Who knew yoga could become nightmare fuel?
If you're tired of the same haunted houses, possessed dolls, and masked killers, Namaslay is bringing something completely different to theaters. The genre-bending horror satire begins its theatrical rollout today, with a nationwide expansion scheduled for August 13.
At first glance, the title sounds like a joke, and honestly, that's part of the fun.
But beneath the clever wordplay is a horror film that mixes dark comedy, social commentary, and plenty of blood while taking aim at the commercialization of yoga and the way cultural traditions can become trendy products.
The story follows Gayatri, a woman who has recently moved to Los Angeles and is invited to an exclusive yoga studio by a friend. When the charismatic studio owner offers her a place in an elite instructor training program, it seems like the perfect opportunity to reconnect with the yoga she first learned from her grandmother.
The deeper she gets into the program, however, the stranger things become.
What starts as a path toward self-discovery slowly transforms into something much more sinister, leading Gayatri to an exclusive retreat where she discovers the real reason she was invited. From there, the movie reportedly leans into bloody horror, biting satire, and plenty of unexpected twists.
Written and directed by filmmaking duo Rish and Kanish, Namaslay marks their first feature film after several short-film projects. Rather than relying on familiar horror formulas, the pair combines elements of masala cinema with horror and comedy, creating something that feels fresh while delivering sharp commentary on identity, capitalism, and cultural appropriation.
Leading the cast is Kirunthuja "Kiru" Srikanth-Talim, alongside Angela Sant'Albano, Alicia Mitchell-Mangual, Usha Krishnan, and Christina Moore.
One of the biggest reasons this film caught my attention is that it doesn't look like it's trying to blend into the crowd. Horror works best when filmmakers take chances, and Namaslay seems more interested in making audiences laugh, cringe, and question what they're watching than simply delivering another jump-scare-filled thriller.
If you're someone who enjoys horror that experiments with different genres and isn't afraid to poke fun at the world around us, this might be one of the more unique releases of the month.
Namaslay begins its limited theatrical release today, with a nationwide release arriving August 13. If you're lucky enough to have a participating theater nearby, this could be one of those indie horror films worth checking out before everyone else discovers it.
