What Is the Story About?
Disney Plus Hotstar’s new Telugu series ‘Mansion 24’ centres on the mystery behind the disappearance of Kalidas (Sathyaraj), the chief archeological officer of the archeological department. He is assumed to have absconded with valuable ancient artefacts, and declared a traitor. His daughter Amrutha (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar), an investigative journalist, sets out in search of the truth. She discovers that before his disappearance, he had last visited a sinister old mansion, believed to be haunted. What secrets does the mansion hold?
Performances?
The performances in Mansion 24 redeem the largely predictable story. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar displays a remarkably self-assured poise and screen presence throughout the series. Sathyaraj is efficient as ever in his brief role. Ramesh Rao is too over the top and caricaturish to make much of an impact on the overall feel of the series.
From the supporting cast, Bindu Madhavi, Archana Jois, Rajeev Kanakala, Nandu and Abhinaya deliver good performances. The rest of the cast is average.
Analysis
Mansion 24 seems to have started out life as a movie, but has been converted into a six-part series of comparable run time. The six episodes therefore overrun into one another, with starts and ends that are far from seamless. The series is created like an anthology, with each episode recounting a different story of supernatural incidents that take place in the eerie old building. For those who don’t know, Mansion 24 is the remake of the 2021 Korean film, Ghost Mansion.
Ramesh Rao, as the watchman of Mansion 24, acts as the narrator in the series. When Amrutha comes searching for her father in the supposedly haunted old building, she runs into the one-eyed watchman, who describes the horror that has befallen residents of the apartments in the building. The interesting part of the series is that Amrutha comes up with a valid, scientific reason for each blood-curdling occurrence at the mansion.
The sad part of the series is that none of the short stories in the anthology are thrilling or terrifying enough to warrant appreciation or acknowledgement of a job well done. This, despite terrific cinematography, background music, editing, production values, and a stellar cast that puts its heart and soul into the story.
The culprit is the poorly-written script that fails to evoke interest or intrigue for even a single moment in the narrative. The horror elements in the series are old, jaded and tropey; the jump scares are silly — not a single one lands; and the stories themselves are done to death in a gazillion horror pieces before Mansion 24 came along. There’s a serial-killer chef, mass suicides, heartless lovers and more, adding their bit to the chaos of the story.
The ending and suspense are such that you can see them from miles away – predictable and yawn-inducing. The series ends on a spooky note, hinting that Mansion 24 Season 2 is not far away from fruition.
All said and done, Mansion 24 is a mildly engaging series, with nothing worth talking about. Watch it if you must, but give it a wide berth if you have better things to do.
Music and Other Departments?
Vikas Badisa’s background score for Mansion 24 is good. It is spooky and atmospheric, without being in your face or grating to the ears. B. Rajasekhar’s cinematography is the outstanding element of Mansion 24. Each frame has been carefully created, with an eye for detail, shot structuring and composition. Rajasekhar uses eye shots to superb effect, lending much-needed enigma to the narrative. Adi Narayan’s editing is fluid and efficient.
Highlights?
The stellar cast
Excellent cinematography
Drawbacks?
Mediocre script and story
Too predictable
Tame, poorly done horror
Did I Enjoy It?
Not much
Will You Recommend It?
Not much
Mansion 24 Series Review by Binged Bureau