You have to find the right movie. There was more than one movie from India released in 2023 under the title Vash. (I have seen the title translated as Control or Sorcerer.) The story was also remade as a more traditional Bollywood film called Shaitaan (Devil), which also stars the same actress as the daughter. Some people have heard of Vash Level 2 (2025), which made last year’s Letterboxd list of the 10 Best Horror movies. I firmly believe as its reputation grows some American company will buy the remake rights because this premise rocks. The story is simple and small enough that you don’t need a large budget, and the execution depends entirely on the skill of the Cast, Writer and Director.
The plot is about a family on vacation who encounters a mysterious man who gains mental control over their daughter. He needs the family to willingly give up the teenager to him or else he will unleash her to destroy the family. It combines ideas from Weapons, Obsession and Killing of a Sacred Deer, but isn’t directly taking from any of them. The framework is like a senior thesis for any aspiring Horror director. You could easily go weird or play up the discomfort, and this version’s content is very restrained, but it’s a claustrophobic, nail-biting Thriller. A breath of fresh air like I hadn’t inhaled in a long time. The remake and sequel are Okay, but this is a treasure to see out. Just make sure you get the right version.
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