Based on the gruesome Nithari serial killings that shocked the nation in 2006, Sector 36 is a chilling exploration into the darkest depths of human misery. Directed by Aditya Nimbalkar (his feature film debut), the film follows two men stuck on opposite ends of a tangled puzzle as they find their way to each other, unraveling a bond too twisted to understand.

As Sub-Inspector Ram Charan Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal) begins to investigate the disappearance of many children of the residents of the Rajiv Camp, he soon realizes that all roads lead to Prem Singh (Vikrant Massey), the household money of a largely absent rich businessman named Balbir Singh Bassi (Akash Khurana).

Once in the employ of the “system,” Pandey changes his mind and pursues the case with single-minded stubbornness, despite multiple threats and even a suspension. But he is unprepared for what he uncovers – pervasive corruption that is just as persistent, paedophilia, cannibalism, necrophilia and organ trafficking.

Dobriyal is great as the sub-inspector who, having woken up from his apathy, pursues the investigation almost as a vocation and cannot stop mid-way. But despite being the terrifying, ruthless villain, it is Massey who emerges as the undisputed hero here. He is simply brilliant.

The ease and mundanity with which he plays the crazed Prem will haunt you. Be it the opening scene or the one where he kidnaps a child and talks to him before killing him, Massey is just fantastic. But the highlight of the film is the interrogation scene where he finally reveals all his dirty deeds to Pandey and his superior.

It is 17 minutes of uninterrupted, unadulterated cinema magic. It establishes

Massey as a master of shapeshifting. His range is so incredible, his craft so honed.

At 124 minutes, Sector 36 is a scathing commentary on the obscene class divide that is not only epidemic in India, but is getting worse and the cracks are deepening by the day. It reminds you of Delhi Crime 2– the holy gold standard for Indian crime thrillers – not only because it is also a police novel, but also because it handles the thorny subject of class conflict just as deftly and has an equally sublime antagonist.

I also like how the Netflix film completely and unabashedly turns the context associated with the name on its head Prempreviously only given to the chosen few – the heroes – who are considered to be very cautious and reserved. By naming a heinous serial killer Prem, Sector 36 wants to warn the viewer that not every innocent-looking smile can be trusted and that in real life heroes do not wear capes and demons do not have horns.

Saurabh Goswami’s grim, gory imagery complements Bodhayan Roychaudhury’s gripping story and screenplay beautifully. Be warned, though: Sector 36 is not an easy film. There’s a lot of blood, chopped flesh and skeletal remains. While the imagery isn’t exactly graphic, what you see is still extremely disturbing and unsettling.

The film is a punch to the gut; it will leave you gasping for air, except for a brief moment towards the end when the crimes come to light. A random song starts playing in the background that is completely out of step with the proceedings and the editing loses its impact. It’s as if Sreekar Prasad (editing) and Ketan Sodha (background music) got bored towards the end and let interns take over. The result is not only tonally discordant, it is also massively off-putting.

But Sector 36 quickly gets back on track, and you want to forget and forgive that one mistake. In the introductory voiceover, Pandey says, “No matter how hard a cockroach tries, it’s always the shoe that wins.”

Both film and reality seem to confirm this maxim. Despite the nationwide outrage and media hype, the main accused – the master and his husband – in the Nithari serial killings case were acquitted last year. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

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