Taxiwala

Rahul Sankrityan's 2018 Telugu film follows Shiva, who buys a second-hand car and starts driving a taxi when he cannot find work. The car behaves unexpectedly: it starts by itself, locks its doors, and Shiva realises this is not a fault. The film uses horror, comedy and mystery together, and in the first half the mixture works; the daily poverty of a taxi driver standing beside supernatural events gives it its own tone. In the second half the story turns into a murder investigation and the tension drops. Vijay Deverakonda handles the shifts between horror and comedy well. Who it's for: viewers who like Telugu horror comedy and supernatural mystery. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a single consistent genre, or avoiding content involving violence against women.