In Flames

In Flames (2023)  Written and Directed by Zarrar Kahn

A Horror Movie Review by: Mark Walker

After the death of the family patriarch, a mother and daughter’s precarious existence is ripped apart. They must find strength in each other if they are to survive the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them. (IMDB)

Following the death of her grandfather, Mariam’s household is left without a father-figure and at the mercy of a patriarchal society that revels in the manipulation and subjugation of women. While her mother risks losing everything to a snake-in-the-grass uncle, Mariam escapes the frustrations of her life by embarking on a secretive romance with fellow student Asad.

An accident leaves this relationship in tatters and Mariam’s grip on reality unravels around her as she has visions of the dead and figures from the past, old secrets bubbling up to the surface and threatening her and her family’s very existence.

In Flames is the perfect example of horror film as allegory

As the horrors that Mariam faces very clearly mirror the real-life fears and dangers for any woman living in Karachi. Director, Zarrar Kahn, has drawn on their own experiences of growing up and living in Karachi, a society they describe as “…filled to the brim with tender and violent desires…” where women suffer under the patriarchy and know well the “…legacy of familial violence, and the desire to break free from the ghosts of our past.”

As Mariam’s visions become more vivid and begin to threaten her safety, her mother has to break free of the dead weight of the men around her and their seeming indifference to the suffering of women, in order to save her daughter. The men here, will not help. To do this, she too must face up to the darkness lurking in her own past, forgetting her apparent place in society; motherly love conquering all.

There is strength in that bond between mother and daughter. While it may have been strained through generational differences, a common foe brings them together to face up to oppression, both real and supernatural, and come out stronger the other side.

In Flames is beautifully shot by Kahn veering from sunny, beautiful beaches to dark visions and very real threat to life, Kahn’s experiences lending an extra layer of authenticity to the supernatural. It is wonderfully acted by Ramesha Nawal as Mariam and Bakhtawar Mazhar as her mother, Fariha. From what I can gather from IMDB, this is Nawal’s debut, and she knocks it out of the park, deftly portraying a confident medical student hiding the fragility of a young woman in a society that doesn’t value her worth.

In Flames is a relatively slow burn, but that works in this case where the threats from Mariam’s visions are neatly reflected in the slow and insidious machinations of her uncle in the real world. It never drags, though, and has some truly unnerving moments. In Flames doesn’t rely on jump scares to entertain but horrifies the audience with some truly disturbing images and representations of life in Karachi. 

I knew nothing about In Flames when I requested the screener, and I am glad I went in pretty much blind. Kahn has delivered a brutal dissection of the impact of the patriarchy on life in Karachi wrapped up in an unnerving exploration of the supernatural. Highly recommended!

In Flames is in cinemas from 24^th May

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