Barot House - Hide & Seek

Barot House 

Hindi, 2019

Genre: Horror (not recommended for children under 17)

Director: Bugs Bhargava

Stars: Amit Sadh, Manjari Fadnis,

Aaryan Menghji, Aseem Hattangadi

Mohan's Measure ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Horror is perhaps one of my least favorite movie genres. Not only because it makes my stomach turn, but because these movies are nothing more than a series of plot devices sewn together by what is a paper thin plot. 

Imagine my own horror then in discovering this little known film is not the psychological thriller it touts itself to be, but is through and through a horror movie. By this, I am not saying it is a bad movie, but don't expect Alfred Hitchcock. 

The plot, is about a seemingly happy Hindu family living in an upper middle class neighborhood, which is conveniently located near an old Catholic cemetery.  Plot device number one.

Although being comfortable and modern for the most part, their home is host to plot device number 2, a long, suffocatingly narrow, poorly lit hallway adjacent to concrete stairs. I can hear the cans of fake blood being opened 

Ready for plot device 3? The perfect family has the perfect set of kids, such little angels all. The stage is set for them to soon join the angels in Heaven.

The young Aaryan portrays the pivotal "angelic" character in this movie, and it his prodigious acting that carries us to levels where we find ourselves engrossed, shocked, and wondering where the truth lies.

Lies, deception, insecurity, the adult world has no dearth of these. What impact we these have on our kids is only hinted at, but in frightening ways.