Brutal murders, blackmagic and Nawazuddin Siddiqui - why 'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' is unmissable

On those occasions where I pried myself away from celebrations with family and friends over the festive period, I was drawn to whodunits. 

Aside from “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”, I also watched Honey Trehan’s “Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders” on Netflix. 

The movie opens on an eerie note, with the initial frames showing black crows plunging to their deaths.

With this event transpiring at the home of media mogul Mahendra Bansal (S.M. Zaheer), a call is made to close family friend and a top dog at the police department, Verma (Rajat Kapoor).

Not long after, the residence is teeming with police, including Inspector Jatil Yadav (Nawazuddin Siddiqui).

The investigation begins with a focus on an incident linked to talk of black magic. However, the case quickly takes a far darker turn when the entire family, except for three members, is brutally hacked to death.

In chatting with some of the surviving family members  - Meera (Chitrangda Singh), Aastha Bansal (Aarushi Bajaj) and young Rihan - Jatil attempts to piece together the events that led to the brutal massacre.

Aarav (Delzad Hiwale), a troubled family member with a drug addiction, is named as the prime suspect.

With the forensics team combing through the home, gathering all the evidence needed in investigating the high-profile case, Dr Rosie Panicker (Revathi) believes she has a clear idea of what happened on the fateful night. 

However, Jatil, who has an eye for spotting key details, finds inconsistencies in the information he is fed. 

As such, he takes a very close look at everyone, including Guru Maa (Deepti Naval), who has been offering spiritual guidance to the entire family, including Meera, who lost her little boy to an unclear illness.

Meanwhile, Jatil's superior is pushing for a quick and clean resolution to the case, intent on preventing any family secrets from coming to light.

With Rosie's quiet backing, Jatil meticulously collects the necessary evidence to hold the actual wrongdoer accountable.

Jatil's personal life introduces a degree of lightness to the narrative, providing a contrast to the intense investigation, which explores themes of politics, corruption, cover-ups and social injustices.

This must-watch film boasts brilliant direction, a compelling premise that devastatingly depicts the indignities suffered by the poor, and solid casting. It is an ingenious offering that keeps you on tenterhooks from start to finish.

Rating: **** a standout film with exceptional qualities.