A solid slasher that leaves a violently gory impression! [+64%]
Slasher films are a rarity in India. And it's only in India that you'll see a giant warning on a slasher film's poster saying the film isn't for the faint-hearted. That warning holds true to those audiences who don't know the existence of the genre in international cinema. Welcome Home is the closest it can get to the Indianized version of Tobe Hooper's cult classic - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - minus the latter's all-out brutality. Two government school teachers doing census duty end up at an isolated house where a family with sinister secrets resides.
Now, if I were to analyze Welcome Home as a first-time viewer exposed to slashers, I'd now be praising it to the skies for its grittiness, gore, and strong performances. The Pushkar Mahabal directorial (written by Ankita Narang) also adds patriarchal layers to the lives of the lead characters Anuja (Kashmira Irani), Neha (Swarda Thigle), and Prerna (Tina Bhatia), making a strong statement against it. While two of the women are forcibly held against their will, the third has lost her sense of free will. There are at least a couple of bad decisions made by the leads that they obviously regret later.
However, the violence isn't held back one bit. It's showcased in all its menacing glory, and blood is shed more times than you can count. While the leads are effective, I found Akshita Arora's (who plays the matriarch of the house, Leela) presence (and stares) the most disconcerting. Boloram Das (who plays the lecherous house-help Bhola) is also solid. What can also be regarded as a positive is how the women (especially Anuja) choose to fight back against this oppressive family of murderers, instead of waiting to be rescued. It's a pretty satisfying finale that Welcome Home has to offer, be it in terms of creating a gory mess as well as (some level of) closure for its leads.
The first 30-40 minutes of the film (especially, the 'initial visit' scene) is when the unnerving terror feels palpable. The house looks creepy even during the day, with the musical score making it a little too apparent. In that stretch, there's very little dialogue, but that the family has some twisted secrets is evident. It's when the duo visits the house the second time around that things get a little predictable. It's all thrilling and enjoyable for slasher fanatics regardless, and I'm glad such a film has come out of the Hindi film industry. However, I won't rate it more than 3 stars since I'm not new to slashers, and there's still a long way to go till we get a true cult classic in the genre.
Now, if I were to analyze Welcome Home as a first-time viewer exposed to slashers, I'd now be praising it to the skies for its grittiness, gore, and strong performances. The Pushkar Mahabal directorial (written by Ankita Narang) also adds patriarchal layers to the lives of the lead characters Anuja (Kashmira Irani), Neha (Swarda Thigle), and Prerna (Tina Bhatia), making a strong statement against it. While two of the women are forcibly held against their will, the third has lost her sense of free will. There are at least a couple of bad decisions made by the leads that they obviously regret later.
However, the violence isn't held back one bit. It's showcased in all its menacing glory, and blood is shed more times than you can count. While the leads are effective, I found Akshita Arora's (who plays the matriarch of the house, Leela) presence (and stares) the most disconcerting. Boloram Das (who plays the lecherous house-help Bhola) is also solid. What can also be regarded as a positive is how the women (especially Anuja) choose to fight back against this oppressive family of murderers, instead of waiting to be rescued. It's a pretty satisfying finale that Welcome Home has to offer, be it in terms of creating a gory mess as well as (some level of) closure for its leads.
The first 30-40 minutes of the film (especially, the 'initial visit' scene) is when the unnerving terror feels palpable. The house looks creepy even during the day, with the musical score making it a little too apparent. In that stretch, there's very little dialogue, but that the family has some twisted secrets is evident. It's when the duo visits the house the second time around that things get a little predictable. It's all thrilling and enjoyable for slasher fanatics regardless, and I'm glad such a film has come out of the Hindi film industry. However, I won't rate it more than 3 stars since I'm not new to slashers, and there's still a long way to go till we get a true cult classic in the genre.
- arungeorge13
- Dec 9, 2020