Lift

Vineeth Varaprasad's 2021 Tamil film follows Guru and Harini, working a night shift at the office. The building empties and the two cannot get out. The lift begins operating to a pattern. The film builds fear from enclosure and repetition; the narrative slowly opens an event in the building's past, and the way out is tied to that knowledge. Kavin Raj leads. The production is small and stays almost in one location. Sudden shocks are used often. Who it's for: those who like Tamil horror and enclosed-space thrillers. Who it's not for: viewers expecting an original construction; the film uses familiar shapes.