Scream Stream: Why Aval is one of the most underrated Indian horror films and deserves more praise

India is still growing when it comes to the horror franchise. It has some good films and one of them happens to be Siddharth-Anisha Victor-Andrea Jeremiah starrer Aval. The Tamil film was also released in Hindi as The House Next Door.

Aval manages to give you genuine scares. Not just with the music and make-up but the cinematography plays a very big part in making the movie scary. It is a level The Shining has achieved.

Taking the concept of the haunted house, Aval (The House Next Door) turns it into something completely unexpected and new. This is the selling point of Aval and why this underrated gem deserves more praise.

A strong story to back up the horror elements.

Unlike many Indian horror films, Aval has a strong story line backing it. While you witness all the horror, you also get closure and clarity on why the events are happening in the first place. Many films begin from some place and end elsewhere. Aval is not such a movie.

In fact, the Siddharth produced film has a message in the story itself. The film is based on true events and when you see it, you will know that such a thing has actually happened in the past and takes place even today.

A cinematography closer to The Shining.

Most Indian or otherwise horror films tend to rely heavily on music. Only ever does a movie introduce various characters who become an important part of the story and then, focuses on each of their stories one-at-a-time, all while keeping the camera angles focused on them.

The hospital scene with Andrea, where she is cornered, is one of the best scenes in the movie. The camera slowly focuses on the actress as she runs for her life. The slow-mo and fast-paced effects works well for the scene as it builds up the suspense. The makers have put in effort into the movie and it shows through every scene, especially this one.

A twist nobody saw coming.

One thing that works majorly in the favour of the film is a twist that nobody could see coming. Imagine what happens when the rescuer turns the attacker? Such a thing happens with the movie and you just could not see it. There were no Easter eggs throughout the film either and still, the twist comes as a welcomed surprise to all horror movie fans.

The story that does not end.

One of the biggest ways filmmakers can cause fear is by showing how the evil is not yet gone. Director Milind Rau's Aval is also an example of that. You get to see something that was right in front of you but you never realized it. The evil is still not gone, not completely. Thus, the film gets a fitting ending along with the amazing storyline.

Scope of a sequel?

As of now, Aval, which originally developed as The House Next Door, is not opting for a sequel. However, Milind and Siddharth have left the scope of it open, given the last scene. The story could continue or come to an end, although it deserves the former.