Throughout "Possession," we view Anna through Mark's eyes, always tinted in blue, her visage becoming more eldritch and terrifying with time. The Netflix series, created by Simon Barry and (loosely) based on the Warrior Nun Areala comics by Ben Dunn, stars Alba Baptista as Ava, a 19 year-old who wakes up in the morgue after having an angelic halo planted in her back. Gallands film plays more like a cable-ready mystery than a cult film in the making, offering just enough chuckles to stay afloat. There is a good story as well, one that has layers of mystery that get peeled back every so often. AVA'S POSSESSION doesn't really take off like a movie should. It's not the typical horror slapstick, it plays more like a sitcom of sorts, in the truest sense. Ava's possession opens with a exorcism sequence (which is as original as it can be) which lasted for 28days but soon ava discovers that she has caused serious emotional and physical damage, resulting in her losing her job, friends, and boyfriend, as well as potential jail time. and 'It was negative space, like a donut hole.'. Double A Horror Highway Favorite Opening Scenes In Horror. Alter Egos was a solid second feature, but its pretty evident that Galland is taking a major step forward with this one. Ava is recovering from demonic possession. Sign up for our newsletter HERE. says the actress. This is one of the most original movies i have seen recently. I dont think that weve ever had a competent story (Exorcist 2, anyone?) The program is led by Tony (Wass Stevens), a gruff man that insists that Ava take the program seriously as to do otherwise would just raise the likelihood that the demon would return, as repossessions will frequently happen. With no memory of the past month, she must attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group to figure out what happened. With her biological father falling miserably short in his parental duties, Duke filled that void for her. She soon begins to sense that the demon is near and accidentally causes some boxes to fall, revealing some old files on former possessed people. Theres still a serious tone to the film, but the variety of tones that make up the story definitely keeps things interesting. and then there's the small matter of a large bloodstain on . Awards The struggle with a part of your life that is embarrassing to talk about or explain, all these things come out through the story and make Ava as a character feel just like someone you might know, or even mirror some things you've gone through before. Jordan Galland's "Ava's Possessions" stood out in the Fantasia International Film Festival schedule to me for being a movie about the aftermath of a possession. Very often in horror comedies we get over-the-top ridiculous humor with intentionally silly gore and a simple yet coherent plot. Louisa Krause stars as the titular Ava, a young woman that must learn how to put her life together after a demon is exorcised from her body. The colors used to make day and night feel different are just a superb touch and adds to the story being a genuine fun ride. Simon mourns for his old mentor in his own way and accuses Ava of forcing his hands. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. The film begins during the tail end of her . Click herefor all of our SXSW2015 coverage orbrowse the links belowto check outmy other reviews: Perri Nemiroff has been part of the Collider team since 2012. Still Alive Watch Demi Lovatos Scream VI Music Video Featuring New Clips from the Movie! Shes soon justified in her apprehensions. See production, box office & company info. Yes, a visual treat as well. TMDb FAQ Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. The movie after all the Possession movies What Happens After Your Demon Has Been Exorcised? In spite of some great stuff in the story and performances, Avas Possessions does have some slips. Jordan Gallands sharp satire Avas Possessions, on the other hand, follows the titular heroine through her demonic recuperation process, resulting in an irreverent, ingenious look at what it means to recover. But grisly visions continue to plague her . BetweenAvas Possessions andAlter Egos, its pretty clear that Galland isa skilledworld builder. It is mysterious alright. I almost stopped watching there and then but decided to keep on going for a bit. I wont give too much away, but just know that it is rooted in tradition, strange and alarmingly ableist, Orientalist and so far as I can tell given the search terms that seemed apt invented for the show or at least obscure and troubling. I know I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a Spirit Possessions Anonymous TV show. Dont want to miss anything on the site? They walk down the aisle to a chuppah wreathed in fog machine exhaust and pyrotechnics. And you will also not believe that there is a sample of the screaming from the subway scene which is included at the end of PoesieNoire's song, "Pity For The Self" (1989). While Ava is struggling to clean up her apartment and mend fences with old friends (you sorta acted like a megabitch when you were possessed, one observes) she attends AA-like sessions led by the hard-nosed Tony (Wass Stevens). She then rips the necklace off. Ava's Possessions. The rest of the series, directed with a brooding flair by Thomas Vincent (the hand behind the UK hit Bodyguard), is devoted to discovering who actually killed Eran. Freaking excellent! So what is this movie really? The results land on the dismissible side. A French family has been left heartbroken after their 19-month-old daughter died during their Miami . Ava (Louisa Krause) plays her part extremely well, both as a demon and a regular woman. A nice take on the after effects of demonic possession. The well developed psychological, horror thriller avoids the by now over-used blatantly scary scenes and instead uses a more Hitchcock-directed approach. The story afterwards, fleshed out more and the comedy was gone. Its situation comedy dealing with horror. Ava is recovering from demonic possession. I really liked this movie. He takes these very familiar big screen scenarios, puts his own smart spin on them and then he winds up with these especially appealing and thoughtful concepts that are a blast to consider well beyond the feature. I guess this is actually a serious attempt at a horror movie. it's got a total sleazy noir feel but full of yuppie cunts, a detective story for the modern age. This comes as a blow to Max, who is a musician . The story for Ava's Possessions is done in a very flexible way; starting off as a pseudo-possession genre that further develops into detective noir, with, obviously a pack of affluent & pretentious white bowery dwelling hipsters (including john lennon's son and a kirke sister) got together to make a neon drenched, hyper stylized detective story about post demonic possession that never takes itself too seriously. that explores the consequences of the events of a demonic possession in a grounded way. Ava's Possessions is a 2015 American supernatural comedy horror film written and directed by Jordan Galland. I'm not to sure, this is a genre I'm a sucker for and the kind of thing I just eat up, so I decided to finally bit the bullet and give it a watch. So what do we have here? Definitely worth a watch, any way you can find it. Young gal Ava (an excellent performance by Louisa Krause) is forced to join a Special Possessions support group in the wake of being possessed by a demon. Evicting a demon from its host is just the beginning. Youll want to know how it ends, but may come to dread which way the evidence is pointing. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Ex Machina's Original Ending Good cast, original story, so you know, that's that. And therein lies another major theme of Possessions: possessiveness. Now demonic possession is a sub genre where almost everything has been done, some perfected it, some tried there level best and. some.. well we'll talk about the devil inside (2012) some other time. [Exclusive]. When Ava is in her apartment with Ben she gets a phone call. Its not the expected smooth landing after the pleasant 89 minute flight. Add in a plot about Avas strained relationship with her family, and its a lot of threads for Galland to juggle, which is why the ending feels a bit rushed and unsatisfying. Report this film. The story has some ok twists, but I was hoping they'd be a little better to really pull it all together. Please correct me if Im wrong once youve seen the whole show! If nothing else, this film is quite unlike anything you've ever seen before. 2 May 2016. It doesn't go too extreme either way, and sits right in a perfect middle ground, even for those who are big horror fans. User Ratings Louisa Krause stars as the titular Ava, a young woman that must learn how to put her life together after a demon is exorcised from her body. There are subplots (such as Avas romance with Lou Taylor Puccis character) that feel underdeveloped and are subsequently left by the wayside in order to focus on the main story. Demonic possessions are a well-trod trope in horror movies, but most of them end with the exorcism. Privacy Policy. Feeling like a fuck up, being the black sheep, or feeling like you aren't part of the loop anymore. Film data from TMDb. What does make this film a worth while watch is the performance from the main actress, coupled with the interesting, if not predictable, story. I spent the entire flick wondering why respected actors like William Sadler, Carol Kane and Lou Taylor Pucci (who is unrecognizable here) would stoop to participate in this sorry excuse of a film. The film had its world premiere at the Dead by Dawn Horror Film Festival on April 26, 2015. The second question Ava (Louisa Krause) utters, once she understands she has lost the last month or so to a demon whose behavior she has no memory of Did anyone call in sick for me? establishes that were in the world of quotidian details instead of operatic good-versus-evil. Metacritic Reviews. At the start of the film I was like WTF is going on is this a comedy. Please email us at [emailprotected], subject line republish, with any questions or to let us know what stories youre picking up. If you know of any, please let me know in the comments, because I would love to see them. Its again not something you see every day in the genre. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Normally, a possession movie ends with the victim baths in sunlight or in some cases wanders into the dark. Your guide to every single Israeli TV show and movie you can stream right now, Tunisia Boosts Security for Lag BOmer on Djerba. The story itself isnt without subjective flaws, mind you. Posters are sourced from TMDb and Posteritati, and appear for you and visitors to your profile and content, depending on settings. I dunno this should have been a pretty great dark/quirky cult movie, along the lines of Repo Man and After Hours and others like it. Bernard: Are you still smoking marijuana? Unwisely, Ava agrees to assist her friends flirtation with the underworld, going to buy spells from an occultist (Carol Kane, delicious in her forces-you-dont-understand warnings). A light riff on a staple of horror cinema. Instead of focusing on her possession, this movie asks the question, what is life like AFTER your demon has been exorcised? Horror is in trouble if this doesn't become a cult classic someday. It could be because I was high while viewing, but I feel the story leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. But in making amends with the people she wronged, she uncovers a plot deeper than mere possession. It has a charming sense of humor and a wonderful visual eye, creating a sort of technicolor 60's sitcom palette at times. 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Director Jordan Galland Writer Jordan Galland Stars Louisa Krause Whitney Able Deborah Rush See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video It's really a disappointment when the end of a decent and likely unique and new look at post-Exorcist horror has a tacked on ending in the tradition of most clichd horror B movies. About 20 minutes in I had to check that I wasn't watching a series pilot. Its not just Rosa who resorts to ritual in the wake of the tragedy. Written and directed by Jordan Galland: Ava's Possessions is relatively unique as a mixture of possession horror and film noir, though it somewhat lacks the much needed energy and eagerness in pursuing its meandering narrative. It does take away from the fun of the film a bit and the resolution isnt all that satisfying either. But that's all i am going to tell you. Joking aside, the story Avas Possessions is seriously its strong point. Ridley Scott, who of course directed the original classic in 1979 and later returned for prequelsPrometheusandAlien: Covenant, will produce the movie via his Scott Free banner. and they got a cameo from the god carol kane!!! First are detectives Esti (Noa Koler, largely en franais as she deals with Natalie and her family) and her jaded partner Rafi (Tzahi Grad). Disneys Haunted Mansion Teaser Trailer Welcomes You Back to an Iconic House of Horrors! Two teams of two pursue this goal. | In "Ava's Possessions" it's just the beginning as the priest commences the procedure along with opening credit. But the ending was a bit confusing. She gets some leads and finds some clues and eventually comes full circle. Cookie Notice It not only feeds into the mystery of just what her familys hiding from her, but also earns her the sympathy needed from the audience. All the exorcism/possession movies end, after the exorcism - whether it went right or wrong, there's not much we get after that. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from. The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. Possession can be fun! The family has sued Airbnb, the property owner, the rental manager, and the former tenants. The phones screen shows the time as 1:10 PM. Evil Dead Star Lou Taylor Pucci Battles a Tasmanian Devil in Devil Inside. Aside from that, the movie does a great job of juxtaposing regular daily scenes with night scenes that are bathed in neon aesthetics. Want to relax and get a horror fix but also have a few laughs? The first act of the film is absolutely brimming with hilarious and oddly practical concerns regarding Avas situation. and "Did anyone call in sick for me?" With a great use of a musical track for a horror movie, this if it can be called a sedate but refined version of Pulp Fiction (1994) and The Devil's Carnival (2012) presents the occult in a fresh and humanistic way. David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu have signed on, THR reports. Vibrant, red blood splotches run down her mouth as she . We get a strong sense that this movie is made for fans of horror, specifically supernatural and possession horror. She reveals that she is behind temporary power outages that turn off Nathan's surveillance system, and that while they. He went into Sophie's cell and gave her a written confession of her betrayal for her to attest, but Sophie chose not to sign it. That is the way to connect to the audience, and this movie does it well. Very often in horror comedies we get over-the-top ridiculous humor with intentionally silly gore and a simple yet coherent plot. Father Merrino (John Ventimiglia) extracts the demon and Ava takes controls of her body again, but she cant recall a single thing that happened since the start of her possession - and a lot of things happened. Basically a demon possesses this woman at certain times and manages to save her life, a time or two. With no memory of the past month, she is forced to attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group.