Inspection Bungalow review: Shabareesh Varma’s series is fearfully dated, turns ‘horror’ into comedy

Inspection Bungalow plot: Villagers of Aravangad fear the now-abandoned Inspection Bungalow, claiming that it is haunted by the spirits of those who were found dead in the government building. A bunch of not-so-brave cops, led by SHO Vishnu, have been asked to move into the property as their own local police station is on the brink of collapse. Is the place really haunted, and what happened to its previous occupants?

Inspection Bungalow review: Inspection Bungalow is being hailed as the first Malayalam horror comedy series, raising expectations about the actor Shabareesh Varma-led show. But watching Inspection Bungalow does make one wonder if this is the first Malayalam horror-comedy show ever, since the picturisation and the treatment feel fearfully dated. Much of the series exudes a TV serial vibe of the early 2000s, dampening the viewing experience.

But it is not all a lost cause for the Inspection Bungalow, as we are introduced to simpleton cops at the Aravangad police station, who fear that the whole building would collapse on them. Some jabs at the ruling government’s lack of funds for providing basic infrastructure, an SHO who begins his official duty after prayers, the cops’ frantic search to get a coconut for the ritual, and we begin to see positive signs in the series, helmed by SS Saiju.

Aadhya Prasad plays the mysterious Mythili, who turns up at the station one fine day, claiming to be a researcher of paranormal activities. The cops decide to (unofficially) probe what happened to the previous occupants, a forest ranger and his family of 3, who were found hanging at the bungalow. To be fair, parts of it are engaging and make one wonder if a better production would have turned things around for the series.

Shabareesh Varma, best known for his role in the blockbuster Premam, seems to be channelling his inner Dileep as he sprinkles a liberal amount of comedy in his portrayal of the SHO and is mostly pleasant to watch. Saju Sreedhar, as the non-believer, no-nonsense cop, gets one of the better-written roles and effortlessly moves through the scenes. Jayan Cherthala, as the cunning MLA, and Sreejith Ravi, as the villain, are straddled in stereotypical roles, while some of the other supporting characters' performances do stick out as juvenile. Aadhya Prasad does the best with what is given to her. 

But the biggest letdown is when Inspection Bungalow relies on horror tropes from the movies of the bygone era, pulling back audiences who are appreciating the new-age filmmaking of Pranav Mohanlal’s horror thriller, Dies Irae, currently running in theatres. Though it is unfair to compare Rahul Sadasivan’s film with the series, the makers could have at least avoided ghosts clad in white or given better props and makeup for the actors, which now come off as comical. Scenes featuring supernatural occurrences, from doors slamming to red eyes, hardly spook the viewers, while the comedy bits work better in comparison. The makers have also resorted to using ‘flying hair’ as a spooky omen to warn about the impending arrival of a spirit, which could be a first, but not in the way the makers were probably aiming for. 

Also read: Inspection Bungalow 2025: Release date, trailer, OTT partner, plot and all about this Malayalam horror comedy series

The series has seven episodes, but the runtime is relatively short, around 20 minutes, and so the good news is you can wrap up Inspection Bungalow in one sitting. The silver lining is also that Suneesh Varanadu’s script does not lose sight of its goal, unlike the recent Malayalam horror comedy Sumathi Valavu, which veered off the horror comedy course.

Inspection Bungalow verdict: Shabareesh Varma’s series may have worked better if the makers had not resorted to bringing back horror tropes that audiences have definitely moved on from.