Ekaki Review: A gripping start that slowly runs out of steam before a divisive finale

Ekaki opens with a gripping setup and enough intrigue to keep you invested. But as the story expands, the momentum slips, leading to a finale that doesn’t quite live up to its buildup.

Wrapping Ekaki with Chapter 5, The Conqueror, this five-part YouTube series looks like a calculated attempt by Ashish Chanchlani to move into structured, long-form storytelling. The opening chapters lean into a familiar setup: a group of friends find themselves in an isolated location, where they encounter strange disturbances that lead to banter between them, which feels instantly recognisable to long-time viewers. When the first episode dropped, one of the most common criticisms was that the comedy felt forced, with the banter closely resembling the style Chanchlanibecame known for. While the tone works for short-form sketches where exaggeration is the point, those same jokes disrupted the immersion the series could have offered rather than strengthening it. At the same time, while the horror elements do create an uneasy atmosphere through lighting, background score and staging, the escalation remains slow. 

Through Chapters 3 and 4, the central mystery becomes clearer, but the pacing begins to test patience. There are stretches where the narrative appears to circle its premise instead of deepening it, and while the suspense is present in theory, it does not always translate into urgency on screen. The tonal balance between horror and comedy remains inconsistent during this stretch, which makes the middle portion feel longer than it needs to be. 

The real turning point comes when the story introduces the extraterrestrial, pushing the story beyond what seemed like a contained supernatural mystery. This gives the series a clearer sense of purpose after episodes of holding back. The stakes expand not just in terms of physical danger but also in what the story is trying to say, as the conflict begins to hint at ideas that go beyond a simple survival scenario. Compared to the entire series, Chapter 5 stands out because it commits fully to that ambition. The tone grows darker and emotionally charged, while the performances reflect an effort to ground the spectacle in character motivation.

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The visual effects and editing are surprisingly refined for a YouTube project, with several sequences designed to feel expansive and immersive rather than confined to the limitations of the platform. There is visible growth in both ambition and execution, and that effort shows on screen. What also adds weight to the finale is the alien's backstory that draws a subtle parallel between a dying species fighting for survival and humanity’s own record of environmental destruction and resource conflict. The messaging is present without being overt, allowing viewers to read into the allegory without feeling lectured. 

The climax, however, unsettles some of the tonal control the episode carefully builds up. The confrontation is mounted on an impressive scale, but certain choices in how it is resolved feel heightened to a point where the emotional seriousness begins to thin out. The series spends several episodes positioning this extraterrestrial force as an overwhelming, near-unstoppable threat, repeatedly emphasising the danger it poses if it fully takes control. However, when the confrontation finally arrives, the defeat feels surprisingly straightforward. After all that tension of what could be, the payoff comes across as underpowered, weakening the impact of all that anticipation.

Overall, Ekaki is uneven but undeniably ambitious. The first half struggles with pacing and tonal control, while the final chapter delivers on scale and intent in a way that suggests genuine creative evolution. It may not succeed at every turn, but it signals a clear change in Ashish Chanchlani’s trajectory, proving that digital creators are willing to experiment with genre, structure, and thematic depth rather than staying confined to familiar formats.

All episodes of Ekaki are now streaming on YouTube.

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