Aval

With not too many Hindi horror movies being made in India "The House Next Door " comes as a fresh breath of air. Though this movie was simultaneously made in three languages Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. I have watched the movie in Hindi as I do not understand the other two languages.

I loved this movie and liked the coil and seizures in the plot. After a long time, I enjoyed an Indian Horror movie. Debutant director Milind Rau explores the not so prevalent Horror genre in the Indian movies. Somewhat he succeeds in this genre where the veterans of Indian horror like Vikram Bhatt and RGV have miscarried in the past some years.

The movie starts depicting romance between Dr. Krish (Siddharth) and Lakshmi (Andrea Jermiah). They get married and move into a beautiful house located in between the picturesque location of the Himalayas. Dr. Krish is publicized as country's no 1 "Deep Brain Stimulation Specialist".

Things start to change when a family reaches in the vicinity of Dr. Krish and Lakshmi. The house next door belongs to Paul (Atul Kulkarni) who is accompanied by his family that includes two daughters Jenny (Anisha Victor) and Sarah (Khushu Hajare)and his wife with her father.

Situations lead where the need for false exorcism arises. The Exorcism fails miserably and the priest goes into a coma. I'll not create any spoilers now so to know the rest of the story, kindly watch for yourself.

The movie has lots of positives- Acting of all the characters are up to the mark. Siddharth last memories of him in Hindi movies for Rang de Basanti and Chasme Budoor stands out. Andrea Jeremiah performs effortlessly as usual. Anisha Victor is pretty notable as Jenny. Maybe her first movie. Rest cast is respectable in their characters.

The Exorcism scene is being portrayed excellently and might give you some chill or edge of the seat moment. However, on the flipside, it might remind you as an amalgamation of the cult The Exorcist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the Conjuring series. Cinematography by Shreyaas Krishna is excellent, Visual effects Devesh Patel is commendable. The background score and editing are good.

Areas of Opportunity- Being an ardent Horror movie fan after each twist and turn I am forced to recall the inspirations of the plot/scene. I can recall all these movies while watching this 2 hr. 17 min saga (The Exorcist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Conjuring series, and The Ring). But still, the writer and director have done a fair job of binding the stories together. This happens all the time but I haven't used the word plagiarism.

Also, the climax and last 20 – 25 min towards the end slightly falters with its sluggish pace. To sum up The House Next Door is a glossy horror movie though it might be considered to be weighed down due to owing lot of inspiration. We know that almost all the horror movie directors do take creativeness from the cult horror movies. The Ramsay's have done in their era. RGV and Vikram Bhatt in the modern era, but what stands out is the execution. Viewers have always been fond of the horror movies but were not catered appropriately. This movie is one of the few Indian movies that will stand out and to the audience tolerance do not have unnecessary comedy. Kudos to the director for sticking to his genre.

As the name suggests, it's a haunted house movie. There is also "possession" in this movie. A couple was living happily in their house, until some family occupied their next house, probably an unoccupied house for a long time. Problem arises after the girl next door found something, which she shouldn't have. It reminds me of The Exorcist. We can't find any fault with the acting. Everyone has acted as required in a horror movie. There are really some creepy, scary moments in this movie. Background music adds more creepiness to the atmosphere. There are two twists in this movie, which I was not able to guess, which means it is really a good horror movie. I recommend this movie for horror fans, especially of Indian horror movies.

Amazing movie & finally a Hindi horror flick which matches up to Hollywood standards of films like Conjuring & Oculus! The movie is directed by debutant Milind Rau and he does a fab job...we get lot of thrills and scary scenes with a gripping storyline. The film is also shot beautifully in the Himalayan valley and there are some breathtaking shots. The film stars Siddharth & Andrea Jeremiah in the leading roles & both have done a great job. There is also veteran actor Atul Kulkarni who was as usual natural & actress Anisha Victor who was damn impressive. The background score was good too. It was a great exp to watch it on the big screen. Highly recommended.

THND is an impressive movie which contains spooks as well as a good story at its core. The story is nothing new or groundbreaking but what makes this movie stand out is its wonderful direction. The narrative of the film is engaging. Script and direction alone make this movie stand out in a particularly lacklustre genre in Indian cinema.

The film starts off very well and the pacing is apt. The film falters a bit in its third-act but considering the overall intensity of the film, it's easily excusable. The screenplay is pretty clever. The direction is deft and proficient. The cinematography is gorgeous and helps in building the tension, especially the scenes shot in black-and- white look splendid. Music assists the atmosphere brilliantly and heightens the intensity of the narrative.

The ending drags a bit and could have been shorter. The end twist is good. The film looks inspired by a Malayalam movie Ezra which deals with the same topics of haunted house, possession and exorcism albeit with a different backstory. The cliffhanger ending works perfectly with the tone of the film and teases for a sequel (already excited).

Acting is admirable. Siddharth is nice and brings a certain edge to his character which is enough to tell how much talent he inherits. Andrea looks convincing in her role. Atul Kulkarni as a troubled father is superb. Avinash in the role of a psychic was great considering the fact that such character mostly turns out to be a goofy shadow of themselves. He is excellent in his role and brings a certain rugged charm to his character. Rest of the cast members are also good in their respective roles.

The film also carries a very subtle message about female infanticide and sexual discrimination. The way this message has been conveyed is clever and efficacious at the same time.

So, all in all, a finely crafted horror film which manages to scare as well as entertain.

7.3 out of 10!

This one has wonderful special effects. The story and concept is good too. It was some cliche usually associated with Indian Horror movies. The actors play their roles with supreme expertise. Siddharth looks good throughout. The twist at the end is predictable.