Possession movies have been a staple of horror since 1973’s The Exorcist shocked and terrified audiences. Found footage movies came later in the game, but thanks to 1999’s Blair Witch Project, they too have become an important part of the ever-changing genre. But can Possession Diaries pull off the combination of these two styles?
From writer and director Juan Frausto, Possession Diaries follows Rebecca (Katherine Munroe), as she vlogs her experience of demonic possession after playing with a Ouija board for fun. She records her episodes so that people will believe her and help her, before the Devil steals her soul.
The entire movie is set in Rebecca’s bedroom, as she sits at her desk recording the videos; and we see creepy goings on in the bedroom, even when she’s not there. With such a restrictive setting, and such a minimal cast (we only meet a handful of other characters, and each of those only has a scene or two), this movie needed to feature some terrifying special effects to be scary. Unfortunately, it does not.
The creepy shadows and unexplained movement of inanimate objects work quite well, but sadly these moments are too spread out between the downright obscure ‘nightmare’ and possession scenes. They’re just so random, the confusion they cause dilutes any of the tension created.
The ending doesn’t do the movie any justice, either. Some over-the-top acting by Rebecca’s best friend, Esmy (Stephanie Kaczmarek) is followed by a lacklustre scene that feels like the intro to a pretty dull episode of CSI. And then we get what was probably intended as a shock twist, but it doesn’t land.
The plot just feels jumbled and sloppy. It’s supposed to be a found footage movie, but the majority of the film takes place away from Rebecca’s vlog. The idea of Rebecca being possessed never gets to be truly scary, because there’s more focus on the Devil taunting and manhandling her. And Rebecca’s birthday being Halloween – hence the spooky decor – feels like a cheap gimmick.
Possession Diaries isn’t the worst way to spend an hour and a half. There’s some good, even if very typical, paranormal moments in there; but unfortunately they’re few and far between.
Possession Diaries is out June 4 through Stroboscope Studios.
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