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Raaz Reebot Movie Review: Emraan Hashmi is earnest but his film is a dull show
The only mystery in Raaz Reboot is why is the film replete with so many laugh-out-loud moments. Oh yes, that scares us. That scares us for the future of this genre in India which doesn't look anything better than bleak. Compared to this film, Raaz 3 looks like a gem worth winning Oscar. Yes, we are talking about the same film in which an actress runs stark naked to avoid cockroaches. Despite being set in a haunting Romania, with ample Dracula references and blood-curling milieu, the film doesn't make the attempt to use that to its advantage. Instead, it sticks religiously to its predictable cliches. The same scares at the same places with similar faces tends to fall flaccid too quickly. Plain boring? Absolutefreakinglutely. It would be a stretch to call it a bad film because there is at least some script in place but director Vikram Bhatt pays a tribute to his own genius, using the same old tricks from his magic bag.
Staying loyal to his quintessential tactics - there are creaking doors, a woman who gets possessed, eyes popping out (not ours, we were nearly dozing off at that point) and twists that manage to evoke only super big yawns (yep!). Yeah, Raaz is everything expected and done with a lackadaisical approach.
The only one, however, who injects some sincerity to this snoozefest is Emraan Hashmi. You can see him try his best but the actor has never been given a script that does any justice to his caliber. Bhatts are probably the last people who can offer him something remotely novel. Like their other horror films, Raaz Reboot too is a story about secrets that should've better stayed inside the closet.
A couple who move to Romania for a better life, stop canoodling altogether. The wife is convinced that it is because of an evil spirit in the house. Matters worsen when she bumps into an ex who knows exactly what's going wrong in her life and why. The actors do a semi-decent job. Gaurav Arora with his stone-faced acting somehow manages to scrape through with some emotions on his face. Kriti Kharbanda is okay, a bit flat in places - neither the oomph nor the flair, but not half bad. We bet, it must've been draining for Emraan to carry the weight of the film on his shoulders alone. He tries but when everyone else fails him, there's little hope for him.
The one thing that is fundamentally wrong with desi horror movies is that there is more romance between the leads (yes, tongues thrusting, lips moving and all of that, just like a usual Emraan Hashmi movie). You would rather see that the ghost takes the center stage. It is understandable that Vikram Bhatt didn't find it wise to give Kriti, who plays the ghost, much screen value considering her weak skill set. Formulaic isn’t bad, but in times when movies are valued for their ingenuity, this one is a weak throw.
If you can overlook the familiar tropes, there are a few jump-in-your-seats moments. We see the bad make-up ghost a little too much to take her seriously. If it were a tad less sappy, mildly less musical and a bit more crisp, it definitely stood a good chance of being liked. Right now, it is just about watchable. Go for it for the sheer silliness on screen and the loyalty for the franchise. For others, heave a sigh of relief. The Raaz is finally over; you won’t have to sit through another one ever again.
We rate the film a 40% on the Pinkvilla Movie meter.
