In the quiet American town of Augusta, a mystery unfolds that is as chilling as it is perplexing. Grace Brown (Maya Adler), a young girl kidnapped by a dangerous abductor, is miraculously rescued — but her saviour, she insists, is Jim Wheeler (Aaron Blomberg), a police officer who died a year ago. It’s a claim that throws the local police force into disarray and pulls Detective Madison Wells (Jenn Osborne) into a case where the line between reality and the supernatural begins to blur.
Writer-director Shravan Tiwari, best known for his acclaimed Hindi projects like Murshid and Aazam, makes his English-language feature debut with Holy Ghost, an atmospheric blend of procedural crime drama and spectral horror. The film opens with one of its strongest moments — an unexpected twist that instantly grips the viewer and sets the tone for a narrative driven more by mystery than spectacle.
A Small-Town Mystery With Big Questions
Augusta feels real — its modest homes, deserted streets, and close-knit police department evoking a small-town atmosphere that works in the film’s favour. The low-budget production turns this intimacy into an asset, focusing on tension and unanswered questions rather than elaborate effects. Tiwari sidesteps the genre’s overused tools of gore, jump scares, and bombastic sound cues, instead opting for a slow build that teases the audience with the possibility of both divine intervention and lingering human evil.
Jenn Osborne shoulders much of the film’s dramatic weight as Detective Wells. Her performance isn’t flamboyant, but it is committed — capturing the controlled composure of an officer forced to question her own beliefs. There’s an understated empathy in her portrayal that allows the audience to share her unease, especially as her investigation uncovers disturbing truths about the community she serves.
Maya Adler, as Grace, brings a fragile innocence to the screen, her fearful yet resolute presence lending authenticity to the abduction subplot. Aaron Blomberg’s turn as Jim is layered and intriguing — part saviour, part enigma — leaving viewers unsure whether to root for him or fear him.
Strengths, Shortcomings, and the Director’s Touch
Where Holy Ghost excels is in atmosphere and narrative misdirection. Like the true-crime series Dahmer, it lures the audience into a false sense of understanding before pulling the rug out from under them. The revelations come in waves, ensuring that whenever you think you’ve guessed the ending, the story pivots.
However, the film struggles with its pacing, particularly in the second half, where certain subplots feel half-baked and the emotional intensity dips. The supporting cast — while serviceable — often lacks the nuance required to fully sell the gravity of the events. The absence of a truly memorable score is also felt; a more haunting soundtrack could have elevated the tension considerably.
Visually, Jamaal Scott’s cinematography provides a brooding, almost tactile atmosphere. The framing of isolated farmhouses, dimly lit interrogation rooms, and foggy woodland paths enriches the film’s thematic interplay of confinement and the unknown.
Holy Ghost is not a horror film that will leave you trembling, nor a procedural that will satisfy every mystery enthusiast. Instead, it exists somewhere in the liminal space between the two — a ghost story disguised as a crime drama, or perhaps the other way around. Its ambition lies in its refusal to take the easy road, favouring mood and moral ambiguity over spectacle.
While imperfect in execution, Shravan Tiwari’s film succeeds in offering something unconventional in a genre that too often relies on formula. For viewers tired of predictable horror and looking for a thriller that whispers rather than shouts, Holy Ghost is worth a watch — and perhaps even a second viewing to catch the subtler details.
CINEMASPICE MOVIE RATING: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)