Director: Ben Demaree
Year: 2018
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Supernatural
Plot:
Gathering her friends together, a group of friends arrives at a secluded family-owned house in the mountains to work on a research project only to realize they've inadvertently released a demonic entity from their family's past through a board game and must try to get out of the house alive.
Review:
For the most part, this was a pretty decent entry. One of the film's strongest points is the fact that there's quite a lot of fun to be had with the supernatural aspects of the storyline. This starts off at the very beginning where the supernatural attacks are thrust right in on the ambush of the group after playing with the Ouija board, and when combined with the reveal during the matter about the site being used for occult witchcraft rituals adds a rather nice atmosphere to the start here. Likewise, the gatherings held between everyone where the backstory involving the different practices that the coven were committing on the townspeople in the past is revealed and a rather chilling if uneventful game with a Ouija board offer up the kind of atmosphere that gives this a decent start.
As well, the second half of this one really enhances the fun here which really unleashes the supernatural action. Bringing aboard voices in the distance calling out to the group, getting one of the most chilling tactics ever devised in the inability to leave a location as every escape attempt brings them back to where they started regardless of the chosen route or a fine confrontation with a possessed doll that ties into the backstory of the house and the inhabitants offers up some rather creepy elements into play. Alongside the absolutely chilling finale where it brings aboard the titular concept using the possessed member of the group as a human planchette in order to play which results in some great action during the outcome of each interaction, this is a creepy and chilling concept that has plenty to like about it.
The cast here is also decent enough. Carly Schroeder as Laurie Fields offers a somewhat charming lead as the obsessed student who's naive attitude towards everything puts everyone in danger but at least has enough common sense and intelligence to solve many of the riddles. Mark Grossman as her boyfriend Nick really doesn't do much for much of the film but stands by her during the freakiness and is a nice voice of reason during it all. Their friend Tina, played by Grace Demarco, is a true highlight as the sweet and demure side she shows early on has a nice contrast to her contortionist abilities that are put to good use during the finale where she's possessed. Her boyfriend Spence, played by Derrick A. King, handles the dutiful boyfriend role nicely and comes off as caring and intelligent throughout as he tries to help them safely. As well as the fine blood and gore when it occurs, these are what hold it up over it's few minor flaws.
The main issue to be had here with this one is the fact that there's just too much dragging in the film which makes it go on way too long for it's own good. That comes about from scenes that either don't belong here, from the frequent calls to the mother trying to inform her of his failed attempts to get them to leave or the utterly useless scene of her dressing everybody down for stealing a prop Ouija board that no one was even near in order to remove it. Coupled that with an utterly unimpressive atmosphere from the rest of the cast to the atmosphere presented here due to the bland reactions they have to everything that takes place. As well, there's also the overriding feeling fo cheapness that permeates the entire film as everything just feels way too cheap and hokey to really matter much which both really hold this one down.
Overview: **1/2/5
While it does stumble at times with it's overlong pacing and some cheapness in the overall presentation, there's enough to like here with it's decent attributes to offer up some decent-at-best elements. Give this a chance if you're a fan of these low-budget genre efforts or aren't swayed by the negatives, while those that do or aren't willing to give these efforts a time should heed caution or even outright avoid.
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