The review aggregated website
Rotten Tomatoes reported that 86% of critics have given the series a positive review based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 6.14/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Short, spooky, and surprisingly poignant,
Ghoul concentrated brand of horror is familiar, but effective." Sampada Sharma of
The Indian Express called the series "unnerving" that "tackles social change vis a vis religion in an effective and dramatic way." Swetha Ramakrishnan of
Firstpost called the series "atmospheric, partly disturbing but fully gripping." Adamya Sharma of
Digit wrote: "These sort of shows demand the kind of critical thinking that audiences in India desperately need to sift invigorating content from the clutter of soap operas." Saraswati Datar of
The News Minute opined: "In a global environment where regimes in India and abroad are trying to make countries '
great' again or bring back '
ache din',
Ghoul sounds a warning bell of the dangerous consequences of state sponsored intolerance". Sushant S Mohan of
News18 praised Bhattacharjee and Balraj's performances and called them the "surprise package". He further called it an "innovative" series despite its predictability. Dipti Kharude of
The Quint wrote: "The three-part Indian original horror miniseries may not have been successful in spinning a flawless and chilling yarn but breathes new life in the horror genre with its subversive plot." Rohan Naahar of
Hindustan Times praised the series and wrote: "The elements are all there - a blazingly original idea,
Jay Oza’s claustrophobic and atmospheric visuals, and a strong, simmering performance by Netflix’s favourite Indian child, Radhika Apte - but Ghoul, the show, much like its namesake demon, suffers from an identity crisis." Akhil Arora of NDTV praised Balraj's performance the pacing but felt the series is "let down by its reliance on cliched genre writing such as characters behaving stupidly for the sake of the plot or falling prey to narrative convenience towards the end to drive up the tension." Siddhant Adlakha of
IGN called it a "gloriously depraved work" and wrote: "It’s the kind of horror where security cameras and sound visualizers build to scares, rather than delivering them at a distance." Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV praised the performances of the cast and wrote that the series is "bolstered by acting of the highest quality". Kayla Kumari Upadhyay of
Thrillist wrote: "[..]
Ghoul pulls from Arabic folklore to craft a tense, tightly edited monster movie with a fantastic leading woman." Suhani Singh of
India Today called it a "camp horror albeit not a thrilling one." Nandini Ramnath of
Scroll.in felt that the "characters are as unconvincing as the treatment" and said that the series is "neither scary nor convincing". Alaka Sahani of
The Indian Express called it "a fine example of using cross-cultural elements to aid storytelling." She further wrote: "This subversive show, can be a precursor to content that not only offer chills but also effectively deliver socially-relevant tales." Melissa Camacho of
Common Sense Media opined that the series "feels a bit uneven, with some segments focusing more on political commentary" and felt that the backstories of characters other than Nida were "rich with potential", but unexplored. She concluded: "[T]here's an interesting story here, and one that is worth the watch if you are looking for a compelling, truly scary viewing experience". Chuck Bowen of
Slant felt that by converting a feature film into a miniseries, the series "constantly dips into redundant exposition, all the while eliding emotional textures that might complicate the smooth delivery of unoriginal plotting." A review carried by the IANS called it "all atmosphere, no substance". Tanul Thakur of
The Wire praised the series and cited it as "cinematically rich, politically aware – that, one hopes, will set a precedent."
Raja Sen wrote: "Despite compelling cinematography and very slick sound design, this is a derivative (and predictable) B-movie that has been stretched—for no reason I can think other than risking the wrath of ticket-bearing theatregoers—into a dull three-parter." The Editorial team of Thousand Miles wrote: " In short,
Ghoul is a horrifying tale with a twisting plot that narrates a story magnificently deeper than the random average haunted tales." == References ==