Phone Bhoot Review: Boasting of brilliant performances from the whole cast, this horror comedy is worth rewatching several times
Phone Bhoot Movie Review Rating: 4/5
Bollywood’s tryst with horror-comedy films has not been very successful. Barring a few films, such as Golmaal Again (2017), Stree (2018), Roohi (2021), and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) not many films in the said genre have tasted success at the ticket window over the last few years. However, looking at the slate of such films in 2022 and 2023, we hope that at least a few of them will manage to strike a chord with the audience and popularise the genre in India. Phone Bhoot from the house of Excel Entertainment is the most awaited horror comedy of 2022 after Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. Helmed by Gurmeet Singh, the film stars Katrina Kaif, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Ishaan Khatter in lead roles. Let’s find out if it deserves your watch or not over the weekend.
STORY: The film revolves around two incompetent ghostbusters Major (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Gullu (Ishaan Khatter) who join forces with a supernatural entity Ragini (Katrina Kaif) in order to get their new business started. However, their life takes an unexpected turn when they come to know about the real intention of Ragini, which brings them face to face with an evil tantrik. What follows is an exhilaratingly hilarious ride as they take you through the bylanes of the spirit world.
HIGHS: Phone Bhoot is a well-made horror-comedy film filled with dollops of fun and madness. A complete family entertainer that features Katrina Kaif in a completely new avatar. The actress shines throughout as a ghost and looks charming in every frame. It is so refreshing to see her in a character that she has never attempted before. Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi are also thoroughly entertaining as two wannabe ghostbusters. They bring in much-needed humour with their antics. Their camaraderie is terrific, something that makes the whole film even more entertaining to watch on the big screen. Jackie Shroff and Sheeba Chaddha also play important characters in the film and both actors do full justice to their roles.
The script of Phone Bhoot is well-written with some brilliantly fleshed-out characters and plenty of punchlines that will leave you in splits every now and then. Having said that, there are a bunch of scenes that look very over-the-top. The cinematography of the film is excellent and so is the background score. The VFX of the film is quite impressive.
LOWS: As mentioned above, there are a couple of over-the-top scenes in the film which could have been toned down. The music of the film is average with no memorable song on the soundtrack.
FINAL VERDICT: Phone Bhoot tries its best to scare you and make you laugh at the same time and, thankfully, it succeeds in doing both. Strong writing and crisp editing along with, of course, excellent performances from the whole cast, make it a perfect watch for the weekend. Go with your friends and family and you will enjoy it even more. I am going with 4 stars.
Watch Phone Bhoot trailer:
MOVIE CREDITS
Banner: Excel Entertainment
Director: Gurmeet Singh
Cast: Katrina Kaif, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ishaan Khatter
Runtime: 136 Minutes
