![]() ![]() One psychologist even describes the Chundawats as ‘an extreme version of what we are in most families.’ The danger lies in positioning such tragedies as the result of one-off monsters, the bad apple in the bunch. Counselors and psychologists interviewed for the series even state the importance of not jumping to conclusions. Insight is given into the potential intersections of mental health, patriarchy, religion, and community that could have influenced the family, but thankfully, Chopra and Yadav are not interested in playing armchair psychology. It’s a shame that the series relies on the token scary voiceover to reveal the diary’s details, an unnecessary horror-tinged touch that belies the sensitivity of the rest of the narrative. The diaries paint a picture of this man, someone who everyone described as quiet and unassuming, becoming a mini cult leader within the four walls of his own home. These ‘instructions’ soon became controlling, culminating in the ‘ritual’ that saw them die in such a heinous manner.Ī lot of the final episode is spent focusing on Lalit, an introverted man who suffered serious physical and psychological hurt from a motorcycle accident that seems to have been left untreated. ![]() A pile of diaries found in their home would later reveal that Lalit, the family patriarch, claimed to be possessed by the soul of his late father, and that he was advising them through his body on how to live a good life. The Chundawat family are described by those who knew them as normal but reserved, friendly and tight knit, if somewhat removed from the community. Chopra and Yadav are concerned not with solving this case but with showing how, even when presented with compelling evidence, we can never know all the answers. It certainly isn’t here, even if the images themselves aren’t as bloody as some scenes we’ve paid witness to on Netflix.īut House of Secrets is a merciful step up from recent examples like Sons of Sam and The Night Stalker, two miniseries that viewed journalistic ethics as something of a nuisance. Such lurid moments are dishearteningly expected in the genre but I’ve yet to find an example where such exploitation has felt necessary to the narrative. This also means that, yes, we do see a lot of crime scene photos. Yes, there are drone shots and glossy landscapes and close-ups of photographs designed to seem more unnerving than they probably were in a regular context. Even outside of American productions, the format is rigidly followed, as seen in House of Secrets. I have to wonder if every director making a true crime film or series for Netflix is handed a style guide beforehand, one they’re contractually obliged to follow. Their formula and visual foundations are so painfully overused that they’ve reached the point of parody. As someone who has watched an awful lot of said programmes, often while wincing, I’m perhaps a tad too familiar with the streaming service’s assembly line of murder, mayhem, and memes. Created by Anubhav Chopra and Leena Yadav, the latter of whom has several feature films under her belt, this three-part series is yet another addition to Netflix’s vast library of true crime. ![]()
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