Phobia

Pavan Kirpalani's 2016 Indian film follows Mehak, a painter unable to leave the house after being assaulted during a taxi ride. She moves to a new flat and begins to think something there is wrong; but where her fear ends is uncertain. The film's strength is making the horror indistinguishable from a question of mental health: like Mehak, the viewer cannot decide what is real. The story takes place almost entirely in one flat and Radhika Apte's performance carries it. Its weakness is an explanation in the final section that partly breaks the uncertainty it built. Jump scares are used sparingly. Who it's for: viewers who like Indian psychological thrillers and single-location horror. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding content involving sexual assault, or wanting a clear supernatural explanation.