After Ragini MMS, expectations were high from director Pawan Kripalani, but he has definitely failed to repeat the success. One would definitely not expect such a poor show from him. It is a mess and seems more like a compilation of several small stories.

Jimmy Shergill, who gets lumped with an ineffectual role, is the only one who stays on the credit side of things here. A back-story that bears close resemblance to the one in ‘The Conjuring,’ can do little to justify or elevate things. The ‘item number’ is shabby and the production design quite sub-standard. You just have to go with the flow I guess. Most horror aficionados would. I am not one of them. For me, this script is simply lacklustre. No scares, no jumpy moments just a lot of set-up and ketch-up!

The movie has its moments that trick you into believing it’s going to get better any second. But that tends not to happen, and you’re left wondering what went wrong. However, it does get better towards the end. Unfortunately, these plot resolutions aren’t enough to make the viewer ignore the continuity errors or the script’s lack of originality.

Unfortunately, Darr @ The Mall, borrows heavily from existing horror movie tropes. Even the name of the mall, “Amity”, is a throwback to the American horror classic Amityville Horror. The climax escape sequence was reminiscent of Poseidon (which is not a horror film but a thriller). But it does break the mould of Bollywood horror in places.

The script is so sketchy that you might get a migraine following it. There are several twists and turns in the second half that just don’t connect the dots. We wish if filmmakers had to reference Hollywood films they would do it effectively. With films like Insidious and Conjuring doing so well at domestic box-office, the audience needs quality when it comes to horror.

There are plenty of spine chilling moments which will keep you on the edge of your seats. If you have watched Insidious and The Shinning then this film won’t scare you a bit. That’s what happened to me. But if you don’t follow Hollywood horror films then this Jimmy Shergill starrer won’t disappoint you.

Darr@The Mall is done with less stress on savagery than the genre favours. Though the head count does multiply alarmingly as the story progresses, we are pulled into the supernatural mayhem more by intelligent forces that grisly gimmicks. The characters get into the bloody mess without swimming in a tide of hysterical terror.

The film drags its feet for too long and like the characters, you want the ordeal to end soon. Thankfully, there is no religious mumbo-jumbo attached to it, as is usually in such films. Unless you are a dire hard fan of this genre, Darr at the whatever is avoidable.

Darr @ At The Mall in short is a cliched horror film with extremely lengthy run time which bores you to the core. Easily avoidable.

If you’re in the mood for a decent horror flick that has an equal number of spooky and dry moments, you won’t mind this one.

The film might work for those who get frightened easily. For fans of the genre, watch Ragini MMS instead, if you still haven’t.

‘Darr @ the Mall’ did give me a couple of jumpy moments. But at no point did I feel like diving below, or closing my eyes. After a while, you give up. Because there is nothing to be feared from this predictable tale, other than dullness.

The highest point of Darr @ The Mall is the soundtrack- highly predictable, but it is the only thing that keeps the horror factor up. The songs fail to generate interest, except for one – Pinacolada; and as the song goes, “zindagi hai mehngi sharaab”.

So don’t waste it on Darr @ The Mall.

…too ordinary a fare to leave an impact. DARR @ THE MALL does boast of some scary moments, but they are few and far between. In fact, the director uses every possible trick in the book to scare the viewer; some work, some don’t. Also, though the length of the film has been maintained to hold the viewer’s interest, the film tends to get stretched at places.

…a decently made film that involves you in the story quite enthusiastically. The story might suffer from too many problems but the final cut doesn’t translate the glitches. Using the littlest things to evoke fear, the film’s narrative uses a simplistic vein in telling the story without making the audiences rack their brains to much. The usual favorites of the horror world is spread out on a platter. However, for those who are expecting more from the film might be disappointed because it is the usual done powerfully but lacks the stylish shrewdness in it.

Within the confines of this stumbling genre, director Kirpalani does a decent job with a predictable script. There is only so much originality left to operate with; even the ghosts have begun to look alike. There are plenty of set pieces (elevators, AC ducts, Mannequins, kids, CCTVs), but none as jarring as the Raaz series.