From All the reviews on the web
Showing 11 Review
Aatma Movie Review
Ratings:1.5/5 Review By: Rajeev Masand Site: CNN IBN (IBNLive)
95 minutes have seldom felt so long, as they do while watching 'Aatma'. This curious but ultimately predictable supernatural thriller fails to escape genre conventions, falling into the same trap that so many of its predecessors have. The resolution is underwhelming, a handful of fine supporting actors (Jaideep Ahlawat, Shernaz Patel, Tillotama Shome, Shiv Subramaniam, Darshan Jariwala) are wasted, and in the end you're struck by the sheer futility of the enterprise. I'm going with one-and-a-half out of five for 'Aatma'. This is death by boredom!Visit Site for more
Ratings:2/5 Review By: Taran Adarsh Site: Bollywood Hungama
First things first, AATMA is *not* the quintessential horror film. It's not about a haunted house or a tormented spirit thirsting for vengeance. It has layers. It has supernatural elements. It tackles an abusive relationship. It's about a strong emotional bonding between a mother and child. Primarily, it's the fight between a woman and her dead husband over their child. An interesting concept without doubt, but what comes across on screen is such an anticlimax! On the whole, AATMA stands on a weak script. Besides, there are hardly any scares here. Disappointing!Visit Site for more
Ratings:3/5 Review By: Renuka Vyavahare Site: Times of India (TOI)
Aatma is not a full-fledged horror film with ugly demons and gruesome deaths. It attempts to play with your mind and even succeeds, though partially. The film takes off swiftly, coming straight to the point. Burning candles, thunderous rain and sleepless nights, Suparn manages to subtly induce the 'shock' element, especially in the form of Maya's eerie nightmares. It sets the mood perfectly for a supernatural thriller. However, it loses grip as it proceeds. The second half gets predictable, repetitive and formulaic, making the climax look a tad inconsequential in spite of the twist. Aatma may not send shivers down your spine, but it dares to be unconventional.Visit Site for more
Ratings:2/5 Review By: Anupama Chopra Site: Hindustan Times (Star World)
Aatma is stilted, predictable and like most Bollywood horror films, unintentionally funny. You know that anyone who crosses Abhay will die so the only suspense is how it will happen. Director Suparn Verma reworks the usual horror movie tricks – so a character’s reflection in the mirror behaves differently from her, bathrooms are especially ominous and there’s even an old toothless crone who seems to have dropped in from a Vikram Bhatt film. And at the center stands a heaving and crying Bipasha Basu, mostly wearing nightwear that seems a little a too sexy for a woman getting over a bad marriage and battling a murderous ghost. It’s impossible to be scared by any of this. I’m going with two stars.Visit Site for more
Ratings:-- Review By: Komal Nahta Site: ETC
Sex, fear and drama – three important elements in a thriller, generally speaking – are either in short supply or almost completely missing in the film. On the whole, Aatma lacks the excitement and chills of a thriller and does not even have haunting melodies or hit music to make up for the little entertainment value it offers. It will, therefore, not be able to make its mark at the box-office. Its poor opening will only add to its tale of woes. Its modest budget is the silver lining, though, if one may say so.Visit Site for more
Ratings:2/5 Review By: Saibal Chaterjee Site: NDTV
The intriguing premise and the evocative texture of Aatma are somewhat at odds with what the film eventually adds up to. One is tempted to look for layers of meaning beneath the images. There is none. You are left clutching at thin air. A skeletal plot and the scarcity of truly chilling moments defeat the very purpose of the paranormal thriller about a sweet little girl possessed. As a result, Aatma is not quite as mind-bending or as terrifying as writer-director Suparn Verma wants it to be. Its spirit is in fine shape, what is missing is soul. Aatma is meant to send shivers down the spine and shock the viewers out of their seats. All it does manage to do is set off a few mild waves of cold bemusement. Verdict: one star for gumption, one more for effort, but none at all for the rest.Visit Site for more
Ratings:2/5 Review By: Nishi Tiwari Site: Rediff
Shot beautifully in natural light for the most part, the film offers some genuine scares and, in fits and starts, feeds off rampant human fears like claustrophobia, paranoia and fear of the unknown in general, but lacks the sense of mystery, the element of surprise that’s essential for films in this genre. It’s not difficult to anticipate what’s going to happen next. I go in to watch Aatma with a nagging feeling that the trailer has unwittingly revealed the entire plot, “But surely, that can’t be it,” I reason with myself, only to be proved wrong in the end. That said, Aatma does push the boundaries with some mildly grotesque scenes and better production values.Visit Site for more
Ratings:2/5 Review By: Shubhra Gupta Site: Indian Express
In the initial bits, Aatma pitchforks us into a nice case of thrills and chills. The mother of a little girl is troubled. Her daughter talks to someone no one can see, giggling conspiratorially. Sinister things start happening around this tiny unit, readying us for a solid spooky session. But Aatma soon begins to unravel in ways that lessen that fear, and leaves us with a film that could-have-been. With its somber palette and plot-with-potential, Aatma could have been a true scare-fest. But it winds down to being well begun, half done.Visit Site for more
Ratings:3/5 Review By: Resham Sengar Site: Zee News
After going through the one-and-half-hour-long movie, it turns out that the makers of ‘Aatma’ have kept their promise of presenting a freshly baked horror film with pleasant surprises thrown in here and there on the audiences’ platter. So here you won’t find the baggage that comes with the ‘usual’ horror films. On a general note, ‘Aatma’ does not belong to the league of those horror films that leave a powerful impact on your mind for days, read: ‘The Exorcist’, ‘Grudge’ recalling a few. Instead, hopefully it will leave you without any fear of the unknown lurking in your heart. Signing off on an optimistic note, ‘Aatma 2’ takes the genre of horror films a notch higher.Visit Site for more
Ratings:2.5/5 Review By: Ashay D Site: Koimoi
What’s Good: Nawazuddin’s acting, Sound, lighting and art direction. What’s Bad: The unnatural reactions, Undue dramatizing during vital scenes. Loo break: You might get panicky, and then it’s recommended. Watch or Not?: For those who dig into psychological thrillers, like psychosomatic acts and enjoy inducing fear in themselves no matter what. Aatma is just another analogous horror story but with a pinch of fine acting by the lead stars. Also it is recommended to those who believe in spirits coming to haunt you and execute all fatal shots in order to make your life hell.Visit Site for more
Ratings:---- Review By: Sneha May Francis Site: Emirates24By7
Despite packing in every plausible element that a typical spook fest demands, filmmaker Suparn Verma’s trippy movie on paranormal activities falters and fumbles because of his inability to think out of the box. He faithfully sticks within the parameters of the horror genre, attempting to haunt us with unappetizing images and sounds that are unfortunately unoriginal. Although he springs a few spooky surprises along the way, more often than not he prepares us much before most unsettling, creepy encounters begin. And therein lies his inability to create an edgy thriller. It’s the hackneyed story, predictable narrative and the decision to give away way too much in the trailers that wrecks his maiden horror thriller.Visit Site for more
