House Next Door Will Scare The  Yell  Out Of  You

The House Next Door

Starring Siddharth, Andrea Jeremiah,Anisha Angelina

Directed by Milind Rau

Rating: ***(3 stars)

Horror as a genre can  be horrific  in Indian cinema in  the most unexpected ways. This one gets it right in  spite  of following all the horror tropes and signposts including irrelevant attempts to startle  and  scare. And the habitual horror humbug  of heaping too much information  on  the dark realm.

Nonetheless the work is put together  with a  great  deal of conviction and some amount of  belief in the  power  of  the dark to consume light.The  plot is set in an idyllic hill station  in two adjacent houses. For a  film about evil forces lurking in the shadows  the camera movements are endearingly tranquil  except toward  the end when mayhem rules the proceedings.

Siddharth Surynarayan is  in  control of  the  proceedings, in more ways than one. He  is  not only the  film’s producer and leading man he   is also the co-writer, thereby ensuring  a well-oiled  movement  of  creaking-doors plot. Siddharth  has always  displayed a likeable screen  presence and an ability to take control of his  characters’ inner life. Here he remains in-charge even when forced  to relinquish control of  his character’s actions.

The rest  of  the actors, and that includes the  very capable Atul Kulkarni,  appear either stilted  or  uncomfortable, or both.Anisha Angelina  Victor doing Linda Blair’s possessed act tries hard to move her  neck and limbs in impossible directions. The camera doesn’t help her  much.

Also the unnecessarily  prolonged  bouts  of smooching and  smoking  are almost  like precursory  diversionary measures before  the horror element  sets  in.  Once the demoniacal pursuits take  off , director Milind Rau focuses on creating an aura of dread and destruction.Admittedly some  of  the serenade with the satanic forces spooks  the  hell out of us. This  is definitely  one  of  the  better Indian films  of  the horror genre.

If you  are fan  of  the genre, you are advised to pay this shiver giver a visit this weekend.