Vishwak Sen’s Cult Gets 2.75/5: Gore Without Tension

Cult hit screens on October 30, 2026 with a heavy promise: India’s first-ever slasher film, directed by and starring Vishwak Sen. The 123telugu review gives it 2.75/5, which lands somewhere between an ambitious swing and a missed scare.

A Goa party that becomes a death trap

The film places Vishwak Sen’s DSP Sankalp Nayak at a grand birthday party thrown by Elvin, the son of Goa’s Home Minister. The guest list is meant to be a power gathering; instead, the celebration flips into a killing game. The venue is rigged with explosives, police have no way in, and the guests have to survive.

That is a promising setup for a survival thriller. The film even acknowledges its Squid Game influence by having a character name the show. The issue, per the review, is that the games themselves do not match the setup—they come across as silly and fail to produce the tension the audience is waiting for.

Why the slasher label raises the stakes

Calling Cult India’s first slasher film does more than generate curiosity. The label promises a specific experience: a trapped group, a killer or system closing in, and violence that builds dread rather than simply decorating the screen. A survival game does not automatically become a slasher; it has to make the audience feel the noose tightening.

That is exactly where the review says Cult wobbles. The gore and bloodshed are present, but the necessary tension never really arrives. The early portions before Vishwak Sen’s character takes charge are described as flat, and the graph dips again after a neat interval.

What works, what doesn’t

The review still finds things to like. Vishwak Sen’s screen presence and action blocks are singled out, and his understanding of his own strengths shows on screen. Ravi Basrur’s background score is called fiery, and the production design makes the party setting work.

The supporting cast—Tarak Ponnappa, Gayatri Bharadwaj, Murali Sharma, antagonist Vivek Chepuri and others—gets a decent mention. The film finally finds its footing late, with the last thirty minutes earning praise as the guests turn on the perpetrators.

The central problems, though, sit in the spine of a survival thriller:

• The games never build real tension despite the heavy gore.
• The Squid Game-style challenges feel underwhelming and silly.
• The second half dips after the interval and needed trimming.

Should you book a ticket?

If you are going for Vishwak Sen’s action mindset and a slick final act, Cult may deliver enough. If you want the queasy, escalating dread the slasher tag promises, the review suggests you may leave wanting more.

123telugu’s verdict calls it an “okayish survival thriller”—one with moments that work, but not enough tension or compelling games to make the whole ride satisfying.

Source: Latest Telugu cinema news | Movie reviews | OTT Updates, OTT