| Movie Title | Starring | Director | Genre | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Vikram, Kiran | Saran | Action/Romance | Major blockbuster; Vikram's star status solidified. | | Run | Madhavan, Meera Jasmine | N. Linguswamy | Action/Romance | Known for its realistic city setting and hit music. | | Dhool | Vikram, Jyothika | Dharani | Action/Comedy | High-octane action film; huge commercial success. | | Mounam Pesiyadhe | Suriya, Trisha | Ameer Sultan | Romance/Drama | Suriya's breakthrough into stardom; critically acclaimed. | | Thamizh | Prashanth, Simran | Hari | Action/Drama | Successful mass entertainer. | | Youth | Vijay, Sandhya | Vincent Selva | Romance/Action | Vijay's "soft hero" avatar; decent box office performance. |
2002 was a transitional year that bridged the gap between the raw action films of the late 90s and the more polished commercial cinema of the mid-2000s. It was a year dominated by Vikram and saw the rise of directors like Dharani and Linguswamy, setting the template for Tamil commercial cinema for the decade to follow. 2002 tamil movies list