City of Oz

A dark and twisted horror film from Bengali filmmaker Sadik Ahmed, City of Oz is a low-budget but ambitious piece of indie filmmaking. Shot across three nights with very little technical gear, the result is as impressive as it is disturbing. 

A night of terror awaits a young boy called Tanju who is desperately trying to find his mother but must navigate the shadowy City of Oz and all its terrifying characters. One of which, Didi (Hamidur Rahman) is collecting children for her own nefarious ends, with the help of Michal (Khijir Hayat Khan) who is a wild cannon himself - racked up in debt and prone to shocking behaviour. It’s not long before the latter runs into Tanju and we fear the worst is yet to come. 

At the beginning of the movie, there was a message to the audience saying the film was shot over three nights with professional actors (one child non-actor), unscripted, whilst under the influence of a local hallucinogenic potion. How much of this is true is hard to determine but what’s clear is that the mise-en-scene of the piece certainly feels hallucinogenic. The camerawork feels trippy, sending the audience into a variety of positions to witness the dark and depraved events onscreen. There’s an unpredictability to the storytelling and filmmaking that makes this indie horror film truly gripping. 

It’s a heavy watch, though, and viewers may find there is not enough respite given in order to build connection to Tanju or any other character, or even get that invested in the events themselves. Instead, we are pushed through a gauntlet of disturbing scenes and eccentric characters, which in itself is a thrilling cinematic experience but one that leaves no room for depth. That being said, the use of the boy’s voice as the narration provides a good contrast against the heavier, darker elements of the story. 

The synth score really adds to the horror atmosphere of City of Oz, creating a running tension which really captured Tanju’s isolation and peril. 

Sadik Ahmed puts together a captivating piece of horror filmmaking here and presents us with some bold and memorable characters. It’s a shame the relentless flow of the film prevented it from taking stock of the strong elements it had created and lining them up into something more coherent and wide-ranging. One to watch out for in the horror genre and this 50-something-minute piece is certainly worth seeking out if you are looking for thrills, spills, and kills. 

Watch our Video Film Review of City of Oz