Overview
A haunting tale of greed and the supernatural unfolds in a cursed village where desire leads to destruction.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- oppressive
- visceral
- late night horror
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Tumbbad as an unusually inventive, visually stunning, richly atmospheric Hindi horror film that fuses folklore, fantasy, and an allegory of greed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The forbidden deity Hastar, the goddess of prosperity, and the cursed underground shrine are drawn from an Indian mythic framework.
Vinayak repeatedly risks his family and body to obtain Hastar's gold and wheat, making greed the story's central engine.
The temple and underground womb-like chambers create the film's signature architecture of dread and entrapment.
The 1920s village landscape, monsoon atmosphere, elaborate creature design, and mythic violence combine into a sumptuous but ominous register.
Films like Tumbbad, and why
Pan's Labyrinth
mythic dark fantasy, childlike wonder, and grotesque folklore rendered through richly atmospheric production design
Eraserhead
surreal body horror, oppressive atmosphere, and visually distinctive treatment of primal fear
The Fall
baroque visual design, heightened fantasy imagery, and ominous fable-like storytelling
The Wailing
folk mythology, inherited curses, and slow-building supernatural dread rooted in a specific cultural landscape
Movie Details
- Director
- Rahi Anil Barve
- Release Date
- 2018-10-12
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (356)
Cast
- Sohum Shah
- Mohammad Samad
- Harsh K.
- Jyoti Malshe
- Dhundiraj Prabhakar Jogalekar
- Rudra Soni
- Madhav Hari Joshi
- Piyush Kaushik
- Anita Date-Kelkar
- Deepak Damle
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Tumbbad about?
- A visually sumptuous Indian folk-horror fable follows a family’s pursuit of cursed treasure into the belly of an ancient, hungry myth.
- What is Tumbbad like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tumbbad as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Tumbbad violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Tumbbad as graphic.
- What did critics think of Tumbbad?
- Critics broadly praised Tumbbad as an unusually inventive, visually stunning, richly atmospheric Hindi horror film that fuses folklore, fantasy, and an allegory of greed.
- Which films are like Tumbbad?
- Films with a similar feel include Pan's Labyrinth, Eraserhead, The Fall, and The Wailing.
- How long is Tumbbad?
- Tumbbad runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Tumbbad?
- In United States, Tumbbad streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
