This film review contains mention of heinous acts that some readers may find disturbing at best, or triggering of PTSD at worst. sector 36 is a dark, gruesome film, and is not appropriate for all viewers and readers. If you are unable or unwilling to consume such material, I strongly urge you to skip this film, and this review. I can assure you, it is an excellent film, but I cannot warn you enough about its grisly and macabre material.
An Atypical Discussion
So you know how most of my reviews are goofy and contain boob jokes and other such immature material? Yeah. That’s not happening in this one.
The Netflix film sector 36 is a fictionalized retelling of the real crimes and murders that occurred in 2005 and 2006 in India. The film gathers the facts, combines them with the publicly circulated rumors and speculations, and crafts the kind of story you’d imagine while reading about something ridiculous in the newspaper.
The crimes that the film is based on include the kidnapping, sexual assault, murder, and subsequent dismemberment of minors. Two men, a master and his servant, were accused, convicted, and later acquitted. The public believed that both were guilty of the above crimes- in addition to the creation and distribution of child pornography and the illicit trade of organs to a nearby doctor. These latter accusations were not substantiated by evidence.
With this groundwork in place, director Aditya Nimbalkar and writer Bodhayan Roychaudhury crafted a dark, depressing, and graphic tale with a cast of intriguing and revolting characters. The protagonist, Inspector Ram Charan Pandey, is a corrupt, selfish, apathetic cop. He initially personified the truly apathetic and dismissive police department that refused to take action, and were later dismissed, in real life. In order to progress and craft the story, Pandey’s own daughter is almost kidnapped, which sparks his return to morality, and quest for justice.
He is opposed by the rich man and his connections in the police leadership. A short kidnapping subplot juxtapositions and efficiently villainizes the leadership and establishes the system as one that serves those with power and means, raising the stakes and the obstacles Pandey faces in the film- and very directly parallels the real obstacles the victims’ families faced.
A Solid Film
Despite the initially blocky editing, the film quickly finds its footing and its rhythm, thundering the plot forward. The script is tight, the dialogue engaging and natural, and each character, from Pandey to the murderer Prem, to even the police constable side characters, each displayed profound depth and complexities that reverberate throughout the film. The cinematography, headed by Saurabh Goswami, was absolutely stellar. A standout element of an already excellent film. Not only is the gruesomeness of the violence on absolute display, Goswami also manages to capture some absolute beauty in the most mundane of scenes.
The crux of the film occurs when Pandey interrogates Prem, who begins casually relaying his crimes. Prem, played by Vikrant Massey, delivers a Shakespearan monologue of nauseous excitement of finally being able to discuss his crimes. Massey’s performance captured the mind and workings of a true sociopathic serial killer who revels in his genius complex. Combined with the magnetic cinematography, the confession scene holds you with rapturous attention.
A true tragedy through and through, the story beats down the viewer every moment of the way, hammering us with graphic depictions of murder, insinuations of sexual assaults of minors, and the utter despair of fighting a system that the film claims is “In Politicians’ Service”, not “Indian Police Services”. The climax delivers a double whammy of hopelessness, when the rich man’s friend is assigned lead of the investigation, and later acquitted, followed by Pandey’s abrupt murder just as he finds key evidence in the rich man’s involvement in the murders. The climax reminds me of The Departed in merit and achievement as a film, and echoes its themes of the hopelessness of fighting a system that was meant to protect you.
If you can stomach it, I highly recommend you sit and watch Sector 36, despite the subtitles, and free from distractions. If you can stomach the depression, and push past your revulsion, there’s an incredible film and well-crafted story for you to appreciate. The only reason I cannot bring myself to rate this movie an overall GOOD is because I am fully aware that the graphic nature of this material is not meant for everyone. By definition of my own rating system, this film is
YMMV
You can find Sector 36 on Netflix. You can read more about the crimes the film is based on here.
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