Eesha Movie Review: Hebah Patel, Siri Hanumanth, and Akhil Raj play main leads in this film which has superb sound design, but the emotional core is a bit low

Eesha is about a group of four friends who decide to expose fake Godmen in the country and target Aadhi Dev (Babloo Prithviraj). When they meet him, Aadhi challenges the gang to spend three nights in a haunted house and prove that evil spirits do not exist. The gang accepts the challenge, but little do they know what they are getting into.
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Eesha has been directed by Srinivas Manne, who chooses a unique way to narrate this horror thriller. The film was in the news for its innovative sound design and the manner in which the makers promoted it. At first glance, the story seems simple, but the director enhances it through an excellent sound design.
The film primarily revolves around the group surviving in a haunted house. The unique sounds, timed perfectly, make the experience engaging, and there are a few genuinely effective scares.
The central conflict of the film is revealed well, and the presence of a character named Eesha in the haunted house—and the way her introduction unfolds, is superb. The director deserves credit for attempting this creatively.
However, the makers overhyped the thrills, and they don’t fully live up to the expectations. While the first half works, in the latter half, the sound design feels overdone in some areas.
Since the film relies heavily on jump scares, the emotional angle is mostly lost. Additionally, the lack of tension in crucial scenes makes the second half feel a bit bland.
Regarding performances, Hebah Patel is good in her role. Her toned-down appearance and youthful look suit her character well. Siri Hanumanth also plays a key role and delivers a neat performance. Akhil Raj, known for Raju Weds Rambai, appears in a small role and does well.
The sound design and background score elevate the scenes, and the production design, especially the haunted house setup, is impressive. However, the editing lacks focus, and nearly ten minutes of the film could have been trimmed.
The direction is just about average, and the weak writing overshadows the potential emotional and horror elements. Eesha could have been a solid thriller, but the weak writing overshadows the film for the most part.
On the whole, Eesha is a passable horror drama with a few effective thrills. While the sound design and some jump scares engage the audience, the emotional core of the story is missing. Horror thriller fans can give this film a watch, but it falls short of being a solid thriller.
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