Originally released in 2018, the Hindi-language folk horror film Tumbbad is a masterfully skin-crawling supernatural thriller that’s both spookily entertaining and a thoughtful critique of the corruptive influence of unchecked avarice.
Written and directed by Rahi Anil Barve, the cult favorite has just made a record-setting re-release in its native India, with producer and star Sohum Shah confirming that he’s working on a sequel. In the wake of its reignited success, the film is now hitting US screens.
Haunted by terrifying childhood events that scarred and formed him, Vinayak (Sohum Shah) breaks a promise to his mother and by returning 15 years later to his ancestral home of Tumbbad – a village said to have been punished for its worship of the evil god Hastar, cursed with a ceaseless rain. He’s the inheritor of a sprawling, decrepit castle, which passed on to his family upon the death of their lord, and determined to find the treasure which has long been rumored to be hidden within – a treasure whose promise has already shaped and twisted his family for the last two generations.
It’s a gorgeously shot film, with exquisite production design and locations for both Vinayak’s childhood shack – which looks like something right out of a fairy tale – and the decaying fortress which houses a terrifying secret within its foreboding walls. The castle’s interiors are impressively grand, but become tight and claustrophobic as you enter into their hidden subterranean chambers.
Vinayak does indeed find the treasure of Tumbbad and becomes a wealthy man, but there’s more to his secret than is immediately apparent. To outside observers it seems he only can only excavate a couple of gold coins at a time, and it’s fascinating when the chilling truth of Tumbbad is not only revealed, but how it shapes Vinayak and his family, especially his eldest son Pandurang whom he trains to become his helper.
It’s not hard to see why Tumbbad has become a beloved horror film. It’s oppressively moody and immediately and unreservedly grounded in the supernatural right from the start. I don’t want to give too much away, but I need to be clear that this is a monster movie, with terrific visual effects for the creature and his lair.
But beyond the stunning entertainment of its horror, it’s also a sobering descent into the heart of greed, and how its influence warps Vinayak and his family across generations, stealing their joy and leading to a desperate conclusion.
This film is spectacular, and if it were it a 2024 film it would be headed for my top 10 list for the year. I truly hope it gets a physical release in the US. But as it currently has no home video or streaming distribution (despite being six years old), I definitely advise to check this out theatrically if you have the opportunity. It’s likely to have a short run so if this review has piqued your interest at all, seek it out immediately. In my experience with Indian films, it’s very hard to anticipate when or if you’ll have the opportunity to view this at home. (Even the smash hit RRR is impossible to find in its native Telugu, two years after its initial release).
A/V Out
