Black Friday
2004 · Directed by Anurag Kashyap
Original language: Hindi
- crime
- drama
The story
Bombs tear through Bombay in 1993, wreaking havoc and polarising the citizens. With perpetrators at large, the state launches a massive man-hunt to unmask the perpetrators behind these events.
What it’s like
Handheld, grainy documentary-style photography in the crowded, sweaty streets and cramped rooms of 1990s Bombay, with overexposed daylight, dim tube-lit interiors and smoky tea stalls that feel lived-in and unglamorous. The palette runs to dusty ochres, sodium-orange evenings and muddy monsoon greys, and the camera stays close to faces, often holding on them long enough to feel uncomfortable. Sound is layered and realistic: street chatter, traffic, radio and TV news, with sudden blasts that land hard and are followed by ringing, eerie quiet. The mood is tense, bleak and procedural, closer to a cold case file than a thriller, with a sober, anxious unease that builds steadily rather than through shocks. Its rhythm is brisk and fragmented, moving between investigators, families and suspects. Intensity is high: bombing aftermath and bloody injuries are shown, along with police brutality, interrogation, and a grim sense of dread; the violence is sudden and graphic in places, though not gratuitous. Best suited to viewers who want serious, politically charged crime drama and can handle an unflinching, disquieting watch on a focused evening, rather than anything comforting.
More films like Black Friday
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Black Fridayand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
