Ghoul, First Horror Mini-Series from Netflix in India starring Radhika Apte directed by Patrick Graham is an ambitious series but it just doesn't hit the mark. It's quite different from what we have seen in horror from Indian filmmakers so far. The western influences are quite evident here, the series being written and directed by a British guy and partly produced by Blumhouse, an American horror production company. The influences can be seen from the way a dystopian world is portrayed in writing to filmmaking techniques involving sound design, score etc.
The idea seemed fascinating enough for me to watch the series but the problem lies in the execution, where it usually does. The script as a whole is not horrible but various scenes which are not thought out thoroughly makes it undercooked. Often you find yourself feeling "That's not how it goes". The horror is good though. The setting is well handled, mood building is done right and the cinematography is accurate too. I can recommend this to someone completely based on that only but the greatest thing about the show is its sound design and score. It perfectly compliments the setting, tension building, and the horror.
The social commentary which the show offers about the religion is done to death. Although the commentary on the rising nationalism was new and relevant but it could have used a little more subtlety.
The one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is the dialogues. They are abysmal. When you hear soapy dialogues like "Nahi, ye nahi ho sakta" you know the state of the affairs of the rest of them. The show is filmed on a low budget and definitely looks like it. The cheap production design can be seen in how poor the security was in an " Advanced Interrogation Centre". The acting is not appreciable also. Apart from okayish work from Radhika Apte and Manav Kaul the supporting cast acted badly and was completely unbelievable in their portrayal. Now, the series is first of it's kind so it gets a leeway in my rating for trying something new but it's a long way for us to get anywhere near the world standard in horror genre but it's a good start.
End Verdict: Watch it for the horror elements, Avoid it if that is not enough for you to watch a show.
The idea seemed fascinating enough for me to watch the series but the problem lies in the execution, where it usually does. The script as a whole is not horrible but various scenes which are not thought out thoroughly makes it undercooked. Often you find yourself feeling "That's not how it goes". The horror is good though. The setting is well handled, mood building is done right and the cinematography is accurate too. I can recommend this to someone completely based on that only but the greatest thing about the show is its sound design and score. It perfectly compliments the setting, tension building, and the horror.
The social commentary which the show offers about the religion is done to death. Although the commentary on the rising nationalism was new and relevant but it could have used a little more subtlety.
The one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is the dialogues. They are abysmal. When you hear soapy dialogues like "Nahi, ye nahi ho sakta" you know the state of the affairs of the rest of them. The show is filmed on a low budget and definitely looks like it. The cheap production design can be seen in how poor the security was in an " Advanced Interrogation Centre". The acting is not appreciable also. Apart from okayish work from Radhika Apte and Manav Kaul the supporting cast acted badly and was completely unbelievable in their portrayal. Now, the series is first of it's kind so it gets a leeway in my rating for trying something new but it's a long way for us to get anywhere near the world standard in horror genre but it's a good start.
End Verdict: Watch it for the horror elements, Avoid it if that is not enough for you to watch a show.
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