PLOT SUMMARY: Rahul finds himself trapped in his own flat by a ghost that won't let him leave until he discovers the truth of his connection with it.
Horror movies have always been made. It takes one good movie for people other than horror fans, to take notice of this niche genre.
For Bollywood, it was Bhoot- a movie that had well-known faces and a revered director attached to it.
The movie did great business and garnered a lot of good reviews. After that, it seemed everyone wanted to try their hand at horror, hoping to achieve the same success that the cast and crew of Bhoot did.
Personally, I didn't like Bhoot at all mainly because of the terribly slow pacing.
However, I did enjoy some of the other horror movies Bollywood came up with, encouraged by the response Bhoot received.
Sadly, A Flat is not one of those movies that can be categorized as anywhere near good.
My expectations were already low when I saw the poster. The cast too has known faces but not superstars which is fine. Sometimes underrated actors do excellent movies and I was hoping this one was just a misunderstood horror movie. That it was well made. That the story was exceptional.
And I had high hopes for the actors. No matter how bad the story, the cast boasted of good actors.
Unfortunately, the movie suffers primarily because of the direction. I can digest remakes, some of them are even better than the original, this one was a mixture of Grudge and Shutter. The result was a terrible movie that has too many plot holes.
Not to mention that the effects are just plain tacky. The ghost honestly looks hilarious.
A FLAT Movie Plot
The movie moves back and forth, showing Rahul coming back from the US after learning his girlfriend Priti is marrying someone else.
His sister tries to convince Priti but fails. Apparently, the sister doesn't take this failure well and is never seen again in the movie. Even when the father dies.
The father too deserves none of our pity. He seems stern, reprimanding his son at every opportunity, not supporting him when he buys the flat. But also apologizes to his son before he leaves for being strict with him.
In the next scene, the nosy father goes to check the flat for Rahul's girlfriend who has disappeared. This is a little weird considering what we learn later on. The flat was rented out to Rahul's friend Karan who was living with Gitika. The father apparently doesn't care if he's intruding and is already paid rent.
Nope, he enters the flat and begins snooping. Of course the only resident at that point, the ghost doesn't take too kindly to his trespassing and kills him. She literally twists his neck. No effects were used here. We were just informed by the police officer who doesn't bother continuing their investigation. Their job is done by marking the body shape in the house. That's all the police work they want to do. Thinking about it, the shape doesn't seem too accurate considering the father was tall and a bit healthy. Did the ghost twist and fold him as well?
Rahul doesn't meet his mother or sister, seeks comfort from his friend and goes to check on his flat.
A FLAT Ending Explained with Spoilers!
Flashbacks show him having a volatile relationship with Priti. They have zero chemistry and the relationship looks toxic. Rahul doesn't bother with emoting and doesn't commit to Priti. Yet, they do end up having a one night stand that results in Priti getting pregnant.
Rahul, looking like a jerk at this point, forces her to get an abortion. Priti doesn't have an opinion and does whatever Rahul tells her to do.
Rahul goes off to the US, but not before renting out the flat to Karan.
Karan doesn't have a house of his own, apparently. He has a wife Rahul doesn't know of. Why did he need a flat? Rahul doesn't bother asking. They're not that close if he didn't know that Karan was married.
Karan goes off to Manali to ensure the village head doesn't interfere in the projects. A wasted trip actually. He could have sent an email or something.
The village head is unnecessary aggressive for no reason. Perhaps the writer couldn't come up with a better reason for Karan to be vengeful?
The village head's daughter is Gitika, a girl who dresses in clothes no one else does in the small town. There even may be something wrong with her mentally based on the way she speaks and dresses. Maybe not?
She definitely doesn't look like a sweet innocent village belle if that had been the intention. More of a mental patient who believes she's a child.
Anyway, Karan's plan to coax the village head doesn't go well so he runs away with Gitika and brings her to the city. Clearly, she doesn't know what a building or a flat even is.
Karan marries her without witnesses and the brainless girl thinks she's a blissful housewife.
Karan, after getting bored of her, goes away for three months. Gitika invites Rahul's father in to give him rent, falls and loses consciousness.
What no one knows is that he's actually a lusty old man who gets excited at a little show of a leg. He is about to take advantage when Gitika wakes up and cowers. He leaves and Gitika's day goes from bad to worse when she calls Karan to report the incident. His wife picks up and Gitika hangs up. In a matter of minutes, she throws up and realizes she's pregnant.
Karan is peeved and asks her to abort the baby. The doctor advises against it but Karan persists.
Of course, Gitika dies.
Now it is supposed to make sense why she killed Rahul's father and is haunting the flat. But not why she's leaving locks of her hair everywhere.
Rahul compares this story to his own and breaks down in tears. Priti calls again and he apologizes.
Apparently, they make up.
Count the plot holes time!
Gitika keeps a diary from the very beginning. When she decides to run away with Karan at the spur of the moment, she has no clothes and no diary on her.
In the city, she's wearing her small town attire. How did she find the same style? And where did she find her diary?
The exasperating part is when the diary also records how she died. Did her ghost write the last entry? How did she know Karan came running up to her and buried her inside a wall?
Apparently, all that is mentioned in the diary. Even how Karan winced at her screams. Even the songs. Everything.
Then comes Priti. I cannot understand why women are portrayed as weak, mindless characters who cannot see that they are in an abusive relationship. Rahul clearly doesn't care for Priti but she keeps returning to him over and over.
And she waits one year to get married? She runs away without telling her father? But is in constant touch with her emotionally abusive boyfriend who she claims to have no more interest in.
All of this would have been forgiven if the story had been gripping and the effects not as terribly tacky as if was. The effects were just ugh!
The movie could have done without the effects. There was no need for it. It could have been a taut horror mystery if the ghost didn't look so laughable.
Sad that all these actors and their talents are subdued in this silly movie.
Scare scale: 0.5/5
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