Review: Indian Horror Anthology ‘Ghost Stories’ on Netflix

June 19, 2020

According to Ghost Stories on Netflix, “your fears will find you.” It’s an encouraging promise. After all, that’s why we watch horror. Scary stuff is our thing. And the great thing about horror is that there are subcategories within the genre. You can describe yourself as a fan of monsters, slashers, classics, ghost stories, psychological thrillers, and so many more you’re probably offended I didn’t list it. The new anthology collection on Netflix, Ghost Stories, tries to be all those things, and stumbles; causing it to be none of those things for half of the four stories. Two of the stories are so magnificent, they should be watched over and over. They’re masterpieces of cinema that raise the bar so high the other two can’t possibly compete. All four are designed and filmed beautifully.

The first story, “Nurse,” directed by Zoya Akhtar, warms you up for high expectations because it’s really good. It has everything that’s necessary for a short film to fill you in on what you’re watching. The characters are developed quickly enough for you to understand who they are, but they are left with a few surprises that make “Nurse” a quality ghost story. My favorite Easter egg is in the naming of the protagonist’s lover. He’s a married man who’s having an affair with her, and his name is Guddu. He’s clearly never going to leave his family. He’s stringing her along, and he’s never going to actually be there. Like, Waiting For Godot. There’s more to the waiting theme. All the characters are waiting for something, the best of which turned this one into a classic.

There were immediate high expectations with the second story, directed by Anurag Kashyap. It felt like a different kind of story. The body of work began to spread its wings. In “Bird,” we’re looking for the same kind of creepy, but it gets a little Birdman with Michael Keaton. Could that be a mistake? I wasn’t sure if this one was gorgeous or gaudy, though. When visions of The Dark Crystal danced through my mind watching this one, I couldn’t help but think of puppets and Muppets, and then Sesame Street. It was a pretty decent story I’d love to read, but something went wrong in the execution. If I watch any of these again, I may try watching “Bird” to see if it deserved a second look. It’s one of those. I won’t call it bad, and I may realize it’s the gem of the group.

By the third story, directed by Dibakar Banerjee, expectations have quavered. We’re rooting for it. The last one has to be amazing, but the penultimate should be the armature to the whole body. Not so here. And just like “Bird,”, “Monster” makes me wonder if “Nurse” is an anomaly among them. Unless I missed something, neither “Bird” or “Monster” are actual ghost stories. “Monster” is a straight up “humans turned monster thru infection” movie, but there’s more: It’s actually humorous. When you’re laughing during a ghost story, you’re expecting to be taken by surprise by some horrifying reveal. The Island of Dr. Moreau makeup was something that’s easily appreciated under the right circumstances, but it wasn’t convincing enough in dreary daylight. The protagonist plays his role like Don Knotts. That is not an insult by any means. It’s just that slapstick has never been invited to the ghost story party before.

Your reward for checking out Ghost Stories has finally arrived. “Granny” (directed by Karan Johar) is telling ghost stories at its finest. If you’ve ever read a collection of strange tales or ghost stories, this is the one you always go back to when you only have time for one good hair-raising tale. There is just enough telegraphing to make you feel like, “yeah, I thought that might be where it was going, but man, did they ever do it right?” Yes. “Granny” was done right. Get to know a young couple in an arranged marriage, and find out all the secrets that should have come out in courtship. Comeuppance is always the winner when you tangle with the other side.

As a whole, I was leaning on disappointed until I went over the stories in my head. Ghost Stories will probably be on my list of things to watch when the leaves start turning red, but I’d likely only watch them one at a time, as time permits. Netflix’s Ghost Stories is worth a look-see if you want to enrich your diet of horror. If it was cake, it’s the one you finish, but wonder if it was worth the calories after every bite.