‘Bouma’ movie review: Despite familiar settings, an engaging gothic horror until the final fumble

Rejin S. Babu, the writer and director of Bouma, probably believes in the old adage of the journey being more important than the destination. The destination, predictably, in this gothic horror is an old haunted bungalow where the film comes to a rather underwhelming, open-ended climax. The mysterious happenings within the bungalow gives one a ‘been there, done that’ feeling, for the setting is familiar from numerous films.

However, the happenings outside, where the film spends much of its runtime, evokes much curiosity. This is something the film manages to maintain almost until the last act. The choice to not confine the characters mostly within the bungalow did pay off in a way. Bouma takes off unhurriedly through the point of view of Celine (Revathy Sarma), a singer at a resto-bar, and her live-in partner Jacob (Sagar Surya), a food delivery worker. The struggling couple appears to have landed the jackpot when she comes to know that she has been bequeathed with ancestral property of immense value.

Parallel to the couple’s story runs two separate police procedurals in two separate timelines. The way the writer and editor structures and plays with these disparate timelines propels the film, especially since much of the events from the past have a bearing on the present. Since the film does not linger on any scene for longer than that is required, it coasts along at a comfortable, even pace. Even when the familiarity of some of the plot points kills the excitement, some genuinely surprising moments and reveals keep the film ticking. Some ideas are also exciting, like the secretive support group of people suffering from sleeplessness, who meet at unearthly hours.

For a film of this nature, jump scares are absent, so are excessively violent visuals, although some extreme violent acts are implied. However, the occult part of the plot remains interesting only during the process of the mystery being unravelled. The strange behaviour of the family members and the growing unease of the outsiders builds the tension. However, the visualisation of some occult practices somewhat takes away the eerie effect present until that point. The one memorable bit from that part is a haunting piano tune, which reappears in a highly effective scene later in the narrative. Often, it works best when things are left to our imagination.

Dileesh Pothan and Vineeth’s performances stand out among the ensemble cast. While we have already seen many variations of Pothan’s police officer avatars, he still manages to bring a level of freshness to the role. Vineeth’s voice alone can do wonders and he uses it to the hilt in several scenes.

Despite its familiar settings, Bouma is a somewhat satisfying experience, if one can ignore the weak third act.

(The film is currently running in cinemas.)