campers

Ok so I remember this horror movie from when I was a kid it seemed like a low budget horror movie and I could be wrong but it might have been played on spike or the sy fy channel… essentially the main character was kind of a dorky guy who had a fanny pack I think he was prone to nose bleeds. He meets this hot chick along his journey of whatever he was doing and they get chased by the bad guy who ends up being in cahoots with the girl the whole time. There’s a scene where he’s like tied up to a table and he gets something out of his Fanny pack to escape. I also seem to remember a scene where the guy is hiding in a stall from the scary guy and he like peeks through a glory hole that’s filled with toilet paper. Been a long time and my memories are probably spotty but I’d really like to watch it again I must have been like 10 years old when i watched it at my friends house.. I assume the movie was made in the 2000s. I’ve wanted to rewatch it for years and would greatly appreciate any help finding it

It's been awhile since I watched Indian horror, but the endless quest to find a film rivaling Tumbbad (2018) continues. For those who haven't gotten into Indian horror, there are a few things to expect:

• Less on screen gore than most horror.
• No nudity.
• They sometimes sing, cuz Bollywood.
• Indian horror movies are usually very long, too; most clock in over 2 hours. Lower tier movies are a real struggle to get through.
• They take advantage of the rich mythology and folklore of the region, often setting the film's divine context during opening credits. This can be the best part of the movie (looking at you, Asvins)
• It's interesting how much English is intermixed with the local tongue. You'll still want subtitles.
• Indian horror is less horrific than that of most other nationalities.

13B: Fear Has a New Address (2009): “So, forget all the bad omens…”
The title is not inspiring, but how is the movie? Two brothers have put down money on a flat for themselves and their families. Almost immediately, things go wrong, and 13B wants to make sure you know it, telegraphing everything hard. Look, a B! You can see it, right? It says B! Like 13B! B afraid! The jumpy editing accentuates all this; it’s very reminiscent of paranormal “reality” shows. Still, this is one of the better Indian horrors I’ve seen. Its central conceit is pleasantly weird, and there’s enough going on that you almost forget the well over 2 hour run time. Almost.
Gore: 3/10. Nudity: None. Prime rental

The House Next Door (2017): “I’ve just cut open your head.”
Neurosurgeon Krish (of Silent Hill Hospital, no less) and his wife, Lakshmi, gain a full family’s worth of new neighbors. Shortly after, strange happenings plague the new homeowners. While not without issues, this is one of the best Indian horrors I’ve seen, with several types of rituals and enough divergence from the usual tropes to at least make things interesting. It has some funny moments (not always intentionally so), typical jump scares, and the ending makes you wonder if there was much danger to those involved in the first place, but it’s solid work. An early scene removes all doubt that there’s supernatural shit going on, as opposed to psychological issues; the movie would be more effective leaving that in question until later in the film. Still top five Indian horror for me, tho.
Gore: 4/10. Nudity: They’re wearing clothes during the early sex scene. Netflix. NOTE: After the B&W prelude there’s a long musical flashback showing the star couple’s history together. It has a couple cute rom-com style moments, but you can fast forward to the 9:00 minute mark to skip it.

Stree (2018): “She held this hand. Smell it.”
Vicky is a gifted tailor in Chenderi, a city with a festival haunted by a man-hunting spirit called Stree. This romantic horror comedy comes across a little like Benson & Morehead’s Spring (2014) early on, but with charming humor and a doofus for a lead in place of meditations on restarting one’s life in a new land. It’s not at all frightening, nor is it especially laugh-out-loud funny; this is horor for the general audience, with leads well known in India. But the festival is colorful, the story is fun, and it ends well. The sequel made buckets of money on release in India, so I may check it out next time. As Indian horror goes, it doesn’t really rank, but it’s good fun if you have a couple hours to kill.
Gore: 1/10. Nudity: None. Prime.

Typewriter (2019, 5 episodes): “I even saw The Conjuring! And I wasn’t at all scared.”
The series opens with a chilling vignette, a take on a minute long tale I read years ago. Many years later, some kids want to investigate a local legend in hope of seeing a ghost. The first episode of this story gave me high hopes, as it has some good moments, but man it falls apart as the series wears on. The kids are wearisome and cause considerable trouble, yet they continue gaining undeserved trust from adults who should know better. One subplot exists just to get a kid’s father out of the way, and the last two episodes have so many instances of people making terrible decisions that it just lost me. The story itself is decent; it deserved a better screenplay.
Gore: 2/10. Nudity: None. Netflix

Kumari (2022): “Crazy rules made by stupid people.”
Kumari opens in a way common to Indian films, with a stylish myth that sets the stage for what’s to follow. Forest-dwelling orphan Chakkan runs afoul of the local ass of a noble. Curses happen, the lord summons a demon, and a woman breaks into song. Because India. This woman is Kumari, and she marries into the cursed family. The movie does have some great elements: curses, rituals, cults, demon gods, and more. The narrative is fine but lacking in enough surprises to fill the over two hour run time. Family drama can only hold your attention for so long when you want to be watching a horror movie.
Gore: 4/10. Nudity: None. Netflix

Dachra (2018): “I brought some fresh meat!”
Yasmine, Walid, and Bilel are journalism students in need of a project, and they select “interview a madwoman in an asylum who the caretakers think is a witch” as their goal. Tracing this woman and her past doesn’t stop there, however, leading to a folk horror element that takes up the rest of the film. Dachra is the first film from Abdelhamid Bouchnak of Tunisia and is the first movie of any genre I’ve seen from that nation. It’s a worthy effort, with some nice shots and an unsparing story to tell.
It runs a little long, especially through an exposition near the end that’s important, but perhaps could have been shortened. Still, compared to the rest of the movies on this list it’s pretty brisk. I also wanted to punch Walid and Bilel repeatedly, and their characters aren’t developed at all. But I respect Bouchnak’s effort, even when it gets a little over the top (and it does, as the movie wears on). By way of comparison, Dachra trends far closer to Indonesian style filmmaking than Indian in its bloodletting and horror elements.
Gore: 7/10. Nudity: None. Prime.

So, nothing tops Tumbbad. If I had to rank the best Indian horrors I've seen that follow it, I'd recommend The House Next Door, Demonte Colony (for horror comedy), Ghoul, Andhaghaaram (nearly 3 hours tho), and 13B. Then Stree for something very light that breaks a few conventions.

But there's hope! Tumbbad was rereleased in India in September 2024 with a teaser trailer for a sequel, which is coming "very soon." One hopes. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RH-SEywkJk

There are still some Indian movies I hope to see when they come to streaming services I have (Brahmayugam and Boothakalaam among them). Any others you'd recommend?