously lets us pick one from. In an industry where directors suffer from the sophomore curse, Vinothraj delivers a more well-rounded second film, and proves that he's here to stay... and win." Sudhir Srinivasan of
Cinema Express wrote,"This film is even without that most obvious tool of manipulation: Music. I loved the film for employing no music. In this film about the torment of Meena, music would have felt exploitative. It would have been an obvious directorial ploy to have you react one way or another, but in its present form, Kottukkaali simply takes your hand and walks you around for a few hours with the family of Pandi and Meena—without telling you how you ought to feel." Bharathy Singaravel of
The News Minute gave a positive review writing,"Apart from a few small hiccups,
Kottukkaali takes audiences on a winding ride across the arid fields and dusty highways of Madurai towards another more pressing destination: introspection regarding words like ‘culture’ or ‘community’ and what they mean apart from power." Writing for
India Today,Janani K rated the film 4/5 mentioning,"
Kottukkaali is easily the film of the year and director PS Vinothraj is slowly turning out to be a filmmaker you cannot ignore." However the movie did not score well with general audience with some calling it the worst movie of the year. Sajesh Mohan of
Onmanorama in his Cinema Analysis column, Cinemascape, wrote: Anna Ben's portrayal of Meena stands out, capturing the character's resilience and emotional depth. Moments of silent defiance, such as her contemplative gaze at a rooster symbolizing her lover's plight, powerfully underscore the film’s themes of love, honor, and societal hypocrisy. == Accolades ==