Sam is desperate to fit in at school, rejecting her Indian culture and family to be like everyone else. When a mythological demonic spirit latches onto her former best friend, she must come to terms with her heritage in order to defeat it.
This supernatural coming-of-age flick tackles a creature not commonly shown in horror, from a culture that tends to be excluded from the mainstream as a whole. Dutta, a first-generation immigrant from India, mentions in a statement about the film that it “is not autobiographical but draws on real people that I have known and loved.”
Drawing inspiration from wider cultures and people not only allows for more diversity in front of and behind the camera, but also opens a door to a whole new realm of narrative and cinematic possibilities.
In this same statement, Dutta also spoke about his personal connection to the horror genre.
“[The film] is a love letter to the community and culture that raised me while on the other, it is a visceral experience that is designed to instill the same raw terror in its viewers that my favorite horror films instilled in me”
I believe in horror cinema. It’s the greatest genre our art form has to offer”
The film releases exclusively in theaters on September 22.
