2018’s Tumbbad is a visually stunning concoction of genres and themes: horror, fantasy, human greed, and social intricacies of India. The tale follows Vinayak and his life-long struggle with greed and love-hate relationship with his permanently rain-soaked village of Tumbbad. Within the dilapidated family home lies hidden treasure whose whereabouts are only known by his hideously cursed grandmother. When wealth is found, is man ever satisfied once he is intoxicated with the lust of greed? Admittedly I am not versed in Indian cinema. Tumbadd is not a typical Bollywood film with songs and elaborate dance sequences. This is a dark and terrifying mortality tale, equal parts Guillermo del Toro and Sam Raimi, that proves horror can be made outside of Hollywood’s Laissez-faire system.
