Indian horror films have long followed a tradition that, while essential to entertain audiences, gives them no frightening moments. By masking the horror with humor, these films lost their originality, and some examples are Bhul Bhulaiya, Bhoot policeand Roohi. Certainly, some Indian horror movies focus exclusively on scary elements and deliver desired content to fans. However, as we get used to modern horror comedies, most of them are forgotten.
Masoodaa Tollywood horror film, proved that the Indian film industry can still produce spine-chilling horror films with an unnerving theatrical experience brimming with suspense, gore and fear.
The film was released in Telugu states on 18 November 2022 and is now scheduled for distribution in other Indian states. Regardless, the film was well received by audiences with most of them leaving the theaters with a look of tension and blood on their faces. What sets this Indian horror thriller directed by Sai Kiran apart from the others?
A well thought out story with a good start
Masooda starts off strong with the opening scene, which introduces several main characters and gives us a glimpse of the terrifying witch we’ll encounter later in the story. Although the opening scene was short, it kept the suspense and suspense as its main focus, gaining a firm foothold in the story. Later in the story, the movie introduces the main character and delves a bit further into his personal life, but the tension lingers, making it seem mysterious.
The story deviates from the premise for a while and it takes a while to get everything right, but all horror stories take some time before the horror elements resurface. The film’s intermission twist is where things begin to move as we learn more about Masooda’s backstory and discover how effectively her character is written. While the film could have used some impromptu directing in the first half, it seemed to be a unique horror film that hasn’t been seen in a long time.
Masooda’s backstory is devoid of sympathy
It should come as no surprise that Indian horror movies usually find a way to make the ghost the victim of the story, and they have for a long time. However, the film eschews typical horror fare by portraying Masooda as an Inhuman witch who kills her victims out of habit to invoke dark energy in her life.
She shows no remorse for her atrocities, and even after dropping a village full of dead bodies in her wake, she continues to find new victims. It’s what adds terror to the premise, and the movie stays true to tone throughout, making it an exceptional horror movie on par with Conjure it franchise.
Tone shifts from supernatural horror to slasher
The last 30 minutes of the movie are really brutal, evoking slasher movie vibes, and it holds the tension as the possessed Masooda hacks into her hapless victims. While the movie maintained a suspenseful tone from the start, it didn’t show any supernatural drama until the flashbacks involving the human Masooda.
As a result, the unexpected turn of events stuns everyone in the theaters, making it a remarkable experience for horror fans. While it might be an exaggeration to say that the film is worth watching based on its last 30 minutes, it wasn’t all sluggish as some Reddit reviews might have suggested. Careless, Masooda strayed from the usual Indian horror films in terms of quality during its conclusion, and pressing on the slasher tone was perhaps the best approach the production team could have come up with.
Masooda did have certain shortcomings, such as somewhat predictable writing and a few lingering moments that let the tension run wild. It did provide certain benefits. The filmmakers captured the eerie atmosphere at crucial moments with excellent production value, sound design and camera work. Also in most horror movies, characters make stupid decisions which led to their downfall, but Masooda is an exception. Except for a few scenes in the climax, all characters made wise choices that reflect how people would react in similar situations.
The script added a lot of value to the movie by being emotional yet realistic, though it lacked a bit of dialogue writing. As mentioned earlier, certain events are foreseeable. Still, the realistic setting easily pulls us into the drama, and before we know it we realize that these kinds of tragedies can also happen in real life.
In any case of the film, we find many things that set Masooda part from typical Indian horror films. Staying true to its genre, the film offers both highly compelling and incredibly violent content, making it an ideal horror movie to watch in theaters.