Netflix India is in business with Vikrant Massey again – and he’s playing another psychopathic character.

SECTOR 36: Stream it or ignore it?

The bottom line: Based on the true story the 2006 Noida murders, sometimes called the Nithari murders, Sector 36 follows the policeman who investigates a series of cases linked to missing children in Indian villages, and the men behind the crime.

What will this remind you of? : Also focused on investigations into abuse of young girls, Bhakshak tells the story from the perspective of a local journalist.

Performances to watch: Vikrant Massey depicts the tics and behavior of a serial killer to a frightening degree.

Memorable dialogues: “How can you protect other children when you can’t even protect your own?” » Police officer Panday’s wife asks him after her daughter is almost kidnapped, which turns out to be the pivotal moment that forces him to take the matter seriously.

Sex and skin: Not in this one.

Our opinion: There are a lot of really good ideas at play in Sector 36 regarding India’s class system, its gender politics and rampant police corruption. India is not exactly known for its safety, especially for girls and women, and the film strives to show how the confluence of events and systems in place could lead to such an outcome. The main murder investigated in the film is that of a young girl sold into prostitution, who the killer was infatuated with and felt entitled to even after reprimanding her advances. As it is based on true events, this is not a new concept – it is unfortunately the reality for women everywhere – and the film subtly reminds us of this reality.

Saurabh Goswami’s cinematography is beautiful and mesmerizing. Goswami chooses some very interesting shots to represent the characters’ inner thoughts and feelings: one of the first images of Prem shows his split personality via a mirror image in the glass. Vikrant Massey’s performance as Prem is up to par, as he uses lots of little tics that make him an unsettling presence.

However, Sector 36 fails when trying to explore the psyche of the killer Prem – there is no real answer to the brutal acts committed. Prem is a servant in the household of a wealthy businessman, and in his spare time he runs a project of kidnapping children, dismembering them, and scattering their remains throughout the village. A single flashback attempts to explain his actions, but it only provides a superficial answer to why he committed these crimes.

The writing is also clunky, evidenced by a long, drawn-out confession scene that isn’t as gripping or revealing as the filmmakers think it is. What’s supposed to provide a window into the killer’s mind doesn’t provide any more information than before. This, in addition to a two-hour running time that often feels much longer, makes it difficult to stay engaged with material that could have served as the basis for an investigation into the dark side of masculinity and gender inequalities in the world.

Our call: SKIP IT. Despite good performances and good direction, the writing is not up to par.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has been published in Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, Vulture and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length about Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You can call him Rad.