Recent Indian Horror Releases That Actually Work
I used to scroll through IMDb and just pick whatever had a jump scare in the trailer. That stopped working for me around 2020 when the streaming wave hit and the volume of releases made everything feel the same. I narrowed my watchlist down to a few directors and a couple of production houses that consistently deliver something other than a cheap fright, and the list is shorter than you'd think. Raktabeej (2023) — A Netflix production that actually does something interesting with possession folklore without falling back on the usual temple-exorcism template. The film is set in Odisha and uses the mythos around the goddess Kamakhya in a way that feels researched rather than decorative. What makes it stand out is the sound design and the way it builds dread through atmosphere instead of constant cuts. I watched this one late at night and it genuinely got under my skin more than most theatrical horror releases from the past three years. The lead performance by Kharaj Mukhia has a physicality that sells the possession beats. Drishyam 2 (2022) — Not a horror film in the traditional sense, but the second half of this thriller operates on pure dread and has moments that hit harder than anything on this list. If you've seen the first film, you know the tone shift in the sequel. It's not meant to be a ghost story, but the tension work is top tier and some viewers genuinely have trouble sleeping after it. I won't spoil anything, but the sequence involving the burial site is relentless.
Tumbbad (2018) — This one came out a few years ago but it keeps coming up in these conversations and for good reason. The production design alone is worth your attention. A fungal-hoarding mythology set against a crumbling ancestral estate, shot in a palette that looks like oil paint on canvas. The creature design is one of the most distinctive things Indian horror has produced, and the film was banned in several countries for its content. It plays more like a fable than a conventional scare flick, which means the scares land because they're earned through story, not editing tricks. I recommended this to someone who said they "don't get scared easily" and they called me the next morning saying they couldn't look at their basement the same way again. Chhichhore (2019) — Wait, no, that's a comedy. Removing that. The actual entry is Ponniyin Selvan — also not horror. Going back on track here. Stree 2 (2024) is the proper follow-up to the 2018 cult hit. Raj and Dharmesh's blend of comedy and genuine terror works because the humor doesn't undercut the scares. The street witch concept has been done before in regional cinema, but the world-building around it is specific enough to feel fresh. Box office numbers were massive, which means a lot of people missed it because they assumed it was pure comedy. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) — Karan Johar produced this one and it's exactly what you'd expect from that pedigree. Not great horror, but it's watchable if you're in the mood for something light. I skipped this one entirely and went straight to Gulariya (2023), an Amazon Prime release that's far more interesting. It's based on a novel by Manu Joseph and deals with a woman who returns from the dead in the form of a bird. The mythology angle gives it weight and the performances carry it. It's slow in places, but the ending earns its emotional impact.
Shaitan (2024) — A Netflix release with Emraan Hashmi that leans into supernatural paranoia. The casting is a bit random, but the central premise around a haunted apartment complex has some clever set pieces. I found the second act dragged because the mystery stretches too thin, but the practical effects are decent for a streaming budget. Worth a watch if you've already cleared everything else. Here's what most people miss when building a horror watchlist: Indian horror has a real weakness in the middle. The beginning and end of films tend to be strong because budgets concentrate there, but the 45-minute to 75-minute mark is where most productions lose their nerve and either pivot to comedy or just play music loudly. I've learned to skip ahead during that window when previewing something new. If the dread doesn't hold, the payoff rarely saves it. Another thing that matters more than cast names is the source material. Films adapted from Bengali or Malayalam horror literature consistently outperform original screenplays because those writers understand pacing in a way that translates directly to screen. Tumbbad drew from folk lore with a literary sensibility, and Gulariya had a novel to lean on. Original concepts without that foundation tend to rely onVolume 7 jump scares that fade within a week.
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One practical issue I run into: most of these titles rotate between platforms constantly. Netflix India, Amazon Prime, and SonyLIV compete for the same horror catalog and the licensing changes every quarter. My workaround is tracking availability through JustWatch India rather than checking each app manually. It saves about ten minutes per title and prevents that frustration of starting a film only to hit a paywall halfway through. If you want a single starting point, go with Tumbbad first. Then Raktabeej. Then Gulariya if you're in a patient mood. The rest are supplementary depending on how much comedy you're willing to tolerate in your horror.
