Cast: Sarita Choudhury, Sunita Mani, Bernard White, Omar Maskati, Anjali Bhimani, Rachel Cora Wood, Ramish Reddy, Lina Clark, Asad Durrani, Nupur Charyalu

Directors: Elan Dassani, Rajeev Dassani

Screenwriter: Madhuri Shekar, based on her Audible Original audio play

Producers: Ian Watermeier, Nina Anand Aujla

Production companies: Blumhouse Television, Amazon Studios, Purple Pebble Pictures

THE BLUF: A story where an ex-husband reincarnates into the boyfriend (sexy Omar Maskati) of the woman’s (Sarita Chaudhary, the fierce one from Mississippi Masala, Homeland) daughter (Sunita Mani). Appalling but where was the horror I was bracing myself for? All the effort that went into mitigating the effects of what I thought would be my halloweeny evening in – well – It seems I didn’t need it.

Friends, the comedy series had more horror moments. SMDH even though the entire NOLA Ghost City with its supernatural, mystic, witchcraft, paranormal reputation could have been employed to better use by incorporating some local novelties – like the famous Louisiana Voodoo.

Also, Louisiana (and NOLA) has around 11,000 plus people of Indian descent, so there is no reason to walk off with the first brown guy you see.

Na, don’t do that.

THE MEAT AND THE POTATOES

A mother (Sarita Chaudhary) gets a dreadful sense of foreboding about her daughters fiancé, who she has heard of but not met.

After a few weird on phone “feels,” a chart deciphering astrologer, vivid dreams and visions, the fiancé acknowledges that he is the reincarnate of her abusive ex.

Then there is supposed to be this face off scene, which is really not a face off

IN THE ZONE;

Sarita shines even when nothing else allows her to. She is seasoned, measured and fluid. Everyone else seems to be rehearsing their lines badly and not quite making the final take.

Disappointed with Maskati.

FWAR

If we were to watch the 90 mins for Sarita Chaudhary, she has enough aplomb to carry the entire story on her capable shoulders. What really spoils the narrative is absolutely no help from either the other cast or the witless director brothers.

There is this NOLA vibe, supposed to be dark and eerie to probably invoke the stories of ghosts and witches of the South, but it falls flat.

Then the scene of the ultimate faceoff which really also does not hit home as the final finale of evil. You kind of keep waiting for another closure.

Somehow you feel like a nosy neighbor, watching the drama from a slip in the window, and even if you try hard, it is impossible to feel empathetic about any of the characters – the evil man or his victims.

Also, there was nothing spooky about the movie, however hard they tried to play the shadows.

WHAT WE LOVE: Sarita

WHAT WE MISS: Everything else. And an entire promise of a spooky Halloween movie.