Ghost Stories (2020)

Ghost Stories is at its best when it treats horror like a set of four different nightmares, each with its own pulse, palette, and sting—less a single film than a sampler of what some of India’s sharpest filmmakers can do when they’re allowed to get strange. The pleasure is in the variety: one segment creeps in on quiet dread and sharp performances, another turns psychological unease into a tightening vise, and one in particular swings for the fences with bold, idea-driven worldbuilding that feels like folklore infected by modern anxiety. Even when the anthology doesn’t hit four-for-four, the atmosphere is confident and the craft is unmistakable, the kind that makes you lean in because you can feel real filmmakers making real choices. Fair warning: it’s not for the squeamish, and the unevenness is part of the package—but if you like horror that experiments with tone and isn’t afraid to get political, grotesque, or unsettling, this is a worthwhile late-night watch.

Ghost Stories is clearly trying to showcase four big-name directors putting their own spin on Indian horror, with a mix of psychological unease, grim folklore, and domestic haunting. The problem is that it rarely sustains dread—most segments feel like strong setups that either fizzle out or lean on shocky imagery instead of genuinely scary escalation, so you may finish it thinking, “That’s it?” If you’re coming for inventive scares, tight anthology pacing, or a truly chilling payoff, this can feel bland and uneven despite the talent involved. That said, it’s watchable if you enjoy sampling different horror styles in one sitting and don’t mind that the most memorable moments are more disturbing than frightening.