Emraan Hashmi’s cliched horror remake suffers from both a lack of buildup and impact

Movie: Dybbuk
Dybbuk Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Nikita Dutta, Manav Kaul, Denzel Smith, Vipin Sharma
Dybbuk Director: Jay K
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Review by: Russel D’Silva Also Read – Holi 2021: Ram Gopal Varma’s celebrations start early and we wonder if it’s bhaang in his glass that’s to be blamed — watch video

Ezra, the Malayalam movie released in 2017, from which Dybbuk has been remade by the same Director, Jay K, was no classic of the horror genre, but it was at least spooky enough not to disappoint horror fans. It was certainly not close to 2012 Hollywood original, The Possession, (which not many credit to Ezra’s genesis) – one of the best movies based on a possession or a haunting that I’ve seen. Now, Dybbuk, starring Emraan Hashmi, Nikita Dutta, Manav Kaul and Denzel Smith comes along in Bollywood – an industry that has but a handful of really good scary movies to its name like Raaz, Raat, 1920 (the first one only), Bhoot and Ragini MMS to its name. So, where does Dybbuk stand in all this both as a remake second time around and a spooky entry in Bollywood? Read on to know… Also Read – Urmila Matondkar on trolls calling her husband Mohsin Akhtar Mir terrorist: There is a limit to where it should go

So, are you excited about what to watch this weekend or what to watch this week and wondering whether Dybbuk is worth your time? Scroll down for my full Dybbuk review… Also Read – #BLBestOf6: Bollywood witnesses the WORST first half in 2020 with just 2 clean hits at the box office

What’s it about

Sam Issac (Emraan Hashmi) moves to Mauritius with wife Mahi (Nikita Dutta) on a new assignment, overseeing a nuclear waste disposal plant. While there, Mahi discovers an ancient, eponymous Jewish artefact, which turns their idyllic lives upside down.

Watch the Dybbuk trailer below:

What’s hot

The best part about Dybbuk are the performances, which somehow manage to hold the film together despite all its shortcomings. Emraan Hashmi breezes through his part, Nikita Dutta exhibits oodles of talent in a tough role that’s more expression than emotion, Denzel Smith lends solid support and Manav Kaul is terrific as the exorcist rabbi. Even Vipin Sharma and Yuri Suri leave a mark in their brief appearances. Coming to the how effective the actual film is, well… it does manage a fright or two here and there, and the backstory is interesting, but that’s about it.

What’s not

A cardinal sin any horror film can make is to forgo buildup and dive into jump scares and spooky imagery from the get go, which Dybbuk sadly does, thus diluting the impact of said scares and spooks. All great paranormal fare like The Exorcist, The Conjuring, Insidious, The Amityville Horror, The Possession of Hannah Grace, or even Dybbuk’s Hollywood original, The Possession, got this, especially when there are only so many ways in which you can recreate a jump scare. Plus, the atmosphere, camerawork and background score of Dybbuk also barely pass muster and it even overstays its welcome by 15-20 minutes, with filler portions in the middle that could’ve easily been done away with. Jay K’s own Ezra was also guilty of the last error, but it at least got its atmosphere and camera angles right for a horror movie.

BL Verdict

Dybbuk doesn’t get the job done as a horror movie, period. Only those who haven’t seen many possession films in the past or Emraan Hashmi fans might find this mildly entertaining. I’m going with 2 out of 5 stars.

Rating :
2 out of 5

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