Horror films stand out, create impression, leave impact in the audience when they are either intellectually stimulating (
Insidious (2010)) or absolutely mistifying (
The Ring (2002)).
Asvins is neither of the above but tries hard to be at least one of the above. Sure we can see influences of famous horror films (
Paranormal Activity (2007)) but nothing can save the lethargic attempt at writing. I heard that the original script is developed from a short film. When you hear it, you think that the movie would have a lot to offer than the short film but it is merely a prolonged (dragged out) explanatory video of the same.
Somewhere in a foreign land, five Indians venture out in a country side to explore a haunted mansion where an archaelogist of Indian origin had seemingly killed all her servants and herself sometime before. They go here in the pursuit of capturing footages to use for the promotion of a black tour but unfortunately, as mentioned above, it is a haunted mansion and they go at night, what could possibly go right?
Only the first 15 minutes is entertaining. Tarun Teja, the director, must have taken his audience for fools, so he makes sure that we understand certain things by repeating what was told before at the start of the film during the entire course of the film through dialogues, characters and mark boards, which was annoying.
The back story should have been enjoyable like in
Arundhati (2014) but is bland and often told through drawings. Apart from this, all the main characters are highly 2D like we don't even care about them whether they are dead or alive and it is a horror film, even if all of them are dead, I would not have mind. There was nothing at stake for the main lead to jump into actions.
Through out the whole film, I, along with all the audience who watched it in the theatre was like, meh, whatever.