Grim Nithari thriller held up by its cast, let down by its script.
Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
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Critic consensus
Critical reception for Sector 36 is mixed to mildly negative, with most reviewers acknowledging the strength of the performances, particularly from Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal, as the film's primary asset. Several critics felt the film leans too heavily on the shock value and gruesomeness of its source material — the Nithari serial killings — without offering meaningful analysis or insight beyond a surface-level crime procedural. A recurring complaint is that the screenplay fails to sustain its early momentum, with the narrative growing bland and the dramatic construction falling into generic territory. A minority of reviewers found it effective as a stark, theme-driven thriller, but the consensus leans toward the film being an underrealized treatment of weighty real-world events.
3 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 10 critic reviews · may contain errors
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Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review
Massey, in a 360 degree turnaround from the sincere student of 12th Fail, works at making his Prem believable, his unctuous smile and creepy banter hiding his real self: this is not a man you would want waiting for you on a dark street. But it unravels at the exact point when he is allowed a long diatribe which doubles up as a confession, the build-up of the dread dissipating as he rants on.
Top critic
Film review ·
A portrait of a psychopath is never easy to pull off. Sector 36, inspired by the 2005-2006 Nithari killings, attempts the task without achieving much success
Film review
Sector 36 works due to its theme and dramatic moments.
Film review
While not for everyone, Sector 36 is a stark reminder of the real-life horrors that can lurk beneath.
Film review ·
The Netflix film Sector 36 is based on the 2006 Nithari serial killings in Noida. The film is produced by Maddock and features Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal delivering strong performances.
Film review
The casual handling of a gory premise! While the film creates brilliant intrigue in the first 15 minutes, it fails to live up to the intrigue that is built. The story starts going bland and turning into a Saavdhan India episode.
Film review
Sector 36 goes for gruesomeness and shock; watching it needs a tough heart or a quick averting of the eyes. As just another crime thriller, Sector 36 is well made. But this was not an ordinary crime, and the film needed much more than just a police procedural.
Film review ·
Truth is stranger than fiction. And OTT platforms (of course) realise that very well. Which explains the plethora of dark, hard-hitting content churned out today. Add Sector 36 to that ever growing list.
Film review ·
The screenplay draws its impact almost entirely from its gruesome source material, so much so that its original contributions fall flat. As a police procedural, the movie barely makes the grade. The sequence is so uncomfortably mesmerising that it appears to be the reason that Sector 36 exists. The rest of Sector 36 struggles to match this show of acting prowess.
Film review ·
At once vague, violent and exploitative, Sector 36 offers no convincing analysis of the murders. Fatally for a crime thriller, this is a film of non-specifics. It's somewhat true-crime, and a lot of false notes.
Credits
Vikrant MasseyPrem Singh
Deepak DobriyalInspector Ramcharan Pandey
Akash KhuranaBalbir Singh Bassi
Darshan JariwalaDYSP Jawahar Rastogi
Baharul IslamBhupen Saikia
Ivana KaurVaidehi
Mahadev Singh LakhawatConstable Bishnoi
Arindol BagchiSabyasachi Mandal
Anushree DasChumki
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