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Stree

31 August 2018Hindi2h 8mPart 1 of the Stree series
out of 10
Mixedlukewarm or divided
Monk Score · 26 scored reviews · 4 not rated

A spirited horror-comedy that loses its nerve before the credits roll.

Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: Performances, especially Rajkummar Rao's
  • Criticised: Weak, unsatisfying final act

Audience

User score 7.0 out of 10 from 4 ratings, not enough ratings for a verdict yet
Read 4 audience reviews ↓

Critic consensus

What 29 critics are saying

Critical reception for Stree is broadly positive, with most reviewers welcoming it as one of the better horror-comedies to emerge from Bollywood in recent years. Critics most consistently praised the performances, particularly Rajkummar Rao's lead turn, along with the film's ability to balance genuine laughs with an eerie atmosphere and an underlying commentary on gender and patriarchy. The most recurring criticism concerns the final act and unresolved plot threads, with several reviewers noting the ending fails to match the film's earlier momentum. A minority of critics found the pacing sluggish and felt the social messaging was superficial rather than substantive.

How the 26 scores spread

4 not-rated reviews aren't plotted

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 29 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (30)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Film Companion

    Film review ·

    ...a horror-comedy, which turns out to be subversive commentary on the position and treatment of women in India
  2. Top critic

    IBNLive

    Film review ·

    Stree is especially entertaining, packed with laugh aloud moments and a cast that's on top of their game. It's one of the most original films this year, and I recommend that you make the time for it.
  3. Top critic

    NDTV

    Film review ·

    Stree plays an unwavering hand in demonstrating that dread can be unbridled fun when it serves a larger thematic purpose. Go watch this spine-tingling film. It is completely madcap but there is method in its manic madness.
  4. Top critic

    Indian Express

    Film review ·

    Shraddha Kapoor's part is a bit risible, but she has some breathy moments with Rajkummar Rao. Rao, whose Bicky seems like an extension of his Bareilly Ki Barfi avatar, carries the film.
  5. Sify

    Film review ·

    Stree moves in mysterious ways through a labyrinth of lip-smacking interludes, some razor-sharp others blunt to the point of blandness. Even when the momentum of the eerie gets overly airy, there is still enough steam in the storytelling to keep us interested, if not enthralled, to the end.
  6. APotpourriOfVestiges

    Film review ·

    Nicely wrapped within Stree has a strong message that no one can ignore. If the film has any major weakness it is the ending which somewhere fails to match the film's overall brilliance. Also, it leaves the viewer high and dry. Nonetheless, Stree has enough to keep everyone engaged until the very end. Also, the clever blend of horror and humor is expected to provide a much needed push at the box office.
  7. Bollywood Hungama

    Film review ·

    STREE is a unique concoction of humour and horror that floors you completely. At the box office, this entertainer surely has a chance to tickle the audience's funny bone, send a chill down their spine and ultimately give them a roller coaster experience. Impressive!
  8. Bollywood Life

    Film review ·

    Stree certainly deserves a watch for its funny content and the concept that will keep haunting you for long. By the end of it you might also figure out as to what is it that women actually want. Also, what's more delightful than watching good actors on screen!
  9. DNA India

    Film review ·

    Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao's spooky horror-comedy provides thrills and laughs in equal measure
  10. FilmiBeat

    Film review ·

    Along with the laughs and scares, Stree also delivers a strong message without spelling it aloud and that's where the film stands out the most. In one of the scenes, while speaking his heart out to Shraddha, Rajkummar says, "Mor jab saawan ke mausam mein jhoom uthata hain, toh sab log usse dekhar mantra mugdha ho jaate hain, jaise hum aapko dekhkar mantramugdha.' The actor's charming act does exactly that to you.
  11. Firstpost

    Film review ·

    Stree is like a blind date that turns out well - a tryst with the unexpected filled with exciting surprises. It is a thought-provoking laughathon-cum-spookathon, and one of the most unusual Bollywood films of the year so far.
  12. FridayMoviez

    Film review ·

    Overall, Stree serves justice to the genre that's not much explored in Bollywood. Go out and watch it, get entertained and don't you worry as 'Mard ko dard nahi hoga'.
  13. Gulf News

    Film review ·

    Despite the audacious storyline, there's some semblance of structure and sense. The black comedy also takes a nick at gender disparity without making it overly boring. The same couldn't be said for the songs, which are enjoyable but serve no higher purpose.
  14. India

    Film review ·

    Hindi cinema isn't known for making good horror comedies. But, well, Stree changes that. It has got something for everybody. The film is brilliantly hilarious and scary. The plot leaves a lot of questions unanswered at the end. You find yourself rewinding the story in your head searching for explanations. Despite its confusions, Stree deserves a watch and an excellent word-of-mouth.
  15. KoiMoi

    Film review ·

    All said and done, watch Stree for some outstanding dialogues & gut-busting performances. Justifying its genre to the core, Stree is one super-entertaining movie.
  16. Mid-Day

    Film review ·

    Rajkummar Rao, in absolute top form, plays this part to near perfection, adding yet another facet to his filmography that is probably as, if not more eclectic than any of his contemporaries'
  17. Deccan Chronicle

    Film review ·

    Overall, Stree has a lot to like about - it is funny, spooky, crazy and a little bit different. It has some really interesting ideas; its execution is less than stellar, but it still works. If you like humour and meta element in your horror, you will love this movie.
  18. Hindustan Times

    Film review ·

    There are some laughs in this loony comedy about a female ghost who kidnaps men, though the film had the potential to be much smarter.
  19. India Today

    Film review ·

    Stree has its flaws, but is one of the better horror comedies to come out of the Bollywood stable in recent times. Watch the film for its satire and stellar performances.
  20. Times Of India

    Film review ·

    Despite all its flaws and ambiguous ideas, Stree is still an entertaining film. This is an experimental comedy, that creates an eerie atmosphere and it manages to be funny and scary at the same time. Writers Raj and DK (who have directed films like Go Goa Gone, 99 and Shor In The City) bring in their trademark humour. The film has its absurdities, it also has its moments but the final act let's it down.

From our readers

Audience reviews (4)

4 ratings · user score 7.0

  1. 6/10

    Before I pen the review, I have to confess that I am not particularly a huge fan of the horror genre. But that doesn't necessarily mean that I don't watch it at all, as I have seen quite a few excellent ones such as "Omen", "Exorcist" etc. in the past. Even in our film industry, despite numerous mediocre (unintentionally hilarious) flicks there are quite a few which were pretty damn good such as "Raat" , "13B", "Bhoot" etc. When I saw the trailer of "Stree", I was interested to check it out as the star cast included the talented Rajkummar Rao & it belonged to the horror comedy category. So was it able to justice to its genre or is it pathetic that like most of the rest??? The film unfolds in the village of Chanderi in MP which is believed to be haunted by a female ghost who abducts men during their annual festival & leaves behind their clothes. So this continued for many years & none of the people were able to stop the ghost. The latest victim was Jaana (Abhishek Bhattacharya) whose close buddies were Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) & Bittu (Aparshakti Khurrana). Incidentally around the same time, Vicky had befriended a female (Shraddha Kapoor) who had approached him for certain unusual supplies. This naturally arouses the suspicion of Vicky & Bittu as to whether she was indeed the ghost as she wasn't seen by anyone else apart from the former. But how were they going to confirm it & if true, can she be stopped? This is the debut venture of Amar Kaushik, though he has assisted in a couple of projects one of which was "Go Goa Gone"; the first zombie comedy in the country. It was helmed by Raj Nidimoru & Krishna D K, who happens to have prepared the script & screenplay for the present venture. The uniqueness of this flick was that it was both hilarious & scary at the same time, with the men being the ones scared to walk in the dark unlike the normal status quo where women were the petrified group. Kudos to the script writers & Amar for being able to keep the audience engaged & they were also amply assisted by the hilarious dialogues by Sumit Arora. There is no doubt that it is a tad long & could have easily benefited if the meaningless songs were edited out. As for other technical aspects, it was executed well. Rajkummar Rao is undoubtedly one of the finest actors in the country, who excels irrespective of whatever role is give to him. He has done just that as the talented tailor Vicky who goes bonkers for the beautiful lass but musters up courage when he is face to face with the ghost.It's not so often that we get to see Shraddha Kapoor in a meaningful part & she has done utmost justice to her role. Another person who gives tough competition for Rajkummar is Pankaj Tripathi, who had the audience in splits as the scholar Rudra who had answer to everything related to the ghost. Equally impressive were Abhishek & Aparshakti and the rest of the cast who deserves a pat on their backs. Verdict: As expected, the public loved the movie & it has reflected in the box office collections, with the gross amount predicted to breach even the 100 C mark. It's surely a horror flick that will have you entertained with its conversational humour. In short, you will enjoy it!!! Rating: 3/5 Regards...Ben

  2. Tejas NairNov 2018
    7/10

    Amar Kaushik's brilliant retelling of a folklore written by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK about a spirit that haunts a village for four days every year and hunts on virile men is one of the most awe-inspiring horror comedies you will see in Bollywood this year, and perhaps this decade, for it also boldly captures the timely essence of the world we live in where predatory men hunt on women. TN.

  3. 7/10

    Stree is one of the most priceless films this year. Not only does it have spooky horror, general comedy with better and more jokes and pot loads of romantic comedy masala, but it also has a strong cast- Rajkumar Rao as a tailor, Pankaj Tripathi as a fake scholar who also owns a bookstore, Shraddha Kapoor as a naive, too-good-to-be-true love interest. But this film also makes equally strong points on feminism and women empowerment- it teaches without getting preachy in any sort of way. Amar Kaushik's direction is hilarious and fresh in parts. It is a solid drama with no melodramatic and overtly manipulative musings of the usual outings in this genre. It is an immensely enjoyable ans upbeat film which has crackling conversations and surprising love story. Maybe the only thing which really lets it down is the stilted item song sequence and some misogynistic bits which are rare, only. If you forget and forgive those bits, 'Stree' is an astounding little film which is a satisfying experience. I am going with a 3.5/5 for 'Stree'. It's fun and entertaining.

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Cast

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