It must be said right at the beginning that Phobia is truly frightening. An Indian psychological thriller, directed by Pawan Kriplani, it will definitely send a chill down your spine, quite unlike the unwittingly comic “horror” films we are used to watching.
Phobia’s strength lies in the fact that it uses the horror genre intelligently rather than falling for stale motifs and clichéd sound effects to peddle it’s fear factor!
Radhika Apte plays Mehak, an artist who suffers from severe agoraphobia – the fear of open spaces. The foreboding tone and interesting plot twists that hint at something sinister, along with Apte’s own brilliance ensure that viewers are constantly at the edge of their seats. And if you are like me, then you will also be clutching the box of popcorn with all your might and shriek with every sound!
Director Pawan Kriplani approaches the tale with cold and chilling efficiency. Radhika Apte, Satyadeep Mishra and Nivedita Bhattacharya are remarkably effective in their respective roles. It’s interesting to see that while Mehak’s phobia plays out on-screen, we find ourselves questioning our own initial assumptions.
The line between reality and phobia keeps blurring helping us hold on to the narrative right till the end.
Phobia should be your pick if you are above 18 years of age (Yes, it has an A certificate), only if blood and horror don’t freak you out!
I’ll give it 4 QUINTS out of 5.
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