Baramulla movie and its review. What to keep in mind before watching!
Baramulla is a 2025 Indian supernatural-horror thriller, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, starring Manav Kaul and Bhasha Sumbli. The movie is set in a remote valley town in Kashmir and begins with a police investigation into a series of mysterious child disappearances. DSP Ridwaan Sayyed (Manav Kaul) is posted to the town. As he begins probing the case, he and his family move into a new house — only to find that their home, and the valley itself, hides dark secrets. What initially looks like a crime-thriller soon reveals supernatural horror blended with heavy historical and social trauma.
The film uses the bleak winters, snow-clad valleys, abandoned houses and silent landscapes of Kashmir as more than a background — the setting becomes part of the horror. The white snow and isolation amplify the film’s eerie mood, making the environment almost a character on its own.
What Works — Strengths of the Film
Atmosphere & Cinematography:
Baramulla is visually striking. The cinematography captures Kashmir’s haunting beauty with chilling precision — the snow, the silent valleys, the ancient houses — everything adds to the growing sense of dread. The film’s colour palette and framing underscore loss, emptiness, and grief. The soundtrack and sound design add to the immersive horror, making even silence feel ominous.
Strong Performances, Especially by the Leads:
Manav Kaul delivers a restrained but powerful performance as a policeman torn between duty, guilt, and familial love. Bhasha Sumbli, playing his wife, embodies quiet strength and fear — especially when the supernatural begins to invade their home. The performances lend emotional weight and human depth to what could have just been horror tropes.
Blend of Horror, Mystery and Real-World Pain
What sets Baramulla apart is that it doesn’t rely purely on jump scares or shock value. Instead, it combines supernatural horror with a socially relevant, emotionally heavy story — touching themes like displacement, historical trauma, grief, and collective memory. The horror becomes more haunting because it symbolizes real wounds, not just fictional fear.
A Thought-Provoking Narrative
The film tries to do more than scare. It uses horror and mystery to reflect on identity, loss, and the scars left by political conflict. For viewers open to layered storytelling — horror laced with historical tragedy — Baramulla offers a unique cinematic experience.
What Doesn’t Work — Things to Keep in Mind
Slow First Half & Uneven Pacing
Many viewers and critics feel that the film doesn’t grab you immediately. The first half is slow, the horror and mystery build-up is gradual, and at times the scares feel forced or unnecessary. If you expect instant thrills or a fast-moving horror, this might test your patience.
Mixed Tone — Horror, Political Drama, Mystery — Too Much at Once
Baramulla balances multiple genres: supernatural horror, crime investigation, political/social drama, and emotional melodrama. While this blend works for some, for others it feels messy or heavy-handed. Some plot threads and allegorical elements may seem too obvious or forced in their attempt to tackle deeper issues.
Not a Conventional Horror Story
If you watch Baramulla expecting typical horror — jump scares, monsters, conventional horror tropes — you may be disappointed. The film leans more toward psychological horror and atmospheric dread, often using silence, dread, and metaphor rather than overt shock.
Emotional Weight and Heavy Themes — May Be Difficult for Some
Because the film deals with deep pain, displacement, trauma, and loss — set against real historical and social contexts — it can be emotionally intense. If you’re not in the mood for heavy themes, the film might feel overwhelming.
What to Keep in Mind Before Watching
• Understand: Baramulla is not a light-hearted horror or a typical “entertainer.” It’s slow-burning, atmospheric, and emotionally heavy.
• Be ready for silence, dread, and reflection, not just shock and scares.
• It blends horror with real social/political trauma — the pain and grief it depicts may hit hard.
• Appreciate the visual and emotional storytelling — environment, performance, mood, and subtext are as important as plot.
• Give it time — if you stick through the slow first half, the payoff (emotionally and thematically) may surprise you.
Final Thoughts
Baramulla is a bold, haunting film that tries to do more than entertain — it aims to disturb, provoke thought, and reflect on pain that remains unhealed. Its strengths lie in its atmosphere, cinematography, performances, and willingness to explore difficult truths. Its weaknesses lie in pacing, tonal heaviness, and a plot that sometimes feels overloaded with ambition.
If you’re in the mood for a different kind of horror — one that lingers not because of jump scares, but because of sorrow, memory, and loss — Baramulla is worth a watch. Approach it with an open mind, patience, and empathy. It’s a cinematic journey that may haunt you long after you turn off the screen.
TAGS : baramulla, aditya suhas jambhale, manav kaul , bhasha sumbli.
