Dooba Dooba has all the ingredients for a great horror movie. Amna (Amna Vegha) has taken on what she assumes is another typical babysitting job. The large number of security cameras do not affect her, but she is surprised the child she is babysitting is actually a sixteen year old with severe anxiety. As the night progresses, Amna learns about the home’s dark secrets.
Shot entirely on in home security cameras, the film is not exactly found footage and definitely not a point of view affair. Instead, Dooba Dooba is an interesting hybrid that has qualities of that sub-genre – for better and worse. It does an excellent job of building tension. Monroe (Betsy Sigh) becomes increasingly worse as it gets later. What starts as insecurity turns into moments of violence.
These scenes are very effective. Dooba Dooba is filled with moments that will get an audible reaction. Some are incredibly uncomfortable and will make the audience worry what is going to happen next. This is especially true of the chaotic third act which sees the most disgusting acts.
The flip side is the pacing can be a little slow. As is common in similar films, there is a lot of talking a little else. This includes Amna and Monroe playing Truth or Dare for an extended period of time, Amna on her phone, and the two of them cooking. The purpose seems to be to show the developing bond between the pair, but it can feel long.
There are also randomly placed splices that break the flow. These range from the types of educational videos shown in classrooms to commercials. When they connect with the narrative it is only loosely and all feel more like time filler than anything else. This is most egregious during the wild finale lessening the overall impact of what is an otherwise very inventive horror movie.
Dooba Dooba releases in theaters & digital platforms January 23.
