13B: Fear Has a New Address

My two thumbs up for Director Vikram Kumar who made this gripping thriller. First one for his well written script & second for his crackling & detailing direction. I've read that Kumar was keen to work with R Madhvan & had approached him earlier but he rejected his offer & demanded a better script. So Kumar spent two years to come up with the story idea & four to pen down a hardbound script of 13B. Love's labor was not lost & ultimately Madhvan loved the script & instantly signed the project. The film was then shot in 40 days flat. & Kudos to that brilliant script which makes you hooked in the edge on the seat second half. So what's 13 B? Well, it's a jinx number. A family messed up in their newly purchased flat. The first half is just average which projects focus on several unimaginable incidents in their flat- a lift refuses to function, disfigured images taken by mobile cam, milk splits everyday, nobody can hit a nail in the pooja room & jarring & suspicious television serial which resembles with the lives of the family members. And I thought for a minute- Am I watching some superstitious crap nonsense or what???

But hey, the film bowled me over in the second half. It's really intriguing & successfully kept the tension rolling for the audience with twists & turns of the story. The revelation of suspense is just awesome. And I 'm not going to spoil it by revealing anything further. Madhvan always do selective films & most of the time he comes with bingo performance. He has an expressive face & natural body language which suits his roles perfectly. Watch his expressions of fear in this & you will agree with me. Rest of the players has also played their parts as naturally as possible but I specially like to mention the performance of Deepak Dobriyal, who has acted the role of Ashok in the film. He's really a revelation. (Remember the actor who was guided by Saif Ali Khan in 'Omkaara') Technically also the film is faultless & successfully enhances the thrilling effect for the audience. The only thing which I would like to edit in the film is cutting of those two songs in the first half.

A Strong recommendation of the week but it's my humble request to watch it in theatre. No piracy for this sort of talented & promising director's film please.

Ratings- 8/10

its really good. first half is a little boring but the second half makes up for it with the scares and the thrills. the lead role is done really well with all the actors doing their part well. i went to see this movie on the first day in Dubai.

i was really excited after seeing the trailers and the hype the film had created. its a good film to watch at night and it lives up to its expectations. enjoy it for what it delivers. you wont be disappointed. it delivers thrills and some scares. could frighten children under 13. overall i loved it

9/10.

I remember watching this movie in some little parts on DD National when I was child, that one scene where R Madhvan told his friend to lock him up was still in my mind even after 10 years. Recently, i watched this movie with my family from start to end and everyone loves it. Story and Suspense in the movie was well written. Movies like this and Tumbbad are the one of the best indian horror movies ever made. Only downside of this movie is acting otherwise it's 10/10 movie.

One chilling fact of nature that has stayed with me for years was the notion we will take for granted the importance of oxygen until there is a lack of it. We never really pay heed to something that is in our lives everyday, and therefore is relatively ignored. As such, our dependency on technology has grown to such extent that, without it, mankind would quickly crumble as a civilization.

A breed of horror has arisen prominently in the new millennium that exploits this very idea, and in rather creative ways: What if basic living was suddenly turned against us? When there is no place like home, do you really own it? Or does it own you? When I watched this film through I couldn't help but realize I witnessed a subtler adaptation of Mikael Håfström's "1408". But this was certainly not a bad thing. Oh no, not at all. 13B expands past 1408's borders quite brilliantly. With it, blending in the elements of The Ring, Final Destination, and Poltergeist (with a sprinkling of quirky humor) to a delectable mix of "that inanimate object has the ability to kill you in 150 ways" paranormal paranoia. The majority of the dialog is Hindi but coherency isn't an issue for 13B, as the tone-sensitive visuals tell the tale just as effectively. The acting and score also carries the plot well.

I had a few minor qualms with 13B. The dialog at times seemed unnatural, almost forced. Camera movement was also a problem. Some scenes had the camera volatile to enhance suspense but for me it did the opposite.

13B is a fine example of intellectual horror. It does not force feed the suspense, but allows the viewer to build their own overtime as the protagonist becomes aware of the unnatural forces manipulating his and his family's mentality to the breaking point.

Unfortunately watched it in 2020. So definitely couldn't relate to it as someone watched it much earlier would be able to. A good thriller. First half is slow. Movie picks up from the second half. I'd say don't switch over from the first half actually the movie starts in the second half. R Madhavan acting skills are great. He looks not only convincing but keeps you glued to the movie. Watch it if you have a taste for horror movies.