Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Review: Right now, theaters are loud. Dhurandhar is everywhere. Avatar is quietly crawling back into the conversation. In that chaos, a third theatrical release barely gets oxygen. But OTT? That’s a different jungle altogether. On streaming, a lion and a house cat share the same cage.
And this is exactly where Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders belongs. I sat down to watch this with zero distractions, late at night, headphones on, lights dim. That matters because this film doesn’t shout. It creeps. It waits. And then it tightens its grip without warning.
If the title rings a bell, that’s because Raat Akeli Hai already earned its reputation on Netflix years ago. It shocked people, not with jump scares, but with how quietly uncomfortable it was. This sequel doesn’t try to reinvent that wheel. Instead, it sharpens it.
My Rating: 3.0/5
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Movie Title | Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders |
| Genre | Crime, Mystery, Suspense Thriller |
| Language | Hindi |
| Platform | Netflix |
| Runtime | Approx. 2 hours 10 minutes |
| Director | Honey Trehan |
| Lead Cast | Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Chitrangada Singh |
| Sequel To | Raat Akeli Hai (2020) |
What the Raat Akeli Hai Film Is Really About (Without Ruining It)
At the center is the Bansal family, rich, powerful, and completely surrendered to a self-proclaimed guru mata. They believe they’ve found God. Peace. Salvation. So why is the police standing inside their mansion?
Because by morning, the entire family is dead. One night. One massacre. No survivors, except the daughter-in-law. She’s alive. Not a scratch on her body. Blood on her face, yes, but not her own.
That detail alone should make you uneasy. The case looks like blind faith gone wrong, and if you’re Indian, your mind instantly drifts to the Burari incident. The film knows that. It plays with that expectation… and then quietly walks in another direction. Enter Inspector Jatil Yadav (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). And the movie shifts gears.
Nawaz Doesn’t Perform. He Observes.
Nawaz isn’t loud here. He’s tired. Irritated. Sharp in that unsettling way where he seems to know more than he’s saying. What I loved is how the film turns this from a “black magic” case into something far more dangerous, a challenge. Someone predicted the murders 24 hours earlier. Someone dared the system to stop it.
And they didn’t. That failure hangs over Jatil Yadav like a curse. This isn’t just about catching a killer. It’s about guilt. About being outplayed. Every interrogation scene nudges you toward the wrong conclusion. Every character feels suspicious, but never in an obvious way. The film constantly lies to you, and you don’t even realize when you’ve bought into it. That’s smart writing.
The Experience: Tension Over Thrills
This isn’t a fast movie. Out of its slightly-over-two-hour runtime, nearly 90 minutes are spent building pressure. No spoon-feeding. No dramatic background score telling you how to feel. Just discomfort.
And then, in the final 30 minutes, everything snaps into place. You don’t guess the ending. You arrive at it, dragged there by the film. That’s why the climax works.
What Worked for Me (And What Didn’t)
Instead of pretending this is flawless, let’s be honest.
What the Film Does Well
| Aspect | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Storytelling | The mystery stays intact till the end. No lazy reveals. |
| Atmosphere | Dark, suffocating, and constantly uneasy. |
| Nawazuddin Siddiqui | Understated, controlled, and deeply convincing. |
| Psychological Angle | Focuses on why it happened, not just how. |
| Climax | Genuinely hard to predict without feeling cheap. |
Also Read: The Great Flood Review: It Is Being Called the Korean Matrix — But Is It Actually That Good?
Where It Falls Short
| Issue | Why It Hurts |
|---|---|
| Violence Pullback | The film hints at brutality but never fully commits. |
| Familiarity | Some ideas feel too close to real-life cases. |
| Risk Factor | It plays safe where it could’ve gone darker. |
This movie could have been more disturbing. It shows you red… then looks away. If it had leaned harder into the horror of what happened, it might’ve been unforgettable instead of just memorable.
Final Verdict: Should You Watch It?
Yes, but not casually. Don’t put this on while scrolling your phone. Don’t watch it half-asleep. This movie demands attention. It’s not about romance. It’s not about spectacle. It’s about manipulation, belief, guilt, and the quiet horror of realizing someone planned everything… and got away with most of it.
I’d give it 3 out of 5 stars. Not because it’s weak, but because it chooses restraint where chaos might’ve elevated it further. If you’ve missed Nawaz on screen, this is a good return. If you enjoy slow-burn crime thrillers that mess with your head instead of your nerves, this one’s for you.
Netflix has it. Nighttime suits it best. I’ll be back with another one soon. Until then, take care.