It's always fun to see how an (for us) exotic country takes a very typical generic western genre and makes it their own. For example, I collect disaster movies from other countries than the mother of them all, United States, and watching slashers from countries like Indonesia and Taiwan is always fun. I have a couple of Indian slashers but this is the first one I've seen that takes it main inspiration from Wes Craven's Scream - just a few years too late. It's not a rip-off, but there's no question which movie(s) they've seen a couple of times before writing the script for Sssshhh...
It's almost set in a pretend world that looks like Europe but inhabited by over-aged Indian students. When a masked killer starts murdering the friends and close one's to Mahek (Tanisha) the police stands like idiots trying to find clues, but the killer is too smart for them and continues the massacre. One day he attacks Mahek, but the police shows up and he jumps into the water and disappears. They find a body and soon everyone thing they're safe - so why not go to Thailand and hang out at an empty island to relax a little bit? Mahek and all the other main suspects heads there and soon the terror starts again!
Sssshhh... is set in something similar to high school with the same form of bonding scenes, intrigue, melodrama and love stories like Craven's Scream. The killer wears a weird joker-mask and a black hood, and loves to stab people with a huge knife. It feels very similar to the American counterparts and there was a moment or two I almost felt I was watching something from the US instead of a Bollywood drama - until around one hour into the film when the first big song and dance scene comes and everything suddenly becames more like it should be in an Indian film.
While Sssshhh... lacks the excellent tension in the original Scream movies it still a well-made slasher/thriller with a pretty high body count and gory for being an Indian movie. There's splattering blood, at least one graphic throat slith and of course a lot of stabbings and some nice-looking squibs. Some would say that blood and gore isn't everything in a horror movie, but remember this is a slasher. And a slasher, especially really generic stuff like this, needs something graphic to entertain the bloodythirsty audience. That belongs to the genre and Sssshhh... was kind enough to give us some money shots.
It's also surprising how they've managed to make an almost three hour long movie based on a story that normally would last ninety minutes. It's not that complicated at all, and it didn't feel so drawn out either - I guess a good amount of kills every so and so minute helped a lot and overall a good atmosphere.
If you enjoy mainstream slasher with some blood and gore, but with a Bollywood twist, this might be something for you. For you others... go watch some Fred Olen Ray or something else.
"It's always fun to see how an (for us) exotic country takes a very typical generic western genre and makes it their own."
You are not alone in that department....I like it too, I think a lot of people do.
"It feels very similar to the American counterparts and there was a moment or two I almost felt I was watching something from the US instead of a Bollywood drama - until around one hour into the film when the first big song and dance scene comes and everything suddenly becames more like it should be in an Indian film."
Yeah, and funny thing is.....somehow this works without you noticing it.
In US productions dance/song number sorta stand out, in a bad way.
"If you enjoy mainstream slasher with some blood and gore, but with a Bollywood twist, this might be something for you."
I need to start watching these bollywood horrors, I haven´t seen any of them.
"For you others... go watch some Fred Olen Ray or something else."
Whoa....be nice ninja.....Fred Olen Ray has done great stuff, I would love a review of Evil Toons(1992).
Good review and thanks.
Posted by: Megatron | March 05, 2013 at 16:53
nice review. missed this at the theaters though.
Posted by: gk | March 06, 2013 at 07:48
Thank you both!
Well, it's hardly an original movie. You get what you expect - but that kind be quite nice, and relaxing, sometimes!
Posted by: Fred Anderson | March 06, 2013 at 08:02