There are very few true crime documentaries that truly strikes a chord with us and "House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths" is now part of that small and special list. The case it tackles was intriguing, disturbing, horrific, moving, and terrifying in so many ways. And while the documentary itself wasn't up to par when put up against its source material, it showed enough to be haunting to those who dare enter the house of secrets.
In 2018, the city of Burari, Delhi wakes up to a terrifying reality. A family of eleven are discovered dead - ten of which are hanged while the eldest matriarch strangled. Three generations of the Bhatia family dead overnight with the oldest of them 80 years old and the youngest 15 years old. As word spreads around town and chaos ensues, no one really knows if this was a mass suicide, a mass murder or both.
We have to admit, the first episode of "House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths" was a complete struggle for us to watch. This accentuates our biggest problem with this short docuseries - pacing was really off and the climactic and terrifying bits peaking in its second episode. If we could rate each episode, the second one is the must-watch portion of "House of Secrets" as it was able to perfectly balance the occult and the even crazier reality the Bhatia family found themselves in. A word of advice, don't watch this episode alone and on midnight - you'll have a hard time sleeping for sure. The third episode was just okay but it lacked that emotional and psychological hook of the second episode while the first one was kind of a bore. Admittedly, you could easily swap the second and third episodes to make pacing a little better.
This is the kind of show that really worked because its source material was already designed to be interesting and intriguing in the first place. And while most of the haunts will come from the Bhatia family's secrets, the show was able to provide other terrifying realities that impact those who are closest to these victims. From how the media played up the murders and created sensationalized headlines, from reckless accusations, leaks, opportunists, mental health, and relatives and friends who have to face the aftermath, the series was able to go beyond what we typically experience and see from true crime documentaries. This was not only about the Bhatia family but also those people who they impacted most. While flawed, "House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths" will be scary, interesting, and disturbing. It not only terrifies but makes you ponder when "too much" becomes deadly and delusional.
Rating: 3 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- its source material was simply disturbing and intriguing on its own
- the second episode was scary memorable. Don't watch alone and at night
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