Hisss (2010) User Reviews

The film has got nothing but Mallika shows her amazing daring guts to do this.

[bobbysing · 3/10 · 27 January 2011]

First of all let me clear the buzz of HISSS being a foreign flick. No, its not a Hollywood film from any angle. Yes, it's reportedly been directed by a western name, Jennifer Lynch. But the name remains the only foreign touch in an otherwise totally Indian movie, which is more like a B class Bollywood film packaged and promoted well.

Secondly, yes the film is based on a HIT and interesting topic of an Ichhadhari Nagin but the overall result on the screen is not even close to what we have already seen in Reena Roy's NAGIN (1976) and Sridevi's NAGINA (1986) or even in its not so successful sequel NIGAHEN (1989). The film is just a collage of various graphical scenes without any good story build up or enjoyable musical soundtrack. Moreover the erratic background score further reduces the impact of its engrossing theme to the least.

Thirdly, if you are expecting a great computer graphics show in the movie displaying a human body's transformation into and out of a snake, then you are going to get disappointed in that section of the film too. The graphics used in HISSS are not bad but at the same time they also don't offer anything great or exceptional to enjoy. In fact watching ANACONDA once again would be a far better choice to opt, if you are really interested in watching the big snake movements in front of you.

In the acting arena, I was simply stunned to see two highly talented actors Irrfan Khan and Divya Dutta agreeing to do such strange kind of roles where they simply have nothing to do except showing their known faces on the screen. Especially, Why Irrfan opted for such kind of LOW in his otherwise famous career is simply beyond any logical explanation.

So after pulling down the movie in almost all its departments……what can be a possible merit of watching HISSS? That's the pleasure of watching the Sky-High Confidence of the girl called Mallika Sherawat. The conviction with which she portrays her role of a Ichhadhari Nagin is indeed commendable even when she is not speaking a single dialogue in the film. And further her amazingly daring GUTS to opt for all those nude body scenes and love-making scene with the snake is undoubtedly applaudable.

Truly speaking, even when the movie was completely a wash out for me in all aspects, still the girl managed to keep me hooked somehow with her unbelievable kind of confidence and a passionate performance. So if you are really interested in watching Mallika in the most daring act of her entire career then HISSS may work for you. Otherwise it would be better to watch the movie only after its DVD release.

Rating : 1.5 / 5 (0.5 more only for the confidence level of Mallika).

For vore

[collinmessec · 2/10 · 8 December 2018]

I went into this with friends wanting a fun "so bad it's good experience" but it can't even be that. There were a few good effects early on that I actually enjoyed but the movie quickly becomes incredibly boring. It's overall too boring to be "so bad it's good" and too bad to be genuinely good. Id avoid this one and watch Clash of the Titans(81) for a more enjoyable snake woman. I'd love to go in depth scene to scene to pick out every problem but the thought of sitting through it again makes me sleepy. If you want to watch it definitely see it with friends since they'll be much more entertaining.

A more dramatic end would have been a redemption at least

[sree_raman · 2/10 · 22 October 2010]

The opening was great, the motivation behind each character is clearly defined, but the imagination is dull and characterization is poor. India has been portrayed like a land of snake charmers and poverty stricken land, some scenes make you feel sick, (a bunch of girls walked out of cinema after first 30 minutes!). Many question are left unanswered such as why was Irfan Khan's wife infertile? Why did any one not notice a double murder at the women's help center till the body was rotten? what takes so long for the autopsy guy to figure out a snake bite? Whys is nagin chasing the snake charmer and why is the snake charmer still running after seeing Irfan Khan? oops! A more dramatic end would have been a redemption at least.

A brilliant story plot ruined

[agnihotrisanjay · 15 May 2021]

A brilliant story plot ruined by the story writer who has no clue about this Indian myth. What a waste of lot of talents.

Sanjay Agnihotri Novelist.

Don't waste your time on this, you'll regret it!

[m_uthman · 1/10 · 26 October 2010]

The movie seems a joke coming from a director who has made Boxing Helena, this movie is even lower then the standards of combing Hollywood and Bollywood B-grade movies.

Just the name of Hollywood and the director is the daughter of David Lynch, If one doesn't expect master piece at least a decent effort, which it not even disappoints in every aspect of film making but make you puck. Its seems the director was asleep while making this crap which has awful special effects, no story, no acting and not even a single plus point that goes in its favor to be mentioned.Irfan Khan is totally wasted and why the hell did he agree to work in this joke of a movie, Mallika has no dialogs only partial nudity in dozens. The snake seems like a puppet and the rest I have no words to explain what a awful and crappy movie this is, avoid it no matter what or else regret it your whole life.

Amateur at best

[harshad-d · 1/10 · 24 October 2010]

The movie tries hard--but falls flat on its face, right into a pile of rotten guts, like one particularly sick and unnecessary scene in the movie.

The premise is familiar, dated and even banal--a man (a desperate Jeff Doucette) suffering from a life-threatening disease and having only 6 months to live decides to find the 'nagmani' and gain immortality.

So he 'kidnaps' a cobra while it is engaged in an act of procreation and locks it up in a glass box, torturing it constantly by electrocution. The aim? Somehow the cobra would communicate with the nagin telepathically and bring her to it, thus allowing the man to force her to give up the nagmani for her lover snake's life.

Mallika Sherawat plays the nagin, and I have the impression that the movie was made solely considering the fact that a shape-shifting Nagin would allow ample opportunities for the director to show Mallika with little or no clothes-and the whole film seems to be made to cater to this premise. And the director leaves no stone unturned to achieve this aim. The fact that Mallika has not a single line of dialog just confirms this view.

The remaining cast of characters is wasted--Irrfan Khan though manages to be respectable in his role as a police officer-very understated and elegant. A good actor who took up this role needlessly.

The story follows a linear path--and the dialog is so straightforward its laughable at times. A case in point would be the goons hired by Jeff Doucette at his hideout-it seems the director knew the audience would wonder why the goons would decide to stay even after knowing of the impending danger and Doucette's maniacal ways--so they engage in a dialog justifying their decision--'we are doing it for the money. anything for money.' Its a very lame way to rationalize the story, and its very obvious.

The movie has nothing to offer, so it relies on shocking and disgusting the audience. Like the aforementioned scene with the guts, or a scene with a kid shitting, or a scene with a dead man with stained pants. It wouldn't have been a problem if these scenes had added to the story, but they do not and seem pointless.

The movie has a few elements which should have been clarified-like the fact that whenever the Nagin shape-shifts or is reborn to a woman form, any woman who is pregnant has a miscarriage. The director has tried to weave this into the story, but it is not easily inferred, and adds to the confusion.

The special effects are bad and seem cheap. and for people who are now used to the quality of Avatar, the effects would sorely disappoint. The snakes look fake, the transformation scenes look fake.

All in all, the movie has only one USP--an almost fully nude Mallika Sherawat.

Waste of time,don't watch it!

[rahul_01 · 3/10 · 3 March 2011]

This movie has nothing worth spending 1 hours and 30 minutes on, in fact it got unbearable after 30 minutes. The plot is poor and is taken from old Naagin movie which is way better than this. Visual effects used are unrealistic and cinematography is amateur at best. All the actors except Irfhan Khan have performed poorly and overacted in most of the parts.

It seems film makers assumed Mallika Sherawat is so sexy that if present her half naked whole of the movie the public will lure into watching it. Its overstretched the movie story gets finished in 30 minutes and rest 1 hour in between are just fillers.

If you are a Mallika Sheawat fan and have one and a half hours to waste watch it, there is nothing else in the movie expect her which is worth watching.

Worst Piece of Garbage

[Seth1804 · 1/10 · 20 March 2011]

This movie was the worst piece of garbage I have seen in quite a while. Who the hell actually funds this crap? And they got a director from Hollywood who has absolutely no clue what she was doing. They could have found someone from an Indian film school to put in a better and more honest effort. And the makeup/creature and CGI effects were dreadful. Even some third world countries have better special effects on their TV shows. And damn, the dialog, the acting, and the absolutely stupid characters made me want to kill them myself. I don't think there was anything in this movie at all that was worth watching. Seriously, it is not too difficult to make a decent film. In fact it is harder to make one that is so awful. Perhaps, in that case, congrats to the filmmakers.

Not that bad...

[ShyamNTK · 5/10 · 26 October 2010]

Hisss is not at all a great movie, but it is not the worst one too!! There have been more worse films than Hisss, In fact, it is a watchable one, in my opinion. It is not so convincing at several places, but still we can watch it. It certainly has more standards than a B-grade movie. Hiss could have been much better if the director worked a little more harder on the script. Also, the place where it is taking place arises many confusions. In one scene, we can see 'Amrita TV' news reporters and an old woman speaking Malayalam, indicating that it takes place in Kerala. But, all other common people speak Hindi only.

Mallika Sherawat did her role well, her snake-teeth is not looking much original, though!! Irrfan Khan was okay, and all others were alright. The lovemaking scene between Ms. Sherawat and the Snake was very funny!! :P On the whole, it is a one-time watch, at least when the DVD comes

Horrible!

[princevisram · 2/10 · 31 December 2010]

It was honestly so boring and repetitive, confusing and messed up all together. Gives wrong understanding of the Hindu God and brainwashes peoples minds! It is one of those movies that gives Hindi movies a bad name... Also the effects were not generated correctly, lots of faulty mistakes.. Computer editing is a whole step ahead of what they had in this movie. Not good for younger audiences (and even older ones). This movie is senseless and has no point, it is a movie which is nothing but good for brainwashing and confusing peoples' minds. When comparing to a movie like Wake Up Sid or Black for example, it would have had a rating as 1/10... Play with caution and be aware of your audience!

just another Indian failure

[rukshi_g · 1/10 · 18 January 2011]

this is just another example where Indian movies try to copy Hollywood aspects into their movies, and result in total mismatches and failures... can't they use their own brains and do some creativity without a Western influence yet..?this is just another example where Indian movies try to copy Hollywood aspects into their movies, and result in total mismatches and failures... can't they use their own brains and do some creativity without a Western influence yet..?this is just another example where Indian movies try to copy Hollywood aspects into their movies, and result in total mismatches and failures... can't they use their own brains and do some creativity without a Western influence yet..?

I guess Hollywood's love affair with India is officially over.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 29 October 2011]

I don't get it: Slumdog Millionaire cleaned up at the Oscars, and yet Hisss didn't get a single nomination! Pah! What do the Academy know, anyway?

Whereas Danny Boyle's 2008 crowd-pleaser simply manipulated it's audiences' emotions whilst providing a fairly intriguing mystery, Jennifer Lynch's Hisss gives the more discerning viewer a far richer experience in my humble opinion: there's the Nagin (Mallika Sherawat), a sexy snake goddess with a great rack and an even more impressive set of fangs; an impromptu Bollywood dance routine (is there really any other kind?) that takes place during an Indian paint festival; an ugly, fat, obnoxious woman who continues to pester her son-in-law about grand-children even after death; a would-be rapist in a Pamela Anderson T-shirt swallowed whole and regurgitated as a pellet; gratuitous naked lamp-post climbing; gratuitous skinny dipping; a bad guy with brain cancer and a very itchy trigger finger; lots and lots of impressive practical effects from top MUFX maestro Robert Kurtzman, and some equally bad CGI; a raunchy sex scene between the film's smoking hot star and a rubber snake (complete with reptilian french kissing); and stunning cinematography that not only brilliantly captures the sights, sounds and squalor of India's slums but also the awesome curves of Sherawat's magnificent butt.

As far as I'm concerned, THAT is entertainment worthy of an award!

Good, but not great but most certainly not horrible

[x_82-951-897073 · 6/10 · 20 October 2011]

this is one of those movies that actually has a LOT more potential than given. if done in a different manner this would have made an excellent who-dunnit flick. from the start the movie opens up fairly solid, the initial transformation into human form was actually good. the following transitions into snake form...not so much, but thats more so if you're lookin for uber perfect FX. the storyline unfolds at a decent pace but manages to keep ya glued. is this worth multiple viewings, no, but its not so bad to give a good viewing once.

our main character does a pretty superb job at portraying a snake in human form. u really get the sense that she took the time to study her role in depth. the "villain" of the film is a tad annoying...you'll wish him long gone within his first few lines but be happy to see him get his in the end.

again, the movie isn't perfect, nor could it have been but its fairly enjoyable for what its worth.

This was HORRIFIC !!

[tarunpur87 · 1/10 · 14 January 2011]

I just watched this utter disgrace of cinema last night. Didn't expect this from Jennifer Lynch. Irfan Khan was the only reason i gave this movie 1 out of 10. This was horrendous, the plot was laughable apart from Irfan Khan every actor was terrible. May be someone would like to see Malika Sherawat nude hence they gave this piece of train-wreck more then 1 star & frankly there was nothing below zero, thats the only logical reason i could come up with this one. It was utter torture. They should have donated money to a charity rather then to make this BAD BAD BAD BAD piece of film making. Stay away from this thing. I wish i could get the time back (90 minutes or so) i spend on watching this back in my life :(

Raw Violence

[ebiros2 · 5 November 2011]

Snake goddess takes on a human form to save its mate from a dying westerner who believes her essence will cure his disease. She roams around the city looking for her mate, causing mayhem on the way.

The movie is beautifully shot with cultural clues very different from that of west. You need to be raised with the kind of folk lore this movie is based on to appreciate the mood and its implications. There are some erotic scenes that involves semi nudity along the way.

There's kind of a ruthlessness in the scenes when the snake goddess makes her attack. It seems more violent than western movie's violence that's mostly based on gun shooting.

It's an interesting movie to watch, and also enjoy the atmosphere of India at the same time.

Watch if you're bored....

[sane1216 · 2/10 · 24 October 2011]

Firstly, I understand the director, Jennifer Lynch, left the project due to creative differences about the finished product. From what I've read she envisioned a sort of love story while the rest of the crew wanted a horror film.

I'm not entirely sure either would have worked. Personally, I think the writers, directors and editors failed to think coherently. The originating event when coupled with the end result makes no sense. Let me explain, the reason for the whole ride revolves around a stereotypical American man out for his own selfish desires. He has cancer of the brain, which according to some makes him a bit crazy, therefore he wants to capture the snake goddess and force her to make him immortal so he won't die of cancer. Now...opening scene, Mr. Stereotypical American along with some "misguided" Indians find the snake goddess and her male counterpart procreating. Here's where you're going to have the question....because right here is where they fail to think. Instead of snatching the snake goddess...they snatch the male and run away after Mr. Stereotypical American taunts the deity and continues to do so throughout the film so he can....capture her.

Aside from that my other problem with the film is that it doesn't give me a reason to really care. I can understand her rage, but beyond that I didn't really care...I was just curious. Maybe if the male counter part also transformed into human form while under torture it would've pulled me in more. Maybe if they gave her some dialog to show she actually could think beyond primal instincts and the occasional erotic transformation or what I'll just call a nature scene....I would've cared more.

I can't really say much for the acting as I'm not too familiar with the cast. I understand Irrfan Khan and Divya Dutta are considered talented veterans. I have no idea why the cast Jeff Doucette as the villain. He came off forced to me. He didn't look the part or act the part. I would have rather it been a suave rich looking guy, although stereotypical, yes, but at least have him look a little more menacing.

That brings me to the stereotype. Of course this is a foreign movie, and it's expected to have a negative outlook on an American. Of course there is the possibility that his brain cancer caused him to act irrational. However, I got the vibe that the whole message was that Americans don't respect culture or warnings and can easily corrupt everyone with money. While some of this is true, I think it would've been easily successful to have a secularized Indian business man as the culprit just as well.

Overall the movie fails. It's linear but falls apart. Some of the events aren't properly explained like certain deaths, certain ominous situations,etc.

If you're bored...watch it....if not, I suggest something else. There was a Thai movie about a female tiger woman, name slips my mind now, that executed far better than this.

All I can say that "Mallika Sherawat's Nakedness can't save this Garbish.

[saadgkhan · 1/10 · 28 December 2010]

HISSS – TRASH IT ( D ) It won't be wrong to say that "Hisss" is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It's just horrible from first scene to the last scene. The story about Nagin (Female snake) turning into a Human after 100hundred years is a popular myth in India. Their have been lots of movies and TV shows about this story which were pretty successful. I think this is the only time when it's presented in most amateurish and childish way. The only thing keeping me giving Hisss the (F) rating is Miss. Mallika Sherawat. She is smoking Hot and apparently Naked most of the time. Her transformation from Nagin to Human was really scary and interested. I am huge Mallika Sherawat' fan so, because of Her nakedness I am giving it a (D) rating. Quite cheap of me :p But I accept that! In my final words all I can say that "Mallika Sherawat's Nakedness can't save this Garbish. Trash it!

definitely not

[mystery_hunters13 · 3/10 · 24 November 2010]

At first let me confirm one thing that every movie in bollywood directed by an outside (hollywood) director can't be Slumdog Millionaire, saying this i didn't had any expectations before i watched this movie but the idea was a bit fantasizing. I mean a snake taking human form and producing some kinda "mani" (precious stone) which will make you immortal has been a very old storyline for lot of bollywood movies, from Jitendra to Sridevi. I don't even know how to describe this movie, only good thing i see about the movie is Mallika's nudity, I'm sure they might have used a body double, but still it was good. The rest you can count as bad or may be worst, poor special effects, bad locations, seems like a B-grade movie, and acting tops all these. I mean you cant really expect Oscar winning performance by mallika, but still. If you are bored at home and like to laugh watching low budget failed films with friends, this is your movie, rest i suggest stay away from it.

Utter nonsense

[prithvimalekar · 1/10 · 23 July 2023]

Jenifer Lynch needs to be lynch in crowd for making such a gutter piece crap. What to say pal, this flick is such a lousy, dull, mind fart, piles in braincells, tuberculosis in kidney and so on. Means terrible to the power infinity. Such a lame presentation of the story and charecters i never seen in my life. Mallika Sherawat don't have any single word of dialogue in the whole movie and so many talented actors like Irrfan Khan and Divya Dutta are totally wasted in the movie. Talking about charecter devlopment, totally cringe and pathetic. My crucial request to people please don't waste your time in this crap.

You'll Enjoy It

[erelas · 9/10 · 14 October 2011]

I've recently, as in only a few hours ago per this writing, viewed this film, and honestly, the terrible reviews I've read here on IMDb are simply unacceptable.

So unacceptable, that for the first time, I'm writing a review of a film, here.

The entire film, though not a stunningly "Hollywood" style explosion of special effects, has some that do it's budget credit. The transitions from a physical effect to one computer-generated are a little rough, but the story certainly does not need it.

The visuals, the actual sights and sounds of the country are unrelentingly natural, and all the more disturbing and beautiful because they are real. The image, without spoiling anything, of a very young child squatting with his bare bottom over an open sewer while police run past pursuing a suspect, who is also being pursued by a barefoot snake- goddess, polarizes the film. Images of painful reality, the filth of humanity compacted into a city, alongside the beauty of nature, the drives of revenge against man's degradations, and the marvelous colors are woven together skillfully.

One of the most delicate, touching and lovely scenes is the interaction between the mother-in-law and her daughter, in the kitchen, just after the dinner. Those two women are beautiful together, I'd believe they are, in fact, blood relatives who do care for each other.

Enjoy the film, the characters and make your own decision.

It's not bad at all....

[drahulrajjsd · 7/10 · 24 September 2017]

Not really a Bollywood fan, but I watched it because of special makeup effects legend Robert Kurtzman, who designed the looks of the snake woman and also the director of this film is Jennifer Chambers Lynch. Really loved the look of Nagin, the transformation sequences and some brutal death scenes which you don't usually see in an Indian film. Mallika Sherawat gave a great performance and I gotta say that she can really slither. Seen a lot of negative reviews, but for me, it's not bad at all.

Grisly, but not scary, with flashes of brilliance

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 27 September 2013]

I was interested in checking out 2010's "Hisss" mainly because it's an East Indian horror production ("Bollywood") and I've never seen an Indian horror flick. The plot has to do with a Hindu snake god coming to life in the form of a beautiful Indian woman (Mallika Sherawat) and preying upon the dastardly inhabitants of the slum city. A detective tries to solve the case (Irrfan Khan).

As noted in my title blurb, this is a gruesome movie but it's not really scary, at least not to me. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have points of interest. The first act features a dynamic sequence at a painting festival on the streets and it's so energetic and creative that it possesses a "Wow" factor, sort of like the innovative dancing scenes in "The Day the Fish Came out" (1967). Later there's a cool chase thru the village (on foot) between the snake woman and a snake charmer with the detective tagging along. There are some other flashes of genius.

Of course Mallika Sherawat is a gorgeous woman, Indian or otherwise, and she's featured in numerous stages of dress or undress, but it's Maya Gupta, as the detective's wife, whose beauty truly shines here, and she's fully clothed at all times (what's that tell ya?).

The film was shot in various areas of India (West coast, East coast, South-Central, etc.) and is a visual feast of India in all its glory or disgrace. The movie's interesting in this regard.

Another highlight is the score & soundtrack. Take, for instance, the compelling and rockin' score during the foot chase.

I also thought the effects were pretty well done. For instance, when the snake woman morphs into a half-snake, half-woman monster at the end it brought to mind Lin Carter's Thongor comics from the early 70s.

Unfortunately, the story's not all that compelling despite the occasional bursts of brilliance. It's also too gruesome for my tastes -- loads of gore and worse -- albeit nothing I can't handle. Plus the detective's stepmother is really annoying (but maybe that's the point).

The film runs 98 minutes.

GRADE: B-

One Time Watch

[deepeshdeomurari · 7/10 · 23 October 2010]

Hisss is slightly different Bollywood movie with a Hollywood taste. It differs from Naagin,Nagine series as movie is based on facts and realistic approach. It is very simple horror movie. After watching the movie, your head will be totally blank as in.. it is difficult to comment whether movie is good or bad. It is obvious that when naagin(snake) is converted into human(which can transform into human),she will be nude. You will be impressed with Mallika's body(may be the best in Bollywood), even though I believe movie don't portray nudity. Love making with a snake is bit odd. In short, Positives: light humor, music, concept, special effects, Mallika's body specially street light scene, scary scenes, acting(both Mallika and Irfan) and very important one: you will not feel bored.

Negative: Very simple script, again exposing poverty in India, poor acting of supporting staff, broken screenplay, low budget impacts.

If we give smooth flow to all the scenes then it will be far better.. I believe "The best" is saved for Hollywood release.

Snake Shapeshifter

[fuadkhan2002 · 6/10 · 23 January 2020]

Why doesn't Bollywood make movies like this any more? Had me hooked from the very beginning. I love both shapeshifter and wildlife adventure movies. This is both. They should make a part two.

Hooray for Bollywood!

[JoeB131 · 15 November 2011]

This film is from India, and a few annoying production points. The first is, that the main characters speak alternately in English and Hindi. There seems to be no reason for this at all.

The plot is that an Rich American named "George States" is dying of brain cancer and has hired a bunch of Indian thugs to help him capture the mate of the Snake Goddess so he can force her into giving him immortality. The snake Goddess takes on human form, and then proceeds to have a bunch of misadventures killing would-be rapists.

Meanwhile, we have the hero of the film, a police detective investigating strange crimes where would-be rapists are half-digested by snakes.

Frankly, they are trying to milk ten minutes of story out for 140 minutes of movie. The only plot relevant points are at the beginning of the film when the Snake Goddesses mate is captured, and the conflict at the end. The rest is probably unnecessary.

This movie is worth it for the hot actress who plays the snake babe, and nearly gets naked every other scene, with strategically placed whatevers over the naughty bits.