Inspection Bungalow review: A glimpse of entertainment in an uneven horror-comedy
‘Inspection Bungalow’, the ZEE5 horror-comedy series, comes with an interesting setup and a willing cast to play with, but the writing and execution never quite lives up to the potential of its premise.
The horror-comedy wave has grown so rapidly in both films and OTT that it has become rare to find a premise that feels genuinely fresh. This is why ZEE5’s ‘Inspection Bungalow’ creates instant curiosity. The setup is promising, the genre hasn’t been given much consideration in Malayalam streaming, and the early promos suggest something quirky – a spooky premise, grounded humor and an investigation that doesn’t take itself too seriously. However, the final product is only distributed in patches.
The story unfolds in Aravangarh, a village where gossip is beyond the air and every resident has a version of why the old inspection bungalow should remain untouched. Sub-Inspector Vishnu (Shabarish Verma), already tired of life and duty, is instructed to shift his entire police station to this deserted government estate. As soon as they step inside, strange things start happening. Whispers echo in empty rooms, shadows shift without reason, and officials find themselves restrained only because they have no choice. As for the police, they may not show fear, especially since the villagers already treat the bungalow like a local horror legend, but beneath that forced bravery, they’re silently questioning what they’ve walked into.
It’s a really clever setup. This should ideally lead to sharp humour, increasing horror and a truly fascinating investigation into the mystery surrounding the bungalow. But the show introduces this tension and moves past it before it becomes anything memorable. However, the early humor works. The MLA-cop interactions in the first episode are really funny, and the banter between the cops about surviving their first night in a haunted building feels natural and rooted in the territory. These little moments give the show its flavor.
But the more links grow, the more the promise disappears. Structure becomes a problem – the first episode, for example, rushes through setup and never lets the scares or comedy breathe. Instead of letting the audience settle into that scary bungalow with the police, the scenes jump around, the tone changes and the pace becomes uneven. You can almost sense that the show has ideas but doesn’t know how to organize them. Even the horror scenes lose impact, partly due to inconsistent and outdated lighting and cinematography, and partly due to unnecessary effects that make scary moments unintentionally ridiculous.
The investigation angle, ideally the backbone of a horror-mystery, remains oddly hollow. There are threads everywhere, a government estate with a dark history, deaths that no one understands, superstition versus logic, a hero grappling with his unresolved fears, but the writing doesn’t commit to any of them. The central mystery has scope, but the script never creates enough intrigue around it.
Where the series finds some consistency is in its performances. Shabarish Verma has played the role with a seamless blend of humor and restraint. Aadhya Prasad adds nuance to Maithili, the extraordinary researcher who steps into the mess, though the writing leaves her unfulfilled. Senthil Krishna’s comedy works in some parts, sometimes forced in others. Saju Sridhar and Jayan Cherthala come across in their limited screen time grounding scenes that could have easily turned into chaos. Artists are consistently honest; The writing does not support them enough.
Technically, the show has potential that it never fully takes advantage of. Bungalow is a rich space – eerie, atmospheric and visually distinctive but the inconsistent color grading and abrupt editing constantly distract. Malayalam cinema is known for crafting strong visual tones even on modest budgets, so the lack of cohesion here seems surprising. The editing especially draws you out; Scenes that should set the mood end abruptly, and transitions rarely feel driven by the story.
Here is the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_RcGUoTWfY
Director Saiju SS deserves credit for attempting horror-comedy, a genre that rarely finds balance. The intent is visible, the core idea is interesting, and there are stretches where the writing momentarily clicks. But the overall rhythm is missing.
In the end, ‘Nirikshan Bangla’ is an honest effort that falls in between. It has moments that work, a cast that shows up throughout, and a premise that deserves longer, deeper, more confident exploration. But uneven writing, scattered pacing, and technical inconsistencies keep it from being the refreshing horror-comedy it could have been.
2.5 out of 5 stars for ‘Inspection Bungalow’.