The Possession in Japan (Review)
Japan/2011
Netflix Streaming: No
Amazon Prime: No
"...the film lacks the character, depth, and
creativity necessary for an effective horror film."
Mistakenly
diagnosed as schizophrenic, 20-year-old Lisa and her family have been
fighting a vicious demonic possession; Lisa has been tied to her bed at
the recommendation of a former doctor and has taken abundant medicine --
but it hasn't worked. However, with the help of a Father, they may be
able to save Lisa.
The Possession in Japan follows a very
familiar path. It doesn't explain her treatment or possession as you are
dropped right into it -- we never meet Lisa. A priest recognizes the
signs of possession and requests an exorcism; he has a reluctant friend
that may be of assistance, but has quit due to his past failure. This
reluctant friend, however, eventually has a change of heart. A final
exorcism is performed that explains the possession and its roots, and
delivers a solid twist. But, by then, you'll already be drained from the
cliché-filled plot and unnecessarily long run time. (and it's only an
hour and twenty minutes long!)
The story doesn't try to be
original or innovative. There is no character or depth. Therefore, the
supernatural, scientific, and religious aspects of the film are
ineffective -- the thought-provocation is nonexistent; you never wonder if it's an illness or a possession. Also, without
character, the film lacks overall impact -- I couldn't care for Lisa or
her family because they have no character. And, without impact or
creativity, the film lacks the terror needed to make a great horror
film, or a horror film at all, for that matter. There are some solid
special effects, but there are also some terrible visuals, as well.
There isn't anything shocking or disturbing -- Lisa's growls sound more
like she's powering up a kamehameha wave rather than a vicious demon.
Like Lisa's demon says, "It was a waste of time!"
The acting was
okay. There were some moments of hilarity due to the overacting and
cringe-worthy delivery, but it was mostly competent. The music was good,
although it was occasionally ill-fitted. The visual effects ranged from
good to bad; I liked the visual effects at the end, but a certain
explosion was weak. I'm not looking for a big-budget film, hell,
Graceland is close to masterpiece status and that has a microscopic
budget in today's age, so I can't forgive it for looking cheap; horror
is supposed to excel with lower budgets through practical effects and
clever writing - this has neither.
Overall, The Possession in
Japan isn't a good film. I like certain parts of the ending, as well as
the possession explanation, and the younger sister adds some emotion to
the story, but the film lacks the character, depth, and
creativity necessary for an effective horror film. It's also unnecessarily long -- it really could've been cut to an hour -- and
uneventful. Hardcore possession fans should rent, everyone else should
wait for streaming.
Score: 3/10
Parental Guide: Some disturbing visuals.
No comments:
Post a Comment