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. Ava is recovering from demonic possession. Ava was possessed by a demon. 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. Unless she agrees to join a self-help group, the SPA or Spirit Possession Anonymous, that is. Ava's mother makes a comment "who knew our family would be so susceptible to possessions" because she was possessed previously. Debuting on HBO Max on Thursday, the French and Hebrew language thriller opens at the wedding of French expat Natalie (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) and handsome Israeli nonentity Eran (Valley of Tears Imri Biton dont get too attached). "I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" She believed that she should value death over having Jonah take her status and possessions and let her live like a prisoner. Metacritic Reviews. A supernatural comedy that kicks off after the exorcism. Natalie's mother, Rosa (Dominique Valadi), opposes the union and almost walks out. As Ava struggles to reconnect with her friends, get her job back, and figure out where the huge blood stain in her apartment came from, she is plagued by nightmarish visions - the demon is trying to come back. Cooky. That's the purpose of Spirit Possession Anonymous. 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. She gets some leads and finds some clues and eventually comes full circle. 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. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. In "Ava's Possessions" it's just the beginning as the priest commences the procedure along with opening credit. But in a genre where possession is old-hat, it's rare to see a fresh and unique take on the material. Simon mourns for his old mentor in his own way and accuses Ava of forcing his hands. I mean "entity." Writer/Artist/Gamer from the Great White North. Obstacles both practical and supernatural thwart Avas happy ending here in ways that should satisfy many genre fans, if not the most reverent, at fests; on video, the pic should have a modest reach. All caveats aside, Tereszkiewiczs magnetic performance as Natalie, the stunning shots of the Negevs sun-blanched dunes and the regular hiss of something sinister afoot along with a sleekly menacing score by French music collective HiTnRuN propel a mystery that resists easy answers and straightforward clues. What I loved about this film is that the comedy feels like it belongs. Just search below. 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. | Of course shes going to be liable for things like this. However, things change when the baby is born and revealed to be deaf. While Ava is trying to piece together her missing 28 days she discovers blood stains on her floor. Im reasonably confident you wont be quick to solve the murder mystery at the heart of Possessions. If you do work out the exact whys and wherefores before, say, episode four of six Im more than a bit worried about you. The last time Jonah saw Sophie, he wanted to give her a second chance. 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. Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site. Gallands film plays more like a cable-ready mystery than a cult film in the making, offering just enough chuckles to stay afloat. 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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Making its world premiere at the 2015 edition of the SXSW Film Festival, the film takes the unorthodox route in demonic possession stories by picking up the story post-exorcism. Horror is in trouble if this doesn't become a cult classic someday. The acting and story are very well done. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I do recommend for anyone wanting to watch a mildly horror movie but I felt it was more drama then anything else. Still Alive Watch Demi Lovatos Scream VI Music Video Featuring New Clips from the Movie! I just watched this movie and I kind of liked it. But that's all i am going to tell you. 2016 R 1h 29m DVD Rent this movie. Click here for Culture Crypt's interview with filmmaker Jordan Galland and star Louisa Krause. You sorta acted like a mega bitch when you were possessed, one friend tells her. Shes left trying to put her life back together and figure out exactly what she did in those 28 days all while grappling with her demons constant attempts to return. Ava awakens to find a priest at her bedside; unbeknownst to her, she's been possessed by Naphula, a demon from hell, for the past month, but the priest has successfully exorcised the demon and she's herself again. Now shes being charged with a variety of crimes including property damage, assault, indecent exposure and more. Director Jordan Galland Writer Jordan Galland Stars Louisa Krause Whitney Able Deborah Rush See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video Im not a fan of this digital filming stuff, it looks horrible. By what name was Ava's Possessions (2015) officially released in India in English? Ava definitely comes across as someone who wants to get her life back on track, and at the same time trying to make amends for what happened. FAQ A capable production communicates the narrative without adding appealing energy. The story itself isnt without subjective flaws, mind you. At the same time Shai wonders, as others do, if Erans death was retribution for marrying Natalie a sign that Maybe she wasnt his. She is then recaptured and is put in a car with Roger, who is to take her to the asylum. It does this by a subversion that presents problems of its own. and then there's the small matter of a large bloodstain on . I know I certainly wouldn't mind seeing a Spirit Possessions Anonymous TV show. She is initially flippant towards her actions during this time, but soon discovers that she caused serious emotional and physical damage, resulting in her losing her job, friends, and boyfriend, as well as potential jail time. Overview; Details; While struggling to recover from the trauma of demonic possession, Ava Dopkins attempts to resume a normal life. All Rights Reserved. I also dug the choice of colours used in the film. This comes as a blow to Max, who is a musician . and that music, with all its funhouse-mirror doo-wop and moody rockabilly-ish twang, was ready for action. Louisa Krause Whitney Able Deborah Rush Lou Taylor Pucci William Sadler Zachary Booth Wass Stevens Annabelle Dexter-Jones Carol Kane John Ventimiglia Geneva Carr Dan Fogler Jemima Kirke Stella Schnabel Joel de la Fuente Tarik Lowe, Traction Media Off Hollywood Pictures Ravenous Films, 89mins that explores the consequences of the events of a demonic possession in a grounded way. External Reviews This complicates her attempts to make amends with those she injured while possessed, including a stranger named Conrad, the pursuit of whom opens up a whole new can of worries for poor Ava. Still, its a nice alternative to yet another self-serious Exorcist wannabe. Lonely and confused as to what exactly caused her to become possessed, Ava agrees to help Hazel's demon return via a ritual, which results in Hazel getting committed. A semicomic mystery imagining what happens after the credits roll on a demonic-possession fright flick, Jordan Galland 's Ava's Possessions realizes the obvious it ain't easy to reenter . THR adds, Plot details are being kept in a cryochamber, but as opposed to the other movies which focused on adults in corporate, militaristic and scientific roles, this now-ninth installment of the franchise will focus on a group of young people.. So what do we have here? "Ava's Possessions" follows the titular character, a young woman who wakes up one day tied to her bed after an exorcism. I try not to be boring. Minus that flimsy ending, Gallands got every element of this film right on point. Letterboxd Limited. Overall I'm a bit confused, but I enjoyed the scenes and vibes. The phones screen shows the time as 1:10 PM. Very often in horror comedies we get over-the-top ridiculous humor with intentionally silly gore and a simple yet coherent plot. Beginning where most, if not all, exorcism-related horror movies end, "Ava's Possessions" travels the path less taken, chronicling its titular character's recovery from a brutal bout with a demon name Naphula. Oops, I said the d-word. It's basically jail, or join a group a lot like AA but for possession victims: Spirit Possession Anonymous. Please email us at [emailprotected], subject line republish, with any questions or to let us know what stories youre picking up. What does make this film a worth while watch is the performance from the main actress, coupled with the interesting, if not predictable, story. When the lead character attended a meeting of 'Spirit Possessions Anonymous' I thought this may be similar to 'Scary Movie', 'Naked Gun' and other satirical comedies, but no such luck. 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. He put together a strong ensemble, his shots are all well-composed, there are some stellar lighting choices that give the film a really unique flare and the music he got from Sean Lennon is spot on. It really is still a bit of a guessing game that you play until the end, which offers not only a nice reveal but wraps the story together nicely as well. First are detectives Esti (Noa Koler, largely en franais as she deals with Natalie and her family) and her jaded partner Rafi (Tzahi Grad). Alien television series from Noah Hawley. It becomes so much more relatable, and that makes the comedy work. An admittedly compelling idea delivered too flatly to make a difference, "Ava's Possessions" finds a young woman recovering from demonic possession with the help of a 12-step program. Spirit Possessions Anonymous, where the d-word is a big no-no. Ava is recovering from demonic possession. Critical reception for Ava's Possessions has been mixed and the film holds a rating of 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 reviews. Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. I won't bother to describe the plot of this disaster, but some of the dialog is pricelesssuch as 'I think my demon likes me, I'm the first girl he was ever inside.' Bill and Teds Bogus Journey: 30th Anniversary Death Statue from Incendium Now Available for Pre-Order! ("We don't say the D-word.") Partway between the worlds, she can see the other world intruding into ours; or perhaps she had become nuts. Freaking excellent! In "Ava's Possessions" it's just the beginning as the priest commences the procedure along with opening credit. Possessions.Available now on HBO Max. Theres still a serious tone to the film, but the variety of tones that make up the story definitely keeps things interesting. 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). Lending credibility are the performances by veterans William Sadler and Deborah Rush, who nail whats required in their roles and the story. Finally someone made a movie, that is so obvious, you really wonder, how no one came up with that simple yet brilliant concept yet. 2 May 2016. I thought the idea was so unique, and I personally don't know of any other movies that show what happens to a person after the spirit they are possessed by is exorcised. Watch it with us: Netflix streaming Horror comedies and demon possession movies are both having a moment, but Ava's Possessions is the first film I've heard of that combines these genres.Director Jordan Galland's 2015 indie is an amusing genre mashup, but it also uses possession and exorcism as metaphors for mental illness and addiction, presenting horror not as a one-time event but as . There is a good story as well, one that has layers of mystery that get peeled back every so often. TMDb Flaws and all, Ava's Possessions is still something genre fans tired of the usual possession story willing to try something new will enjoy. Having wrought havoc on the public during her demonic spree, she is ordered by the court to a "spiritual possessions anonymous" group to reorient herself. Two teams of two pursue this goal. "Ava's Possessions" follows the titular character, a young woman who wakes up one day tied to her bed after an exorcism. A girl recovering from demonic possession is forced into therapy, but flashbacks make her doubt the origin of her troubles. This is where, I could have spent hours exploring SPA, the cases Tony is dealing with and how having been possessed changes a persons everyday life, but eventually, the film shifts its focus to a mystery of sorts and thats where. The priest exorcised it out of her and now she goes to SPA. He can be reached at [emailprotected]. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. not wacky enough to do justice to a tantalizingly-wacky concept. Ava is recovering from demonic possession. Its again not something you see every day in the genre. However instead of taking her to the facility Roger instead tries to kiss her and reveals that he murdered the prostitute in order to keep her from telling anyone that he had visited her. Ava's Possessions is a 2015 American supernatural comedy horror film written and directed by Jordan Galland. Watch Ava's Possessions Theatrical Trailer, The movie playing at around 55 minutes is. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from. But the ending was a bit confusing. It has a charming sense of humor and a wonderful visual eye, creating a sort of technicolor 60's sitcom palette at times. The ritual also leaves a tattoo on her neck, which Tony discovers. Where precisely does it go off the rails? 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. Just go watch and tell me what it made you feel. B-. 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). From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. So what is this movie really? Cookie Notice Ava is able to control the demon and use its abilities to capture Roger. The golden rule of spirit possession anonymous is never ever use that word. When I originally heard about a little movie called "Tonight, We Stay Indoors" by no-budget filmmaker Joseph Larsen, I was intrigued in similar ways. Having wrought havoc on the public during her demonic spree, she is ordered by the court to a "spiritual possessions anonymous" group to reorient herself. The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. The problem is it tries to be so many things at once than its mostly none of them. Perhaps they owed someone a favor. Possession, which was released in 1981, is the answer. Ava's life was hijacked by a demon, now it's time to get it back. The story is not only a different take, but is also . At the start of the film I was like WTF is going on is this a comedy. Shortly after coming to, she asks her family if anyone bothered to call out sick from work for her. Awards "[2] Bloody Disgusting shared a similar opinion and noted that while the film was flawed, it had good acting and was "still a unique film that deserves a watch to see that not every possession film has to be told the same way. Instead of the classic horror movie reactions to things like possessions and demons, we get a more muted and organic comical touch. Evil Dead Star Lou Taylor Pucci Battles a Tasmanian Devil in Devil Inside. Jordan Galland's sharp satire Ava's Possessions, on the other hand . To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. Just another solid pickup for a dollar. Ava's life was hijacked by a demon, now it's time to get it back. There have been sequels to exorcism movies of course and they show a sort of aftermath, but this is an "original", without any background as to what happened before. "Ava's Possessions" mixes crime mysteries and comedy with its horror themes, making it something that doesn't require you to be completely on edge. She may even end up in jail for her crimes. Ava struggles to make amends with those she hurt while possessed and get her life back together only to have the demon return to possess her once again. The film had its world premiere at the Dead by Dawn Horror Film Festival on April 26, 2015. Her immediate response is "How long was I out?" And as expected, just like in the mafia, you dont walk away scot-free. The movie does have a great way of making what is a horror trope feel like a regularity, and with that comes the mundane and irritation of every day life. 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. Ava. Her latest film puts her in the titular role of Ava and teams her up with director Tate Taylor after . 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. Her friends are pissed because while possessed, she acted like a mega b*tch and slut. She also kicked the crap out of a guy at an ATM and a security camera caught the whole thing. (Re-summoning Hazels demon requires a trip to an occult shop, owned by a delightfully wicked Carol Kane.) While in the group, Ava comes to learn that despite her parents Bernard and Joanna (William Sadler and Deborah Rush), sister (Whitney Able), and sisters fianc (Zachary Booth) being there for her during the ordeal, they seem to be harbouring a secret from her that hides a sinister truth about the possession. She's now trying to figure out what went down when she was a demon. Its more comedy than horror, but it mixes enough to make it a decent watch. Possession can be fun! Ava's Possessions is an American supernatural Horror Comedy film written and directed by Jordan Gallard. I'd recommend this movie if you like possession movies. I could have spent hours exploring SPA, the cases Tony is dealing with and how having been possessed changes a persons everyday life, but eventually, the film shifts its focus to a mystery of sorts and thats where Avas Possessions loses a little momentum. But though shes eager to protect herself from her uninvited spirit guest, another member of the group wants hers back. The concept, observing the aftermath of the protagonist's dance with a demon, lends itself to something clever and fun at the film's start, but the wit quickly dissolves into flavorless doldrums. 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The cast was great, the cinematography was appropriately oddball (so many Dutch angles! 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. But in hindsight, Rosas superstitious, evil eye-evading practices, derived from her childhood in the ancient Tunisian Jewish community in Djerba, point to one of the series major themes: the sway tradition can still hold over a modernity in an Old New Land like Israel. When Ava is in her apartment with Ben she gets a phone call. Theres an SPA handbook thats a bit reminiscent of the Handbook for the Recently Deceased in Beetlejuice, members are instructed to not use the D word and they also all have very different relationships with their uninvited spiritual guest. Whereas Ava is eager to get rid of her rather malicious evil entity, another group member named Hazel (Annabelle Dexter-Jones) has basically fallen in love with hers. With no memory of the past month, she is forced to attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group. The film begins during the tail end of her exorcism. Ava is just your average twenty something who's just been exorcised. Sounds as fresh as it is with humor that isn't trying to be funny, but definitely is. If they made a second one I'd watch it. Ava then recalls finding a tattoo similar to the one she received during the ritual, making her realize that her sister had deliberately sent the demon into her in order to avoid getting possessed herself. TheAlienfilm franchise is currently six movies deep, with filmmakers including James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet bringing to the screen their own versions of the Xenomorph monsters that Ridley Scott and Dan OBannon gave birth to back in the 1970s. David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu have signed on, THR reports. After an exorcism frees her soul, a young woman (Louisa Krause) attends Spirit Possession Anonymous and meets a fellow victim (Whitney Able) who wants her demon back. Just when you think filmmakers had all but exhausted the demonic possession subgenre, giving us all that could possibly be wrung from it, along comes writer/director Jordan Galland and Avas Possessions. It's a fun ride we have some really, aa for people who are possessed seems wild. 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. As someone whos seen quite a few possession movies recently, Avas Possessions is wildly refreshing. With no memory of the past month, she must attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group to figure out what happened.
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