Director: Aaron Hawkins
Year: 2023
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Supernatural
Plot:
After meeting a controversial hypnotherapist, a woman trying to get over a traumatic past is soon confronted with the demonic secret he carries within him and leaves her pregnant with a child that is soon targeted by the demonic being when she comes of age years later and forces her to stop him.
Review:
There was quite a lot to like here. One of the finest features here is how this one attempts to exploit the rather intriguing setup that features some incredibly original concepts within the confines of the somewhat more traditional setup. The first half here detailing the series of interactions she has with the supposedly-helpful psychiatrist who’s trying to help her overcome her traumatic past but becomes incredibly more ominous and darker the more he’s around her becomes quite fun with how it all comes together with the burgeoning sense that something’s wrong with him the more they’re around each other. As this is all buoyed by extravagant arthouse-style sequences featuring bizarre coloring and off-kilter camera-work that creates a slew of bizarre imagery, it becomes far more immersive and engaging as the storyline unfolds. The outcome of all this, from the further trauma she endures that results in pregnancy and the birth of her daughter now beginning to feel the effects of a curse landing her in the crosshairs of the being that targeted her, brings about plenty of intrigue as the pieces come together for a lot to like here.
This, though, brings about the series of slight factors that hold it down. The most obvious factor here is the unnecessarily overlong running time that drags everything out far longer than needed because it all plays out at a deliberately measured pace and tempo. There’s little excuse or reason why the film needs to take a half hour before it gets to her pregnancy and hospitalization in the sanitarium following the daughters’ birth as this could’ve been trimmed down or reduced somewhat to get going quicker as that’s the main focus of the film rather than the exploits of her mother that got her there. The film could also do with not dwelling again on the overblown use of grief and trauma as a starting point for a wholly cliche and immensely underwhelming film. The inclusion features this kind of overexposure and just doesn’t automatically get a pass for its use when it does nothing original with the concept that dozens of others have used since this one again goes for the problematic past angle that has nothing creative about it. These do bring this one down but not enough based on the enjoyable factors with this one.
Overview: ***.5/5
A fairly enjoyable if flawed indie genre effort, this one comes across great for what it is although some of its issues do become quite problematic as this goes along. Those who are intrigued by this type of feature or appreciate this style of indie effort will want to get a shot while most others out there should heed caution with this one.
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