This aint a horror film, there is nothing scary, absolutely no tension n suspense.
The subject of female infanticide n female foeticide which is highly prevalent in my beloved country, especially in the northern regions shud have been dealt seriously rather than trying to make it into a lousy, non scary horror film.
104 Reviews
Below Expectations
anilk0079 November 2020
Had potential but ended up being disappointing
Ripley66631 October 2020
Senseless!!
NLightFury30 October 2020
Netflix please stop
sharmaashwara30 October 2020
We understand Netflix wants to create cinema with a message but they need to understand this "understand your audience" , what could had been a 20 minute short film it was turned into a movie which was utter boring , bad cinematography , bad acting and to top it all a very bad story for the intended message.
Bad Netflix movie again
zodiacundefined31 October 2020
Hello all,
I wasted another Friday night with this garbage. Netflix movies used to be far better. But now their standards are going way downhill. The message in this movie, if any, is about female infanticide in India. But the direction and story is so bad that half way through you start cursing its producers for wasting their money on this director. Save urself some time and watch something else. This movie is a waste of your time and producer's money.
Worst ever in every sense
geetikabajpai31 October 2020
I felt good watching this movie ....coz I wasted only 2 hours of my life while movie makers wasted many more. There wasn't an option to give a big O zero rating else would have given a zero instead of 1. I mean why would you even make a movie when you have no story at all, just why ? Funny thing is the review submittion mentioned "does this review contain spoilers" lollzzz there is absolutely nothing going on in this movie , this movie itself is a one big pathetic, worst ever time spoiler.
Absolute nonsense and thoughtless direction
frenzycpl30 October 2020
Flawed, but good watch
rim_sam31 October 2020
Set On the backdrop of contemporary rural north India, this endeavour of making an eerrie film with the theme of the rural India's apathy towards girl child, is ofcourse a failed attempt. But, we know Indian or rather Hindi horror genre, where in the recent times, except Tumbbad, none is even watchable. This movie is an exception to that. Despite it's shortcomings it stood through because of the performances, specially the child actors together with a splendid role by Shabana Azmi, and ofcouse the direction and beaitiful cenematography. Whatever the script is, it has been presented fatless, lean manner. Definitely a good watch.
Surreal, creepy feminist tale shot beautifully
jessamynit2 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I had no idea what to expect from this movie, and it ended up being one of the most unique movies I think I've ever seen. Lots of reviewers are complaining about the plot (?? which was... clear and easy to follow to me?), but the fascinating part to me is that traditional plot structure felt less urgent and important than the devastating mood: the gray, dark tones; the slow realization that none of the adults are reliable, good people there to help; the outstanding acting of the tiny main actress (who was interesting to watch in every single frame); the use of color/ sun/ light in spare moments during the rest of the oppressive darkness and rain; the gorgeous cinematography (that popsicle drop in the well in the 2nd scene!)...
As a North American, I loved getting a peek into a unique side of Indian cinema, locations, moods, etc, that we don't usually see. It felt like watching the origin story, the creation of a Hindu goddess in her pain and struggle to do the right thing, as well as desire for revenge and balancing the scales. The intensity of the actors made me think I could've understood it even without the subtitles, and I forgot I was listening to Hindi at times as I read along.
Favorite moments were the body horror ghost womb (!!!), everything coming back to the well/ water, the p.o.v. of the girls running around the maze of the small town, and that beautiful/ jarring sequence with the sunlit sheet slapping us back into the cold rainy present.
This movie reminded me of the movie "mother!" by Aronofsky - you don't really know where you're standing at times, and are only given clues through color, sight, sounds, themes and characters' emotions - but more accessible. This is a movie about being a girl in the world, and as a daughter and mother, it moved me and will stick with me!!
As a North American, I loved getting a peek into a unique side of Indian cinema, locations, moods, etc, that we don't usually see. It felt like watching the origin story, the creation of a Hindu goddess in her pain and struggle to do the right thing, as well as desire for revenge and balancing the scales. The intensity of the actors made me think I could've understood it even without the subtitles, and I forgot I was listening to Hindi at times as I read along.
Favorite moments were the body horror ghost womb (!!!), everything coming back to the well/ water, the p.o.v. of the girls running around the maze of the small town, and that beautiful/ jarring sequence with the sunlit sheet slapping us back into the cold rainy present.
This movie reminded me of the movie "mother!" by Aronofsky - you don't really know where you're standing at times, and are only given clues through color, sight, sounds, themes and characters' emotions - but more accessible. This is a movie about being a girl in the world, and as a daughter and mother, it moved me and will stick with me!!
Great start but lost somewhere in the fog
subhadip-5919430 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It rolls over the land like some sort of a silent witness, starting with the opening sequence, which takes place at night to the last shot, which is at dawn, signifying a new beginning perhaps. The fog works strenuously to add a layer of mystery and creepiness to Terrie Samundra's debut feature. The director also relies heavily on other horror tropes - a ghost makes a sudden appearance in a mirror, the soundtrack is purposefully ominous, in one scene, a withered old woman with one eye shows up, it rains incessantly. The story is set in rural Punjab, which is presented as desolate, dark and quietly horrific. The color palette is grey. But as I watched, I found myself wondering: How many fog machines did they haul to location? Or is it now all done digitally? And that is not a good sign.
Like Dibakar Banerjee's terrific short in the Ghost Stories anthology and Anvita Dutt's Bulbbul, Kaali Khuhi is a horror film with a message. The idea is to scare you but also to make you think beyond the horror onscreen.
Fog plays a leading role in Kaali Khuhi. It rolls over the land like some sort of a silent witness, starting with the opening sequence, which takes place at night to the last shot, which is at dawn, signifying a new beginning perhaps. The fog works strenuously to add a layer of mystery and creepiness to Terrie Samundra's debut feature. The director also relies heavily on other horror tropes - a ghost makes a sudden appearance in a mirror, the soundtrack is purposefully ominous, in one scene, a withered old woman with one eye shows up, it rains incessantly. The story is set in rural Punjab, which is presented as desolate, dark and quietly horrific. The color palette is grey. But as I watched, I found myself wondering: How many fog machines did they haul to location? Or is it now all done digitally? And that is not a good sign.
Like Dibakar Banerjee's terrific short in the Ghost Stories anthology and Anvita Dutt's Bulbbul, Kaali Khuhi is a horror film with a message. The idea is to scare you but also to make you think beyond the horror onscreen and consider the horror in life. Incidentally, horror plus sex was dubbed horrex but I couldn't think of a clever name for horror plus message. Kaali Khuhi is about female infanticide in Punjab. The heroine is a 10-year-old girl Shivangi who confronts an awful secret when she is taken by her parents to their ancestral village because her grandmother is ill.
When we first meet Shivangi, she is peering into a well as she sucks on a gola. The red flavoring from the gola drips into the water in tight close-up, foreshadowing the blood that will soon be spilled. It's a striking, spooky moment. Shivangi played by Riva Arora is a timid girl, confused by the adults - especially her parents who don't do a good job of shielding her from their problems. But eventually, she is the one with the courage and wisdom to put an end to the terrible events.
As an idea, Kaali Khuhi is potent. There is something inherently eerie about wells - the cavernous dark space and the impossibility of escape makes them perfect fodder for horror films. Case in point, the Japanese classic Ringu, in which the murderous spirit Sadako, with her hair covering her face, emerges from a well, walking like a marionette whose strings are being drunkenly yanked by someone above. We learn later that she was drowned in it. It's terrifying. Kaali Khuhi has been edited by Sanyukta Kaza who earlier cut the superb Paatal Lok. It's thrilling to see a team of female artists tell a story that puts women front and center. It's also thrilling that Terrie is attempting here to deliver an urgent message via a genre picture. But for the combination to work, the writing needed to be much sharper
Like Dibakar Banerjee's terrific short in the Ghost Stories anthology and Anvita Dutt's Bulbbul, Kaali Khuhi is a horror film with a message. The idea is to scare you but also to make you think beyond the horror onscreen.
Fog plays a leading role in Kaali Khuhi. It rolls over the land like some sort of a silent witness, starting with the opening sequence, which takes place at night to the last shot, which is at dawn, signifying a new beginning perhaps. The fog works strenuously to add a layer of mystery and creepiness to Terrie Samundra's debut feature. The director also relies heavily on other horror tropes - a ghost makes a sudden appearance in a mirror, the soundtrack is purposefully ominous, in one scene, a withered old woman with one eye shows up, it rains incessantly. The story is set in rural Punjab, which is presented as desolate, dark and quietly horrific. The color palette is grey. But as I watched, I found myself wondering: How many fog machines did they haul to location? Or is it now all done digitally? And that is not a good sign.
Like Dibakar Banerjee's terrific short in the Ghost Stories anthology and Anvita Dutt's Bulbbul, Kaali Khuhi is a horror film with a message. The idea is to scare you but also to make you think beyond the horror onscreen and consider the horror in life. Incidentally, horror plus sex was dubbed horrex but I couldn't think of a clever name for horror plus message. Kaali Khuhi is about female infanticide in Punjab. The heroine is a 10-year-old girl Shivangi who confronts an awful secret when she is taken by her parents to their ancestral village because her grandmother is ill.
When we first meet Shivangi, she is peering into a well as she sucks on a gola. The red flavoring from the gola drips into the water in tight close-up, foreshadowing the blood that will soon be spilled. It's a striking, spooky moment. Shivangi played by Riva Arora is a timid girl, confused by the adults - especially her parents who don't do a good job of shielding her from their problems. But eventually, she is the one with the courage and wisdom to put an end to the terrible events.
As an idea, Kaali Khuhi is potent. There is something inherently eerie about wells - the cavernous dark space and the impossibility of escape makes them perfect fodder for horror films. Case in point, the Japanese classic Ringu, in which the murderous spirit Sadako, with her hair covering her face, emerges from a well, walking like a marionette whose strings are being drunkenly yanked by someone above. We learn later that she was drowned in it. It's terrifying. Kaali Khuhi has been edited by Sanyukta Kaza who earlier cut the superb Paatal Lok. It's thrilling to see a team of female artists tell a story that puts women front and center. It's also thrilling that Terrie is attempting here to deliver an urgent message via a genre picture. But for the combination to work, the writing needed to be much sharper
Such an idiotic movie
ankitasaha-4730230 October 2020
Waste of Bandwidth! Waste of time and Money!
shreyas24151 November 2020
Whenever something from Bollywood comes on Netflix, I am always apprehensive that it is going to turn out to be a waste of time. This is one of such movies. I don't understand what the movie wanted to convey ?
Guys, please donate the money to some poor kid in India, but don't torture us with movies like this
Guys, please donate the money to some poor kid in India, but don't torture us with movies like this
Netflix, time to fire you!!! Spare us
shishir_dahal31 October 2020
An idea being murdered
sureshrattan2 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
They wanted to talk about the evil of selective killing of baby girls in Punjab, and they end up making a idiotic horror film, trying to encash Shabana Azmi's name for credibility - it does not work, bad film, bad story line, bad acting.
Totally useless movie. Shame on you Netflix
emmagunja15 August 2021
Atmospheric and eerie slow burn horror
singhlall20 November 2020
terrible terrible execution of good idea
dev-nabarun8 December 2020
Hauntingly Original Ghost Story
amypamoeba1 November 2020
This movie starts out with amazing atmosphere right from the start. The cinematography is stunning.
I've watched many horror movies in my life and lately they all seem to be the same thing over and over. I found Kaali Khuhi to be a refreshing take on a haunted tale. Even better to watch a film that has important meaning.
The acting was strong especially from young actress Riva Arora. She has a bright future ahead of her.
I don't recommend many scary films to my friends especially recent scary films, but I will recommend Kaali Khuhi to everyone.
Uncomfortable viewing should not mean low rating
Atrey_Doury1 November 2020
For most reviews here it is that this feature makes for uncomfortable viewing is what justifies the low rating. Granted it is not exceptional or even very good. But it is good enough and by no means justifies the low rating it now enjoys. This motion picture sans the regular song - and - dance feature takes on the shameful and disgusting topic of female infanticide, and weaves an atmospheric narrative out of it. The story itself is overtly simplistic and devoid of any layers or character development. It is not horror per se but more a story that involves supernatural elements. The production values are high, and direction is competent. There is so much that could have been done with the material available but the movie though underwhelming and slow does a credible job. It is not something that you would in all probability rewatch but as a one time watch it works. The acting is competent and the photography is excellent. For the material that this movie tackles the director works a fine line between a feature that could be called a motion picture and something that is merely a documentary. A decent watch.
Good.
Good.
Utter Dissapointment
tosk-301456 January 2022
I feel betrayed and robbed after watching this movie. This storyline could have been used in a better way and given message it was trying to convey, it has been robbed of its importance as well. The ending is the cherry on the cake. I literally laughed at when the horror peaked. Shabana Azmi must have hurt her spine after carrying this whole cast on her back.
Utterly Ridiculous with stupid plot!!
Cheapthrilluser29 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I have to rate review to balance out any rating higher than one. Cinematography and location are good. Saving girl child is an excellent idea. But the execution is awful. Just utter bad.
Why and how the infant grows only until 10 and why it waited to kill it's mother until that age?
No explanation for the child's father to be rude and why he has to be killed when it was not his fault?
Who is that auntie? Jus neighbour? Because everyone calls her auntie. Worst thing is she tells the child to go and check on the ghost as the ghost is looking out for her. LMAO.
Mom character is useless. She never takes care of her child.
And what happened to the other kid who is possessed, child's mom, auntie? Did they all die?
A child just leaves with the buffalo?
No background, no story, no character development. Utterly ridiculous story. Watch Bulbul instead.
Why and how the infant grows only until 10 and why it waited to kill it's mother until that age?
No explanation for the child's father to be rude and why he has to be killed when it was not his fault?
Who is that auntie? Jus neighbour? Because everyone calls her auntie. Worst thing is she tells the child to go and check on the ghost as the ghost is looking out for her. LMAO.
Mom character is useless. She never takes care of her child.
And what happened to the other kid who is possessed, child's mom, auntie? Did they all die?
A child just leaves with the buffalo?
No background, no story, no character development. Utterly ridiculous story. Watch Bulbul instead.
Boring af
sashankdhar19 June 2021
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