The horror genre has to deal with probably the biggest load of expectations as some novel thrills and scares are expected from its every new release satisfying the die-hard fans. Presenting an innovation in this genre is an extremely difficult task, and that is the key reason most of the projects made as horror films fail to deliver following the tiresome, familiar path.
The same is the case with Boomika with a difference of an original social thought that sadly never gets interpreted on the screen in a relatable manner. It begins with the interconnected sequences of a road accident and a professional team (including a couple and their son) visiting an abandoned school on an assignment to build a residential complex on it. The initial moments keep you involved with engrossing paranormal activities like the dead messaging on the phone and a mobile working without the battery. But it soon becomes repetitive with nothing moving ahead in terms of either execution, storyline, or background score.
Written and directed by R. Rathindran Prasad, Boomika further struggles to create any scary horror on screen when its backstory also turns out to be completely unimpressive, trying to portray a complex thought with a metaphor. The hidden plot about Mother Earth must have sounded great on paper and in the film’s verbal narration. But the same doesn’t get any praiseworthy visual interpretation and thus remains unable to contribute much to the film and its overall impact.
An elegantly shot project with a fine production design, Boomika has a few interesting sequences that try to communicate with the viewers, giving them the essential eco-friendly message pointing towards the capitalist greed affecting the entire globe. But neither narration nor the one-note characterisation (with all average performances) conveys the message to the excited audience waiting for the promised horror. Besides, post the initial hour, the film remains so occupied in its preaching that it forgets it was supposed to be a scary film as prominently promoted in its creatives and online campaigns.
Appreciating the director’s concerning thought process, Boomika certainly has something important to say about our social and economic developments, but that isn’t anything one looks forward to in a horror film. In short, it is neither a scary movie nor a powerful thought-provoking venture disappointing the fans of the particular genre.
Rating: 2 / 5
Streaming on Netflix (Also available in Hindi)
Bobby Sing
(bobbytalkscinema.com)
NOTE : The article was first published in THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Newspaper (Mumbai Edition) on 31st August 2021.
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BOOMIKA (Tamil) Review by Bobby Sing at bobbytalkscinema.com, New Tamil Films Reviews by Bobby Sing, New Indian Regional Langues Films Reviews at bobbytalkscinema.com
